Death and a bond

Unimaginable pain surged through the mammoth's body from the wound.

*Splurt*

A torrent of blood gushed from the colossal frame, staining the snowy ground crimson.

The mammoth calf trembled as its mother's blood rained down upon it.

"Kyaaa."

With tear-filled eyes, it emitted a piercing cry.

Yet, the demonic wind wolves remained indifferent. They charged forward recklessly.

"Gasp."

Aru gasped for air, witnessing the agony etched upon the mother mammoth's face. It seemed resigned to its fate, aware of the impending death.

Four demonic wind wolves leapt at the weakened stone mammoth, jaws agape, poised to tear flesh from its bone.

Suddenly, the scene froze.

The mammoth's eyes gleamed momentarily.

*Stone explosion.*

"BOOOOM"

The stone mammoth seized this opportunity to end the battle once and for all.

With its dwindling spirit armour and massive frame, it crouched down to shield its offspring.

*Stone explosion.*

*Stone explosion.*

"BOOM. BOOM BOOM"

It used the elemental ability it had.

Every stone shard that was formed on the ground by the mammoth erupted into fragments, hurtling outward at an astonishing velocity.

Aru and the other warriors had to crouch down and seek shelter behind boulders to avoid being caught in the explosion.

It was akin to a thousand grenades detonating simultaneously.

The stone mammoth, driven by pure willpower, expended its very life force to unleash the ability. It was an extraordinary feat, borne of a mother's desperation to save her child.

The explosion persisted for a couple of seconds.

Similar to the wolf, the mother mammoth too was assailed by the shards of stone from the blast. Yet, without uttering a single cry of pain, it steadfastly shielded its offspring.

In the end, safeguarding its offspring with its final breath, the mammoth's body went limp.

The exploding stones created a thunderous sound drawing the screams of pain of the demonic wind wolves. The last attack was effective in killing one wind wolf and injuring the other three seriously. 

The three remaining wind wolves writhed in agony on the ground. Tendrils of blood were coming out of their body trying to heal them. 

One of them, consumed by rage, crawled towards the mammoth's lifeless body. The demon was not yet ready to concede defeat.

Aru felt a tightness in his chest.

[+1 linik]

"It's not dead!" he exclaimed, ignoring the system window that popped up.

"Fortunately, we didn't rush in blindly."

"Phew."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's save the baby mammoth," Aru suddenly declared.

He couldn't bear to see it die.

Realizing that the demons would swiftly recover and regain their strength, Aru was determined to protect the calf before that could occur.

The other warriors shared his sentiment. Without hesitation, they sprang into action to dispatch the demonic wolves.

The helpless demons met their demise at the hands of the warriors.

[+1]

[+1]

[+1]

Aru's links increased by three more during that time, bringing his total to 13.

However, he disregarded all that and approached the corpse of the stone mammoth.

"Kyaaa.."

"Kya…"

He could hear the shrill cries, the sobbing sounds of the baby mammoth emanating from near the carcass.

"Underneath the trunk, near the tusk and leg," Aru called out.

Das accompanied him to lift the mammoth's trunk, revealing the frail creature lying on the ground, sobbing.

Tears, akin to those of humans, streamed down the baby mammoth's eyes.

"It is a pity. The calf is too small. Without the protection of its mother, it won't survive for long," Das commented.

Despite being hunters of the Boulder tribe, they adhered to strict rules against hunting pregnant animals or newborns. As warriors, they scorned those who acted without honour. 

"Please, can we save it?" Aru pleaded. 

His baby cheeks turned into a pout as he asked the question. This time, for some inexplicable reason, the orphaned calf seemed somewhat akin to the Aru of this world. 

He was determined to save it by any means necessary. 

"Aru, a stone mammoth calf relies heavily on its mother for survival. It appears to be a newborn, just a day or two old. It would be futile to try to save it. Without its mother's milk or other nourishment, it's destined to perish. Saving it is simply impossible." 

"Please," Aru pleaded. "There must be a way, right?"

"There isn't. When it starves and depletes its spirit energy, it will die."

"Spirit energy! That's it."

Suddenly, an idea dawned on him.

"Uncle Das, I will feed it. Let me take care of it. I promise it won't be a burden."

Aru's mind raced as he considered his system. He realized he could link with any creature and provide them with spirit energy. Though he had much to learn about this ability, there was a chance he could save the calf.

"Ah" Seeing the pleading cute face of Aru, Das found it difficult to reject him. Then he remembered how Aru was an orphan and how he was living without his parent. His eyes softened. 

"Only on the condition that if it wishes to leave, you won't stop it."

"Yes, of course," Aru agreed immediately.

Turning towards the weeping calf, he muttered, 'I choose you,' initiating the linking process.

[Rank 1 stone mammoth <Spirit 6 energy>]

Perhaps due to exhaustion, the spirit energy was unusually low for a rank 1. Aru's six units of spirit energy were sufficient to overpower the baby and establish the link.

He confirmed the link and waited.

*Swish*

There was no resistance.

Within moments, the link formed effortlessly. Aru didn't need to fight with the spirit of the calf at all. It seemed as if the creature had resigned itself to its fate.

[Link completed]

A holographic window materialized above the baby stone mammoth.

'Possibly due to the calf accepting willingly, the linking process didn't use any spirit energy.'

[Rank 1 stone mammoth <Spirit energy 5.9>]

The information displayed above the calf said so. 

Aru felt a deep connection forming between himself and the calf. Before he think, a deeply melancholic feeling assaulted him.

It was the emotion the calf stone mammoth was feeling. 

Aru understood it immediately.

He crouched down to rub the head of the calf.

The baby was a little above one meter tall and had a similar height to himself. But compared to him, it weighed a lot more. 

Aru had to crouch down to rub its head due to it lying on the ground hugging its deceased mother. 

'You will follow me from now. Let me help you.'

He thought in his mind, trying to convey his emotion. 

The system was beyond his understanding. Perhaps, he might be able to convey his intent, he thought. 

The baby mammoth that didn't know anything felt an instinctual closeness to Aru. It could feel the good intent Aru had. 

Slowly, it raised its trunk to touch Aru's hand.

Thus a bond was formed between them.