My name is Yuuya. Even though I look like this, I lived for 15 years in my past life before dying.
By fate, I have been reborn in this new world and I still have my pervious life memory. I was so glad that I have been given a second chance in my life.
Two years have passed in the blink of an eye, and now I am already five years old.
In those past year I have been practice in using spirit art (secretly) and my swordsmanship every day.
The amount of aura in my body has grown significantly, surpassing the minimum needed to use spirit arts...
And now I can even use the intermediate level spirit arts. I also have an aptitude toward all element of the spirits. I never expected to have an aptitude for all elements—maybe this is a blessing from my rebirth.
My swordsmanship also greatly improves from the past year.
With my skill which surpass most of the kids and some adults, my father has been allowed to bring me to learn hunting and survival skill with him in the forest. Normally, children were only permitted to hunt at seven years old, but I had proven my abilities.
"Good morning Yuuya."
"Morning."
An uncle greets me with a smile.
I replied, nodding as I passed by one of the village hunters.
I had gained some recognition in the village due to my rapid growth. While most children my age were still playing, I was already training and hunting, making me the youngest person to join a hunt in village history.
"Yuu I'm here. Did you wait long"
'Not at all."
A cheerful girl's voice can be heard. A voice that I know very well.
This cute little girl is Hina. She is my sweet childhood friend. The first ever friend that I made in this world.
"What we going to do today?"
"she asked, tilting her head in curiosity..
I pulled out a small wooden box and handed it to her.
Hina's eyes widened in surprise as she carefully opened it.
Inside was a heart-shaped pendant—a gift I had bought during a trip to town with my father.
"Wow! It's beautiful!"
Her eyes sparkled as she lifted the pendant, admiring its craftsmanship.
"Happy birthday, Hina," I said. "Do you like it?"
"Of course, Yuu! Thank you so much! I love it!"
She immediately put the pendant on, Hina spread a big smile on her face. Damn, why is she so cute.
"Since it's my birthday…" she hesitated, her cheeks turning red.
"…Can I ask you for something?"
I blinked. "If it's something I can do, I'll do it."
Hina took a deep breath.
"I want you to promise me—even when we grow up, I want you to always stay by my side. Will you?"
I was taken aback.
This… wasn't what I had expected.
But looking at her hopeful expression, I couldn't bring myself to hesitate.
I reached out my pinky. "I promise. I'll always be by your side."
Her blush deepened, but she happily linked her pinky with mine.
"Okay." Hina nods.
"Then I will be going now, I promised to go hunting with my father today. I will bring many meats for your party tonight."
Hina's expression turned worried. "Be careful, okay? Don't get hurt."
I nodded, reassuring her before heading toward the forest.
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At the outskirts of the forest, five hunters, including my father, were preparing for the day's hunt.
"Father, I'm here."
"Finally, you arrive. Now that everyone's here, let's move out."
Hunting is one of the main jobs in the village, my father is the leader of the hunting group that's why he insists that I learn hunting from the early age. But not many people prefer this job because it is risky and always expose to danger.
As we ventured deeper into the forest, I noticed something unusual.
Normally, the forest was alive with sounds—rustling leaves, chirping birds, distant howls. But today, there was only silence.
(Why is it so quiet…?)
"Yuuya-kun you very diligent huh, I really hope my son became like you."
A middle age man spoke to me.
"I agree with you, he also strong and manage to defeat you last time HAHAHAHA"
Another man replies to the middle age man
"He is my son after all. HAHAHAHA."
My father has a smug face. Look like they're in the good mood as usual huh.
As we were having a good time, suddenly the sky became dark
ROOOAAARR!!
A thunderous roar erupted from the bushes ahead.
Everyone froze; weapons ready.
And then, it appeared—
A massive creature, standing on two legs, covered in dark brown fur. It had the body of a bear and the face of an owl, its glowing red eyes fixated on us.
An Owlbear.
The most dangerous monster in this forest.
The beast lunged forward with terrifying speed, swinging its massive claws.
But my father manages to block the attack using the sword.
"Everyone runs, find a safe place to hide!!" My father shouts.
Everyone starts to run a find a safe place. I also start running without looking back, feeling a bit conflict to leave my father but I'm sure that my father can make a run from that owlbear. After getting tired of running, I realize that I has been running quite far into the forest.
"Oh no! how deep did I go into the forest."
The surroundings were unfamiliar
Rustle.
I whipped around.
A small green figure emerged from the bushes.
A goblin.
Its beady eyes locked onto me, and before I could react—
SHNK!
Pain exploded in my right arm.
The goblin had stabbed me.
"Argh…!" Blood trickled down my arm.
