What makes a person be called "grown up"?
Is it age?
Most people would probably say so because they want to be respected as they get older. However, would one respect someone who always likes to leave the difficult work to others, a person who always finds blame in others?
No…
There is no way such a person would earn my respect, even if he were a thousand years old.
So what makes a person grow?
Experience.
It is commonly argued that individuals with a wealth of experience are often misconstrued as being fearful, yet in reality, they exhibit a heightened sense of caution. It is widely acknowledged that only individuals lacking in sound judgement would recklessly rush into a structure engulfed in flames; however, an individual who has previously suffered burns will take necessary precautions before engaging in such risky behavior.
Let me tell you the story of "The Wise Fox Judge."
A long time ago, when trees, animals, and humans could understand each other, there was a man named Bobby.
Bobby has the ability to embody various qualities, such as different body types and appearances, in accordance with the preferences of the illustrator. It is common knowledge that characters in folklore can vary depending on the individual portraying them.
One day, Bobby decided to take a casual walk in the forest to clear his mind. As a young scholar, Bobby often liked to whistle to let great ideas flow in, just like he did on this particular sunny day.
"Help! Somebody help! Please, somebody!"
In the midst of his casual whistling, he heard a loud voice crying for help. As a person who was taught to always help those in need, Bobby had no choice but to halt his steps and head toward the direction of the voice.
However, when he saw who was asking for help, he couldn't help but sweat in fear and tried to tiptoe away. Even so, his efforts were in vain.
"Human, please wait! I beg you, please!"
Bobby tried hard to resist, but he had no choice but to look at the beast, which had its right paw trapped in a razor trap hidden behind a heap of dried leaves.
He knew what this troubled tiger with bloody canines wanted, so Bobby suggested a deal first:
"Are you sure you won't eat me if I rescue you?"
The tiger showed a pitiful smile, with fear-driven tears streaming down his cheeks, which would even make a devil feel pity for him.
"I promise you, I won't lay even a single claw on you, kind human." The yellow tiger coughed up a little blood from his mouth. "I swear upon my dead mother who raised me."
Hearing the words "dead mother," Bobby was moved and felt sure the tiger wouldn't make a meal out of him.
As he approached the trap, Bobby was careful not to hurt himself while helping the tiger. However, the moment he freed the beast, he found it jumping on top of him.
"Stupid human! Do you actually think I would let you live the moment you set me free?" the tiger said, with saliva dripping from his mouth.
"But you swore it on your mother…!?" Bobby's voice quaked with fear and shock, as he now understood that the blood he saw on the tiger's mouth before belonged to another creature caught in the trap.
"If so, let's have a bet before you kill me."
"Well, that won't change a thing, as your life is in my hands now," the tiger said, showing a little kindness towards the human and confidence that he wouldn't run away.
Bobby knew he had to secure his life at all costs, and as a scholar, he thought of a method that would seem fair to both of them, yet put him at a hidden advantage.
"Let's ask three beings about our situation. You are free to choose whom, on the condition that if one of them sides with me, you let me go."
The tiger closed his eyes, trying to ponder the situation, but then he thought he could just trick the foolish human again. "Let's do it your way then… we can just ask anyone we meet along the way."
Letting go of Bobby, the tiger walked in front, and the first being they saw was a mango tree basking in the sun.
"Friend, can you help us with our little problem?"
The mango tree turned to look at the two visitors from the corner of her eye. She was the type who liked to remain unbothered, as her mind was always clouded with issues about her friends and family who had been chopped down.
"What is it?" she asked in a hateful tone.
Bobby explained their story, but instead of receiving pity, he was met with her utmost resentment.
"The tiger should eat you. You humans chop down my children, take my body parts, and kill off my family. You evil creatures deserve to rot in hell. The world would be a better place without you."
Smiling, the tiger led Bobby along the small path in front of them until they met a cow who was about to go to a human maize field.
They explained their story, and as someone who had been chased a billion times for stealing maize by Bobby, the cow had to make sure he was gone for good, despite being the next possible food for the beast.
"The tiger should eat the human. You humans use me to plow your fields yet don't want me in there. Not only that, but you take away my baby's milk. You evil creatures should die!"
Making the cow his next prey, the tiger, along with Bobby, continued down the winding path until they soon spotted the third being.
It was a red fox lounging on top of a rock, thinking about what to eat for lunch. It had skipped breakfast because someone had eaten the rabbit in its trap.
The tiger and Bobby approached the fox and explained their story. The fox understood the situation at hand but still acted confused, trying to fool the tiger.
"I don't understand… please take me to the place where this occurred and repeat what happened so I can make a fair judgment."
Bobby and the tiger saw nothing wrong with this. They took the sly red fox to where their story began, and soon the tiger got caught in the trap.
"Help! Somebody help! Please, somebody!"
Would Bobby rescue the tiger again?
No, he continued with his walk like any other day.
However, if it were me, I would stab the tiger's eyes, cut off its front legs, break all its teeth, and kill it. I had to make sure the tiger wouldn't hunt me in the future.
I wasn't going to repeat the same situation with Hein's and took a knife from my overall pockets. I drew a line of blood on my wrist, making plenty of it land on the small knife.
Ignoring my actions, the warden turned into green lightning and shot arrows at me. However, nothing happened to my body, and I slowly walked over to him.
Tap… tap… tap…
My footsteps vibrated through the broken hallway, sending a signal of fear all over the warden's body, as he shivered a bit. Even so, he wasn't planning on giving up easily.
Zap—!
He rushed over to throw a lightning uppercut at my jaw, but it couldn't compare to even an insect bite.
Swaa—!
Swiftly acting, I used the knife in my hand to cut part of the warden's throat, causing his hot alien blood to sprinkle all over my face like paint.
Thud—!
Thanks to having double hearts, his death came quickly.
How was I able to defeat him? That arrow he shot earlier caused the great stone liquid to circulate within my blood.
I can't use my ability, but an ability won't have any effect on me.
By the way, do you know what happened to Bobby from "The Wise Fox Judge"?
He was eaten by the fox when he was walking away. He was foolish enough to trust another predator with his life.
With a cheerful smile on my face, I turned to look at Bobby, who had come to my rescue by making a small tunnel through the rubble.
"Hey babe. I like that new hairstyle of yours…"