Chapter 40

Chapter 15. Akasha's Snake (8)

The boy was sitting cross-legged, lost in meditation.

He had an adorable appearance, as if he could only appear in a fairy tale.

Why would he be in such a cave?

However, the reason Yenu was surprised was entirely different.

'A ginseng doll? Ha!'

The boy was not a real person.

He was a spirit herb in human form.

[Ginseng Doll]

Category: Spirit Herb or Spirit Object

Grade: A+

Description: A ginseng that grows only in ice crystals exposed to the moon's energy for hundreds of years. It often takes the form of a child, leading many to mistake it for a human.

If consumed, it can enhance magical power. However, the amount of increased magical power varies greatly depending on the amount that can be digested. The method of consumption is also very particular.

Ginseng (人形, just in the form of a human), Snow Ginseng (雪蔘, ginseng that grows in the snow).

Moreover, the Ginseng Doll was one of the rarest among spirit herbs.

'Its effects are so good that I've heard it ranks among the top five spirit herbs. I didn't expect to find it here.'

Yenu's eyes sank deeply.

'If that's the case, I can understand why Akasha's Snake made its home here.'

Akasha's Snake was probably cultivating the Ginseng Doll.

Judging by its size, the Ginseng Doll had been growing for about 300 years.

According to Yenu's knowledge, the Ginseng Doll's effects were best around 500 years. Akasha's Snake was probably waiting for that time.

'Sorry, but now you're going into my stomach.'

Yenu slowly pulled out three long swords from his waist instead of Karsuna's dagger.

Since the Ginseng Doll was a precious spirit herb, the method of capturing it was very particular.

The moment Yenu slowly approached.

Flash!

The sleeping Ginseng Doll opened its eyes.

Pfft!

Yenu immediately threw the long swords in his hands.

Kiaak! The Ginseng Doll let out a strange scream and jumped in place.

Its head reached the ceiling in one leap.

Occasionally, among spirit herbs, there were those that were hard to distinguish as either a spirit herb or a spirit object.

They were also said to choose their masters... At first, he thought it was just a saying, but experiencing it firsthand made his heart feel like it was being torn apart.

Every movement wasted precious spirit energy, which was a pity.

His younger brother had once eaten a similar spirit herb.

However, not knowing it could move and not capturing it in advance led to a loss.

But.

Yenu was well aware of this fact.

Thanks to his heightened senses, he quickly followed the Ginseng Doll's movements.

'Even if you try to escape in this cave, it's all the same.'

Yenu threw the three long swords in his right hand forcefully to the right.

Swoosh!

But the Ginseng Doll dodged more nimbly, as if mocking him.

As a result, the three long swords were embedded in the ceiling.

Rumble!

The ice on the ceiling trembled slightly. The Ginseng Doll, now on the ground, let out another scream, wondering what to do next.

A face that didn't match its cute appearance.

"Sorry, but—"

...?

"I've hunted your kind more than once."

The Ginseng Doll tilted its head, wondering what he meant.

Crack!

Suddenly, the sound of ice breaking and the ceiling collapsing came. Icicles and ice fragments rained down.

The Ginseng Doll was startled and tried to fly again, attempting to escape through the collapsing ceiling.

But.

As it broke through the icicles and ice fragments.

"I've got you."

...!

Yenu, who had been waiting, laughed coldly and reached out to grab the Ginseng Doll by the collar.

The Ginseng Doll struggled.

A cold aura surged, freezing Yenu's hand.

But Yenu didn't care. He bit the Ginseng Doll's right head with his mouth.

Crunch!

A terrifying sight, as if the boy's head and eyes had been completely torn off. Still, Yenu silently devoured it.

It felt like chewing on hard ice, making his head hurt. His teeth ached, his hands were already frostbitten, his muscles ached, and his bones resonated.

As he meticulously ate the creature, from its feet to the traces on his hands, licking it with his tongue.

Whoosh!

Something exploded in his lower abdomen.

A sensation similar to when he first opened the pocket watch, when mana settled in his body, or when his body reached the enhanced bone stage and mana moved.

But the amount was incomparably greater than those times.

[You have consumed the hidden piece 'Ginseng Doll'.]

[The spirit energy is exploding inside your body. It is being converted into mana.]

Just because you accept the mana floating in the air or the spirit energy contained in a spirit object, it doesn't become yours.

You must absorb, process, and anchor it to make it mana.

