Mangowo
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Chapter 57: Little Badger
🕑 Added 2024-10-13 00:30:01 +0000 UTCAh, the old mantra they drilled into our heads—“Mana is unruly,” they said, “like a blasted dog that won’t heel.” You had to crush it, bend it beneath the weight of your will, force it into submission. Without that iron grip, it would never come to heel, they claimed. So, every single one of their tedious exercises circled around the same tiresome notion: a way to make this elusive mana inside us obey.
I’d seen it, of course—watched my classmates grimace and sweat, struggling to tame that force. It’s not like I wanted to relive those memories, but there they were, uninvited. Watching them fight for what I craved with every fiber of my being, knowing I had nothing. I’d lie awake, dreaming of the day I’d get my own mana—wondering, would it fight me like it fought them? Would it try to resist, leaving me thrashing in the muck like the rest?
Well, I’d found my answer: no. Whatever they told me was utter rubbish. Mana wasn’t some obstinate cur—it was more like a pup, eager for a game of fetch. Every time I reached for it, it practically lit up, buzzing with anticipation, waiting for my next command. Maybe it was the mana manipulation skill? Nah, it didn’t feel like that. The skill’s description just mentioned helping with control, not making it downright subservient.
Perhaps it was the dragon blood in me. Maybe mana just… fancied it. Who knew?
Weird. Bloody weird, actually.
Anyway, I opted for [Micro-Mana Control] over [Mana Flow Optimization]—thinking long-term here. Lightning affinity’s a beast to manage, or so I’d been told. Like all magic, the trickiest spells at each core stage demanded an absurdly delicate touch with mana threads. Even with mana practically wagging its tail at me, I couldn’t say I’d mastered it just yet. Those matrices? Nightmarish. They didn’t call them difficult for nothing. The amount of control needed was downright maddening, and I didn’t have the time to gain that level of finesse. Thank the gods for the system for things like Mana Manipulation, though—it felt a bit like cheating, but by the gods, it was satisfying.
After yet another round of rolling the mana through my veins and out through my claws, where it tried to explore every nook and cranny of my body, I finally got what I was waiting for:
Mana Manipulation has reached Level 4.
Sweet hell, that took ten cycles of recovering and channeling! But oh, was it worth it. Just one more step, and it would cap out. Then I’d slap a precious skill point on it and level up again. Worth every second!
Right then, the next level would sort itself out soon enough. I’d been holed up in this dank pit for what felt like an age—alright, maybe not quite an eternity, but we were definitely edging into “I should be charging rent” territory. Four hours, give or take. But hey, I was feeling a damn sight better. Mana Manipulation was sitting smugly at level 4, and Core Stabilization had decided to bump up to level 2. All the cogs were whirring along nicely.
Now, the real question—did I fancy a kip, have a chinwag with Lotte, or head off for a bit more skulking about? I pulled up my status screen. Mana, nearly full. Stamina? Overflowing. And honestly, I wasn’t even a sniff near being knackered. How long had it been since I last slept? Couldn’t tell really. Down here, with no sun to mark time, keeping track was like trying to juggle jelly.
Did I even need sleep anymore? As long as the stamina gauge stayed plump and I got the odd moment to breathe, I was starting to wonder if I could just carry on indefinitely. It was absurd. Surely even I would hit a wall at some point. But why not see how far I could push it before my body waved the white flag? I felt fresh as a daisy, so might as well ride the wave.
Another whiff of that stale underground air, and… there was something—two more creatures lurking about. Close, perhaps too close for comfort. Zoned in. One was five meters west, the other a few paces behind, maybe stalking its mate, knowing it was a dungeon, probably hoping for a backstab.
I kept my detection sharp, muscles coiling as the first one crept closer. It was coming straight for me, the second one still trailing like a breathless jogger. Funny, despite all this fancy breath-sensing, I hadn’t a bloody clue what I was up against. Just two breaths to work with.
The first had this fast, sharp breathing—like it was gulping air. Probably small, quick, and twitchy. A predator, maybe. The skill kicked in: small things with rapid breathing tended to be light on their feet.
The second one was a tougher nut to crack. Its breath was slower, but the heat it gave off wasn’t much to write home about—not what you’d expect from a hulking brute. Big creatures tended to have long, heavy exhalations, like a furnace puffing away. This one? More deliberate, cautious. Maybe a tad heavier than the first, but not by much.
And yet, there was something off about that second signature—like it was holding back, lying in wait… rather creepy, in a way.
But there it was. Nothing to go on but breaths and a bit of half-baked guesswork. Could’ve moved, but that would’ve been like yelling, “Oi, dinner’s here!” to the whole forest. So, I held still, sinking into Stealth. Instantly, my scales shifted, blending perfectly with the dark nook I was in. Convincing, I’d say, unless you were me. My own eyes could still make out every shade, courtesy of those bright hues, a far cry from the absolute black it should’ve been.
Just in case, I stoked the fire in my throat, charged my fire gland with 4 mana, and let it simmer. The first one got close now, instincts screaming at it that danger lurked nearby. It sped up, and the second one followed, not wanting to miss the fun.
Game was up. Chase was on.
The first one made a beeline for my hiding spot, like it had a bloody treasure map leading it right to me. It lunged into the nook without hesitation—straight into my lap. Oblivious. Blissfully unaware it had thrown itself right into my claws.
That’s when I clocked it.
Sleek, black-and-white fur, claws sharp enough to carve up granite if it fancied. A stubby little brute, built like a squat boulder with legs. Its nose wiggled about, but those beady eyes? Dead set on the tunnel ahead, not a thought spared for what might be behind. Clueless little sod didn’t have a sniff I was a hair’s breadth away.
