Chapter 8
Something was strange.
Jenuiere did not seem afraid at all, even after seeing a magic beast right in front of her.
The magic beast was a monster-like creature dripping black liquid.
At first glance, its appearance might seem simple.
But—
“Magic beasts give off an overwhelming pressure that drives humans into extreme fear.”
It was a pressure that tightened the throat, dried up blood, and made the heart feel like it would explode.
Even adults found it hard to get used to that pressure when facing a magic beast directly.
Even Tashik had not been used to it at the beginning.
But this child—
“…What is this? She’s not feeling any pressure at all?”
Even if they were at the bottom of a cliff, there was no way she shouldn’t feel it.
But instead of fear, the girl calmly read the beast’s movements with her jewel-like eyes and responded accordingly.
Reading movements was something even Tashik, who had killed tens of thousands of magic beasts, could do.
But her method felt different from experience-based instinct.
It was more like she could sense even sudden movements of the beast.
‘Strange.’
She was clearly seeing a magic beast for the first time…
So how had she lived until now without fear like this?
“…Without fear?”
At that moment, Tashik felt a strange sense of discomfort.
Just then—
“What are you doing?”
Jenuiere’s gentle voice reached his ears.
When he turned, she tilted her head and pointed at the beast.
“Aren’t you going to hunt that?”
The bear-type magic beast struggling below the cliff was breathing weakly, like a dying candle.
‘…Sigh.’
He didn’t know what he was even thinking.
Tashik shook his hair and exhaled slowly.
Then he took out his spear, aimed at the beast below, and threw it without hesitation.
The spear pierced the bear’s throat perfectly.
- KRRRAAACK!
The beast’s final cry echoed through the snowy mountain.
Jenuiere watched until the end, then clapped lightly.
“Amazing!”
Clap, clap.
Tashik turned toward her.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes sparkled. A bright smile formed on her lips.
“Good job.”
But Tashik could not respond.
Because the entire cliff had frozen solid without him noticing.
The wide canyon below was completely covered in ice.
It was clearly too much just for one bear.
‘Fear… hesitation!’
Does she really not have those things?
Just then—
“Woof! Woof!”
Tashik looked up.
A familiar presence.
Over the hill, wolves were running toward them.
They were returning after hunting separately at dawn.
Tashik whistled smoothly.
Whistle!
The wolves responded, breaking through the snow and rushing closer.
Then Jenuiere suddenly stiffened.
“Ah—wait a moment.”
She stepped back in panic.
Six wolves ran happily toward Tashik and Jenuiere.
Tashik calmly welcomed them, used to this.
But Jenuiere froze like stone.
When two or three wolves approached her and sniffed her happily, she stood stiff, arms straight out.
“Yes, good… yes, good boys.”
It sounded like she was reading from a textbook.
The wolves seemed to find her reaction amusing and began rolling around her instead of Tashik.
Soon, she was buried in their fluffy fur.
Tashik let out a small helpless laugh.
“…Ha.”
She wasn’t afraid of magic beasts—
but froze at the sight of wolves.
At this rate, she might never escape their fur.
‘I should help her.’
He stood and walked into the pack of wolves.
Just as he reached out his hand—
Grab!
Jenuiere grabbed his hand first.
At that moment, Tashik’s heart pounded heavily.
‘What…?’
“I—I’m saved…”
Jenuiere sighed in relief and finally escaped the wolves.
But Tashik did not understand why his chest felt hot.
Then her voice came again.
“Let’s go down there.”
She pointed toward the cliff below.
Tashik remembered the spear he had thrown earlier.
“…To get my spear?”
“Ah, right. That too.”
Sniff, sniff.
Jenuiere awkwardly patted a wolf’s head.
“I need something from the magic beast.”
Her green eyes sparkled more than ever.
“We need to make money.”
* * *
We decided to go down the cliff riding wolves.
‘…I’m riding a wolf.’
It felt extremely unfamiliar to trust my body to a huge living, moving furry creature.
So I crouched low on its back, gripping its fur tightly with both hands and closing my eyes.
Tight.
“…Huh!”
Tashik, riding another wolf skillfully beside me, seemed to sigh in disbelief.
But I ignored him and kept my eyes shut even tighter.
‘It’s scary.’
After a while, I felt my body drop suddenly several times.
Then finally, we reached the bottom of the canyon.
When I opened my eyes, the wolf I was riding lowered itself and panted while looking at me.
My head felt dizzy.
I carefully got off and patted its head.
“…Thank you.”
“Huff, huff!”
Tashik called me.
“This way.”
I took a deep breath and followed him to the bear’s corpse.
A rotten smell immediately hit me.
The black tar-covered bear corpse was already starting to decay.
In this world, magic beast corpses were usually considered useless because they decayed too quickly after death.
This one was no different.
‘At least the cold slows it down here.’
But it would still rot completely soon.
Its teeth and claws would be destroyed.
But—
If I froze it.
That problem would disappear.
My freezing ability could preserve it perfectly.
Then I could sell the materials to apothecaries who needed rare ingredients.
I stepped closer, holding my nose.
The smell didn’t matter anymore.
It was money for survival.
I climbed onto the corpse.
“…Hey!”
I heard Tashik’s shocked voice behind me.
But my eyes were fixed on the giant claw hanging from the beast’s body.
“This claw is perfect.”
I crouched down carefully and reached out.
Then I closed my eyes.
Was it my desire for money that triggered it?
Wiiing…
The crystal engine inside my chest began to vibrate.
Energy flowed through my body into my hand.
Then I opened my eyes.
White mist shimmered from my palm.
FWOOSH!
The claw began freezing rapidly.
CRACK—CRACK—CRACK!
A terrifying sound echoed as extreme cold spread.
Then—
Snap!
The claw broke cleanly off the decaying flesh.
I pulled my hand back quietly.
“Phew.”
Sweat formed on my forehead.
I felt slightly exhausted from earlier when I froze the canyon without meaning to.
But still—
I smiled brightly.
“Tashik! We just need to move this claw now—”
At that moment—
My foot slipped.
(To be continued)
