63
Chapter 63
We evenly divided the stored Mana Stones and consumed them.
[Luck Snatching Dragon Teddy Bear lv.29]
┗Pw.87 (+14)
┗Rnk.Superior
[Devoted Rabbit Doll lv.29]
┗Pw.87
┗Rnk.Superior
[Puppeteer Doll lv.23]
┗Pw.69
┗Rnk.Superior
[Servant Vampire lv.29]
┗Pw.87
┗Rnk.Superior
[Flame Bear lv.29]
┗Pw.87
┗Rnk.Superior
The Puppeteer Doll's level increased significantly.
However, despite consuming a considerable amount of Mana Stones, the rest of us, myself included, only leveled up slightly.
It was to be expected.
The higher the level, the harder it is to level up, after all.
Still, it's a bit of a shame.
I thought we would be able to pass level 30.
Level 30 turned out to be a surprisingly difficult milestone to reach.
For the record, we didn't eat all the Mana Stones.
There are still quite a few Mana Stones stored in the warehouse.
I planned to consume those slowly later.
Tosuni mentioned that consuming too many different types of Mana Stones at once could put a strain on the body.
She said that the existing Mana Stones in our bodies might fail to properly absorb the new ones, which could even lead to side effects.
Of course, consuming a Mana Stone of a higher grade than one's own level isn't an issue.
Regardless of the Mana Stone's quality, simply eating many different types all at once is the problem.
The reason for this is simple.
If various Mana Stones enter the body simultaneously, our physical forms can sometimes become confused about what our original Mana Stone is.
...Or so Tosuni explained in an easy-to-understand manner.
Ailee provided the Interpretation.
"Our baby Tosuni really knows a lot. Mother Tosuni must have educated you really well."
"Tosun-tosun, you're amazing!"
"Ehehe!"
As Ailee and the Fox praised her in admiration, Tosuni made a triumphant expression.
Shortly after, Tosuni gifted a Carrot to both Ailee and the Fox.
It seemed to be a reward for their praise.
"Hehe, this is delicious!"
Munch, munch. Chomp, chomp.
The Fox chewed up the Carrot voraciously.
It seemed she had gotten hungry watching us consume our Mana Stones.
But how does she level up, anyway?
The Natural Mana Stone she has is made up entirely of Consumption Mana, after all.
If she doesn't eat meat and doesn't eat the Mana Stones from monsters, isn't it impossible for her to level up?
It was a mystery.
Is she part of a unique species that can level up through killing, like a Human?
No, maybe there is a separate Natural Mana Stone out there that contains Reinforcement.
Well, spending time together means I'll naturally find out eventually.
***
Early the next morning.
Our mining team finished getting ready to leave.
The members were me, Tosuni, and the Fox.
Our destination was the place where Natural Mana Stones grew naturally.
"Kuo, kuoo. Kuooo."
"The Flame Bear is telling us to have a safe trip."
"...! ...! ......!"
Jjokkomi, Ailee, and the Puppeteer Doll.
The three of them came out to see off our mining team in front of the portal.
"Babies, if you run into any monsters, try your best not to fight and just run away. Your goal is mining natural mana stones, not hunting, after all."
Nod, nod.
That was my plan anyway.
It's best to move while avoiding monsters as much as possible.
Engaging in pointless battles will only delay us.
Looking at us with eyes full of worry, Ailee crouched down and took turns petting the heads of the mining team members, myself included.
"And you, baby Fox."
"Why did you call for me!"
"You really remember the way to go, right?"
"Don't worry! I remember it perfectly! I know hundreds... no, thousands of routes to get there, so we will never get lost!"
That was an obvious bluff.
How could she know thousands of routes to our destination?
Who does she think she is, a Super Guide Fox?
"Right, that's a relief then. In that case, please guide us through the safest route possible so that the Bear Baby and baby Tosuni aren't put in danger. I'm trusting you, baby Fox."
