The Lizard's body quickly glowed and the light from its body began to coalesce into a ball on top of it.
The ball began to condense further and further until it became a small sphere the size of a golf ball it floated over to Kotori who caught it in her palm.
It was a cute little thing. The ball was very hard and glowed softly in a pulsating manner, both Shu and Umi tilted their heads in curiosity.
Honestly, Kotori thought the little ball of light was confusing as well. She didn't know what to do with it.
She did was any human would do,
And licked it.
"What?"
"Don't tell me when confronted with an unknown small object you wouldn't want to taste it too?"
Surprisingly the orb tasted rather good. It had the flavor and texture of an extra sweet ball of cotton candy.
Kotori greedily ate it up.
She checked her status
Sato Kotori
Race: [Human] Age: 9
HP: 25(+4!)
Mana: 25(+4!)
Agility: 17(+4!)
Strength: 11(+1!)
Defense: 10(+3!)
Karma: -100,009,604 (+43!)
Skills: [Magic Musician], [Hunter], [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed)
Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo]
[Ah, my stats grew!]
It seemed whatever Kotori just ate was enough to cause her stats to grow. Kotori herself didn't know why all her previous attempts at killing dungeon monsters didn't cause her stats to grow but this one did. Additionally, her stats manages to grow much more this time than the previous time she killed the lizard
[Maybe I have to kill things that are stronger than me?]
Shu and Umi looked quite disappointed, it seemed they wanted to try tasting the magical ball as well.
[I'm sorry I'll save some for you two next time] she promised.'
She now took a look at the lizard's body. Its crumpled form slumped against the ground. She considering dragging the whole thing to the village but she was unsure if she could drag the carcass all the way over the village.
[Still, I need proof I killed it] she thought.
Kotori decided that she would bring a part of the lizards proof she killed it.
The head made the most sense. Except, for the fact that Kotori didn't have a knife that could cut its head. Thus, she began to look around for a large wedge-shaped rock. Upon finding it she took it and dropped it upon the thick neck of the lizard. It dropped with a sickening crunch as the neck of the lizard was immediately broken. Still, the neck was not quite severed and Kotori had to rip it off with her bare hands. She was thankful her mana buff was still active because she still had quite a lot of difficulty trying to rip off the neck even after it had already been partially severed by the rock.
It was grisly work but after wrenching the head several times Kotori finally had ripped off the head of the Lizard. There were a few dangly pieces of scaling skin attached to it which Kotori ignored. Surprisingly, it wasn't very bloody at all.
Using a few leather straps she had prepared beforehand she hefted the head upon her back. It was about the size of a large backpack except much heavier.
It was still much more manageable than bringing a whole body with her.
She bounded through the forest. Although the lizard spawn point was quite far from her current stats she traveled much quicker than usual. She wasn't going her full speed though, since Umi and Shu would struggle to keep up.
She must've been quite the sight when she reached the village. Carrying a bloodied severed King Lizard head on her back but many also paid her no mind. Most had heard that she had killed one previously before and as a result, thought it was rather normal that she had killed it. Most, of them, were surprised over the fact that she did it alone rather than the fact she had killed the lizard in the first place.
Kotori waited at the boss's house with her trophy.
Soon the warriors came back and began to retire to their respective houses.
The group with the boss came. Once the boss had finished greeting the people who came up to her she retired to her house as well.
Kotori had stood at the boss's house the entire time. Her mana was still active and thus Shu, and Umi was still in their temporary buffed forms.
Kotori threw the severed Lizard head at the bosses feet
"Strong enough?" She asked very curtly
The bosses took a look at Kotori and her Spirits. Then looked at the lizard head and back at Kotori.
She gave a silent nod and then entered her house ignoring Kotori
[Boss's perspective]
I was about to go home when I saw the girl.
She looked at me with eyes blazing and threw a King lizard head at my feet
Her eyes were blazing
"Strong enough?" She asked as if she knew the answer already
It was quite a change from the girl who once came to the village with her clothing in tatters and being sheltered by Amelie.
The girl who was not in front of the boss. Had the eyes of a predator, she really looked like a wild child.
[Not a surprise since she spends so much time in the forest]
Her spirits had grown as well. And their appearance was fiercely protective.
When the boss had given the order for Mari to stop accompanying Kotori she wanted to stifle Kotori in hopes that she would give up on trying to leave the village. The Boss now realized that it was futile.
This was a girl who, if she had the motivation, could kill gods.
When looking at the eyes of that girl, the boss knew that she could no longer protect her within the village. Much like Amelie, Kotori had grown beyond the protective walls the boss could place upon her.
[Look like it's time to let the little bird leave the nest*]
*Kotori or more specifically, "tori" means bird in Japanese which makes this statement more poetic. The "Ko" in feminine names like "Naruko" or "Haruko" is actually a character that means "daughter" and often attached to female names.
The boss looked at Kotori and nodded. She didn't feel like she needed to say anything else. Kotori would leave the village whether the boss wanted her to or not.
[Kotori's perspective]
[Does this mean she'll let me leave?]
Kotori saw the boss nod before she entered the house.
Frankly, her heart was burning. She wanted to leave the village.
It seemed the boss had accepted her request.
[Did I do it?]
Regardless, Kotori began to make preparations to leave.