Naturally, a significant amount of the Ginseng Doll's spirit energy would be lost during the processing stage.

'But I can't afford to lose even that.'

Yenu retracted all his extended senses and focused them inside his body.

Mana was circulating rapidly.

[The characteristics of an immature dragon body are applied.]

[92% of the spirit energy possessed by the Ginseng Doll is converted into mana. The body begins to absorb the mana completely.]

[Mana increased by 5.]

[Mana increased by 7.]

...

[The growth of the body has been confirmed. The container has become stronger. The interrupted inheritance process is resumed. 22... 24, 27%...]

[Current progress: 42.9%]

[Status changed from 'Immature Dragon Body' to 'Half-Dragon Body'.]

The mana coefficient, which had been the most lacking in Yenu, rapidly increased, and the inheritance process was almost halfway complete.

And as a result.

[The inheritance process is halfway complete. You have gained the ability to handle a certain amount of mana.]

[Mana begins to circulate in a defined path.]

[Efficient management and activation are now possible.]

[The skill 'Mana Circuit' has been created.]

Yenu felt that 'mana was circulating inside his body'.

It was still difficult to control it as he wished.

But whereas before it felt like handling a fingernail or toenail, now it felt closer to handling a finger or toe.

Moreover, unlike before when it would disappear immediately after its job was done, it was now actively circulating inside his body, as if it had always belonged there.

[Mana Circuit]

Grade: C

Proficiency: 0.0%

Description: Dragons have been blessed with mana since ancient times. Those blessed by dragons are given the ability to handle mana.

As proficiency increases, the amount of mana that can be handled increases, and the control range expands, making many things possible. It is said that handling mana streams can also become possible at times.

'Got it!'

Yenu examined the content of the Mana Circuit skill and cheered.

Mana, a stat he had always wanted to handle since the tutorial began, but could never manage.

He had even studied about mana, but it never seemed to work.

Finally, he had found the key to handling mana.

'The secret to handling mana is to accumulate more mana and speed up the inheritance process.'

Yenu's eyes sparkled with the thought that he could finally use mana.

Currently, the only use for mana was to activate skills, but in the future, many things would be possible.

For example, infusing weapons with mana to increase their impact, or wrapping mana around his feet to increase his movement speed.

There were various uses.

However, since the proficiency of the Mana Circuit was still low, smooth control was difficult.

But with his enhanced senses, Yenu believed he could quickly improve it.

'Controlling mana, after all, is still within the realm of senses.'

Yenu checked his body once and opened his eyes.

Flash!

A similar light appeared and disappeared from Yenu's eyes, just like when the Ginseng Doll first opened its eyes.

A smile spread across his face.

The feeling of a solid and spacious container being filled.

It felt good.

'But it's still not enough.'

However, because he could now hold a certain amount, Yenu could more clearly realize how much more he needed.

The amount he had absorbed was still far from enough.

More.

The container he possessed could hold a much larger amount than it currently did.

Yenu lightly moistened his dry lips with his tongue.

The desire to eat Akasha's Snake's inner core as soon as possible arose.

* * *

Before leaving the snake den, Yenu looked around to see if he had missed anything.

He found something where the Ginseng Doll had been.

"What is this?"

It was a small pendant.

A pendant that looked quite old and worn.

It didn't appear to be an artifact.

[Memory-Infused Necklace]

Type: Pendant

Grade: F-

Description: A necklace containing someone's precious memories. It would be good to return it to its owner who is desperately searching for it.

'Owner?'

Yenu felt a shock as he read the description.

He carefully examined the pendant. It was hard to see due to the rust, but there was a seam in the middle.

He removed the rust and opened the seam.

A hidden photo inside was revealed.

A photo of a family—parents and a daughter—smiling happily.

Especially the father's face was familiar.

Galliard.

"This is what he's been looking for."

Yenu let out a small sigh.

Galliard always said he was chasing Akasha's Snake for some unknown reason.

However, he rarely hunted it himself, and instead gave his skills as rewards to those who took on the challenge.

If the reason was a family memento, it made sense.

'The diary clearly... didn't mention his family.'

Yenu rolled the pendant and put it in his pocket. He would return it on his way back.

And.

He turned his body towards the entrance of the snake den.

Mana was circulating powerfully through the Mana Circuit, and his body was full of vitality.

His condition was better than ever.

"Shall I go hunting now?"

Yenu straightened and adjusted his white mask.

Pfft!

He launched himself outside.