"Hehe! Just trust me completely!"
Still, I don't think I need to worry about getting lost.
Because the Fox looks so incredibly confident.
Knowing thousands of routes might be a lie, but she surely knows at least three or four.
"Then we'll be off! Keep waiting for us!"
"Woooong!"
Waving our hands at the people seeing us off,
our mining team leisurely made our way toward the portal.
Right next to the portal stood the gatekeeper Old Man Doll with his hands behind his back.
Hey, didn't I tell you to take your hands out from behind your back?
When I glared at him fiercely, the Old Man Doll unclasped his hands and bowed politely at the waist.
Yeah, that's more like it.
You better keep guarding the dungeon properly like that, you hear?
Tap, tap. After patting the Old Man Doll's leg a couple of times, we exited the dungeon.
***
Star Fox.
Luck Snatching Dragon Teddy Bear.
Devoted Rabbit Doll.
The three adorable monsters who had emerged from the dungeon held hands and began to move.
La la la.
Tosuni walking with a bright smile while holding the Teddy Bear's left hand.
Hehehe.
The Fox walking with a swishing tail while holding the Teddy Bear's right hand.
Unlike those two, who were excited as if on a picnic,
the Teddy Bear walking right in the middle wore a strict, stern, and serious expression.
There's no telling when or where a monster might appear.
One must always be prepared for an ambush.
That was the mindset keeping me vigilant as we walked.
It was a natural attitude to have.
We weren't just going out to play right now, after all.
Setting off into an unknown area to gather resources required at least this much tension.
"Woong, woooong~"
She wasn't showing it on the outside,
but in truth, Tosuni was also maintaining a certain level of tension.
Acting relaxed with a bright smile was merely an action taken to reassure the Teddy Bear. She figured that showing even the slightest hint of fear or nervousness would only make the Teddy Bear anxious too.
"Hehe! The weather is so nice!"
The Fox simply didn't have any thoughts at all.
She was exactly as she appeared on the surface.
She was just feeling good because the weather was clear.
***
While the Teddy Bear mining team was on the move.
"Ah! A fork in the road!"
The Fox stopped dead in her tracks.
Two diverging paths stretched out in front of the mining team.
"Gom-jjang! To-jjang!"
The Fox turned her head and called out to the Teddy Bear and Tosuni.
Hearing these titles for the first time, Tosuni tilted her head in confusion.
"Woong, woooong?"
"Ah. Gom-jjang and To-jjang are nicknames I just gave you! Friends usually call each other by nicknames like this...!"
The Fox swallowed hard.
Did I try to close the distance too quickly?
Are we not at that stage in our relationship yet?
They don't hate that I gave them nicknames, do they?
The Fox rolled her eyes, observing Tosuni and the Teddy Bear's reactions.
"Woong. Woooong."
Tosuni didn't take issue with the new nickname.
The Teddy Bear also didn't seem to care much.
Seeing their reactions, the Fox's tail wagged furiously.
The Fox smiled widely and asked the Teddy Bear and Tosuni.
"Hehe. Gom-jjang! To-jjang! Which of the two paths ahead do you want to take? Choose the one you want!"
"Woong?"
"Ah! It doesn't matter which way you go here! Both paths lead to where the Mana Stones are!"
"Woooong."
Tosuni shifted her gaze to look at the Teddy Bear.
She was leaving the choice to the Teddy Bear.
The Teddy Bear looked back and forth between the left and right paths, thought carefully, and then pointed to the right path.
The reason for choosing the right path was simple.
He just went with his gut feeling.
He couldn't quite explain it, but the right direction felt better.
On the other hand, the left direction felt somewhat ominous for an unknown reason.
"Gom-jjang's choice is the right! Got it, we're going right! Follow me!"
*
Just a moment ago.
The fork in the road where the Teddy Bear mining team had briefly stopped.
Deep down the left path, a gruesome scene was unfolding.
