Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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How does a beast become a spirit creature?
To know that, first I need to understand the difference between a beast and a spirit creature.
So, what's the difference between the two?
Mystical qualities? High enough intelligence to communicate with humans?
No. There's only one criterion that separates beasts from spirit creatures.
Whether it can wield it or not.
That's the line dividing spirit creatures from beasts, and it's the path I need to follow from now on.
And the most basic step in the process of wielding mana.
People start by sensing mana first.
But the stage of sensing mana ridiculously didn't apply to me.
"Shaa."
'Nice, so nice.'
I explained that beasts and spirit creatures are divided based on their ability to wield mana.
Then, what's the difference between humans and spirit creatures?
'Whether they wield mana, or magic power.'
Spirit creatures use the mana spread throughout nature as is, but humans can't do that.
Because their bodies can't withstand mana.
Humans who can't wield mana tried various methods and ended up using a power called magic power derived from mana.
Then why is sensing mana necessary?
Because you have to sense it to gauge its amount and control it to convert it into magic power.
What if you fail to control the amount and more mana gets absorbed into the body than what gets converted to magic power?
It burdens the body, and in the worst case, the body collapses.
'Of course, that's for humans.'
Spirit creatures don't have that issue.
Spirit creatures handle pure mana itself from the start?
They just breathe it in?
And this applies to me too, a beast aiming to become a spirit creature.
'Just lie down and breathe, and I get stronger.'
Especially in a place where mana is gathered like this, the speed increases even more.
Right now, even breathing like this is tough, but once I get used to mana and my body adapts and accepts it, it'll be fine.
'But struggling even at the entrance is a bit much, isn't it?'
Who would've thought I'd end up stuck at the cave entrance, unable to go inside.
Getting here was good, sure.
But all that's allowed to me is the initial part of the cave entrance. If I try to go further, my body can't withstand the mana pressure.
If I could endure it, it'd be the ultimate spirit medicine and training ground, but getting blocked at the entrance is such a waste.
'Just how much mana is gathered deeper inside?'
And inwardly, curiosity stirred.
I wonder how much mana is gathered at the end of that cave.
If I could endure the pressure and accept that power, how fast would I grow stronger?
'Still too much too soon. Accept my current situation first.'
Of course, that didn't mean I went deeper inside.
Did I just get born or something?
Even now, one wrong move and I can't handle the mana and suffocate from the pressure. Going deeper where there's even more mana would definitely kill me.
'I came here to survive.'
Not to die.
"Shaa."
So for the time being, I decided to spend time adapting here.
Anyway, to hunt for food, it's easier to move around the entrance than deeper inside.
If I were a spirit creature, maybe not, but as a mere beast, I have to eat food to survive.
'There are plenty of trees bearing fruit, so food won't be an issue.'
However, since those fruits visible to the naked eye weren't ones I'd seen in the game, a faint wariness crept in about possible poison inside.
'This is when I should ask the gallery.'
There are people who came here before me, so I'm sure I'll get the answer I want.
With that thought, I took a photo making sure the fruit was clearly visible and posted on the gallery.
Oh, by the way, photos just get taken if I think about capturing with my eyes as the medium.
But this time, there was no answer I wanted.
They've never seen it either?
This was unexpected.
"Shaa!"
'This is it!'
The gallery never lets me down!
I immediately replied to the comment claiming to know what the fruit was.
'Amrita?'
In the game, there's Ambrosia as a spirit medicine fruit.
But Amrita? Never heard of it.
I wasn't the only one; others started asking too.
Extinct?
It's right in front of me, glowing and sparkling?
The mood turned strange.
If Amrita is an extinct ancient fruit, how is it right in front of me?
Gulp.
'No way...'
Am I... unlike the others, living in the era called ancient times?
Before the fruit called Amrita went extinct?
'Things have been off from the start.'
Everyone else was summoned here as players with the hero class in their real bodies, but I was reborn as a snake.
And this place. At first I thought it was just a mana-rich cave, but it's not something that can be explained by mere high mana density.
I never saw anything like it even while playing the game.
'Should I share this info?'
But what if someone with bad intentions comes here?
Powerless as I am, I'd just die.
Of course, the chance is low.
For starters, the timelines we live in are probably different.
But even so, I hesitated to post, and ended up reading others' posts instead.
'This is...'
Then I found a peculiar post.
"Shaa!!"
'This is it!!'
Everyone lives in different dimensions. So revealing my identity is fine?!
I had justification now.
Justification that my actions wouldn't lead to dangerous outcomes.
Click.
I immediately snapped a photo toward the cave and posted.
With the additional photos, they seemed to notice something was off too.
Honestly, I hadn't planned to reveal my identity at first.
There was a chance someone might read my posts, come find me, and kill me.
But that post made me realize such imagination couldn't happen.
Thus, the gallery heated up over my existence... no, the snake's existence.