Spirit Game

Rain was frozen in fear as he could only watch the lizard lunge towards him.

~chirp!~

Rain didn't know how it happened, but his body reacted on its own, instinctively jumping to the side and rolling away just as the lizard's tail smashed into the ground where he had been moments before, missing him by inches.

The ground quivered and shook; a crevice formed where the lizard's tail struck.

All blood drained from Rain's face. This was the closest he had ever come to dying.

Scrambling to his feet, Rain shakily pointed his short sword at the beast. The lizard hissed, its long tongue snapping forward like a whip.

Rain leaped away, startled when his body felt unnaturally light. Suddenly, he realized he was airborne.

"What the—?!" Why was his body so light? Rain was startled at this discovery, so he didn't notice the rapidly approaching whip-like tongue that ensnared his feet, dragging him with alarming speed toward the lizard's gaping mouth.

Despite its small size, Troop #1 dashed forward with fearless bravery. It clawed at the lizard's eyes, prompting a fierce hiss and causing the creature to fling Rain violently onto the unforgiving ground.

The impact was devastating, sending searing pain through Rain's bones and wrenching his shoulder out of its socket. Gasping for air, he writhed in agony, his senses overwhelmed by the intensity of pain he had never before experienced.

Just as despair threatened to consume him, a radiant white light enveloped Rain, miraculously healing his broken bone and stopping his internal bleeding. He instantly knew that Troop #1 had used [Heal] on him.

Without Troop #1's courageous intervention, Rain knew he would not have survived.

"T-thanks," Rain managed weakly, his voice trembling with gratitude.

~chirp!~

Troop #1 flapped its wings, its eyes narrowed, gleaming menacingly at the Lizard.

'One way or another, you're going to be our food!' Rain monologue, as he interpreted the determined expression on the little chick's face.

"Stop! It's too dangerous!" Rain warned, but Troop #1 paid no heed to his warning.

With fearless determination, it charged at the lizard, now weakened with one eye lost from their previous encounter.

Troop #1's small size granted it remarkable agility. It darted and fluttered nimbly, dodging the lizard's erratic tail swings.

"Watch out!" Rain yelled, witnessing the lizard's tongue lashing out in a deadly arc.

Troop #1 narrowly evaded the strike, its quick reflexes keeping it just out of harm's way.

However, the lizard's tongue suddenly curled back, ensnaring Troop #1 and swiftly pulling it into the confines of its mouth.

Chomp!

"NoOoO! Troop #1!"

Driven by worry for his little troop, Rain charged forward, raising his sword high and driving its pointed tip into the lizard's neck while the creature's attention was on the little chick in its mouth.

The blade pierced through flesh with a sickening resistance, and Rain grimaced as blood sprayed over him. The lizard convulsed violently, throwing him aside with tremendous force. He hit the ground hard, momentarily stunned.

As Rain slowly regained his senses, he opened his eyes to see the lizard thrashing and shrieking in agony until it finally lay still, surrounded by a pool of its own blood.

[Obtain, 1 mL Soul Elixir!]

[Obtain, 50 EP!]

Rain didn't have the luxury of time to dwell on the notifications or the gruesome scene before him. He hurried to the lizard's head and pried open its mouth.

The long, slimy tongue stretched out and uncurled onto the ground, expelling Troop #1 back onto the earth.

Troop #1 shook its head and ruffled its feathers, chirping happily at Rain for a job well done.

It was only then that Rain released a relieved breath that shook his legs. "Whew. I'm glad you're alright."

~chirp!~

Troop #1 trotted over to the dead lizard's body and began extracting its internal organs.

Rain felt a wave of nausea rise in his throat as he watched Troop #1 eating the lizard's organs.

This was part of his new reality now, and he had no choice but to suppress his urge to vomit.

"L-let's bring some to the others," he managed to say, his voice strained.

Troop #1 nodded enthusiastically, gulping down its food with apparent satisfaction.

Unable to bear watching any longer, Rain stood up.

~chirp!~

Rain turned his attention to Troop #1, his complexion turning a sickly shade of green. "You mean to say that . . . I should harvest this lizard and sell it?"

Troop #1 nodded.

Rain glanced aside, feeling overwhelmed. "I . . . I don't even know how to harvest that thing, and where on earth would I sell it? There's no shop here."

~chirp!~

"Egh?" Rain's eyes widened slightly. "You mean I could sell them back in my real world?"

Troop #1 nodded again.

It seemed his troops were aware of his origins from another world. Not that he was surprised.

It made sense; Dean had mentioned that everything in the Spirit Realm was valuable. Despite the potential profit, Rain couldn't even swallow his saliva at the sight of the dead lizard.

"F-fine. I will make the harvest," Rain said reluctantly, unable to refuse when Troop #1's eyes were filled with expectations.

As their leader, he had to set an example, right?

Rain wasn't sure where to begin, but thankfully Troop #1 guided him through the process. With trembling hands, he carefully sliced off the lizard's skin. To his surprise, the skin was automatically stored in his inventory.

[Obtain, Giant Barren Lizard Skin x1!]

Despite his unremarkable foraging skills, Rain managed to salvage the lizard's claws. He attempted to retrieve its sac, but his inexperience led to an explosion when he cut it incorrectly.

Luckily, it was devoid of any poisonous contents.

The remainder of the lizard was brought back to the tent so the others could feast on its flesh and drink its blood.

Maybe the next time they could cook it first? Ren thought, but quickly abandoned the idea since he didn't know how to start a fire without a lighter or matches.

Upon returning to their shelter, Rain observed the little chicks roaming around, picking up whatever random objects they could find.

That sight brought a tear to his eyes. Ah, they're so obedient and hardworking.

Troops #2 to #5 all hopped happily upon seeing what they had brought, while Troop #1 raised its chin and chirped proudly.

It then kicked the others and pecked at their heads when they squabbled over the food, directing everyone to line up and eat in an orderly manner.

Rain was truly impressed by Troop #1. It was undoubtedly leadership material.

Come to think of it, he now had 110 EP! He could finally evolve Troop #1.