'What happened?'

After I taught Arte how to make mana threads, she was eager to apply what she learned. So even when she was trying to go all out, I let her do as she pleased because I was always here to help her in an emergency. 

But was it because she really went all out? Before I knew it, the forest had turned into a sea of threads.

'What is this?'

Whether the trees, the grasses, or the innocent rocks, everything gets wrapped up in mana threads in some way. It truly was an absurd amount of white mana threads!

'No, rather than that. Why is she like that?'

I was dumbfounded when I looked at her, even more so than when looking at the white world.

"Hieeeng… Oppa, help me…"

The girl was hanging upside down from the tree like a cocoon with only her face peeking out. Her own mana thread ties up her entire body.

Did she fail to learn [Mana Thread]? No, it's the reverse. This happened because she succeeded too much. She even learned the magic on her first attempt, which was amazing.

'However, the problem was what happened after that.'

She changed the properties of the thread to all kinds of things and began to play around with it. But was it because Arte had a sudden revelation? She modified the thread to be very sticky and very strong, and then she used it to fly herself here and there on the trees.

'What is she? Spiderman?'

If not for the fact that the thread on the trees gets too tangled up for Arte to dodge mid-flight, she might become the spider girl of the world, subduing villains after losing Uncle Ben.

'Still, it looks fun.'

Arte laughed the entire time, even as she got caught by the threads a few times. It was only after she became so exhausted from playing that she could not undo the [Mana Threads] by herself that she finally looked at me in tears.

'Still, it was great. Why didn't I think of that method before?'

To use mana thread like a Spiderman.

'Maybe a little childishness every now and then can help me be creative.'

They say knowledge grows as you teach others. And now that I experienced it myself, I see that it's true. Teaching Arte has led me to grow my understanding and knowledge, although not in the ways I expected.

'Maybe I should try to do that too… and become Spiderman.'

It was the moment when a legend of two Spiderkids was about to be born.

"Sob…"

‘Ah, no good.’

I ran up to Arte and gently freed her to the ground as she began to shed tears.

"I'm sorry, Arte. Did you get hurt?"

"Nnn."

She shook her head left and right, her long hair fell softly from her shoulders.

"Was it scary?"

"Nnn."

"Then?"

"No mana…"

"Yes?"

"I no longer have mana…"

She looks down at the ground and cried tearfully 

"Now, I can't see Mr. Rabbit and the fishes anymore… Sob…"

"Oh…"

It was the tragedy of a young girl who believed her beloved pets had died.

'I should cheer her up, right? But how should I do it?'

It was the trouble of a gamer who lacked people skills in life! If I knew this would happen, I would ask to learn social skills from Bianca when we had the time. I think for a second before I crouch down and speak softly to her.

"Arte, can you look at me?"

"Un…"

She nodded and lifted her face to look at me. Her light green eyes were glistening with tears.

"Good. Now, Arte, can you hold my hand?"

"Un…"

She wiped her tears with her sleeves and held out my hand. It was a small hand that seemed so fragile that it might break at the slightest force. I squeezed her hand gently so as not to scare her, and then--

"Arte."

"Sob… Yes…?"

"You're out of mana, right?"

"Un…"

"Then, do you want me to teach you how to get mana?"

"Un?"

Arte widened her eyes and looked at me.

"You can get mana?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Then… pretty please?"

"Sure."

Now that I knew she was interested in listening, I continued the lesson.

"There are four ways to get mana."

There are more, actually. But these four methods are the basics and enough for now.

"The first way is to get mana from someone else. Like this. Look!"

"…?"

I roused my mana and then transferred all of that mana to Arte through our connected hand.

"Huh?"

Was it because she felt her mana increasing? Arte's eyes shook as mana flowed into her body.

"Can I can see Mr. Rabbit and the fishes again?"

She opened her mouth as if doubting whether everything was a dream.

“Of course.”

“Really?”

“Sure.”

“Wow! Thank you so much, Oppa!”

Finally, Arte smiled in delight, but–

"Oh no…"

Her smile stiffened again as she looked at our connected hands.

