Daily Rewards! Transmigrating into a novel as a side-character!

Kael was clearly exhausting himself from repeatedly forming ice attacks that barely hit. His inexperience showed in how wastefully he was expending his mana reserves.

At this rate, he would be completely drained before he could land a decisive blow.

The reason I thought that was because as a new awakener, he had no control over his mana, lots of would be wasted during the formation and release of those icicles.

The wounded koala was gaining ground, its natural forest mobility giving it an advantage over the stumbling Kael.

I moved closer, preparing to intervene in case anything happened.

Kael, sensing the escalating danger, desperately formed two more icicles. He threw one toward the approaching koala while gripping the other like a dagger, though his stance was completely amateurish.

I could see he had no confidence in his abilities whatsoever.

The thrown icicle missed its mark as the koala dodged it. Kael's attacks weren't only inaccurate, but they were very predictable.

This time the beast closed the remaining distance rapidly. Kael's face visibly drained of colour as he realized his desperate situation.

The koala struck with its razor-sharp claws. Kael attempted to defend himself with his remaining icicle, and while the ice weapon held firm against the initial impact, his body couldn't withstand the force. He was sent flying backward, crashing hard into a tree trunk.

His head struck first with a sickening thud. I watched as his consciousness began to waver, his eyes growing hazy and unfocused. Blood trickled from where his skull had connected with the bark. His thoughts were clearly becoming scattered and incoherent from the head trauma.

The koala, emboldened by its successful attack, began stalking toward the dazed Kael for what would likely be a killing blow.

This is it.

In one fluid motion, I launched myself from my position on the try and landed directly between the koala and Kael just as the beast prepared to strike the defenceless boy.

The koala skidded to a halt, suddenly confronted by this new threat that had appeared from nowhere. Its small eyes darted between me and its original prey, trying to assess this unexpected development.

"Stay back," I commanded, with cold eyes and a tone that made the beast hesitate momentarily.

Behind me, I could hear Kael's laboured breathing and confused mumbling as he struggled to process what was happening through his concussion. His ice powers had completely destabilized, small frost patterns appearing and disappearing randomly around his trembling hands.

The koala, after a moment's consideration, decided to still attack. It bared its teeth and prepared to attack this interloper who had dared interfere with its hunt.

I drew my sword in a single smooth motion, the blade catching what little sunlight filtered through the forest canopy.

"Wrong choice," I said quietly.

The beast lunged forward with surprising speed, its claws extended to tear through whatever stood in its path. But it was facing an Elite-rank awakener that had killed a transcendent beast before.

I sidestepped the sluggish attack with minimal effort. My counterattack was swift, a single cut across its throat that ended the threat permanently.

The koala collapsed with barely a sound, its life ending before it hit the forest floor.

I turned toward Kael, only to find him unconscious. His breathing was shallow and irregular, and blood continued trickling from the head wound where he'd struck the tree.

I quickly assessed his condition. The bleeding needed to be stopped immediately, and there were likely signs of concussion that required attention.

Activating my Blood Control trait, I carefully manipulated his circulation to halt the bleeding from his scalp wound. Then I guided his blood flow to promote healing in the damaged tissue, encouraging his body's natural recovery processes.

The technique was delicate work, too much manipulation could cause more harm than good, but the controlled enhancement of circulation would help reduce swelling and accelerate the healing of minor injuries.

Once I was satisfied that his condition had stabilized, I carefully lifted Kael's small form into my arms. He was lighter than I'd expected, clearly malnourished from his time at the orphanage.

I began walking back toward the city. Although my original plan had been to use Kael as a gateway to Dawn Break, I was satisfied that I had now officially taken him under my protection.

I couldn't simply return him to the orphanage after what had happened with Tommy, but I also couldn't reveal my true connection to those events.

As I passed the city guards at the gate, they nodded respectfully at me before stopping to ask a few routine questions about the unconscious boy in my arms.

"Young Master Blackwood, what happened to the child?" one guard inquired.

I didn't bother telling them that the person in my hands wasn't actually a child, but a malnourished teen, almost the same age as me.

"I found him injured in the forest, apparently attacked by a magical beast. He needs medical attention," I replied calmly.

After my brief explanation, they let me pass without pursuing the matter further. Their questions weren't born from genuine concern but from following standard procedures, and my answers were sufficient to satisfy their requirements.

They had asked me whether I wanted to take care of the child myself or not. My answer was the former, I wasn't going to let them take the Winter Beast from my hands.

Soon I arrived at the Blackwood estate. I couldn't bring Kael to the academy dormitories, that would raise too many questions and complications now.

I handed Kael to the guards stationed outside the manor. They looked concerned at the sight of what appeared to be an injured child.

"What happened, Young Master?" one asked with obvious worry.

"Take care of him well, and inform me immediately when he wakes up," I instructed without revealing too much detail. The guards had no business knowing about what had happened to him, and it was of no use for them.

The guard nodded and carefully took Kael from my arms, understanding that his young master expected competent care without unnecessary questions.

Since I was already at the estate, I decided to visit my parents. There were several matters I needed to address with them regarding Kael.

I made my way toward the main house, preparing to face whatever questions they might have about my unexpected arrival and the injured person I'd brought home.