Arya, who had thrown the spear from a distance, was pleased with his accuracy. All his self-training had not been in vain. As he approached the fallen beast, he summoned back his Seed Weapon to conserve energy—it had taken a significant amount to launch the spear at such range. Without wasting time, he began collecting the valuable parts of the beast. Staying in one place for too long was dangerous, as the scent of blood could attract other creatures.

Beasts had many valuable components that could fetch good money, which was one of the two reasons Arya had chosen hunting as his first mission. The second reason was to train himself and sharpen his skills. The beast's bones, meat, and its small but deadly pincers would likely sell for 30 to 35 white coins. However, the most valuable part of the beast wasn't these—it was its blood, the core of its power.

If he sold the blood alone, it would earn him 10 white coins, bringing the total worth of his hunt to about 40 white coins. But Arya had no intention of selling it. Beast blood was often refined by alchemists into potions that boosted both elemental affinity and body strength. Though consuming raw blood was far less effective—only 20 to 30% as potent as an alchemist's potion—it was still beneficial. Given the high cost of refined potions, he had no other choice.

He carefully collected the beast's blood in one of the many water bottles he carried in his space bag. After storing the rest of the beast's remains, he prepared to leave. But just as he turned to head toward his next target, an eerie chill ran down his spine.

His instincts screamed danger. Reflexively, Arya spun around, ready for an attack.

But there was nothing.

For a moment, he remained on high alert, scanning his surroundings. Perhaps it had been a false alarm—an illusion created by his overactive senses. But such misjudgments were rare for a cultivator.

Just as he began to relax, faint footsteps rustled behind the trees. He turned sharply, his muscles tensed, only to see a small creature emerging from the shadows.

It looked like a bizarre mix between a panda and a bear but was no larger than a house cat. However, what truly unsettled Arya wasn't its size—it was the way it walked. Unlike most beasts that moved on all fours, this one walked upright on two legs.

He could feel no threatening aura from the creature, yet something about it felt… off.

The small beast trudged forward in an almost trance-like state, not paying Arya—or anything else—any attention. It walked straight past him toward the lake, as if lost in thought.

Arya remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the strange creature. Was it truly oblivious to his presence, or was it simply harmless? He had heard of non-aggressive beasts before, but they usually lived in the depths of the forest, far from weaker creatures.

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As the beast reached the lake, it bent down and began drinking. Even more peculiar, it showed no reaction to the strong scent of blood nearby, something most beasts would have been drawn to instantly.

Then, after finishing its drink, it turned around—and this time, it looked directly at Arya.

Their gazes locked.

Arya tensed, prepared for any sudden movement. Yet, instead of hostility, the creature's eyes held something unexpected—pain. A deep, sorrowful emptiness.

For a long moment, neither moved. Then, the beast took slow steps toward him, stopping just an arm's length away.

Still, Arya didn't act.

If this was a trick, it was unlike any he had encountered before. But there was no aggression in its stance, no killing intent. He decided to wait.

The beast raised a small paw and pointed at Arya's hand.

Arya frowned in confusion. Was it asking for something? His fingers instinctively tightened around his space bag.

"You want this?" he asked, uncertain if the creature could even understand him.

To his shock, the beast nodded.

Arya's mind raced. A beast of this size shouldn't be capable of such intelligence unless it was at least Rank 3. But if that were the case, why couldn't he sense its power? Could it be suppressing its aura?

Normally, high-intelligence beasts were far stronger than their aggressive, mindless counterparts. Just because they didn't attack on sight didn't mean they were weak. In fact, they were often even more dangerous.

Arya hesitated but decided to test it. Slowly, he extended his hand, showing the space bag.

Instead of taking it, the beast did something completely unexpected.

It grabbed Arya's hand.

His first instinct was to pull away, but something about the creature's touch stopped him. Its grip wasn't forceful—it was… desperate.

Then, to his utter disbelief, the beast pressed his hand against its head and began rubbing against it, like a child seeking comfort.

And then—tears.

Drops of water welled in the beast's large eyes and rolled down its fur.

Arya stood frozen, completely at a loss. He had encountered many strange things in his past lives, but this? This was something new.

He let the beast hold onto him, its body trembling slightly. He didn't push it away. The soft fur felt unexpectedly warm, despite the creature's appearance being more rugged than fluffy.

After a long silence, Arya gently pulled his hand back. The beast looked up at him, its sorrow still visible.

He wasn't sure what to say. What could he possibly ask a beast that behaved like this?

So he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Are you hungry?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Arya inwardly cursed himself. What kind of question was that?

Not wanting to sound foolish, he quickly pulled out a piece of dried meat from his space bag and offered it.

The beast stopped crying and looked between Arya and the food. Then, without hesitation, it released his hand, took the meat, and started munching on it.

Arya exhaled, shaking his head slightly.

"You don't have to be so sad, buddy," he muttered, wiping the dampness from his hand. "I don't know if you understand me, but whatever happened to you, time heals all wounds."

To his shock, the beast nodded again.

Arya didn't know whether to laugh or be alarmed.

"Should I go then?" he asked hesitantly.

Again, the beast nodded.

That was enough confirmation for Arya. Whatever this creature was, it wasn't normal. He didn't know if it was truly harmless, but his instincts told him it wasn't a threat—at least, not right now.

Still, he wasn't going to take any chances.

With cautious steps, Arya turned and left the area. Yet, even as he distanced himself, he couldn't shake off the strange feeling lingering in his chest.

That beast…

What was it?

And why did it feel so… human?