"Kieeeek!!!"
"Guoooh!"
"Kaaak, kaaaaak!"
Red blood stained the earth.
Torn pieces of flesh were scattered messily all over.
Dozens of monsters were baring their fangs at each other, engaged in a brutal battle for survival.
If.
If the Teddy Bear had chosen the left path, they would have been swept up in this horrifying battlefield.
Choosing the right path was also a huge stroke of Luck.
*
The Teddy Bear mining team that chose the right path.
The three of them continued to move forward without any issues.
While doing so.
The Fox came to a sudden halt once again.
"Ah."
The Fox pointed in one direction.
It was a place where bushes had grown thickly.
"Gom-jjang! To-jjang! It's a shortcut if we go that way! It's a little dangerous, but we can get there super fast!"
The Teddy Bear stared intently at the bushes.
Then, he shook his head from side to side.
"Eh? You don't really like that path? Then I guess it can't be helped...."
The Teddy Bear did not choose the shortcut.
It wasn't that he sensed any particularly strange aura from the bushes.
He didn't particularly feel any ominous premonition either.
He just cleanly gave up on that path simply because the Fox said it was a little dangerous.
There was no reason to take unnecessary risks just to move quickly.
We weren't in a rush to mine, after all.
And so, the Teddy Bear mining team began to move along their original path once again.
*
The path that the Teddy Bear mining team did not choose.
If one pushed through the bushes there, a village belonging to a certain species could be found.
A giant figure reaching four meters in height.
A gaunt, grayish body with bones showing through the skin.
A bipedal monster with a skull-like head sprouting giant deer antlers, abnormally long limbs, and sharp, beast-like claws.
[Wendigo lv.40]
┗Pw.240
┗Rnk.Elite
[Wendigo lv.30]
┗Pw.180
┗Rnk.Elite
[Wendigo lv.35]
┗Pw.210
┗Rnk.Elite
Species name, Wendigo.
A festival was currently in full swing in their village.
A few Wendigos who had gone hunting this morning had captured a huge amount of prey.
The identity of the prey was none other than the Human species.
They were fifteen Monster Slayers who had dared to explore all the way to this rugged mountain range.
In the center of the village.
Fourteen Humans were already lined up here, impaled on skewers.
The last remaining one, shivering all over with a terrified expression, begged the Wendigos for his life.
"P-Please..."
Stab-!
The Human's plea scattered into the air and disappeared.
As the sharp skewer pierced his head, the fifteenth Human skewer was completed.
Sway, sway.
The Wendigos danced with bizarre movements, circling the skewers, and then rushed at the impaled Humans, ravenously tearing off and eating their flesh.
Pause.
The eating Wendigos stopped their Actions in unison.
They made surprised expressions, as if they couldn't believe it.
The taste of human flesh, which they were eating for the first time.
It was truly a fantastic taste.
Letting out continuous exclamations of admiration, the Wendigos danced again, swaying back and forth.
They made a vow as they tore into the human flesh.
To hunt down a lot more of this delicious species from now on.
Sway, sway.
Munch, munch.
Squish, squelch.
It was the most joyful and lively festival since the village was founded.
*
Beneath a giant tree with green leaves.
We huddled together and decided to take some time to replenish our Mana.
I planned to periodically fully recharge our Mana, since you never know when or what might happen.
"Hehe! It's snack time!"
"Woong!"
The Fox licked the white Mana Stone she had brought along and chewed on the Carrot she received from Tosuni.
Tosuni ate her Carrot too, and also slurped blood from the Blood Pouch she had brought.
With my back leaning against the tree as well.
Enjoying the refreshing breeze, I stared blankly up at the sky, taking out a Blood Pouch and leisurely sucking blood as I enjoyed a relaxing tea time.
Mmm.
Nice, very nice.
The weather is nice, and the blood tastes sweet, so it's great.
...But this is a little strange.
Was this world always such a peaceful place?