"Oppa…"

A trembling voice.

"Sorry…"

A small apology.

"I'm so sorry…"

Then, a sniff. She tugged the hand I was holding as if trying to pull away.

"Let go, please…"

"Why, Arte?"

"If Oppa continues, Oppa can't have mana again."

"Oh? Are you worried about me?"

"Un."

She nodded.

"Because of me… Oppa will…"

Then, she looked at the ground as if trying to hide her expression from me.

'She's a good kid.'

I know I should say something and cheer her up fast, but I can't help but feel touched and want to bask in this warm feeling for a moment.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Arte. But what you feared won't happen. So don't worry."

"B-but…"

Arte tried to hold back her tears and lifted her face to look at me. Then she looked away again as if she couldn't bear to imagine the terrible thing that was about to happen to me.

'I don't think she believed me, so... Should I try another way?'

Then, I smiled and squeezed her hand a little harder, bringing her attention back to me.

"Arte, even if that’s true, rather than an apology, shouldn't you say something else to me?"

"Sob… something else?"

"Yes. When receiving a gift from someone, what do you say? You know, right?"

"Thank you…?"

"Yes! That's right."

"But I did something bad? I am taking your mana?"

"No, Arte. It's not that you are taking my mana from me. I'm giving it to you. It's different. Do you understand?"

"Un? Un."

She nodded, seemingly not convinced. However…

"Thank you."

She managed to say it.

"Thank you for the gift."

And she squeezed my hand back.

"I will use it well."

Before forcing out a smile despite the flowing tears.

"Good."

I gradually let go of her hand. While I feel warm seeing her feeling concerned for me, it's about time that I relieve her of that sadness.

"Now, Arte. It seems like you've forgotten. But I told you there are four ways to get mana, right?"

"Un? Un. You did."

"Would you like to guess what the other three are?"

"Eh… Well…"

Arte thinks for a moment.

Then she looked around at the grass and trees.

"To take it from plants?"

"Oh! Very good. It doesn't have to be from living beings, but you're right, Arte. The second way to get mana is by taking it from the world.”

"How can you do that?"

“Either by taking it directly or by consuming potions made from it.”

“Un?”

"Did you forget? You have sucked in mana from the atmosphere before, remember?"

"… Ah!"

It was only then that Arte's teary eyes shook as if she had just received a revelation. She then smiled a full smile, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Yes! That's it!"

She then went ahead and sucked the surrounding mana into her body.

'I've seen it before, but it really is an absurd talent.'

Despite knowing that she would most likely be okay, I couldn't help but worry and activate my vision skills just in case. Fortunately, what I feared didn't happen after all.

"Yay! This is great! Thank you, Oppa! Thanks to you, I don't have to worry about not having mana again!"

Arte ran around me in circles and grabbed my hand.

"Then, I will give back Oppa's mana, okay?"

"Hm? Sure. But I don't think that will be necessary."

"Eh? Why?"

"Try it. You'll see."

I taught Arte how to transfer mana to others. She nodded attentively and began to move her mana to my hand. But then--

"Uh?"

She tilted her head.

"Oppa?"

"Yes."

"My mana can't go in?"

"Right? Would you like to know why?"

"Un."

"That's because my mana is full."

"Eh? But, before. You gave your mana to me, so…"

"Yes, but just like you, I am also talented in mana. And I only gave you a little mana compared to what I have, so my mana has completely regenerated."

"Un? Regenerated?"

"This is the third way to get mana. It's to let your body regenerate mana on its own."

"Fueh?!"

Was it so surprising to hear that her body could recover mana on its own? Arte trembled as if she had just received the most shocking news in the world.

"As for the fourth method, you can get it from certain gifts, but… I think you are too shaken to learn now."

I smiled teasingly at her.

"Do you know what it means, Arte? It means, even if we do nothing, your mana will gradually recover on its own."

As I confirmed what she was probably thinking, Arte opened her mouth with trembling lips.

"Isn't this a scam? What did I cry for…"

That was the moment Arte developed strong empathy with people who got scammed.