Harvest [2]

Rain's gaze shifted back to the oversized turtle. Xiaoba was flailing his limbs in the air, helpless against his master's grip.

Rain couldn't help but grin.

Despite the tough exterior, this little guy had proven to be unexpectedly useful.

'How did I not notice this earlier?' he thought, holding the struggling turtle up to his face.

Xiaoba had been devouring the demon insects hiding in the rice stalks, not the rice itself. It was brilliant, really. A spiritual beast with a natural ability to eradicate pests.

"Good job, Xiaoba," Rain muttered, though the turtle was too busy wriggling to notice. He lowered the creature back to the ground, letting it retreat into its shell once again.

Rain surveyed the damaged rice fields, his heart heavy with the losses. The demon insects had done more harm than he'd anticipated, and while Xiaoba had managed to curb some of the destruction, it wasn't enough.