Would I really be afraid of a mana stone?
I thought not, but honestly, I wasn't sure.
I was all too aware of the changes in my body since it had transformed.
My senses had become sharper, and I developed a greater liking for fish.
Since my preferences had changed, it was possible that I had developed new fears as well.
"Haaaaa….."
Still, I hoped I wouldn't be afraid of mana stones.
I sighed inwardly as I followed Yeoreum into the underground of the guild building.
"Where are we?"
"This is the mana stone storage."
"Storage?"
It was a warehouse similar in size to the ones I had seen in my previous life.
I never knew there was such a place under the guild building.
Curiosity filled my eyes as I looked around, spotting numerous baskets.
"Wow."
Each basket was filled with a large number of mana stones.
Could selling all these make someone one of the top hundred richest in the world?
There were so many mana stones that the thought crossed my mind.
"Wait here for a sec? I'll just grab one mana stone."
"Just one?"
"Yeah. Too many might make you faint like your rabbit friend."
"Ah... Okay."
I watched Yeoreum walk away, then turned my attention to the nearby mana stones.
They ranged from the size of a fingernail to the size of a head.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I poked a few of the larger mana stones.
"…They're so solid."
These crystal-like mana stones contained an energy unknown to me.
It was a type of energy I hadn't felt from the smaller goblin mana stones.
Could this be what they call mana?
As I closed my eyes to savor the mana, a gruff voice came from behind.
"Don't touch the mana stones recklessly."
"Yes!"
I quickly withdrew my hand and turned around.
A man in work clothes was looking down at me with an expressionless face.
"This is my job. Please, don't do that."
"Ah..."
How foolish of me.
Toying with the mana stones, which were merchandise.
Maybe I had become a bit arrogant from my association with the Daybreak Guild.
Thinking it was okay to touch them because I knew someone from the guild.
"I-I'm sorry—!"
I apologized to the man and ran towards where Yeoreum was.
There were many people working in the warehouse, but I had kept Yeoreum's footsteps in my ears and found her without difficulty.
"Ye–Yeoreum—!"
"Hm?"
Yeoreum turned around at my light call.
In her hand, she held a mana stone the size of a baseball.
It was a type of mana stone I had never seen before, but I could sense the power emanating from it.
I could tell it was a mana stone of a feline monster.
"Uh, wow..."
It gave me the shivers.
I ran towards Yeoreum, then stopped abruptly as if hitting the brakes.
I slid a bit due to inertia, but managed not to fall thanks to the physical abilities unique to beast-kin.
"Huh?"
Yeoreum blinked in surprise, alternating her gaze between me and the mana stone in her hand.
As she hid the mana stone behind her back, the creepy feeling began to dissipate.
"It does feel a bit creepy."
"Really? Is it hard to look at?"
"No, it's not terrifying or anything. Just feels weird..."
Yeoreum reached out towards the mana stone she had hidden behind her.
Looking at it made my heart race, but not to the extent of panicking like Levinas.
'So there is some change.'
Still, the mana stone of the feline monster didn't feel like a comrade.
It was more like looking at the heart of a living being.
It was creepy, but that was it.
After observing the mana stone a bit more, I handed it back to Yeoreum.
"It does feel somewhat like a real heart."
"Yeah. Technically, it is a heart."
"Yes."
I wouldn't be terrified of mana stones, then.
Relieved, I turned to leave, but then I saw a woman carrying a huge bag.
She was the employee I had seen at the guild counter purchasing mana stones.
"Oh, Yeoreum. Gyeoul is here too?"
"Ah, Sang-ah."
I awkwardly nodded to the woman called Sang-ah.
She had a giant backpack behind her.
"What's that?"
"These are all defective mana stones. Redcat mana stones tend to deteriorate quickly."
"Ah... So you're just going to throw them into the generator?"
"Yes. Have to save on electricity bills."
The woman showed us the contents of her backpack.
The mana stones, the size of a baseball, resembled the one Yeoreum had shown me, but just looking at them made my skin crawl.
"..."
My ears and tail bristled.
