Yuki observed the red stone on the ground, questioning her life choices. It was one of those times she regretted the decision that led to this situation. Just animals and monsters, she had asked. Well, it was an animal, alright. The creature in front of her looked a lot like an anteater. The same head and eyes, the same lush fur and colors. Yuki wanted to jump on that fur and feel the fluff if it wasn’t for the bloody ritual.
The ominous sunlight glint on the red stone reminded Yuki what must be done.
This was a slippery slope. Magic was scarce in this world, and the ritual to extract the creature’s life force and transform it into magic sounded evil, but in the end, it was just magic—blood magic, for sure, but magic nonetheless. How could she solve this magic problem?
To make things worse, the whole ritual and magic, aside from the coppery smell of blood, reminded Yuki of the strong smell of Parmesan cheese. Whoever decided that a blood ritual to extract life force from something should have a cheese smell was a really evil person. Now, Yuki yearned for cheese coated in that berry from the dungeon.
With her eyes still closed, Yuki followed her nose and gulped down the red stone with a single bite.
At first, it felt like when she was a kid and decided to lick a battery. The tingling sensation was horrible and fantastic, which explained why Yuki did it even after growing up. After eating the red stone, it started the same. A tingling that grew to the same burning as drinking strong soda drinks without stopping. Another thing Yuki still did even after she grew up. The burning sensation was, again, horrible and incredible in equal measures. When the stone reached her belly, a fire spread through her body, and Yuki had to walk, hop, and then dash around.
It wasn’t like drinking an energy drink, but it felt like she was invincible for a moment. The euphoric feeling soon abated, and a new notification joined the previous one.
Your party killed a Talonlicker.
Exp: + 20.
You have eaten a magic stone.
5 magic points restored.
A long while later, Yuki reported the results. “Five magic points.”
Jenny nodded, her eyes still focused on the dead animal. “One more?”
One more, and Yuki would be sitting at over ten magic points. It was a comfortable amount of magic if they didn’t use any until they arrived at the city. In the end, more magic was better and safer. “One more.”
Jenny nodded again, removed the spear from the animal’s head, scanned the surroundings, and started moving again.
Yuki wasn’t ashamed to admit she was lost and afraid. She had no idea how to return to the dungeon if necessary, and while Jenny explained why they moved in the direction they moved, Yuki didn’t understand the woman’s logic. Something related to the sun’s position and the mountains in the distance. That was fine. Yuki was a city girl. Back in the before, GPS was the order of the day; she was never good with remembering directions. Here and now, she was just concerned with the next shrub to hide under.
The trek lasted for about half an hour when Yuki smelled magic—the old lemony scent of the snakepards. Her heart sped up, and she all but froze on the spot. “Jenny,” she called out, squeaky high and panicky. “Trouble.”
The blonde stopped and looked back. “What is it, Biscuit?”
How to explain? Yuki didn’t know the monster’s name. “Big cats with snakes on their shoulders that can become invisible. I smell one nearby.”
Yuki could see Jenny trying to puzzle the words out, and the moment she understood it.
The blonde eyes widened, and she took a step back. “Gloom, take me!” She cursed and turned around, dashing in the opposite direction. Yuki followed, relief dispersing the fear. She was glad the woman didn’t want to fight that monster. Yuki’s ears trembled just thinking of it. No, better not provoke such a creature.
Their new path took them around a copse of tall trees that resembled pines. Whenever Yuki smelled the lemony scent, the duo immediately cut away from that path, circling around that area. Yuki remembered the journey from the manor to the farm and burrow, and while she wasn’t sure how much time had passed while Jenny carried her in the darkness, it couldn’t have been more than a couple of hours. It was noon and the tall, imposing trees were nothing similar to the short, gnarled ones around the manor and burrow.
Peeking from beneath a fallen log, Yuki glanced at her travel companion. “Are we lost?”
Jenny huffed, eyes scanning the surroundings. “Of course not!”
Yuki’s ears pointed at the woman, almost an ingrained reflex. She had heard something in this calm forest area. Yuki noticed the rosy complexion on the woman’s ears and the accelerated thump-thump of the blonde’s heart.
“We are totally lost,” Yuki sighed, flopping on the dry leaves.
“Let’s rest for a bit,” Jenny deflected, sitting down.
The woman took a handful of leaves from the bag and placed them near the log. Yuki’s nose twitched a storm. The leaves smelled nice and tasted even better. She munched slowly, observing Jenny. They’d talked a lot in the past few hours, with Jenny explaining the current political situation.
The way Jenny spoke of the island led Yuki to think of countries in the before. This island was called Blackthorn, after the first Blackthorn emperor. The empire’s capital was also named Blackthorn. Didn’t these people get confused by this? How would one know if they were discussing the island, emperor, or capital? The manor was unsurprisingly called Thornfield Manor, and the city had also been named Thornfield.
Aside from the strange naming convention, it wasn’t that different from medieval times in the before, except for the fact that magic was real.
“Why is magic so feared?” Yuki asked between leaves.
Jenny stopped chewing on the fruit, her gaze still distant. “Because it never ends well.” Jenny had that haunted stare of someone who had seen too much. “Magic corrupts, and every sorcerer’s end is madness, becoming a raving lunatic, vying for power beyond mortal ken, and inviting calamity into our sacred world.”
Yuki almost expected to hear an amen after Jenny’s speech. The tone, cadence, and words made it clear that the blonde repeated the words of a sermon.
“Or that is what I’ve been told. I’m not sure anymore.” Jenny took another bite from the fruit, scowling. “You’ve been using magic nonstop and seem just fine.”
5 years later Yuki some how turns into the a magical killer bunny (monty python type) and she think back to this very moment and quietly and repeatedly repeats to herself.
“You’ve been using magic nonstop and seem just fine.”
I present to you: The empire of Rome, ruled from the City of Rome, founded by Rom(ulus)
Age: 57, huh?
Really makes me wonder just what happened in her second life (or maybe first, if chapter 1 was the end of her second life).
Ah, that was missing info on my side. The counter is for her current life. It's 57 (days). I forgot to add the days after.
@FatElf did you notice that nobody can sub on petreon?
@AbusedEve Thank you. I had paused for the break and forgot to unpause it.
To make things worse, the whole ritual and magic, aside from the coppery smell of blood, reminded Yuki of the strong smell of Parmesan cheese
Hmm, must be the bile.
Thanks for the chapter