Monster

Right after receiving the payment, which amounted to roughly half a sack of gold pieces, I made my way back toward the building where Pero and I had been sheltering. Despite finally having more than enough funds for my journey, my mind remained fixed on that strange creature.

I could not stop thinking about it, especially the overwhelming helplessness I had experienced when facing something so completely beyond my understanding. I wanted to become stronger, strong enough that the next time I encountered something like that, I would not have to struggle simply to survive.

I stopped beneath the shade of the building's entrance and spent several moments thinking about how I could accomplish that. Training harder was the obvious answer, but even that did not feel sufficient. Whatever that creature had been, ordinary training could not possibly explain how I could ever hope to defeat something of that caliber.