The Monster and the Water Spirit

Oric's body gradually stirred as consciousness returned. "Argh, is it over?" he groaned, pushing himself upright. His gaze quickly fell on his arm, which had miraculously regenerated. Oric was baffled but soon reasoned that his regenerative abilities were superior to those of ordinary creatures. After a moment of contemplation, he noticed the fenced walls around him, and his attention was drawn to the Nexie.

"Eeeee..." she shrieked in terror and scurried into a the cave. "No, he can't still be alive. How does he possess such astonishing regenerative abilities?"

Nevata, overwhelmed with fear, felt a looming presence behind her. She turned hesitantly to find Oric and began to stammer, "Oric, please, I'm really sorry... sorry, please..." However, her words were cut short as she experienced an excruciating headache, making her cry out, "*Arghhhhh*."

The intense pain in her head eventually subsided, and she found herself drenched by a splash of cold water. "What happened?" Nevata mumbled, her senses still reeling from sleep.

Unexpectedly, she received a sharp blow to her face, the sound of the impact echoing with a "*Paw!*" "Argh, that hurt! Wait, why am I naked in my original form?" she wondered as she turned to the person who had struck her. "Oric! How dare you tie me up and punch me..." Her words trailed off as Oric delivered two more fierce punches with full force.

It was at that moment that Nevata fully comprehended her circumstances. She was no longer of royal blood, now treated as a slave. "I never knew you had a full humanoid form. Punishing you will be much easier," Oric declared, his voice laced with anger.

Nevata responded with defiance, her laughter breaking the silence. "Hahahahehehehehahahaha! So this is how it feels to be a slave, huh? Do your worst. I don't care what you do to my body, you... you pervert."

Oric silenced her with another punch. "Who are you calling a pervert? What you did was beyond forgiveness. Letting you off would only encourage you to do more. Trying to kill me and for what?" His rage escalated, and he began to pummel her from all angles, continuing until he was out of breath and sat on the ground, panting heavily, his body drenched in her blood.

Wiping the blood from his face, Oric attempted to speak but realized that Nevata had lost consciousness.

***

"FIRE! FIRE! Help, put out the fire! ARRGHHHH! FIRE!"

Nevata found herself in the midst of a sea of flames, engulfing her own kind. "Why? Why did all this happen? It's not my fault. I'm sorry..."

"SAVE ME! IT'S TOO HOT! I'M BURNING! HELP!!!" The Nexies cried out in agony.

Suddenly, Oric splashed cold water on her, rescuing her from the torment of her nightmare. She awoke gasping for air, her heart racing with the weight of her past. Nevata realized that all her injuries had been miraculously healed.

"You should consider yourself lucky that I made a promise to keep you alive," Oric remarked as he stood, leaving Nevata tied to a rock within the cave.

She noticed two soul shards beside her, watching Oric exit the cave. "He still cares enough to feed me after everything I've done to him. I'm a monster," she reflected somberly.

After some time, Oric returned with a leather bag filled with monster cores and soul shards, along with a dead monster's corpse. He kindled a fire and began roasting his meal, creating a peaceful atmosphere for a while. Eventually, Nevata broke the silence.

"Master..." the girl began.

"Hmm...?" Oric responded, his curiosity piqued.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you, but may I ask why you fought my friend?" Nevata inquired.

"Isn't it obvious? Just as you said, it's the survival of the fittest. In my case, it was a matter of life and death," Oric replied, returning his attention to the roasting food.

"Could you have at least..." Nevata attempted to ask further, but Oric cut her off.

"At least what?! Talk it out, huh? Your friend was going straight for the kill after ambushing me, leaving me holding onto this insignificant life. And she watched me cling to this pitiful existence. Damn it all! I understand what you're getting at, but the mana pond couldn't save her soul. I could see that her soul was damaged, so all I did was put her out of her misery."

Oric sighed deeply, his contemplative gaze fixed on Nevata. "Hmmm... she looks like a fully grown adult in her late teens but has the mind of a 7-year-old child, huh?"

Deciding to untie her, Oric handed her a leather cloth to cover herself and some roasted meat. However, Nevata remained motionless, staring at the food. It dawned on Oric, "Oh yeah, you're a water spirit, you only consume soul shards." As he began to take the meat back, she swiftly snatched it from his grasp, devouring it as if she hadn't eaten in days.

"Mmm... this is so good! Who taught you how to make such delicious food out here, huh?" Nevata expressed with awe.

Oric, reflecting on the times he had cooked alongside his grandma and pa as a family, finally responded, "Well, that's none of your business. Just eat what you're given."

Nevata nodded obediently. "Hmmm... okay, master, but I'm telling you this is good stuff," she praised as she continued to enjoy her meal.

Observing her quietly eating, Oric eventually inquired, "Why were you crying and asking for forgiveness in your sleep?"

Nevata paused mid-meal, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Oric sensed her discomfort and decided to withdraw his question. "It's okay if you can't tell me."

Nevata, however, chose to open up. "No, it's okay. You're my master, so I must obey your requests."

"I said it's okay. Even if I'm your master, I want our bond to be an equal one. If you don't want to share, you don't have to," Oric assured her.

Nevata, with a sense of curiosity, asked, "How did you end up here?"

Oric pondered for a moment and thought, "She seems trustworthy. Maybe she can help me get back home." He then revealed, "Let's just say when I died in my world, it was due to a strange occurrence, and I was transported here as a child."

Nevata, her confusion apparent, wore an expression that signaled her lack of comprehension.

"Ugh, maybe I shouldn't have said that. She probably thinks I'm crazy now," Oric thought, but decided to address it by saying, "I understand if you don't believe me. Let's drop this matter."

"No, master, I believe you. There's no reason for you to lie," Nevata replied. "So, your world, how is it?"

Oric, his anger still lingering, responded, "It's much more developed, with all sorts of cool things. But it's all a facade, a disguise to deceive you. It's much more dangerous than this world and holds secrets you couldn't even imagine. All in all, it's a terrible place!"

Realizing his outburst, he offered a brief apology. Nevata, however, continued to show interest. "But they always conflict within me. Two opposing elements are not good. By the way, what are you preparing to do?"

"Obviously, I'm getting ready to sleep," Oric said. "And don't sell yourself short. I'm different. While they see failure and disgust, I see potential. Now, get some rest for tomorrow's hunt."

Nevata tried to protest but noticed that Oric was already fast asleep. "Hmm, he sees potential," she thought and joined him in slumber, whispering, "Goodnight."