-Benda!
Yerina declared powerfully.
A clean, simple, yet beautiful slash came flying in.
Then suddenly, the video cut off.
At the same time, the Blood Oath that was connected to me was also detected as destroyed.
“······Connection. Cut off, lost.”
“That’s just absurd raw power······.”
She found the core of the formation, slashed it, and neutralized it.
The formation, whose core was destroyed, collapsed and could no longer function.
Therefore, it is generally standard to hide the core to prevent it from being revealed.
However, since my opponent was Yerina, who could hardly feel demonic energy, I thought she would never see the core, so I didn’t bother hiding it.
I never imagined that she would discover and destroy the core.
‘Is that the full power of Beast Mode?’
Until now, all I had seen was Yerina in Beast Mode, engulfed by anger, scattering mana and raw power everywhere.
But it seems that if she focuses on one goal, she can achieve a level of sight that is normally unattainable.
Of course, as a backlash, she wouldn’t be able to use her eyes for a while, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s an incredibly powerful ability.
‘If she masters the Shattering Heart Technique, it means that she will get even stronger, right?’
The Shattering Heart Technique transmitted to Yerina through Alicia.
If she trains it and comprehends it, Beast Mode won’t vanish; instead, it will become even easier to control.
In other words, it means that Yerina will get stronger from here······.
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.
I couldn’t help but think that perhaps I shouldn’t have transmitted it.
‘It was something that had to be done someday.’
Still, I have no regrets.
For Alicia’s safe return and to suppress Yerina’s frenzy, there was no other way.
Although things got tangled in between and I was misunderstood as being exploited by some evil curse caster······.
Alicia will clear that up.
If she doesn’t, she might end up trapped in the Ice Cave.
From now on, I need to trust Alicia and leave it to her.
“I won’t be able to meet with Alicia for a while.”
“······That’s, good.”
Since I finally regained my sister’s trust, I wouldn’t want to break it again.
I can probably consider this the end of my bond with Alicia.
I mean, would it be that I go to Clockwork City later and find Alicia curled up crying because she got chased out again?
No way.
“Let’s take care of the nearby Black Star Dungeon and go back. It’s way too stuffy here.”
“······Okay. I’m hungry.”
“Blood laundry?”
“······Yeah.”
I had stayed in the Northern Region for quite a while.
If I stayed any longer, I feel like I would get caught in Yerina’s radar, so I should hurry down.
I sheathed the sword on my nape and hugged Mi Jeong, then headed down the mountain.
“It’s about time to change the sword.”
As I wandered around the market, the well-honed swords on display caught my eye.
I can’t honestly say my sword is excellent, but it’s definitely a sturdy sword.
However, since I have used it so roughly, the blade has worn down enough to show.
It’s been about time to sharpen the sword.
Then why don’t I just buy one? Why am I even contemplating this?
It’s because of the various sword techniques I’ve mastered.
This sword I have isn’t a two-handed or one-handed sword; it’s an ambiguous-sized peculiar sword.
I had it custom-made, allowing me to handle Dakia-style, Merida-style, and Frost-style swordsmanship without trouble.
So to embody those three sword arts into one sword, I have to custom-make it.
But, that takes way too long.
Given I have to frequently move between regions, staying in one place for too long would be a massive loss.
That said, if I just buy any sword, I would have to carry three swords for each sword technique.
That would be incredibly cumbersome.
“I’m in a bit of a headache.”
None of the choices appeal to me.
Still, this old sword is holding up well for now, so maybe I should push it a bit longer.
I stroked the sword disguised as an umbrella and headed for the market.
*
clang, clang!
The wide workshop echoed with noise.
Unfaltering hands skilled at handling tools.
Eyes filled with certainty.
Tei, the girl with bronze skin who moved her hands without hesitation, pulled up her goggles.
“Whew! I finished!”
SSSSSH!
The Mana Stone attached to the tongs was plunged into a cool tank.
The heated surface cooled, and the color and light of the stone emerged from the water’s surface.
Tei watched it proudly for a moment, then lifted the stone again, carefully wiped it dry, and wrapped it in a high-grade cloth, placing it in a wooden box.
With this, she had already emptied ten wooden boxes piled up in one corner of the workshop.
While other top artisans would spend a year or two producing just one high-grade Mana stone,
Tei was processing extraordinary quality Mana stones at an unbelievable rate, unmatched by anyone in the world.
‘Now that I think about it, isn’t my life similar to when I handled low-grade Mana stones?’
Getting up in the morning, grinding Mana stones all day, getting tired and sleeping, then waking up to process again······.
It was like living as if she were a machine.
Recently, this routine had continued.
Of course, it wasn’t boring.
After all, one mistake could cost millions of gold, so every moment had to be thrilling.
But aside from that,
Tei felt like she was in a slump lately.
When she first started handling high-grade Mana stones, her skills improved rapidly day by day.
Especially after processing the Black Mana stone brought by Yoo Jin, there were even rumors that her abilities had evolved to the next level.
But skill growth seemed to have stalled ever since.
Even though she received new Mana stones daily and processed them, the difficulty seemed to remain the same, providing no opportunity for skill improvement.
I need a Black Mana stone…
I have to process a Black Mana stone.
That urge grew stronger day by day.
So uncontrollable.
-Tei! Request for an interview. In the VIP waiting room······
“Is it the investor?!”
-Yes, that’s correct.
“Yay! Please tell them to wait a moment!”
With a triumphant cheer, Tei threw all the tools in her hands away.
The investor had arrived!
Hearing that made her fatigue disappear, and she felt light as a feather.
Tei was about to leap into the elevator when she hesitated.
