The next morning, Raven was sitting inside the tent, handling the various matters that Aelif had reported about the territory, when Anna's voice suddenly came from outside.
"Teacher!"
Raven looked up and saw Anna running in, holding Zorua in her arms.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she exclaimed, "Teacher, my Zorua learned a new move!"
"Oh?" Raven was a little surprised.
"Zorua, quick, use that move to show Teacher!" Anna urged.
Zorua nodded softly, and in the next moment, its body began shifting rapidly.
Illusions flickered in and out, and soon, dozens of identical "Zorua" appeared inside the tent.
At Anna's command, every single Zorua lifted its head in unison and stared at Raven.
Raven recognized the move at once.
"Double Team, huh?" he praised. "Not bad. That's quite a powerful move."
"Double Team?" Anna asked curiously. "So that's what it's called?"
"That's right." Raven nodded. "It looks like you and Zorua have made great progress recently! You haven't let me down."
"Mm!" Anna's eyes shone. "Not only that, but Zorua's gotten more skilled with its other moves too!"
"Seems it's time to teach you the next step," Raven said.
"What is it?"
Hearing this, Anna and Zorua immediately looked at him with eager eyes.
"Abilities," Raven explained as he stood and walked over to Zorua. "Every beast is born with a special ability. Take my Dratini, for example."
Raven beckoned, and Dratini slithered over.
"Dratini's ability is Marvel Scale. Compared to other beasts, its scales have a mysterious power. When it's poisoned or paralyzed, this ability activates, making its scales even tougher."
"Marvel Scale…" Anna felt as if a whole new world was opening before her. "So does Zorua have Marvel Scale too?"
Raven chuckled and shook his head. "No. Different beasts have different abilities. Even within the same species, they can vary."
"From what I've observed, your Zorua's ability is called Illusion. And you've already seen it in action."
"Huh? I have?" Anna froze.
Raven nodded. "The night you met Zorua. To protect you, it created the terrifying vision that scared off Beartic. That was Illusion."
"Zorua can use this ability to create all kinds of illusions to confuse opponents. Sometimes, it can even change how it looks to others—say, disguising itself as a human."
"In many situations, this can be incredibly useful. For instance, if you encounter a foe you can't possibly defeat, you can use illusions to distract them and escape."
"What an amazing power!" Anna's eyes went wide.
Raven smiled faintly. "Your next task is to train Zorua's ability—until it can take on the form of a human."
"Once you've mastered that, I'll begin teaching you the most important skill for a trainer: battle commands."
"Commands?" Anna repeated quickly, nodding hard. "Yes, Teacher!"
"Also, take this parchment and study it carefully." Raven handed her a sheet of parchment he had written earlier.
It contained a detailed type effectiveness chart, along with some beast typings.
Anna accepted it solemnly and promised, "We'll study it well!"
"Good. Then off you go." Raven smiled and waved.
From what he'd seen these past days, this child had real talent for becoming a trainer.
Watching Anna and Zorua leave, Raven murmured,"Little Anna, hurry and grow strong."
Zorua's illusion ability made it the perfect scout.
Thinking of scouts reminded Raven of the three he'd sent out days ago: Cleveland, Lyon, and Christina.
"I wonder how their mission is going…"
＊
Five kilometers away, up on the snowy mountain.
Christina wore a thick woolen hat and knitted gloves. She stood overlooking the mountains and frozen lakes below, carefully sketching the terrain in her notebook.
Lyon and Cleveland kept watch nearby.
It had been several days since they set out. With their food nearly gone, it was time to return.
On their journey, they'd encountered many beasts. Thanks to Cleveland's experience, not only had they evaded danger, they'd also recorded the creatures' appearances and habitats.
Of course, not all beasts attacked.
They saw one shaped like a pot, hiding under rocks, retreating into its shell the moment it saw them.
Another, a bird with fluffy, cloud-like wings, was completely unafraid of people.
Lyon even witnessed a massive herd of Mamoswine lumbering past at a leisurely pace.