(Damn it! I wasn't fast enough!)
I staggered back and raised my left hand.
"Argh! S-S- Spirit of fire, G- Grant me your power, B- Burn the enemy, Fire ball"
A small flame orb shot forward, hitting the goblin square in the chest. It shrieked as it burned, collapsing onto the ground.
I clutched my bleeding arm.
"What a goblin doing here all alone, I though their usually hunt in group."
"Spirit of light, Grant me your blessing, Cure the wound, Heal!"
I heal the wound on my hand that I got from the goblin dagger. Luckly the dagger doesn't have poison on it.
I walk a little bit and I found a place that suitable for hiding from any monster
(What should I do now? Should I just wait for them here or should I just find my way home on my own.)
Since this place seems safe, I think it's better for me to stay here and wait for them, if I go further I afraid that I might lost in the forest. Well, I guess I take the opportunity to increase my aura.
"The amount of aura in this place is amazing."
I amazed, today I can sense a great amount of aura in the forest than usual. Well, the more aura in the atmosphere the better for me, I should just be thankful.
I too concentrated on increasing my aura and didn't realize how much has time pass. When I open my eyes, the day have become dark.
"What! It's already night."
"Did I stray away too far from them?"
I was shocked that it already night time. This going to be a problem, I'm so hungry. Why I didn't bring food with me today. I sighed at my own incompetence. I try to scout some fruit or berry that could be eaten but..
(The only thing that I can eat right now is…)
I remember at the goblin corpse that I slay earlier.
(…No. There's no way I'm eating that.)
But my stomach growled loudly. I clenched my fists.
"I don't care anymore!"
Dragging the goblin's body, I started a fire and cooked the meat. The smell alone made me gag. I forced a bite into my mouth.
The moment the meat touched my tongue, bile rose in my throat. It was bitter, salty, and had a rotting aftertaste that made my stomach churn.
And then—
A sharp pain stabbed through body.
My vision blurred. I collapsed onto the ground.
Before losing consciousness, my last thought was—
(I think… I made a mistake…)
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"It already morning huh."
I woke up, when I opened my eyes, the day was already bright. I still feel a bit light-headed
"I need to find my ways back home."
I already resolve my determination to find the others and my way back home. Without wasting time, I immediately start my journey. While on my way, I encounters few goblins and I manage to ambush them using a sword without any problem.
I only encounter goblin so far.
While I resting and eating the horrible goblin meat A branch cracked nearby. I turned sharply, gripping my sword.
Then, from the shadows—
A one-horned wolf stepped forward
(What?! I never heard about a horned wolf before.)
This is the first time I sees a horned wolf and there no record about this wolf in the hunting book. While I try to process my thought, that wolf jump to attack me. I rolled over the ground to avoid the attack. I unsheathed my sword and swing the sword toward the wolf to make it back off.
(At last, I can eat something better than that disgusting goblin meat.) I don't have high hope, but I wish the meat is better than goblin's meat.
I have a delighted face. After all, I finally can eat something other than that disgusting goblin meat.
"Now I will be the one that attack."
The wolf avoids the thrust and try to bite my right throat. I quickly use my sword to protect myself. The wolf bites my sword.
"Grr"
"Argh!"
I pushed the wolf away, I also back away to make a distance.
(This thing is strong!)
The wolf circled me, baring its fangs.
"I'm sorry, but I need you became my lunch for today." Right now, my smile is so wide.
The wolf rushed toward me; I make a horizontal slash. The wolf ducked the slash and manage to grazed my left leg.
"Damn it!"
It lunged again—
This time, I was ready. I sidestepped at the last second, slashed my sword toward the wolf again but the sword doesn't go through the wolf
"Looks like your meat quite tough."
"Grrr"
The wolf growls. The wolf started rushing toward me again and this time it speed is faster than before. I didn't manage to avoid the attack and this time my left hand had been bitten by the wolf. The wolf throws me to the ground and pin me down
"Argh!!! You bastard!!! My hand it hurts!"
I scream. I lost control of his body and start chanting panicky.
"Spirit of fire, Grant me your power, Scorched the enemy, Flame inferno."
A massive pillar of fire erupted from my hands and since it in front of the wolf, it can't avoid the flame and burnt. This is the first time I use an advanced level spirit art; it drains all of my aura from my body, my eyes start to become blurry and I fainted right at that moment.
As Yuuya lay unconscious, a hooded figure stepped out from the shadows.
He observed the fainted boy and the scorched battlefield around him.
His eyes narrowed.
"What a kid doing in this forest? …That massive surge of mana—was it from this kid?"
He sighed.
"Why do weird things always happen around me?"