The village was a harmonious blend of nature and magic. Houses built from living wood and stone were nestled among the trees, connected by winding paths. The air was filled with a serene, almost sacred atmosphere, and the villagers went about their daily activities with a sense of calm and purpose.
Olivia's eyes widened with wonder as she took in the sight before her. She had only read about mythical White Tigers in books, but seeing so many of them all of a sudden made her surprised, shocked even.
Legend says that the White Tigers are symbols of peace and prosperity. They wield the power of holy light, making them sacred creatures. They are the natural enemies of evil beings.
Igor greeted a few of the White Tiger villagers as they walked through, exchanging friendly banter and laughter. Olivia could see that he was well-loved and respected here. A few White Tigers looked curiously at Olivia, finding a new human suddenly among them.
As they moved deeper into the village, they came upon an open area where a group of White Tigers were practicing combat moves with rigorous movements. With each movement, the white streaks on their bodies glowed slightly, making it an enchanting sight.
"Hey guys, Igor is here!" one of them announced, attracting everyone's attention.
"Igor, want to join us for a spar?" another of the tigers called out, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Igor grinned. "You know I can't resist a good sparring match. Bring it on. Olivia, you stay here and watch. This will be fun."
Olivia nodded, understanding their body language a little, and found herself a spot where she could see the action.
Others watched curiously, finding a new human among them.
"Growl! Igor, who is she? Are you finally getting yourself a mating partner?" one of them asked, curious.
Igor scratched his head in embarrassment and replied, "No, she is my new friend!" He then told them all about the circumstances surrounding her arrival. They nodded understandingly, feeling somewhat sympathetic.
Afterwards, their sparring began, leaving Olivia amazed. If only she could understand their language like Igor, it would have been great.
The White Tigers had a special affinity with the element of holy light, their moves graceful and powerful, each strike glowing with radiant energy. However, Igor's physical strength was relentless, and he moved with an agility that belied his size.
The first tiger lunged at Igor, a swipe of their glowing claws aimed at his midsection. Igor dodged effortlessly, countering with a powerful punch that sent the tiger sprawling. Another tiger came at him from the side, but Igor spun and delivered a swift kick that knocked them back.
They knew they would be no match for him, so they teamed up beforehand. Still, they weren't able to win a single spar in the past. They were just adolescent Tigers; otherwise, it would have been impossible to defeat them with physical strength alone. Once their special abilities manifested, it would be tough even for Igor to handle them.
One of the tigers, larger and more experienced than the others, stepped forward. "Alright, Igor, let's see how you handle this new ability that I learned recently."
Igor's grin widened. "Bring it on, Raelan. My fist is ready." He rolled up his sleeves.
Raelan readied himself, taking a deep breath and, "Roar!" He released a beam of white light from his mouth. It is one of his inherent abilities from the White Tiger species: "White Tiger's Roar."
Its speed was astonishing. Igor was nearly caught by it, but he jumped up like a rabbit, closely avoiding it.
Wherever the white beam passed, it caused burn marks across the grassland. It was newly awakened, otherwise it would have been more devastating.
"Whew!" Igor sighed in relief, landing on the ground. He was taken aback by the sudden magical attack. At the same time, he yearned to have powers like this.
On the other hand, Raelan looked a little haggard, as if he had exhausted all his energy by using this ability.
"Growl! What's going on here?" Suddenly, a calm voice of an adult White Tiger resounded throughout the sparring area.
Olivia looked to find a majestic White Tiger, nearly 7-8 meters in height, his towering presence casting a shadow over her tiny body. She looked in awe, "Is this how an adult White Tiger looks like? He must be really powerful," she wondered.
Igor went near him like lightning and said, "Nothing, Uncle Tiger. We're just sparring a bit." He smiled.
"Yes, yes. Igor is right, village chief." Igor's tiger friends nodded hurriedly, like chickens pecking at rice.
The village chief scrutinized every detail and found a new human had appeared in their village.
His flickering eyes gave Olivia a scare, so she hid behind Igor, gently holding his hand.
"Igor, my child, who is this? How did she enter this forest?" the village chief asked, looking at them, his towering presence making them feel insignificantly weak.
But Igor wasn't deterred in the slightest. He told the chief about her circumstances truthfully.
"I see..! If the Mother Tree has no problem with her staying here, what can I say? You can stay here, little human," the village chief smiled, although faintly.
"Uncle, you said you have something to give me. Where is it? That's why I am here," Igor said, looking the village chief in the eye.
Olivia found Igor's courage really commendable. She felt curious why any of these magical creatures didn't harm him in the slightest. Rather, they loved him and somewhat feared him as well. She was puzzled.
If she understood their language, she would have gotten her answers already.
"Haha, you do remember that, my boy," the village chief laughed before continuing, "Alright, come with me. I will give it to you." His large body moved towards a big house, and Igor and Olivia followed along. The others remained standing in puzzlement. As they were juniors, they were not allowed to step inside the village chief's house without permission.
"Here, take this." As soon as they reached inside, the village chief threw a spear made of bones to Igor.
Igor caught it by reflex and felt it extremely heavy. If any normal person tried to wield it, they would have broken their sternum already.
"Now that you have grown up, you will definitely need this, boy. I have crafted it myself. It's made from the bones of ancient mammoths. I found a few in our treasury, so I made it for you."
Igor was stunned, never expecting to receive such a valuable gift.
"Uncle Tiger, this...This...Isn't it precious for your village? No, I can't take this."
"Hahaha, relax, boy. We already have a few for ourselves. As someone who has seen you grow up, this much is needed. Otherwise, I would feel ashamed of calling myself your uncle." His large hand patted Igor's back.
"Igor, you have a lot of potential inside. At such a young age, you could defeat our kind easily. It's really commendable, actually," he praised him a little.
At long last, Igor accepted the weapon with a smile. He also liked the weapon very much. With this, he could exert his force more efficiently.
He waved it around, feeling genuine excitement within.
The village chief smiled, also feeling the pinch. However, it was worth it.
He knew how extraordinary Igor was. This much karma would surely bear fruit one day. Maybe then they would get the chance to show their faces outside proudly, not hiding themselves like rats in this Secret Land.
Then, as if remembering something important, he looked at the female human beside Igor and took out a special flower from his treasury.
"And, boy, this is for your partner." He handed the magical flower to Igor and said, "This is Frost-Lily, a legendary flower that will increase your partner's beauty over time. I heard beauty is really important for female humans, so it would be a perfect present for her."
Igor took the Frost-Lily carefully, feeling it slightly cold to the touch, yet very soothing.