Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Tails and Physiognomy
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Mana.
The power source of unclear origin, and the driving force that keeps magical beasts alive and moving.
Magical beasts employed a wide variety of methods to harness their inherent mana.
[S+ Grade Magical Beast Reverse Dragon In-Depth Study: Emits mana through a small hole bored into its head.]
[Elray Gargoyle: The more horns it has, the stronger the beast. Beware when their horns glow.]
The methods were so diverse that dedicated academic departments emerged, giving birth to the profession of anti-mana specialist.
Mana utilization methods, in particular, were directly tied to beast-slaying techniques.
Anti-mana specialists had a bright future ahead of them.
“Oho.”
[Name: Kitsune] [Rank: B~S+ (Estimated)]
[Fox-shaped magical beast resembling an Arctic fox.]
[Appears primarily in gates located in East Asia.]
[Rarity: A (Annual discoveries: 150+)]
[Mana Usage: Wags its tail to wield mana. When immense power is required, it sometimes spins its tail like a propeller.]
So this is what makes an expert?
Whoosh!
It matched the illustrated handbook compiled by anti-mana specialists exactly.
Whoosh!
As the Kitsune before my eyes spun its tail vigorously, the surrounding air grew chillingly cold.
Milky fog began to seep out. A faint yet potent mana scent tickled my nostrils.
Upon closer inspection of the fog, one realizes each fragment is a tiny particle.
Mana particles. Billions—no, trillions—clumped together, creating the illusion of fog.
Powerful waves transmitted through the red thread linking us. Anyone with a low mana total would surely have collapsed.
...
Yet the Kitsune never lost its smile.
As if this were nothing at all. As if this were showtime, a display of its talents for me.
For something no different from a newborn, it brimmed with composure.
I liked it. A summon of mine needed that kind of ambition.
“Yeah. Show me what you’ve really got.”
Kiiing!
It let out a spirited cry in response. Its tail movement reached its peak.
And the moment the fog fully enveloped the surrounding two meters.
Kiiing!
It executed a cute somersault in midair.
Thud!
A hefty thud echoed. The fog around us melted away like snow in sunlight.
And right before my eyes.
“...Wow.”
Another giant pudding slime had come into being.
[Features]
.
.
.
[3. Transformation arts become possible starting with two or more tails. However, they are often immature. Perfection is usually achieved with five or more.]
Transformation arts—an ability that manifests from the two-tailed fox stage onward.
But perfect only from five tails onward?
The Kitsune I’d summoned had nearly flawlessly recreated a pudding slime with just two tails?
“No... it’s just a bit small.”
Kiiing!
The Kitsune cried out in agreement with me. A claim that this was its maximum size for now.
“Okay. Can you undo the transformation?”
Kiiing!
This time, it did a backflip. A flawless back handspring. Seeing a massive slime pull that off was strangely fascinating once more.
The Kitsune reverted to its original form in an instant.
Its eyes remained pure innocence itself. No trace of fatigue from the transformation.
That made me all the more certain.
[Features]
[1. The more tails, the higher the beast’s caliber. The number of tails it will grow is determined by the amount of mana it possessed at birth.]
You.
You’re fated to have nine tails, aren’t you?
Kiiing!
There was a reason the summoning had been so difficult.
**
“Wow... it’s totally smashed? And it was reinforced glass, too.”
Ha Young voiced her astonishment. She’d come to the factory to fix the broken window.
“Look at that size. I was seriously shocked, you know?”
“Yeah. You somehow took it down. But this cute little thing caught that monster?”
Ha Young lifted her gaze. Toward Molrang perched on my head, and Seolbaek huddled atop it.
‘Seolbaek’ was the name I’d given the Kitsune.
I’d agonized earlier between ‘Seolbaek’ and ‘Yuki’...
‘Seolbaek just feels more endearing.’
Snow white, literally. Snow White in English.
What could suit it better?
“You said it ate the liver?”
“Yeah. Devoured it like it was delicious.”
“That’s weird. Never heard of Kitsune eating livers.”
Ha Young cocked her head. A perfectly reasonable question. No handbook mentioned Kitsune devouring livers.
“Our Seolbaek here is destined to become a gumiho.”
“Pfft. Wouldn’t that be nice.”
Ha Young let out a light chuckle.
