Mana Feast and the Giant Awakening
After experiencing rapid growth firsthand from mana stones and their effects, my leisurely healing life turned into a whirlwind of activity.
What was I up to?
Monster hunting—a far cry from the "friendly giant of the forest" nickname I'd earned among the woods.
Kraaaaaah!!!!
Thud thud thud thud!
Now much larger than before, I pounded my chest instinctively from the treetops, roaring at the monsters below to herd them in one direction.
Kraaaaaah!!!
My roar, bursting from the throat of a juvenile no longer quite a child but not yet fully adult, echoed through the forest. The pack of dark-brown-furred, goblin-like kobolds heard it and fled in terrified unison.
I pursued them, swinging branch to branch. If they veered off course or slowed, I'd bellow again or hurl stones from above.
Ordinary beasts bolt at loud noises, and these dim-witted monsters were no different.
Sure, they'd occasionally chuck pebbles or crude wooden spears at me. When they did, I'd fish a hefty rock from my prepared basket and personally drop it on their skulls.
They'd react with wild panic, abandoning resistance to run for their lives. After a few rounds of this herding hunt, word must have spread—my prime targets, goblins and kobolds, now hightailed it at the mere sound of my cry, oblivious to whatever lay ahead in their flight path.
One of the lead kobolds in the fleeing pack snagged its ankle on something: a rope twisted from tough vines.
The frenzied kobolds tumbled over it in a heap.
Snap!
A thin branch broke with a crack. As if on cue, a thick log crashed down atop the fallen beasts.
BOOM!!!
"Woohoo-hoo-hoo!!!"
The heavy log's impact unleashed the sounds of mangled flesh and shattering bones, mingling with my triumphant shout to reverberate through the woods.
I whooped in excitement at how perfectly the trap had worked this time. All that effort paid off in spades. As a gorilla, hoisting the log high was no trouble, but twisting those vines for the rope still left my hands aching at the memory.
Approaching with the mindset of a farmer harvesting crops, I strode down, pulled a stone knife—flint-style—from my basket, and got to work.
Squeeeeek!!
Pat pat pat!
Even cornered rats bite cats. One kobold, playing dead until now, lunged at me with claws bared.
Stupid thing. If you wanna live, just run.
I raised my fist and smashed it down with perfect timing on the charging kobold.
Whooom!
Splat!
Despite the casual motion, it hit with the dull thud of a massive club. The kobold's head exploded under my fist, eyes bulging, blood pouring as it dropped dead.
I hadn't even hit that hard. Was I just strong, or was it weak? Or both? Hard to say.
Next came extracting the mana stone. Splat!Scraaaape...
Blood could attract unwanted company, so I hurried.
A swing of my fist crushed the ribcage first, then the stone knife peeled back the hide to reveal the mana stone nestled in the heart. Monster stones varied in location, but most averaged around the heart.
These kobolds yielded stones the size of millet to rice grains. Small and few, maybe, but better than hunts where nothing dropped at all.
I carefully wrapped the precious haul in leaves, rubbed the blood from my hands and fur with dirt, and climbed back into the trees.
Creeeeeak...
The branch groaned under my now-hefty frame. As my body grew, tree-climbing was getting burdensome. Even the treehouse felt cramped and shaky.
Devouring more mana stones would bulk me up to full adulthood soon. Tree life was nearing its end. Sure, someday I'd live on the ground... but even as a full adult besting most beasts and monsters, facing something like an owlbear would be dicey. No proper meds meant a bad injury could be fatal.
Time to hustle harder for more stones. Get stronger, and anything's possible.
Arriving at the stream near home to wash off the blood, I spotted familiar faces: the wolf pack that tried killing me on my first day back.
Grrrrrr...!
They bared teeth warily but didn't charge the much bigger, stronger me.
Smart—they figured easier prey elsewhere. Recognizing mutual non-aggression, we approached the stream separately. They drank; I cleaned the blood from my body and stones.
Creeeeeak...
Whiiiine...
A youthful whimper turned my head. Shockingly, the female wolf from before was surrounded by five adorable pups.
She gave birth safely!
My vet instincts—and their fluffy, cute charm—had me staring blankly.
Grrrrr! Kraaak!!
The mother shielded her pups, snarling fiercely at me. Back off.
"Woo woo, wo-wo."
Got it. Looking elsewhere.
Mothers with young were always fiercer. I turned away, finished rinsing the stones, and left. No point picking a fight.
Back home safe, the squatters inside fluttered out to greet me.
(Kids, Kong's home!)
(It's really him~!)
The fairies, of course. They'd been playing among themselves but welcomed me like a guest. I'm the homeowner.