Back in the royal capital, they had never truly felt it—but now, traveling here, both Lyon and Christina were struck by how beautiful and vast this world was, how fascinating its beasts were, and how irresistible it felt to keep exploring.
"Mission accomplished!" Lyon muttered with some regret. "Too bad I didn't meet a beast willing to follow me…"
Christina giggled. "With how rough you are, what beast would ever like you?"
The three of them had gone through so much together that they'd grown quite close, even joking now and then.
Lyon clenched his fist. "Nonsense! I'm not rough at all!"
Christina snorted with laughter.
Cleveland stood silently to the side, sword in hand, his tall, broad frame like a wall.
Suddenly, his ears caught a strange sound.
A low rumble shook the ground, as if some enormous beast was drawing near.
"Danger!" Cleveland barked at once.
The warning had barely left his mouth when a massive figure burst through the trees and loomed before them.
It was over two meters tall, with a monstrous body that radiated raw power.
Spotting the three humans, it beat its fists against its chest and roared in fury.
"Roar!"
In the next instant, it lunged at Cleveland with terrifying speed.
Body Slam!
Cleveland raised his sword to block, but the beast's strength was overwhelming, sending him flying back with weapon and all.
"Cleveland!" Lyon shouted, drawing his sword and rushing forward. "Christina, hide!"
But before he could even finish, the beast's body flared with terrifying power.
"Boom!"
The earth shook violently, as if it would split open.
Before Lyon could react, an immense force erupted from beneath him, blasting him away.
"Lyon!"
Christina's face twisted in fear. She stuffed away her notebook and rushed to check on him.
The raging beast charged again, but at the last second, Cleveland forced himself up, sword in hand, and stood between it and his companions.
His body surged with strength, honed through years of war. He instantly realized this foe was far beyond them.
There was no way they could win.
And escape was no longer an option.
In a flash, Cleveland made his decision.
"Take Lyon and go! Get back to the territory!"
Christina pulled Lyon to his feet, panic in her eyes. "What about you?"
"I'll draw it away! Go!"
Christina hesitated, torn.
"Bring the map to Lord Raven!" Cleveland roared. "If you don't leave now, none of us will!"
Tears welled in Christina's eyes. She cast one last look at him, then gritted her teeth and began retreating with Lyon.
Watching them go, Cleveland felt relief—right before the beast's strike hurled him down the snowy slope, tumbling endlessly until everything went black.
He dreamt.
He dreamt of his younger self, joining the army. Before departing, the girl he loved smiled softly at him and whispered, "Come back alive."
But when the war ended, everything had changed.
His parents were gone. The girl he loved had married another.
Left with nothing, Cleveland returned to the army—until one day, a new order came.
To follow Lord Raven to his fief.
Through the haze, he heard that voice again: Come back alive.
That voice… it was Lord Raven's.
Cleveland's eyes snapped open.
He quickly surveyed his surroundings.
He was lying on a snow-covered slope.
It seemed he had tumbled down the mountain and landed here.
"Still alive." He tried moving his limbs, but searing pain flared in his right arm.
A muffled groan escaped his throat.
Broken.
But such an injury was nothing to him.
Forcing himself upright, Cleveland tried to find the way back.
But after walking for what felt like forever, utterly exhausted, he realized he had circled back to the same slope where he had fallen.
He was lost.
His expression darkened.
Time passed. Snowflakes began to fall. He no longer knew how long he'd been wandering.
Strength drained away. No food. No water. Cold… so cold…
He collapsed behind a rock, seeking shelter from the wind.
His body temperature slipped away, his consciousness fading.
Death… was this where he would die?
In his haze, he suddenly saw a breathtaking creature soaring toward him.
A great bird with dazzling blue feathers and crystalline wings.
A crown of three deep-blue, rhombus-shaped plumes adorned its head, and its long, flowing tail streamed like a divine banner.
The falling snow suddenly froze in midair, suspended in time.
Cleveland's eyes opened wide, locking onto that pair of red eyes.
(End of Chapter)