Chereads / Beast Master: Live Life to the Fullest! / Chapter 21 - Whispers of the Web and Cabbage Encounters

Chapter 21 - Whispers of the Web and Cabbage Encounters

An Arakniquen, who had been hiding invisibly the entire time, finally couldn't resist appearing before the old man.

She let out a series of soft cry, as if reminding him of something important.

"Ah, my apologies, my apologies…"

The old man coughed lightly, pulling out a small bottle of medicine from the drawer.

He shook out two capsules and popped them into his mouth, swallowing them with a tilt of his head.

Arakniquen on the bookshelf shook her head disapprovingly.

"Arakniquen~"

With delicate precision, her shimmering web drew a water glass from the dispenser and gently placed it beside the old man's hand.

Arakniquen hissed softly again, gesturing for her Beast Master to at least drink some water.

"Cough… Thank you, Arakniquen."

The old man coughed a couple more times before picking up the glass placed by Arakniquen and taking a sip of water.

"Ah, there's no way to fight it—getting old is no joke…"

He sighed after setting the glass down.

His gaze returned to the library's half-open door, waiting for the next borrower who might not appear for quite some time.

...

Rustle~ Rustle~

On a quiet, tree-lined path, the thick branches with lush green leaves swayed gently in the breeze, creating a soft, whispering sound.

Although summer had passed, the afternoon sun remained unyieldingly bright.

Ash crouched down alone by the roadside with her small figure out against the greenery.

In one hand, she held a torn plastic bag.

While the other hand reached for a cabbage that had rolled into the grass nearby.

Rustle~ Rustle~

At the same time, from the other side of the grass, there came a faint, cautious rustling.

Attracted by the enticing fragrance of the cabbage, two round green antennae tentatively emerged from the foliage.

Those antennae also reached out toward the cabbage that was lying just outside the grass.

And then—

Time froze.

On the tender green surface of the cabbage, a single hand and two antennae appeared simultaneously.

Rustle~ Rustle~

Another breeze swept through.

The clouds scattered and the sunlight poured down.

The two figures—one large, one small—stared at each other in the dappled sunlight, neither of them making the first move.

Time Rewinds to a Few Minutes Ago.

About ten minutes earlier, Ash, who had just left the library, noticed that the day was still young.

She decided to drop by the farmers' market, spending 10 beastdollar on some meat and vegetables, planning to cook herself a decent meal that evening.

In this world, ordinary animals coexisted with Spirit Beasts, with a ratio of about 2:1.

Since Spirit Beasts left no physical remains upon death.

After they died, they dissolved into pure energy and returned to Gaia's embrace.

So, eating Spirit Beast's meat was something unheard of.

Not that it mattered to Ash; her meager budget wouldn't allow such a luxury anyway.

Besides, she wasn't interested in those exotic delicacies to begin with.

Her monthly living expenses, including the money she earned from part-time work, barely amounted to a little over a thousand beastdollar.