Chapter 15 Preparation Part 2

A few more steps. Now Ar stood directly in front of the creature. He could clearly see the white deer's pair of red eyes, eyes that were strangely... very similar to his own. There was a depth to the gaze, not just animal instinct, but consciousness. Even sadness.

Ar blinked. The light on the creature's body suddenly grew brighter, blinding, and in an instant turned into a stream like the previous attack. His reflexes screamed for him to retreat... but he held still. There was no fear. No urge to defend. His body simply stood still, allowing the stream of light to engulf him.

And what happened... was no attack.

The light entered his body, not to hurt, but to connect with something deeper. Ar felt a subtle pulse merge with his aura. His golden glowing body responded, pulling with the stream of light from the White Stag. Instead of colliding, the two lights merged in a strange harmony.

Then...

Something appeared in his mind.

Visualizations. Blurry images that slowly became clear. So real... as if he were standing in the middle of the event.

The sound of screams. The roar of fire. The scorched ground.

Ar held his breath. He saw a group of Channelers in battle gear, fully armed and moving in neat lines. They were... hunting the White Deer. Tens... hundreds of similar creatures were being attacked mercilessly. The white light that should have been beautiful was now filled with mournful cries.

The forest they lived in was burned to the ground. Trees collapsed and the sky was red with flames. The remaining White Deer fought desperately, their bursts of light becoming an absolute defense. But it was not brutality... it was desperation. They were just trying to protect their territory and their group.

Ar gritted his teeth. The sight was heartbreaking. A question crossed his mind: "Is that... what this creature feels? Or... the memory it wants to show me?"

His hands clenched. The longer he stared at the image, the harder it became to distinguish between reality and the implanted memories. But one thing was clear, they were not monsters for no reason.

And as the image slowly faded, only he, the White Stag, and the light that still connected them remained.

The channelers... they were burning the forest.

Thick fog enveloped everything, choking and obscuring the view. Smoke, fire, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Ar stood stiffly, his eyes glued to the visualization emanating from the light of the White Stag, too real to ignore.

A cruel strategy.

Burning to blind, fog to trap. The White Deer, lost in it, became easy targets. The cries of the creatures, cries that humans could never utter, pierced Ar's ears, pounded his chest.

He knew that tainted beasts were dangerous. Hunting was allowed, yes... but like this?

This... violated the treaty for the protection of magical beasts. There should be no uncontrolled slaughter. Not in such a cruel way.

Then... he saw it.

There was a figure among the channelers that made him gasp. A tall man with neatly tied gray hair. His muscular body swung his sword without hesitation, slashing the white deer that tried to flee. Silvery white blood splattered on the ground, a tragic contrast to the burning forest.

Ar clenched his fists. Baron Bartemus Rudolph. The name was familiar. Kaelith. A man who should have been a protector... turned into a greedy hunter instead. His goal? The skin of the white mouse deer.

More than just a trophy, the creature's skin was believed to emit pure essence, a valuable item sought by channelers to develop their abilities.

Ar gritted his teeth. Just to strengthen himself... does he have to slaughter it?

The gaze of the white stag standing before him remained calm. His red eyes stared at Ar as if to say, "You've seen it, haven't you?

"You want me to see this?" Ar's voice cracked, weak.

It was indeed stupid to talk to magical beasts, but the creature nodded slowly. A simple answer... but difficult.

More memories flooded his mind, of Baron Bartemus, of the widespread illegal sale of Magic Beasts, of Ethel, who was always the victim. Ar had tried to fight back as best he could, burning down the old building where the illegal distribution took place. But what he did then... was too small. Too insignificant compared to what was happening in front of him now.

The white light that had engulfed his body was slowly fading. The terrifying visualization disappeared, replaced by a calm and quiet forest scene. Too quiet... until the sound of small, hurried footsteps became very clear.

"Brother! Are you all right?" Clau's voice broke the silence. The girl was running towards him, alert but clearly worried.

Ar did not answer immediately. His eyes were still fixed on the White Mouse Deer, who had not moved from his place, the creature remained standing, did not attack, did not leave. It just stared at him.

And in that moment... Ar felt it.

Essential. Flowing. But not from him. Not his. As if something was... giving it to him. Not a forced force, but a life flowing gently into his body. Warm. Calm. But... full of hidden wounds.

The white creature scratched the ground with its feet. Its movements were not just scratching, more like stamping with a regular rhythm, as if to convey something that could not be expressed in words.

Then, without warning, the white mouse deer ran into the forest. The light surrounding its body shone brightly, piercing the darkness of the trees. In an instant, his figure was nothing but a glowing shadow that slowly faded into the depths of the forest.

Ar was silent for a moment, letting the silence envelop him before finally turning around.

The sky above him began to turn red. The remnants of twilight mixed with the gray sky, creating a canvas that seemed to be on fire. The last birds chirped softly before the silence of the night took over completely. The scent of wet earth filled the air, accompanying him as he stepped out of the forest, each step heavy. Not only because of his physical exhaustion, but also because of the weight of thoughts that filled his mind.

A fight to the death with the Alpha Necrohound…

And... the white mouse deer. Everything was spinning in his head, leaving him no room to breathe.