Gong Pildo, head to toe, drenched in sweat. Maybe it's from fear or exhaustion, maybe both.
However, one thing is he is certain, if he could go back in time, even once-
he would never provoke this monster, ever.
His legs had long given up supporting his weight. He is only upright because that white monster gripped his head against the wall.
"HEYYY! DO IT AGAINNNN~ C'MON."
Repeatedly asked to use his skill only to see it fail. He didn't even have the courage to lift a finger. Well, not like he could, he's out of mana anyway. Even if he had mana, the guy would simply destroy his skill before coming to life.
"HAAAA~ cheap unc. why won't your constellation buy a mana potion for you?"
[Constellation defense master shakes]
[Constellation defense master is visible angered and curses at the incarnation]
"Ah~ Ah~" Gong pildu groans as I tighten my grasp.
[Constellation Defense Master requests incarnation to stop what his doing]
I raise an eye brow, "the fuck you meddling in mortal's affairs for"
[Others constellation rails up, saying that its correct, to stop meddling with mortal affairs]
[Constellation Defense Master declares that this is his incarnation.]
"Oh!, then find a new one" my nails dig in his skull
creak*
[Constellation Defense Master begs you to wait]
"WHAT IS IT NOW?"
[Constellation Defense master got furious saying that your insolent, you got no respect for constellation]
"be quick you low grade fuck, he insulted my parents and I still left him breathing honoring you. Stop playing off my generosity toward you." My mana leaked out me, causing the light around me to become blurry similar to how the scene behind the fire gets wavy due to the heat.
[Constellation Defense master became quiet]
[Constellation Defense master apologizes for his mistake and commands him incarnation to apologize as well]
"I don't need half-assed apologizes"
[...]
[Constellation Defense master ask what he could do to quell you anger]
"What do you have do to offer?"
[Constellation Defense master offer 5000c as a peace offer]
"Puff* lol" I scoff at the offer
"My dear viewers, would you tell him"
[Constellation Insane one laughs at Constellation Defense master]
[Constellation prisoner of the smallest prison says might as well ask him to kill your incarnation]
[Demon king of lust and wrath suggest that he give a proper punishment]
"Tell me Defense Master, would you? let go of an enemy just for this meager amount?"
[...]
[Constellation defense master apologizes saying your right]
[Constellation Defense master offer 7000c and a contract]
I read over the contract
'basically I spare his life interchange of 7000c coin. He will not try to harm me in any form directly or indirectly.'
"How about you?"
[Constellation Defense master looks at you with confusion]
"what if you try to harm me and my loved ones?"
[Constellation Defense master lets out a heavy sigh]
[You received a new contract from Constellation defense master]
'this included that neither he nor his incarnation will try to harm me unless given reason'
"really?" I look at him, metaphorically, with the most deadpan expression.
he fires back that Gong pildu can't fire back if I attack him so such clause is need.
I just stare as I increase my grip.
[Constellation Defense master agree to your terms]
...
[Constellation rails up at the phenomenal development]
[Constell....]
[You reci-]
I don't bother checking the massages
"When you have regened you mana I will be back" I straddle over on his unconscious lackey who's face I flattened with a single punch. The crowd that once stood in front of the green zone had long since dispersed in fear.
"Laddies~ come on"
...
"WHat the Fuck was that?!" Lee Jihye looked at me with a dumbfounded expression. I respond with a toothy grin.
"How did you manage that?"
"ma-gic woooo~"I wiggle my fingers as I throw my hands in the air for dramatic effect.
"Oh c'mon tell me"
Lee jihye stomps her foot in frustration as I say everything but her answer. I had enough of teasing when her face turned red in frustration.
"Oke oke I will say"
her eyes started to glow in anticipation.
'hm?'
Shin Yoosung is quiet girl, but being so close together...its not hard to read her. Even she straightened her self a little, showing interest.
"Lets talk after we are reach our camp kay?"
relucted but Lee Jihye agreed
'I honest feel bad, her shoulders all slouched.'
...
"Well the idea is simple, his skill had organized mana in the floor. I just pushed mana down to break it"
Both of them nod. Lee Jihye immediately asks "But how?"
