“… Kids these days sure can notice the small differences and be cruel about them,” Ryan said. “Don’t worry too much about it, ok? It is barely noticeable. Besides, you are probably smart enough to understand that some kids only have bad temperaments because they are stupid.”

“… I know that, but…” Zoe hesitated. “Is that something a teacher should say?”

“I’m a former teacher…” Ryan shrugged.

Ryan was a bit too sincere while talking with a kid, but in the end, that was for the best. For the time being, Zoe couldn’t look after herself, but she would have to learn how to do that eventually, and she had to start that as soon as possible. Conveniently enough, Ryan began to hear a buzz… a giant bear was approaching even though they were about to leave the residential area.

“If you didn’t use any of the status points you obtained, I recommend to use them to increase your dexterity and control,” Ryan said and then passed his crossbow to Zoe. “Here, use this. The kick isn’t strong, but you still should use your shoulder. That will help you to stabilize your aim.”

“What?” Zoe asked, dumbfounded.

“A giant bee is approaching, and you need to kill it,” Ryan said. “Instead of waiting for your parents, you can also obtain the power to look for them… it will take a while, but it isn’t impossible to achieve it.”

Ryan knew that he was a bit irresponsible. Maybe that was an understatement. However, instead of trusting her life to the hand of strangers, it would be better for Zoe to obtain the power to defend herself. Ryan doubted that John would let her fight the goblins, but the skill might help her when the time comes.

“What are you waiting for?” Ryan asked. “Prepare yourself… if you saw the dragons, then you know that all humans must have to fight to survive from now on. Calm your breathing and cool your head. If you do so, you will be able to aim with more ease.”

Suddenly the giant bee appeared from the tall grass on the tall grass on the highroad side. Zoe panicked and soon forgot about Ryan’s words. Fortunately, she still grabbed the crossbow and tried to aim but failed miserably since she trembled like a leaf.

“Wh-what if I miss?” Zoe asked when she saw the monsters approaching in a straight line.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Then shoot it again,” Ryan replied.

“What if I miss again?” Zoe raised her voice.

“… With that kind of attitude, there is no way that you will hit the monster,” Ryan sighed. “I’m here for that. Still, I won’t kill the bee until you try.”

Although she was trembling like a leaf, Zoe pulled the trigger, and the wooden bolt passed two meters above the bee. The creature slowed down when it noticed that it couldn’t dodge the attack but eventually accelerated again.

“See? If you aim properly, an enemy of that level won’t be able to dodge the bolt,” Ryan said. “Since the target can’t escape, you can defeat it… as long as you focus and don’t get afraid, you can do it.”

Zoe was about to shout and ask who she would do that when the crossbow didn’t have another bolt, but then suddenly she felt her energy being drained, and another wooden bolt appeared. Despite her fears, that alone made her so surprised that she forgot about the fear of death… something magical just happened in front of her, after all.

Zoe recovered from the surprise, and this time, she aimed properly without trembling all that much. However, she didn’t hold her breathing, and a sudden movement of her shoulder changed the bolt's trajectory. Still… the wooden bolt still hit the right-wing of the creature. The giant bee began to fall, but the creature managed to keep itself flying.

“Finish it,” Ryan said. “It should be easier now.”

“… Isn’t it enough?” Zoe gulped. “That thing can’t attack us anymore.”

“…” That thing would think twice before attacking you or your parents,” Ryan said after a long sigh. “Knowing that, would you still leave that monster alone?”

Ryan’s words made Zoe imagine with a scary precision the scene of her parents being killed by a giant bee… the creatures pierced their heads with their sharp sting. Even though that scene only passed insider her mind, it had been enough to make Zoe tremble even more than before.

“Cool your head and just think of this…” Ryan said. “By defeating that monster, not only will you be protecting yourself, but you will also end up protecting other humans who might have been killed by that monster. You don’t want to do this; most people don’t want to do it either. However, you are only pulling the trigger because you want to prevent your death… it is okay to fight for your life. Don’t feel bad about this.”

Ryan felt a bit worried, wondering if he was going too far in teaching a kid how to kill monsters, but then again, it was better to teach someone how to fight than not do anything and regret later if she dies. Zoe still hesitated quite a bit since she was a good kid, but she pulled the trigger when she felt that she wouldn’t miss it. The bolt pierced the chest of the bee, and eventually, the creature stopped moving.

“You can rest now… I can carry the crossbow,” Ryan said and then took back his weapon. “You need to practice a lot more, but crossbows aren’t that difficult to use… as long as you have mana.”

Ryan saw Zoe getting even paler when they passed by the giant bee’s corpse, but at the very least, she didn’t cry. She was only scared that now she was living in a world where she had to do that, and she had no idea if her parents were still alive. Ryan was almost one hundred percent sure that they weren’t, but he wouldn’t be the one to crush her hopes.