My heart also began to race uncontrollably.
It was like looking at a grotesquely twisted and rotten human heart.
Dozens of such hearts were packed in the bag.
"Gyeoul...?"
Yeoreum waved her hand in front of my frozen gaze.
But I couldn't move, shocked.
"Uh, ugh!"
Had the shock made me lose consciousness for a moment?
When I came to, I was already back in the container.
✱✱✱
Yeoreum had carried the frozen Gyeoul back to the container.
She was about to go inside immediately, but seeing Sophia sitting near the fire, she approached her first.
"...Why is the kid like that again?"
"Ah... She fainted standing up after seeing defective mana stones."
Yeoreum laid Gyeoul on a nearby mat and took out a mana stone from her pocket.
It was the defective mana stone that had terrified Gyeoul.
"Oh dear."
Sophia glanced over the mana stone and sighed, looking at Gyeoul with pity.
"Sophia, do you know why Gyeoul reacted like this?"
"Yeah, she must have been really startled by the mana stone."
"The mana stone?"
Was there a reason to be startled by a defective mana stone?
Yeoreum tilted her head in confusion.
"Young beast-kin often mistake the mana emitted from mana stones as that of their kin."
"So Gyeoul mistook the Redcat mana stones for the corpses of her kin?"
"Yes. And the ones you brought were defective. They must have felt like the decaying bodies of her kin."
"Ah..."
As if she had been shown dozens of rotting corpses.
That would indeed be horrifying.
Only then did Yeoreum understand why Gyeoul had frozen up.
"She saw dozens of those mana stones right in front of her."
"…Oh dear."
Sophia's gaze fell on Gyeoul, her expression one of understanding.
Maybe she had experienced something similar.
Yeoreum wanted to ask, but Sophia spoke first.
"Don't worry too much. It's something many young beast-kin go through."
"Ah, okay."
I hope it doesn't leave a trauma.
Just then, Gyeoul, lying on the mat, cautiously opened her eyelids.
Yeoreum, not wanting to startle Gyeoul, quickly threw the defective mana stone into the fire.
"…?"
"Gyeoul, are you awake?"
"Yes…"
Gyeoul got up and rummaged through her waist pocket.
Pulling out a planting spade, she began to walk towards the garden.
"Gy–Gyeoul…?"
"Yes?"
"Shouldn't you rest a bit?"
Going straight to gardening after such a terrifying experience seemed odd.
Yeoreum looked at Sophia, hoping she would join in dissuading her, but Sophia just stared at the fire starting to blaze.
"I need to work. I have to pay off my debt."
"But, that's not..."
It's a debt that doesn't really need to be repaid.
How could Yeoreum make Gyeoul understand that?
While Yeoreum was looking down, pondering, Gyeoul blurted out something shocking.
"I need to pay off all my debts before I can go see my friends."
"Friends?"
"Yes. I don't want to leave with debts."
Was she implying she wouldn't think of dying before paying off her debts?
Unknowingly, Yeoreum bit her lip.
She owed a lot, but if Gyeoul grew into a talented adventurer, she could quickly pay it off.
She had consumed the 'Beast King Benediction', after all.
If guided well, she could become a top-tier adventurer.
'Maybe I should keep her from paying off her debt…'
Slow her growth, make up reasons to keep her from paying it off.
It wasn't the nicest method, but it was better than pushing her towards death.
As Yeoreum reached this thought, she sighed deeply.
Either way, it wasn't good for Gyeoul.
'I need to find a good way to keep her from paying off the debt…'
Encourage her to buy expensive equipment, saying she would earn more money, or persuade her to invest in expanding businesses.
Yeoreum could only think of this as the best approach.
After all, everything would eventually benefit Gyeoul.
It would result in her growth and increased income.
Of course, the plan was to make her spend as much as she earned.
'Alright.'
She had to encourage Gyeoul to keep spending every time she earned money.
Yeoreum made up her mind and clenched her fists.
It might seem like harassment, but it was all to save Gyeoul.
After buying some time, the plan was to plant a reason to live in her life.
<+>
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