A fucking badger!
And not even a big one at that. Could’ve been charming if it wasn’t packing talons fit to fillet... well, not me, obviously. I’m no wilting flower. But maybe a sapling? A small one.
My tail coiled, twitching like a serpent about to strike. One swift lash, and I could’ve squeezed the life out of it in seconds. But the poor bugger was panting, chest heaving like it’d run a marathon. Clearly rattled from being chased, but too fixated on whatever lurked outside to even notice me.
So, I thought, why not just watch? I could snap its neck in a heartbeat. And while those claws were nasty, they’d barely scratch me. Besides, there was something rather entertaining about watching a badger brace itself for doom.
I sniffed the air. Ah, there it was—another source of breath, edging closer. A damn fine tracker, this one. Soon enough, it hovered just outside our little burrow. Well, bollocks. So much for picking a quiet hidey-hole. Seemed I’d wandered into this badger’s panic room. Maybe next time I’d be choosier.
I stayed put, quietly amused at the badger’s frantic breaths, still blissfully unaware of me. It twitched, looked around like it might sense something... but no. Just darkness for its trouble. After realizing it was trapped, it steadied those claws. Brave little tosser, gearing up to face whatever beast lurked outside!
...And then it started digging at the wall.
Ahh, I spoke too soon. Turns out, this little coward had more in common with me than I thought. Hah! Couldn’t really blame it. Shame, though—time wasn’t exactly on its side. The real predator closed in fast, breath thick in the air, curling around like fog. So close now that I could feel its outline through air—sleek body, long limbs, maybe a tail. Unless those were branches. But the picture forming in my mind? Oh, it wasn’t one I liked.
It looked an awful lot like something I bloody despised.
Then, it appeared—an eyeless maw. Ah, for crying out loud! My nose wrinkled in pure disgust. Creepers. Always bloody creepers. Filthy things, always skulking around, picking on the small and defenseless. Meanwhile, the badger went berserk, digging like mad, but honestly—sod it. No one’s digging their way out of this.
I didn’t waste a moment. My tail whipped out, coiling around the creeper’s eyeless mug, squeezing tight. Before it even knew what hit it, I yanked it in. Sharp claws ready, I plunged into its belly, then, with a Spectral Crunch to the throat, tore it apart from the inside.
[You have slain a level 7 Umbrocephalus rapax(III).]
[Experience Points acquired.]
Dead meat, just like that. Didn’t even need to bother with the flamethrower. Bloody hell, being an ambush predator was actually quite fun.
Once the sneaky bit was done, I dropped the lifeless creeper on the ground with a satisfying thud. The poor badger was backed up against the wall, panting, eyes wide as dinner plates, utterly frozen with fear. Ha, poor thing.
I just stared at it for a moment, before waving my claw. Its fear became even more tangible.
Ahh... I liked it.
I scooped it up with my claws, giving it a good look. Scruffy little thing—black and white fur all matted, with beady eyes that practically screamed, "Help!" No wonder that creeper was so keen to snatch it. Creepers always had a nose for snuffing out the few good things in the world. And this little critter? It was actually quite cute, even if its heart hammered so wildly I could feel the vibrations through its body. I half expected it to lash out at me, but no—resigned to its fate, it just stayed there, probably figuring it had no shot.
I brought it closer to my maw and… gave it a little kiss on the head. Then, with all the care of a benevolent predator, I set it outside the nook. Definitely a stage two, perhaps even one. Not my taste anyway—barely enough morphogen to make it worth my time. When it just sat there, stunned, I flicked its rear with my claw, and off it shot, like a bloody magic missile. Thalador’s beard, the little blighter was fast!
Before I even laid eyes on the creeper’s corpse, I licked my chops. Free food! Delivered right to me. Now that’s service. Time to dig in!
***
I was finally out, doing a bit of reconnaissance around the bioluminescent forest. No matter how much time I spent here, the place always managed to toss something unexpected my way. I wasn’t far from the nook I’d been hiding in when I stumbled across something that stopped me in my tracks.
My breath caught as I stared at it—a flower, glowing like everything else around here, but this one… this one was different. Seven petals, a deep violet, shimmering ever so faintly, and at the centre, a crystalline core. No stem, no roots. It just grew there, like some parasitic jewel feeding off an ancient, gnarled tree.
I knew exactly what it was. Noctis Bloom.
Really fucking rare.
I’d used one before, back in the day. One petal of this stuff would set you back a whole silver, which was a fair price, considering it could brew a medium-grade mana potion. Worked on one with Miss Hester, my alchemy teacher—the only human who could stomach me in that miserable town. Of course, it was poisonous on its own, but with the right steps—detoxification using a proper base to break down the toxin—it became a mana-holding solution.
Consumable.
Like most mana recovery ingredients, though, overuse would burn out ones conduits. Still, a damn powerful find.
But I had no way to store it. Hah, typical. I really should’ve nicked one of those sub-space rings from the cultists. Sure, they were dangerous, and …they probably had tracking enchantments. Ugh, why couldn’t things ever be simple?
Still, my claws moved before my brain did, tearing through the dead tree and plucking the flower, root and all, in one swift motion. Just as I did, the ground shook beneath me.
Huh?
I didn’t need to sense the air, but instinctively, I still did. And then I felt it—a sharp, explosive breath on air radar, that made my scales bristle.
It wasn’t close.
Thud.
But whatever it was… it was massive.
