When you think of pets, the first thing that pops to mind is a puppy.
Sometimes you bump into one on the street or see it on screen and think, “Aww, how cute!”
That tail wagging like crazy, the adorable tongue sticking out, and that fluffy fur just begging to be petted.
I’ve considered raising one before.
I mean, they’re cute and wonderfully affectionate creatures, regardless of their owner’s personality. It’s like I was hoping for some puppy love, too.
But I never did raise one.
I lacked the confidence to take on that responsibility.
When my living situation improved a bit, I was tempted, but doubts crept in: “Could I really commit to this pup until the end?”
I was also scared of the thought of separation.
What if I passed away first or the pet did?
I imagined the sad scenario of my pet leaving first, and I’d be left all alone.
That thought made me too scared to even consider getting a pet.
– Woof woof!
– Grumble grumble…
– Hee hee hee…
[……]
My wish to have a pet oddly manifested in a different form.
The once brightly colored forest was now bursting with colors. They were the spirit beings that rose up in order.
The mid-level spirits are in the phase of blooming their unique qualities. As expected, their forms varied significantly.
…But for some reason, my spirits had an unusually high puppy ratio.
While the colors were limited to five, their shapes were all slightly different.
There were the common dog breeds I recognized, and then there were those that looked like dog-like creatures.
– Woof!
Even the lightning spirit that had just leveled up was the same.
I picked up the puppy with a strange expression.
Tap tap tap! The tail attached to its rear spun like lightning. The sparks flying with the tail were somewhat intimidating, but thankfully, I wasn’t harmed.
I inspected its form. The ears were wide, and the legs were short and stubby.
It looked a lot like a Welsh Corgi.
“Oh my gosh, an electric Welsh Corgi…”
– Hee hee…!
[Hey… that tickles]
The spirit, panting and licking its tongue, suddenly licked my cheek. It wasn’t awkward. I had already raised several spirits to mid-level, so I was quite used to such affectionate assaults.
Even the little ones sitting quietly on the ground right now had initially come up to me, rubbing against me and giving me affectionate licks.
To be honest, it didn’t feel bad at all.
– Hee hee hee…
At the same time, it stirred a complex feeling within me.
The reason I learned spirit magic was that in the great war, spirit magic would become a significant force, which is why I studied it.
Having many spirits can be a great strength when entering dungeons or fighting in spirit-infested lands.
Also, considering the high probability of monstrous creatures pouring out of the inner world, spirit magic would certainly become a great help during that time.
In other words, the reason I contracted spirits was ultimately to make use of them in battle.
…To use a spirit that hopes for love and wants to receive love for combat.
Realizing this late made my heart tighten.
“Phew…”
I pushed those complicated thoughts aside for now. I could think about this later.
– Grumble…
I rubbed the spirit in my hand against my cheek and set it down on the ground. Looking a bit awkward, it scampered off to a short distance and plopped down on its belly.
There were nearly 200 spirits that had taken residence around me.
At first, it took about five minutes for each to level up, but eventually, it sped up considerably to just over a minute.
[This seems like it will take longer than a day, doesn’t it?]
Even considering that, it felt like it would take longer than a day.
Professor Riana, looking a bit flustered, brushed her hair behind her ear.
“Yeah. I forgot to factor in the time taken for spiritual sharing…”
[Ah, I see… … …?]
Nodding at that, I suddenly noticed her opposite arm moving repeatedly.
A puppy… no, a wind spirit was receiving head scratches from Professor Riana.
‘……’
I subtly shifted my gaze. Next to me was Elia, gently petting a spirit scattered around her.
“Oh… it feels a bit clearer now that they’ve leveled up.”
“That’s because their existence has become more established. It should be a genuine feeling.”
“Will their forms change when they reach higher levels, too?”
“Yes, many do change when they reach higher levels.”
While I was focusing for a moment, they were happily chatting away.
During the conversation, maybe due to boredom? They seemed to soothe themselves by petting the spirits nearby.
I understood that feeling. I often grabbed whatever was around to fiddle with when I was bored.
– Pwooo…
“…Ha-yul?”
“Lee Ha-yul?”
I understood, but honestly, it was unavoidable to feel out of the loop.
As the wind whooshed into my cheek, the two people’s gazes who had been immersed in conversation immediately turned to me.
Surprised looks crossed their faces as they noticed my puffy cheeks.
[Jealousy]
[Jealousy]
[Jealousy]
The confession necklace kept clicking.
Though I felt a bit embarrassed by the emotions melting away, a stronger childish desire for them to realize my out-of-the-loop status surged within me.
“This… brace yourself. Come here.”
Just as I was startled by my inflated cheeks, Professor Riana quickly scooped me up and sat me on her thigh, rubbing my back.
“I’m sorry for losing focus! I thought you were concentrating, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Elia also shifted her attention towards me, lightly patting my shoulder with a smile.
The warmth and soft sensations grew closer. The hands gently stroking my back and head, combined with their attention, made my earlier feelings of out-of-the-loop just dissolve away.
[Hem hem]
…Only later did a sense of shame wash over me. It dawned on me how childish my previous actions were.
Yet, I didn’t want to escape from this blissful state. I subtly let out my cheek’s air and shifted the topic.
[…I’m a bit drained. I didn’t expect to use so much power.]
“Oh, that’s unavoidable. The mana required for leveling up is proportional to the contractor’s mana.”
