Elemental Beast

Arthur and his mother had gradually settled into a steady rhythm of survival. Each morning, Arthur would head out to gather food and water. Their growing stockpile was carefully stored in makeshift wooden barrels carved from tree trunks and reinforced with branches. Arthur had become adept at hunting small animals, ensuring a consistent supply of meat while mastering the art of a hunter-gatherer—a skill that was now vital to their existence in the forest.

With each successful hunt, Arthur grew bolder. As his confidence swelled, he ventured farther from the safety of their treehouse, targeting slightly larger game. Trial and error became his teacher, and the unforgiving forest his classroom. Over the course of a few weeks, Arthur found himself staring down wolf packs, evading bears, and even outwitting leopards. The forest was no longer just a place of survival; it had become his training ground.

Today was no different. Arthur set out as the morning mist clung to the forest floor. While tracking a deer, he caught a familiar scent lingering in the air. It was a smell he had noticed before but always avoided. It carried a weight of danger, something primal that warned him to stay away. But today, his weeks of training and successful hunts emboldened him. He decided to follow the trail and uncover its source.

Arthur moved cautiously, every step measured and deliberate. He relied on the skills he had sharpened over weeks of practice. In moments of calm, Arthur often closed his eyes, using his other senses to guide him. The forest had taught him to distinguish plants by touch, recognize animal movements by sound, and read the shifting scents carried by the wind. Every rustle and whisper of the trees told a story, and Arthur was learning to listen.

The scent grew stronger, its intensity making his heart race. Arthur focused his eyes, scanning the dense foliage for signs of movement. He finally spotted the source, and his breath caught in his throat.

Standing before him was a creature that resembled a rhino, yet it was unlike any rhino Arthur had ever seen. This beast was enormous, nearly double the size of a regular rhino. Its horn, dark brown and glossy, gleamed with an eerie, otherworldly energy. Thick, plate-like armor covered its body, replacing the rough skin typical of its kind. With every step, the ground seemed to groan under its immense weight, deep imprints marking its path.

Arthur froze, his muscles tensed. The creature sniffed the air and let out a low, guttural growl that reverberated through the forest like a drumbeat. The sound wasn't just a warning; it was a challenge.

Realizing he had been spotted, Arthur decided to strike first. His only attack technique was the close-range fist technique he had learned from the headmaster—the Rock Shattering Fist. It was a move he had used to crush heavy rocks and even fend off predators. Surely, it could break through the bones of a rhino.

With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Arthur closed the distance in seconds, his feet barely touching the ground as he dashed forward.

"Rock Shattering Fist!" he shouted, leaping into the air and aiming his punch directly at the rhino's face. The beast, however, met the attack head-on with its gleaming horn.

"Boom!" The impact created a shockwave that rippled through the air, shaking the surrounding trees and scattering loose leaves. Arthur was hurled backward by the force, his body tumbling through the air before crashing to the ground tens of meters away. Pain shot through him as he struggled to rise, his vision blurred.

He glanced at his hand, now bruised and bloodied, droplets of crimson falling to the forest floor. For the first time in his hunts, an opponent had managed to repel him so effortlessly.

The rhino stood firm, its massive frame unyielding. Its eyes were closed, and a small crack had formed on its horn where Arthur's punch had landed. Yet, to Arthur's astonishment, the crack began to repair itself almost immediately. The glossy brown horn regained its flawless sheen in moments, as if the damage had never existed.

Arthur's heart raced as realization dawned. "It can't be…" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

The horn wasn't ordinary. It was made of Earth element.

"It's an Elemental beast!" Arthur exclaimed, his voice trembling with awe and fear.

Arthur stood frozen, his mind racing. This was his first encounter with an Elemental beast, a creature he had only seen in illustrations and heard about in lessons. Seeing one in its natural habitat was a stark reminder of how little he understood about the world.

Elemental beasts were essentially Awakened animals, creatures capable of wielding elemental powers much like humans. However, they were far stronger, their bodies infused with elemental energy. They thrived in remote areas rich in elemental resources, far from human settlements.

Arthur recalled the lessons from school, where they had been taught about common inferior-grade Elemental beasts. Yet, the creature before him didn't match any of those descriptions.

"Is it a rare species? Or… no, that can't be. If it were an intermediate-grade beast, I wouldn't have come out relatively unscatched. It would've injured me heavily if not killed me directly.," Arthur reasoned, trying to steady his nerves.

Even fighting against the inferior-grade elemental beasts required an experienced group of Elemental novices or an Elemental Apprentice to contend against. He was way out of his league here.

His curiosity itched to study the beast further, but caution prevailed. The rhino's intelligence gleamed in its eyes, and it watched him as intently as he watched it.

Slowly, Arthur began to retreat. Each step backward was deliberate, his gaze never leaving the beast. The rhino remained still, its heavy breaths audible in the silence, as if gauging Arthur's intentions.

When he had retreated far enough, Arthur turned and bolted. The forest blurred around him as he sprinted back toward his treehouse, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Phew! I almost got myself killed today," he thought, his breath ragged. "I shouldn't be so reckless next time. I'm lucky the beast wasn't hostile and didn't use any elemental attacks. Otherwise, I'd have been done for."

The encounter left an indelible impression on Arthur. For the first time, he truly understood the overwhelming power of an Elemental beast. The experience was humbling, a stark reminder of how far he still had to go. From that day forward, Arthur resolved to avoid Elemental beasts unless absolutely necessary.

However, this didn't necessarily mean that they would avoid him.