So I start explaining what I had done
Lee Jihye stared at me, face twisted in confusion.
"What?"
I exhale a lung full of air. "Fine lets try this again."
I explain it the order the events happened
First I try to explain that
How Gong Pildo had mana spread on the floor, making the red mana zones. Though I didn't quite get how he made the guns appear, but I could see the mana triggers with the guns. I simply broke it.
Next I explain when he tries to redeploy, he needs time. like a charge time for a spell. If you can disrupt it, it gets canceled. But its not as simple as just dumping mana, I began to explain how to spread it-.
I pause.
"Lee Jihye"
her eyes were blurry.
"ha?"
"I couldn't explain it to you huh?"
Seeing Kim Seojin's shoulders slouch, sad that he couldn't explain to her, "I-I think you did alright"
"Really?!"
Lee Jihye felt a heart skip a beat, seeing how excited Kim seojin got, thinking he explained good, but then his face immediately was going dark again
"b-but y-"
"I am just caught in the fact that you could to that, like not only push out mana but also apply it like that"
Kim Seojin, feeling bashful scratches the side of his neck, "it's not that special"
"No it really is" Shin Yoosung chimed in. Lee Jihye nods to that.
"Yeah, give your self credit. I can't even sense it let alone push out mana at will."
"Can't sense it at all?" Kim seojin asked surprised, "like, not even inside of yourself?"
Lee Jihye nods
"Do you have enough coins to maybe level up you magic power by one?"
"No"
"I ca-"
"No don't" Lee Jihye immediately rejects it. kim seojin was about to say something but Lee Jihye immediately continues, "If you do this now, it will become a crutch. I want to grow."
hearing her firm answer, kim seojin backs down. He respects her choice, 'no I am happy, in fact'
but he was still felt dejected, just then.
Lee Jihye saw how the boy went from dejected to excited again "I think I can help with mana sensing, can I try?"
She got a weird feeling in her guts but nods for him to go on.
"can you lift you shirt so I can put my hand on your core"
"..."
She stared at him with deadpanned face. Had the rat incident not happened, she might have even attacked him.
"E.x.p.l.a.i.n"
"Well, as the core is around the center of the body, you can spread mana around the body very effectively. it's hard to get to every where from any other place like hand or legs.
though, chest, injecting mana on the mana line running around the heart should work... just haven't tried it."
Lee Jihye's body is tense. "why... not over the cloth?"
"well, skin to skin contact helps as the mana doesn't dissipate to the clothes. As I want to help you sense he mana, in turn circulate it maybe. Skin to skin not only will help sense better but also manipulate it"
Lee Jihye noded. She looked at Kim seojin's eyes. There was no malice. Just excitement. At the thought of him touching her... she felt weird. She could tell he was being sincere, just skepticism bothered her.
'he wants to help idiot ... Stop being a pervert'
Yet she felt shy, she locks at shin yoosunng. how she was looking with no doubt.
She lets out an audible exhale
"Fine"
Slowly she lays down. "if you do anything weird, I will kill you"
"weird...like?" I look at her confused, "wait, you can't even harm..." seeing her for some reason making an angry face I stop.
"Okey I will start, please relax and don't reject."
Shooo~
As kim Seojin had his eyes closed, focused. He missed how Lee Jihye's face turned crimson.
"HICK!"
She shudders involuntarily as his hand puts pressure.
"RELAX! you will feel something weird. That's my mana."
he chest rise then feel as her breathing is unsteady. Though it was hard at first, slow her mind drifted from his hands to what was being pushed in. She felt it, it was circulating through her. She could not tell where mana was, as in if it was following any path as he had mentioned. But she could feel it there.
he was for some reason pulsing his mana. But immediately she got the answer, from with in her, she felt a response, a wave, opposite to his came forward.
As the response came, Kim seojin had immediately stopped applying mana, no he backed out. But Lee Jihye didn't catch his exit.
because she was drowning in the new sensation. the sensation of her own mana.
"Circulate it"
she was unsure, if it came from her mind or she was told to but she did it anyway
[Congratulations you learned mana circulation]
she stared at the boy in front of her, who was looking at her with concern.