“Oh no. Am I too dirty?”
She hurriedly returned, wiped the soot off her face, and fixed her wild hair.
Of course, simply fixing hair that hadn’t been washed for over a week wouldn’t change anything, so she would need a proper washing.
“Should I spruce up a bit?”
After washing her hair and body, she noticed her work clothes were still dirty.
It wouldn’t be polite to go like this.
Considering her options, there were literally only pajamas and work clothes in the workshop where she only slept.
Ultimately, Tei sulked and had no choice but to change into a new work outfit.
As she kept looking in the mirror, her untrimmed nails bothered her, messy brows annoyed her, and her uneven bangs were troubling, prompting her to quickly look away from the mirror.
There wasn’t enough time to do everything.
The investor had already been kept waiting far too long······.
“Ugh. My eyes feel like they’re dimming.”
Suddenly, her head got dizzy, and Tei’s body swayed.
This often happened after working for a long time.
Feigning indifference, she popped a fatigue relief pill into her mouth and hopped into the elevator.
“Hehe! I’m excited!”
Excited? Will I get to see the Black Mana stone?
“Yeah! Maybe!”
So excited.
As the elevator descended, the operating sounds echoed.
Tei could hardly keep her feet still, bouncing around with anticipation.
Finally, with a ding, the elevator stopped.
The moment the door opened, she couldn’t hold back her exclamation and rushed out.
“Investor! Hah!”
“······Where are you going, dressed so dirty.”
“I’m not dirty! I cleaned up and changed into new clothes! So step aside! Ugh! You little one, all brawn no brains!”
“······Uh. Sniff sniff. It is true.”
But the one waiting at the door was the Blood Ghoul girl, Mi Jeong,
And after a long struggle, Tei managed to escape from her clutches.
Heaving from the unexpected exertion, Tei’s gaze fell upon the sofa.
And the moment she spotted Yoo Jin, she couldn’t contain her laughter and dashed over.
“Investor! I missed you!”
“······You’re like a dog.”
“What?!”
If Tei were a canine beast-folk, she would be wagging her tail frantically by now.
Mi Jeong watched Tei happily nestle against Yoo Jin with a smile.
“You’ve grown a lot.”
“Really? Me?”
“Yeah. Back then, when you hugged, it felt like you had the same build as Mi Jeong, and it was light, but now when I hug you, it’s like thud and I’m short of breath. It’s a whole different level.”
“Hehehe!”
Tei couldn’t help but laugh at Yoo Jin’s honest appraisal.
For a Dwarf whose growth had been stagnant, growing meant only one thing.
It was a sign that her skills and achievements had greatly improved.
Thus, for a Dwarf, saying she had grown up was as good as praising her skills had increased.
The one who pulled me from hell and made me a top artisan.
The one who recognized me early and believed in me.
Nothing could be as precious as the praise from such a person.
“Now that you’ve grown, how about keeping a bit of distance?”
“Why? What for?”
“Umm. It’s embarrassing?”
“Embarrassing? Why? There’s no one here to see us, right?”
“······I’m. Not a person. A remark?”
“Not really, though. You small blood ghoul.”
“······I’m mad.”
“What are you going to do if you’re mad? This is my building, you know? Do you wish to be thrown out?”
“Hey, hey. Stop fighting already.”
Yoo Jin felt a headache while looking down at Tei, who was hugging him tightly, completely ignoring him.
In the past, a little skinship like this would not bother him at all.
After all, the age difference looked as if he was simply an uncle with a young niece.
But seeing her behave the same way after her rapid growth had become quite a conundrum.
If she had fully matured into an adult form, it might have been different. But that wasn’t the case either.
In many ways, it was awkward and ambiguous; showing such a sight outside would likely result in handcuffs immediately.
“Don’t worry. I have sense enough to be extra careful outside.”
“Uh, right. Thanks. And here, this is the Mana stone I brought today.”
“Where? Let me see!”
As soon as Yoo Jin pulled out the pouch, the arm that had been wrapped around his waist finally loosened.
Gone was the innocent little Dwarf girl who loved to be pampered.
What remained next to Yoo Jin was a serious, passionate artisan.
The box was filled with colorful gemstones.
Filled with joy to examine each one, her joy lasted only moments.
Gradually, a hint of anxiety began to creep onto Tei’s face.
“Are all these high-grade Mana stones?”
“Yep. If they weren’t high-grade, I wouldn’t have brought them to you.”
“What about Black Mana stones? Are there any Black Mana stones?”
“No. There aren’t.”
“Why not? Why? Why haven’t you brought any Black Mana stones lately? Are you giving them to another artisan? Do you not trust me after I failed twice? …?”
“Tei.”
Tei’s pupils shook.
Her hands trembled, and her breathing became ragged.
Words barely formed coherently anymore.
It was as though she was possessed by something.
‘I need a Black Mana stone! I need a Black Mana stone! I need a Black Mana stone!!!’
At this moment, she had no time to think of anything else.
She had to get her hands on a Black Mana stone.
That was the only thought in her mind.
The voices in her head cried out to her to do whatever it takes to get the Black Mana stone, to extract a massive amount of mana from it, and to refine her superior body with it.
“Please bring me a Black Mana stone! To increase my skills······ no, no! I don’t care about that anymore! Just give me the Black Mana stone! If I can just hold it once, hurry up! Quickly!!!”
“You······.”
Tei’s words grew faster.
Yoo Jin was only briefly taken aback.
His expression turned serious as he observed the blood in Tei’s eyes, her trembling body, and her unusual way of speaking.
“Who are you?”
“What?”
This is not Tei.
Yoo Jin concluded this.
