---Ray 3pov------
"What do you want, kid?" the deer asked, revealing her intent to at least hear what Ray had to say.
Hearing the question, Ray felt overjoyed that he hadn't lost his chance. Looking up to the dark sky, he said without thinking, "I want something new."
Ray, a kid not older than ten, sat in front of a giant deer covered in white, crystal-like fur with crystalline antlers, yet his eyes were focused on the sky. The deer just looked confused by Ray's choice of words.
"You see, humans currently only know one way to advance in cultivation: adding a Soul Ring for every breakthrough," Ray said, a smile on his face that showed anticipation for a future even he wasn't entirely sure about.
"But that method, it's something I've come to not trust. I don't trust anything that comes from humans in this world." Ray looked at the deer with a sad smile, surprising her even more.
"I know how cruel humans can be, not only to other species but sometimes even to their own kind." Ray clicked a part of his iron leg, pulled it off, and placed it between himself and the deer, which earned a surprised yet empathetic look from the Stag. Despite the difference in race, she knew Ray was still a child, and seeing him lose a limb at this age evoked genuine empathy.
"Two years ago, before I even awoke my Martial Soul, I was attacked together with my mother. While I was lucky enough to run away, I lost my mother and my left leg that day." Letting out a deep sigh, Ray smiled in a mix of sadness and happiness. "Later, I woke up in an unknown room with a lady sitting beside me. She took care of me, even giving me a place to call home and this leg before disappearing, leaving only one message: 'live a life you won't regret.'"
"Sadly, I wasn't ready for that. With everything that happened, I lost all trust in humans, I couldn't even trust the civilization they created." Ray fixed the leg back in place before looking at her.
"So, I was stuck without a Soul Ring for a long time." Ray stood up and looked at the sky with open hands. "Then I got an idea: if I can't trust what already exists, I will just create a new one."
"This way is more interesting, more worthy," his smile widened to a level of slight craziness. "And what's more, it will prove that humans can do more than what is given to them."
He looked at the deer in front of him with a more powerful and strong-willed voice. "While training and living alone, I had my time to think about why they did what they did, and the paradox of human action and reaction in general."
Catching the confusion in the deer's eyes, he gave an example. "A man puts himself at risk to save a kid he didn't know, and yet gangs get together to make others' lives miserable. So, what's the difference?" Ray looked at the deer.
She actually answered. "It's the way they choose to live, the very belief they hold inside them. It's the same for us Soul Beasts." This made Ray laugh, a huge smile on his face.
"EXACTLY!" Ray exclaimed.
The moment he said that, the area around them gained a calm atmosphere. The deer began to feel as if she were staring at a mountain that hid a volcano inside, threatening to explode at any moment, instead of a small, fragile child.
Ray just continued with a determined voice. "That's why, that day I made my decision: NO CLASSIC WAY FOR ME. NO 'NORMAL' OR 'STANDARDS.' If I don't trust them enough to use them, I will create the road that I will walk, AND CREATE MY OWN HISTORY. I don't need a guide; I will walk the unknown road as it has more worth than the signed ones."
The deer was struck by his words for a while. "Strong will and determination are two of the most outstanding and rarely seen qualities, even among you humans. To have it at such a young age... that alone tells a lot about you."
The deer came closer to Ray for the first time, likely the only human that would ever capture her interest. "But what does all that have to do with me? What stops me from killing you now and ending a future threat to all Soul Beasts?" Towering over him, she put her spiritual pressure on him, trying to test his resolve.
The kid just looked up, smiled, and answered, "Simple. The same reason I started this conversation. I want strength, but not the normal way. What I want is your strength, but without the killing part. And you get to strengthen yourself. If that works, I will be more of a Soul Beast friend than a human's."
"How so? And how can a weak human make me stronger? I see more benefit in eating you now; at least I could heal faster and probably evolve thanks to your ultimate elements," the deer snorted.
Ray was about to answer but was tickled on the ground by a pink shadow. To the astonishment of both, it's the little deer cub had been hiding behind his mother all this time.
Ray had noticed the cub, but its sudden jump was a surprise. At first, Ray thought it was attacking, but feeling no ill intention, he didn't react until he was being tickled.
Looking closely, the cub's color was pink instead of the pure white of its mother, the only common thing between them being the white-blueish crystal antlers. But the most important thing was: IT'S REALLY ADORABLE!!
(images)
Ray began to question the minds of those who could bring themselves to kill a creature this cute. He looked at the corpse of the serpent with resentment for a second, knowing for sure that it had been targeting this little one. This action was noticed by te slag and looked shoked for second.
He looked back at the fawn in front of him. You could call it a fawn, yet it was the size of an adult horse.
Finding it cute nevertheless, Ray lost himself in its soft fur and patted it excitedly. "AWW, how are you doing, little one?"
Surprisingly, the fawn pushed its head closer to Ray's hand. "Oh, look like you like it! How about here! GOOD BOY!" Ray petted it under its chin, earning him a purr, like a cat. Man, this... SO CUTE! he thought, laughing at his own reaction.
"Y-You know about my species?" While Ray was playing with the fawn, he was brought back by the surprised voice of the mother.
"Of course, I know. How else do you think I knew you would understand me? Not every day you meet a Soul Beast and don't run for your life, let alone helping it," Ray said, still petting the little deer, which just started to melt and doze with its head on Ray's lap. Man, I wish I had a camera right now! Wait! I'm definitely making one later! Ray thought, and despite the weird situation, he almost fell asleep because of the fluff.
"Do me a solid and heal my wounds," the mother finally conceded, coming closer and looking at her child lying on Ray's lap with a troubled face.
For Ray, he was over the moon. If everything went well, he could pull this off.
"I will use one of my innate abilities, so please don't freak out." Activating his Soul Lungs Martial Soul, his chest gave off a golden light visible through his clothes. Taking a deep breath using the Light Mist Breath, he then slowly emptied his lungs. The area around them started to get filled with a golden, reflective mist.
The little deer noticed this, jumped off Ray's lap, and started to play around in the mist while the mother, healing, looked around in astonishment.
"Although I know that one of your affinities was the extremely pure light, seeing it is another thing. Just look at the trees around us that are starting to grow just by its presence here," she said, looking back at Ray. "While I am healing, can you tell me your proposal?"
"Remember when I told you about the Lady?" Ray asked, and she nodded. "She left me a giant library containing all types of books. Even my cultivation technique was from there. While I was browsing, I found a contract technique and some formations. With the right adjustments, I created a new method used as a link between cultivators and Soul Beasts. The human gets a perfect Soul Ring for them, and the beast gets a boost in their age, depending on certain criticals." Ray explained, and the deer shivered in surprise.
As Ray was about to continue, he froze, sensing some kind of beast or cultivator approaching at high speed, and a strong one at that.
Both of them instantly turned in the direction the creature was coming from.
Ray looked at the child and mother. "I can open a space gate to a safer place. Do you want to tag along?"
The deer looked at Ray, then at her child, then back at Ray. Looks like she hasn't trusted me yet. Seeing through her, he sighed and raised his hand.
"I swear to the heavens that I won't take any ill action or intent toward both of you. If I ever do so, then shall my cultivation be broken and never repair." The moment Ray finished his words, they heard the roar of lightning in the sky.
The deer looked surprised but quickly regained her composure. "Thank you, please lead the way."
"If you have anything you want to bring, go get it," Ray said, opening a gate to the Plana.
He could feel the deer using Soul Power to bring her antlers from the den, so Ray just jumped inside, followed by the pair.