Not mockery—just viewing it as a cute kid’s slightly fanciful dream.
A totally understandable reaction.
She had no idea I’d summoned a dragon or some twisted thing from the underworld.
The slimes, the mini golems, the kendats—she figured I’d tamed them.
Kitsune would be no different.
So it’d be stranger if she bought that a wild-found Kitsune would evolve into a gumiho.
“But I didn’t expect an incident like this so soon. Honestly, first time I’ve seen a magical beast hybrid.”
“Same here. I woke up totally startled...”
“Our Saebyeok hasn’t brought bad luck again, has she?”
Ha Young flashed a sly grin.
Damn. Knew she’d go there.
Still, I had to endure.
She was fixing the window for free, after all.
Compared to what I’d have paid otherwise...
‘Can’t beat a deal like this.’
Go ahead and tease.
My will, forged in the rice-mooching days, wouldn’t buckle from this much.
Of course, Ha Young was a kind soul. Which was why her teasing ended after just one jab.
Clink.
She pulled something from her bag’s inner pocket. A rectangular glass pane, roughly 15cm by 15cm.
Too small for a window, though? The yard-spanning large one was at least three meters across.
“Ah... Never seen one like this. That’s how it works?”
Ha Young seemed to read the question in my eyes and began demonstrating.
Whumm.
Mana welled up from her right hand. The same glow I’d seen when she processed mana stones.
Clink.
Her left hand produced another glass pane. She pressed them together and fused the seam, just like welding.
“Wow...”
The two panes merged seamlessly. As if they’d always been one.
Wait, glass could be welded?
“It’s kinda like welding, but the feel’s a bit different. Not melting them together—bonding with mana.”
“Aha...”
“These panes were made for exactly that purpose to begin with.”
“Huh? Not regular glass?”
Swipe.
Ha Young handed me a sheet of paper.
[Special Glass Pane for Processing]
[Glass pane crafted from a Glass Mimic’s body. Twice as durable as reinforced glass.]
“Eek... Isn’t this crazy expensive...?”
“About 100,000 won apiece? Something like that.”
“......”
Way too pricey.
A shame to use on a window. How many bowls of mala tang per pane?
But free? Kinda pricking my conscience.
“Don’t sweat the cost. These are leftovers from way back. Engravers use them to practice mana engraving. Mana stones require way more finesse than glass.”
“Still...”
“Besides, I’ve made a killing thanks to you... Even bought a car.”
Ha Young cracked a joke.
Well, if she put it that way, no helping it. As an ex-boss, how could I refuse my subordinate’s kindness?
Take it now, and repay her handsomely later.
Whumm.
Ha Young began the work. Best not to bother her when she was focused.
I quietly stepped away. Somehow ending up with the packaging paper she’d given me.
The glass performance was impressive... Who even makes this stuff?
[Made by: Hwaryeon]
Figures. Hwaryeon’s got their fingers in everything. Peel back any layer, and there they are.
“Sis...! Mind if I toss this?”
“Go for it. It’s trash anyway.”
With permission, no reason to hesitate.
Rip, rip.
I shredded the paper to bits. No particular emotion. Just clearing out some trash in hand.
I’d always been the type never swayed by feelings.
“Anyway... what to do about this guy?”
Next up was the grotesque wild boar corpse. I’d thinly spread mana over it for now to slow decomposition.
But it was summer—peak summer. The AC kept things cool here, but...
[Today, Gyeonggi Province hit a high of 42°C. Citizens, please refrain from outdoor activities as much as possible.]
One slip, and flies would swarm like crazy.
Just dump it in the mountains?
Mountains everywhere—one boar wouldn’t matter—but it wasn’t that simple.
It was a magical beast corpse, after all.
Those required thorough disposal. No telling what might happen if animals ingested the mana within.
I could pay a processing team to handle it...
‘But then this place gets exposed.’
No desire to tip off some new folks about the location.
Slim chance they’d uncover I’m the Molrangtori creator, but no need to court trouble.
Kiiing!
As I mulled it over, Seolbaek piped up with a suggestion.
Kiiing!
“......Good call? Molrang, handle it, please.”
Molraang......
Molrang seemed reluctant but soon opened wide and gulped.
The corpse vanished into its body.
“Then, shall we head out to prepare?”
Kiiing!