"did-"
Tight embrace
"YEss! I feel it. I even got a skill for free!!!"
...
I look at Shin yoosung, she was standing beside us, occasionally kicking imaginary rocks.
"How about you?"
"I...can."
frown
"am...I forgetting something?"
thump!
I look at the bear that was trying to escape. It froze; it back … turned at us. Slowly it craned its head to look at me. Seeing me looking at it with dead eyes, it slowly returned to where he was told to sit.
"Yoosung, isn't the bear cute?"
She, seeing the bear move just now nods her head, "very cute"
"why don't we try your magic"
her face darkened immediately
"But I can't anyway. what's the point." she said with a low spirit.
I slowly take her hand in mine, "lets try anyway"
as we got to the bear, she slowly extends her hand. I hug her from behind, seeing her shoulders shaking. "It's okay, relaxes"
There, between the bear and her, there was a connection. there was a shift within the bear. suddenly the connection was getting weak.
I slowly bring my hand under hers "focus!"
the connection, was a now a thin string. it exists, but a breeze of wind can snap it.
As I tightened my hold, "yoosung" I speak as gently as I could, "Everything will be okay, forgive yourself, everything is fine"
her shoulders shook, she started sobbing.
"I shouldn't be here, i-"
"thank you for being her. no! I am glad your here."
She started sobbing harder. Yet, in between her sobs, her chaotic mana became organized. the connection, once thin as a string was now being getting thicker.
[Shin Yoosung has entered a state of trace]
the connection is soaking up mana.
'wait, she doesn't have enough'
slowly, blood starts to drop from her nose as her reserve reaches her limit.
'wait'
I don't know, what will happen if her reserve reaches zero. I scared to even forcefully break the connection.
'how do I bre-'
'no!'
'this is her opportunity, she must succeed.'
As we were hugging, I start transferring mana to her.
'I don't know the consequence of mana transfer from core to core, let alone in such a case' so I feed the mana how I felt recovering potions feel up my mana.
...
Huff Huff
Both of us were panting
yet
[Many Constellations rejoices that she succeeded]
[Constellation demon like judge of fire is throwing compheties around]
[the Constellation song of the sea is happy for you two]
[Secretive plotter is impressed]
"I-I did it" she turned around, hugging me back. her eyes were brighter then ever before. despite feeling sluggish from emptying my mana pool, my face held the brightest smile I could muster
"YE!! You did it!"
she shook her head, "no, we. Thank you for the mana"
smile,
'smart you are'
I ruffle her hair a bit
"he he"
"mana transfer is really shit over clothes" her mouth turned in a 'o' shape, nodding.
"are you okay?"
"hn, I am, more importantly ..."
her eyes looks into mine
"yoosung, why don't you try a command it."
"mm"
he extended her hand,
the bear walked around, rolled around and even jumped once. She didn't repeat that command, it seems she got scared seeing the ground shake because the bear jumped.
"Woah"
Lee Jihye walked over. "what..how"
'oh right, she doesn't-'
"SHE IS A TAMER?" well... she figure it out herself.
She picks yoosung up from my embrace and started rotating in circles with her.
However, very soon she stopped seeing shin yoosung's face clearing showing displeasure because she snatched her from our hug. She quietly put her back to me. Slowing trying to put our arm where they were, trying to recreate the hug.
As if both me and shin yoosung were in the same page, we each grab one of her hands as we pull her in the embrace. she flinched being hugged but soon melted in it.
...
Cough! Cough!
Lee Jihye's face was crimson.
"hey, shin yoosung, why don't you try to ride it"
I saw how she tried to change the subject, but the suggestion was so good that it got under the rug.
Shin yoosung immediately run toward the bear, "Mochi let me ride you!"
the bear bows gently, extending one it's paws so shin yoosung can get up easier.
"AHAhah look unni, seojin I am riding a bear." the bear circled us with her on top.
"careful Yoosung"
"oki seojin"
maybe she commanded it unconsciously or the bear's own volition.
We will know in the future.
Though the scene was cute and Lee Jihye thinks so too, but its not what was going through her head.
"Who names such a bear....mochi?"