After a few fruit-sharing exchanges, they'd discovered my place, slipped in naturally, and now practically lived here.
No biggie—they behaved after a scolding, their cute antics livened things up and banished loneliness.
(Kong, how was the hunt today?)
(Did ya beat the bad guys?)
(He totally did—Kong's super strong!)
The fairies chattered excitedly, calling me Kong.
Yeah, Kong. My new name.
I hadn't planned on renaming myself. But one day, my fairy roommates asked.
(Y'know, we're friends now—what's your name?)
(Mine's Elena today, Sepia tomorrow!)
(I'm Pieno!)
I tried conveying my real name, but gorilla vocal cords mangling Korean was like winning a gaming tourney with my toes. Best I managed: "Quoong!"
"Quoong!"
(Qu-hoong?)
(Kong, right?)
(His name's Kong! Such a weird name!)
They all heard "Kong," and that sealed it.
Like the famous gorilla monster King Kong—I liked it, so I kept it.
With simple gestures, I showed off today's spoils: a handful of mana stones wrapped in big leaves. They instantly knew they were from kobolds.
(You took down those smelly, annoying furballs.)
(Good job, Kong!)
"Woo woo, wo-ho."
(Used a trap? Show us next time!)
One-sided as it seemed, the fairies read my expressions and eyes perfectly, making communication effortless.
As we bantered in the cramped treehouse, I reached for the stones to eat my prize...
(Kong, hold up!)
(Not yet!)
The fairies urgently stopped me. My quizzical look prompted shy, excited reveals of their secret prep.
(Well... actually...)
(We got a gift for you!)
A gift? My puzzled reaction made them pull out—hidden in my leaf bed—mana stones the size of pebbles. Eight of them, one per fairy.
The biggest I'd found were pea-sized; these were huge. I gawked.
They bashfully explained.
(You always share sweet fruits with us.)
(And you're nice to us, unlike others!)
(You saved me from that hawk last time!)
(And me from the spiderweb!)
(So we're gifting you our playground toys.)
(Toys to us, but what you really need!)
They bubbled with reasons right in my face, then watched expectantly. Couldn't disappoint these champs.
Rising amid their anticipation, I pounded my chest in a fierce celebration.
"Woo woo woo! Wo-ho! Wo-ho!"
Thud thud thud thud!
They loved it, giggling wildly and mimicking me at my side.
Now, time for a proper feast. Brimming with excitement, I dumped today's haul and their gift into my mouth at once.
Whoooosh!!!!
Rolling the stones on my tongue unleashed mana fiercer than before—an explosive tsunami compared to prior waves.
"Grroooooh!!!"
Breath caught; heart thundered like it might burst; veins swelled to snapping.
This... could kill me...
Tormented between agony and discomfort from the massive mana, the fairies urgently advised.
(Kong! Keep breathing!)
(Breathe like when you pound your chest—full and deep!)
(Or it'll hurt!)
Mana experts far beyond me, I followed their lead.
Breathe with that chest-pounding fullness? Vague, but if thinking failed, action would teach. Staggering up, I slowly thumped my chest.
Thung! Thung! Thung!
The drum-like thuds spread a heavy rhythm, and I grasped their meaning.
Instinct over thought: absorb the mana flooding me. Pound to disperse the clumps throughout my body. The discomfort melted into refreshing coolness.
I danced with chest pounds; fairies circled gleefully to the beat.
(Kong's growing!)
(Whoa!)
Growing? Tranced in mana flow, I hadn't noticed.
Snapping to, my head poked through the treehouse roof. Uh oh... this is bad!!!
As dread hit, ominous creaks rose from below.
Creeeaaaak!!!
Crackcraaaack!!
The supporting branches snapped under my weight.
"Whoaaaah!"
(Kyaaa!)
(Kong broke our house!)
BOOM!
I plummeted with the wreckage; fairies fluttered worriedly around me. Unscathed, I rose to inspect my drastically changed body.
Knuckling the ground naturally, my frame towered adult-sized—no, beyond.
(Whoa! Our Kong's huge now!)
Shocked by the house collapse at first, they marveled at my new form and landed nearby.
Didn't expect this much growth. The sudden crash left me dazed.
I eyed the ruined treehouse—my first "home." Short-lived. Looking up...
Good things were good. I'd have left eventually; just call it an early move.
I signaled the fairies about building a new ground-level home. They pondered, then shared great news.
(Kong, come to our playground?)
(Build there and live with us!)
(Spacious, sunny—perfect for naps.)
Invited to their playground, I mulled briefly and agreed. For a fresh start, a ready spot beat from scratch.
Thus, with the fairies, I packed from the debris—not swinging trees, but striding the ground under their guidance.