Episode 298
Velvet never counted the time in the club room. The world moved so fast and it was full of fun.
As usual, it was time to go on an adventure to pick up stones with Orca.
[Little Master! I just found out a great thing! Even if it’s a little farther, if you go down the river, there are smooth stones!]
‘Orca…’
Of course.
Even if you pick up a stone, it won’t make it shiny like it used to.
[Mana Suppression Device]
Kwak-
Velvet pulled the stuffy restraints hanging around her neck. After wearing this strange necklace, Velvet couldn’t use the mana she had.
In addition, the necklace had no strength and no appetite.
Yum.
Velvet ate something like pale porridge with a spoon.
‘This dish tastes bad. I’d rather drink Eun-ah’s mom’s curry…’
Yum yum.
After eating a few more spoonfuls, the hunger disappeared, but instead Velvet felt a tingling sensation in one side of her chest.
‘velvet. I want to eat Sumire’s mother’s cake…’
In the clubroom, you could always eat a variety of food prepared by Sumire, and dessert was served every hour.
Compared to this place, it is truly heaven.
But what Velvet really misses isn’t delicious desserts.
If I could see my family again, I would definitely be happy just eating this tasteless pale porridge for the rest of my life.
Putting
the spoon on the white plate, Velvet went back to the corner and lay down helplessly. Velvet picked up her fingers and started counting.
24 hours a day.
A year is 365 times the number of days.
The researchers said that they had to stay at the institute for about 10 years, which is 10 times that amount, so it was about 87,600 hours.
How long has it been since you came here from the lab? how much time was left
What makes Velvet even more frightening than the distant time that is dozens of times the time Velvet has been through since she was born.
‘Wouldn’t mom and dad forget Velvet…’
It was the fact that his family might forget him when all that time had passed.
far away
Velvet, lying in the corner, cried silently.
“Kyauu-”
I fell asleep again shortly after waking up.
* * *
Dragon, master of mana.
Because of their innate abilities, they are a tremendous race whose minimum risk level starts at level 6 once they grow.
‘…Until now, the only place we could get information from was the tower’s records.’
But now the story was different.
The chief researcher, Finan, had a real dragon in front of him, not the information engraved in the tower’s records.
‘Is there anyone who can use this dragon more usefully than me?’
Even the velvet was the best of the samples. He was able to communicate, was not hostile to humans, and had excellent talents.
‘Seriously… this dragon is a treasure bestowed upon mankind to help the Hunter world grow!’
Finan looked at the screen with a serious face.
‘I knew dragons were great, but I didn’t expect them to be this much. Even though the mana restraints were filled, the mana in the body increased again…’
What does it mean that the mana increased even with the restraint device on? That meant that the mana in the body increased without using or training separately.
‘Like a fish breathing with oxygen dissolved in water… It absorbs the mana dissolved in the surroundings into its body. Just by existing!’
Even if you don’t have to train separately, the mana in the body increases over time. It was like a dream for humans.
‘If I find out what this principle is… what a great discovery it will be in the history of mankind.’
Fainan secretly called his fellow researcher, Regina.
“If you’re left alone in the lab later, can you take a simple sample?”
“A sample?”
Regina’s voice naturally quieted as if she sensed something dangerous. Fainan glanced at the fallen velvet in the corner and said with a serious face.
“Calm him well and get him some blood. You don’t need a lot, 10 milliliters is enough.”
“Are you crazy? The Academy City branch manager told me not to touch it.”
Regina looked around in a cold sweat, wondering who had heard it, but Finan, whose research fever caught fire, showed no sign of backing down.
“Think about it. Aren’t you curious about how mana received from the outside is stored? If the carrier might be related to blood, wouldn’t it?”
“…or not?”
“Of course, it is most likely not. But what if it’s right? What if the difference in ability is due to blood and we analyze its properties?”
Disclosure of this fact to all other researchers will undoubtedly lead to objections. In particular, in the case of Velvet, since Meilin asked for it herself, no one wanted to turn her into an enemy at the research center.
But Finan chose Regina because of that. Fainan knew that Regina was of a similar type to him.
Shh-
Fainan, who lowered his voice even more, whispered softly to Regina.
“I’m just going to do a simple test that won’t interfere with that dragon. I have something in mind. If they get caught, they say they did a simple checkup to see if they had any illnesses.”
The more Regina listened, the more she was tempted by Fainan’s persuasion.
‘As Faynan said, you can do simple experiments. You don’t know what a great discovery this will be… Do you know that Mei Lin woman is such a wonderful thing?’
As she weighed the pros and cons, Regina began to rationalize.
‘Even for the sake of mankind…’
I thought, ‘This is for others.’ let’s reach
“…Then I’ll calm you down and try to collect them during the night shift. You take responsibility.”
Regina finally nodded.
* * *
Kim Eun-ah and Sumire were wandering around the research institute under the guidance of the researcher.
“Isn’t it here too?”
If the researcher who had guided me in vain asked such a question, Sumire looked around the machine with a serious expression and acted with all her might.
“Ummm… It’s true that there’s a problem… but it’s not even this machine. I guess I’ll have to look some more!”
But Sumire knew nothing about machines. All the machines Sumire has handled so far are home appliances such as refrigerators and ovens.
‘There’s no velvet here either.’
In reality, he was wandering around the laboratory looking for a place where Velvet could be.
If the real staff arrives before finding Velvet, the operation ends there. Kim Eun-ah bit her lips in a situation where every minute and every second was burning.
‘Velvet… where are you?’
* * *
Velvet, who was lying on the floor and passing the time, felt the familiar mana behind his back.
Salang-
Velvet unknowingly moved her tail. If a dog can distinguish a person’s footsteps, a dragon can distinguish a person’s mana.
‘…like static electricity! Cozy like a cake!’
Gently—
Velvet involuntarily wagged her tail again.
‘Really… Sumire’s mother? Are you Eun-ah’s mother?’
Velvet wanted to check it like a chimney, but it was hard to get up and check it.
‘Kyauuu… I can’t do that… I didn’t even tell Velvet’s mom or dad…’
But how could she find out if she was in this faraway place?
Contrary to my thoughts, however, Velvet was already getting up.
Standing up on the ground with one hand, he was checking to see who had such warm and tingling mana.
‘Kyaw….’
And as soon as I confirmed who the opponent was.
