"Grandma Selene…Grandpa Eldric…" Orion slowly muttered and nodded his head.
Both of them smiled in relief, seeing him calling them grandma and grandpa. Yet both of them felt something sweet in their hearts. It has been a while since someone has called them out without any ill motive.
Otherwise, most will only come to them when they have use of them or they need to ask for their help. "Haha, Orion boy, what did you decide then? Do you wish to come with us?" Eldric stood up and asked.
This time, Selene didn't say anything to Eldric but looked expectantly at the young man.
Orion lowered his head in thoughtfulness, while the old couple watched him patiently, allowing him time to make his own decision.
After a brief silence, Orion slowly raised his head, determination flashing softly in his deep eyes. "I will go…with you."
Hearing his answer, Selene's gentle smile widened warmly, and Eldric released a relieved sigh, chuckling softly.
"Good, good!" Eldric laughed heartily, reaching out to pat Orion's shoulder gently. "From now on, you don't need to worry about anything. We'll take care of you."
"Indeed, Orion. We'll teach you everything you need to know about our world, so don't fret," Selene added softly, eyes filled with motherly warmth. "Come now, it's getting late. We should start moving before nightfall."
Orion nodded softly, rising from his spot and dusting himself off gently. Eldric quickly packed up the picnic blanket and extinguished the fire with a small wave of his hand. Orion watched this, curious about the effortless magic displayed.
Noticing Orion's intrigued expression, Eldric chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, lad. Soon enough, you'll be able to perform magic yourself."
Orion's eyes sparkled with barely concealed excitement, nodding eagerly. "I'll work hard." He wasn't faking it this time; he was indeed curious about the magic of this world.
Selene gently squeezed his shoulder, guiding him forward as they began their journey out of the forest. Eldric led the way, navigating expertly through the dense trees and bushes.
As they moved, Orion's senses picked up subtle fluctuations of mana in their surroundings. He marveled at how vividly he could sense the presence and movements of creatures nearby, attributing this sharp awareness to his Dragon Instincts.
After traveling for nearly half an hour, Eldric suddenly raised his hand, signaling them to stop. His gaze narrowed as he cautiously scanned their surroundings. "Something's coming."
Selene quietly pulled Orion closer, positioning herself protectively in front of him. Her gentle demeanor was replaced by a murderous aura, eyes sharply scanning the surroundings.
Orion felt a warmth in his heart, seeing her instinctive protection, which he had never felt in his last life, silently promising himself that he'd return this kindness tenfold one day.
A low growl sounded in the distance, and from the shadows of the trees, a large creature slowly emerged.
Its massive body was covered in jet-black fur, and menacing yellow eyes glowed with hostility. Eldric clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"A Shadowclaw Panther, and an adult one at that. It's a High Tier beast," Eldric muttered under his breath.
Selene stepped forward, hands gracefully weaving through the air with her staff as glowing runes appeared, illuminating the dark forest. Her voice was calm yet powerful, echoing with authority.
"Barrier of Radiant Light!"
A brilliant barrier materialized around them, enveloping their bodies in a protective sphere. Orion watched in awe, his heart pounding with excitement.
He could sense the Panther's hostility, its aggression surging in waves through the air. Yet he could sense his own innate supremacy. The Panther wouldn't dare charge towards him if he released his Dragon Might. But he wouldn't be able to deal with the Panther as well.
Eldric didn't waste time either. With a fluid motion, he raised his staff and softly said, "Chains of Binding Thunder!"
Crackling chains of electric energy burst forth, lashing toward the Shadowclaw Panther before covering its entire body. The beast roared angrily, trying its best to break free from the chains.
Eldric grunted softly and used another spell, "Thunder Doom Spear!" A huge arc of electricity formed in front of his staff, continuing to grow by absorbing the surrounding mana.
The beast's eyes widened in fear, feeling its own impending doom coming. Its struggle intensified, trying its best to break free from the chains.
Orion looked at everything in amazement. He didn't expect Eldric to be so strong. If he could kill the Panther so easily, then killing him would only take a single hit.
And after this, he realized he thoroughly felt how weak he was currently. 'This won't do, this won't do at all. I need to learn spells. And even more importantly, learn to master my true powers.'
By his true powers, he meant his Dragon Heritage. He could feel that only partial transformations were in his reach at this moment. And that would not be enough to deal with this wild beast, much less the stronger beasts that roam this world.
Eldric released his spell, which streaked through the air and hit the Panther right on its head, blasting its whole body apart.
"Sigh…you ruined its entire body, now it's useless," Selene grumbled towards Eldric, who coughed in embarrassment.
"I haven't used magic in a while, I forgot how to use it properly." He quickly made up an excuse to hide further embarrassment.
But Selene wasn't one to let him have his way, "Hmph! You think I can't see you are doing this to impress Orion?"
Orion raised an eyebrow, hearing her words, and turned to look at Eldric, who fumed at Selene, "You old hag! Stop making shit up."
"Hah? You old geezer, are you getting so high in age that you forget who you are talking with?" Selene cracked her knuckles, as if ready for a battle.
"Uh, Grandpa, Grandma…should we leave this forest? I feel like more beasts are gathering towards our location." Orion, who was silently enjoying the situation, suddenly said, feeling the increasing monsters around them.
"Haha. You see that, old hag? He called me first." Eldric laughed loudly before walking forward.