Being a Summoner on our Evolved Earth

Will to Live (30)

The strong wolf gazed from Lucia to the meat at his feet then he said, "Please prove your healing ability."

Lucia glanced at him and asked, "Do you have any injured for me to treat?" 

He looked at one of the skinnier wolves that had been watching from the back and it limped forward. It's front left paw looked to have been crushed. Lucia started silently preparing for [Healing Gust] then slowly lifted a hand to point at the injured wolf. A breeze passed through coincidentally which caused her hair to flutter behind her. Then she silently released the spell once it was charged and everyone watched as the crushed paw restored itself instantly. The skinny wolf tested it out hesitantly then started running around happily. Several gasps of surprise could be heard as Lucia went back to skinning the deer.

"I'd rather heal everyone at once next time. It saves on time and mana." 

The wolves all gathered their expectant gazes to the strong wolf who had been acting like the leader this whole time. He stared at the healed paw for a long time before letting out a relieved sigh.

"Are you the emissary of Mother Nature?" The strong wolf asked while sounding a lot gentler than before.

"Nope, I'm just a human who is fed up with her own kind. If the beasts didn't accept me then I was planning on helping the birds or the fish next." Lucia replied without even looking at him. "And if no living creature would accept me then I'd try with the undead." Lucia glanced at Aegis briefly before focusing on her work again. "Also my name is Lucia," She pointed to herself then pointed to Aegis, "He is Aegis."

"We'll be relying on you Lucia." The strong wolf bowed his head and the other wolves followed his action.

"Just don't betray me. That's all I ask." Lucia said forlornly. 

The strong wolf nodded and took the meat to the pups. Soon the pups had eaten and all the wolves gathered around Lucia while avoiding Aegis. Lucia stood up and extended her arms up as a gentle orb of light formed above her head.

"[Restoring Light]" She said softly as the orb of light started pulsing. Each pulse sent out a wave of light that reached ten feet in all directions and any living creatures it touched were healed. It pulsed five times in ten seconds then dispersed like fire flies flying into the sky. After waiting for a brief moment she started casting her next spell. 

"[Cleansing Drizzle]" The same spell she used at the village before once again appeared as transparent rain drops fell and cured all diseases and poisons from whatever they touched. 

"Amazing!" The elder wolf exclaimed while watching the rain that he could just barely detect the mana it was made up of.

"Truly miraculous..." The strong wolf also watched in amazement. All the wolves were amazed and the pups who were a couple months old were running around energetically now that they had full stomachs and all their aches and pains went away. Not long after a couple wolf pups suddenly started to have mana enter their bodies and they even received the life element which caused parts of their fur to turn red. 

"Come here little ones." Lucia called out gently. The two pups ran over excitedly and rubbed their heads against her legs. Lucia looked them over and confirmed they had reached the first evolution successfully.  'Only two evolved out of the twelve pups. I wonder why?'

While Lucia was thinking, a pup wandered close to Aegis out of curiosity. Aegis noticed it and turned to look at it which caused it to lose its confidence and become scared. Aegis noticed its fear and knelt down to make himself feel less threatening but instead the puppy started whining and then it also entered a state of evolution as it pulled in mana and gained the earth element which it then instinctually used to burry itself. It then dug its way away from Aegis like a mole until it started to run out of air and then came to the surface again and ran to its parents.

"The instinct to live." Lucia clapped her hands as she thought of a possibility. Aegis stood back up and looked at Lucia.

"The reason why the herbivores are evolving faster is because they have a strong instinct to live formed by always being hunted. The herbivores bullied the carnivores but don't out right kill them a lot of the time. Carnivores don't have much fear for their lives so their instinct to live isn't as strong. The pups though don't have the confidence that their parents do so they have stronger wills to live. But to evolve must need energy so it can't be done on an empty stomach." Lucia grinned playfully as she glanced at the elder wolf who had yet to awaken to an element.

"You... Do you need something from me?" He asked hesitantly.

Lucia tossed him some meat from the life deer. "Eat quickly, I have a new test." 

The elder wolf was hesitant for unknown reasons but ate the meat. 

"Time for you to learn to fear for your life. Aegis could you help him learn how?" Lucia asked with a playful chuckle. 

"Yes." Aegis responded as he drew his sword and started to run at the elder wolf.

"Wait what?" The elder wolf asked but didn't hesitate to run. 

"Also if he doesn't awaken by sunset just kill him." Lucia teased.

"Are you really going to kill him?" The strong wolf asked worriedly.

"No, but if he thinks so then won't he evolve sooner?" Lucia explained. Then using her telepathic link to Aegis she reminded, {Don't actually kill him.}

{Yes Princess.} Aegis responded. 

Aegis must have been the best choice for the job as not even half an hour later the elder wolf finally evolved to the wind element which didn't have a color, so he didn't look any different. He came back to the dens utterly exhausted with a calm Aegis beside him.

"Good job you two." Lucia welcomed them back as she was distributing meat from the skinned deer. "Aegis here's your reward." She said as she passed him two death mana crystals. 

"Thank you Princess." Aegis saluted and received the crystals. He then resumed his protective stance from behind her while slowly absorbing mana. 

"So from now on, if you want to be able to evolve then you need to learn how much you want to live. Your desire to live will be what allows you to evolve. So when you go to hunt, remember your desire to live and think of how to survive." Lucia announced to the pack that had been resting around her.

"Will Aegis not chase us like he did to the Elder?" A female wolf asked.

"You all know that he won't kill you since we're here to help you. It won't work. You must live your lives like before and hunt prey. If you wish to practice hunting evolved creatures, then you can practice hunting Aegis and I. We're stronger than the ones in this forest though so don't feel discouraged when we repel you."

"Please allow them to only hunt me, do not put yourself in danger Princess." Aegis suggested.

"If I don't experience being hunted then how will I defend against it in the future Aegis?" Lucia reasoned back. 

"But..." Aegis still worried.

"Aegis!" Lucia spoke sternly which silenced Aegis. "Do you want me to be a flower in a green house?" She looked Aegis in the eyes with confidence.

Aegis knelt down on one knee, "Apologies, I over stepped myself. You are right." 

"I know you are just looking out for me Aegis, and thank you. However, I want to be someone capable of defending themselves rather than a damsel in distress." Lucia said as she placed a hand on Aegis shoulder. "I don't want to be the weak girl who is always being defended anymore." 

"I understand. Please let me know what I can do to help." Aegis said and looked up at Lucia.

"Teach me to fight." Lucia gazed back into the undead flames flickering in Aegis eyes.

"I shall." Aegis declared.

For the following week Lucia spent her time training her combat with Aegis as well as letting the wolves practice hunting them. She also used a bone needle and woven weeds to turn one deer hide into a vest and the other into a loose skirt after cleaning them in a pond nearby. She wore the deer hide over her tattered clothes. During the week word spread through the forest of a human and a powerful white furred creature that threatened the peace of the herbivores.