[Ahh…]
“I had a rough time back then, too. My mana pool is quite large, and since spirit magic isn’t very resource-intensive, I’ve rarely felt mana depletion.”
Professor Riana shrugged her shoulders as she stroked my belly.
“Just to confirm, you’re not feeling headaches or nausea, right? If you feel exhausted, you need to tell me immediately.”
[No, I really am okay. I even brought some elixirs just in case.]
“Elixir?”
Professor Riana blinked at that. I subtly revealed the box I had set aside in my arms.
[It’s an elixir I got by chance. I heard it consumes a lot of mana, so I prepared it.]
“Elixir… just a moment.”
Professor Riana tilted her head and examined the box.
“Oh my, this was made in Taesan? And the ingredients are…”
As she checked the source and ingredients engraved on the box, Professor Riana abruptly paused. Her green eyes widened in surprise.
“Fairy Tree?”
[Yes, specifically the roots are the main ingredient.]
The elixir was made from the roots of the Fairy Tree. I had personally verified that it was indeed a genuine product made by the Taesan family.
“Fairy Tree… is it safe for you to consume?”
After a moment of hesitation, Professor Riana cautiously brought it up. It seemed to be a concern regarding my race. I nodded, reassuring her that I had no worries.
[Yes, it should be fine.]
[In fact, it might be even better for my body.]
Seeing concern lingering on her face, she eventually nodded after my repeated reassurances.
“Well, if the tree bears fruit, the fairies would be the first to consume it…”
Thank goodness, I convinced her.
The fact that this elixir was processed for safety also helped my case.
Surely, an elixir would not explode my body just for consuming it.
…Of course, I had vomited blood and collapsed once, but that time was different from now.
I had no awareness of being a fairy back then, and now my body and awareness have changed.
Even if something similar were to happen again, I could prevent it; besides, Professor Riana was right beside me, so I’d be fine.
‘Fairy Tree…’
The kind of tree born for fairies to live and rest in.
Was it the influence of my race that caused me to collapse and vomit blood after consuming an elixir made from the roots of such a tree in the past?
I never suspected that at the time.
So, I planned to try it again today and confirm.
It just so happened that my mana was nearly depleted. This was the perfect situation for a mana-replenishing snack.
– Crack
As I opened the lid of the box, refreshing mana blossomed in the middle of the forest.
The spirits that had been lazily lounging around perked up. All eyes were on the sparkling blue elixir inside the box.
‘Hmm…’
I nodded, sensing the invigorating mana that tickled my awareness.
It looked similar in appearance and feel to the elixir I received from Hong Yeon-hwa before. Although the manufacturing date was different, it seemed to be a similar elixir.
[So, should I take it now?]
With Professor Riana holding me in her lap, along with Elia watching me closely.
Nodding in their gaze, I placed the elixir into my mouth.
It felt familiar.
The elixir melted stickily on my tongue, flowing down my throat.
In an instant, my consciousness faded.
*
The forest, where sunlight poured through the leaves, was eerily quiet.
– Khoo…
Amidst that quietness came a delicate sound of breathing.
“He’s asleep.”
“He’s certainly asleep.”
It was Lee Ha-yul’s breath.
Professor Riana looked down at the now soundly sleeping Ha-yul in her arms with a strange expression.
The lazily relaxed facial muscles, the cheeks pressed against her, the arms tightly wrapped around her waist, and his soft, comforting breaths…
He was fast asleep, deep enough that one could easily assume he had been kidnapped.
Fortunately, the surrounding spirits that had been lingering around had been dismissed earlier, so there was not much noise to disturb Lee Ha-yul’s sleep.
– Hmm…
[That tickles]
With a puzzled look, Riana gently pressed her cheek against him. Flapping her wings softly, Lee Ha-yul buried his face deeper into her embrace, mumbling incoherently.
The sight of his puppy-like behavior and his constant insistence that he had nothing to do with puppies perfectly overlapped, making it even funnier.
‘What a greedy little guy.’
At the same time, the image of him pouting with his puffy cheeks for merely petting the spirits came to mind.
Here was a guy who had many women in the Mansion but whined about me petting his spirit, proving himself to be a true greedy one.
Of course, I didn’t mind Elia feeling that way.
“Hmm… is this where the spirit upgrades end?”
“I suppose so. Given that he fell into a deep sleep during the process of digesting the elixir, even if we wake him, he won’t be able to get up.”
It’s common for a body that has consumed an elixir to enter a sleep state.
Even after careful observation, I didn’t sense any problems, so it was likely such a case.
He’d probably have a solid sleep today and won’t wake up until tomorrow to replenish his mana.
– Crunch crunch
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
As both women indulged in those thoughts, a strange sound reached their ears.
Something breaking and tearing… It sounded rather ominous.
In an instant, both stiffened, locking eyes as they glanced at each other. Then, simultaneously, they turned their attention toward the source of the sound.
– Crunch crunch
It echoed again.
The source of the sound was none other than Lee Ha-yul, who was snuggly nestled in Riana’s arms.
The body of Ha-yul, who had been quietly resting against her, began to tremble, and his soft wings stiffened into rigid forms.
[Contraction]
[Heat]
[Flames]
[Pain]
– Click click
The confession necklace resonated within the icy silence, reflecting the user’s emotional state.
“……”
“……”
Both women’s faces turned pale as the realization dawned on them.
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