Chapter 79
Moikan's eyes burned with fervor.
Humans were the only race capable of casting off the limits of their birth.
Humans were born with frail bodies, yet could grow strong enough to hunt even dragons.
And since he was half-human himself, Moikan believed it was possible.
As long as it wasn't zero—as long as there was even a 0.1% chance—he intended to challenge it to the very end.
If he kept researching, he might find another way even if it wasn't a mana cultivation technique.
‘What matters is possibility. If there's even the slightest possibility, the method doesn't matter. First, I have to try!’
Monkeyfolk had always played second fiddle.
They only padded the numbers and did menial work.
Moikan hated that more than anything.
So he wanted to change it.
He wanted to show that monkeyfolk could become strong too.
By becoming the strongest beastfolk himself.
“The problem is what happens after you beastify.”
“The faintly formed mana circuit remains.”
“I told you not to do it until we had confirmed it was safe.”
“We won't know whether it failed unless we try. I thought that even if something went wrong, my natural regenerative ability would allow me to recover.”
“If we had a priest in our territory, we could conduct more daring experiments.”
Jade clicked his tongue.
Though it was territory governed by a high-ranking marquisate, unfortunately there were no priests living in the marquisate.
It was such a dangerous place that there was no temple.
There had been one during the Madraine Marquisate's rule, but it had withdrawn by now, so Jade wore a regretful expression.
“But you have me, don't you? I'm quite skilled at healing arts.”
“Our tribe also has a healing art passed down through the generations.”
Arellia said confidently, having appeared without anyone noticing.
She thought that while there might be some differences between races, elven healing arts would work on humans when it came to external wounds.
But Jade shook his head.
“I meant internal injuries. A priest's divine power can heal internal and external injuries at the same time.”
“Divine power really is absurdly versatile. Nothing can compare to it. Though that requires having genuine divine power in the first place.”
“Go ahead and beastify. Since we've made the mana circuit, let's check everything we can.”
“Yes!”
Moikan answered boldly and clenched both fists.
It wasn't particularly necessary; it was simply an expression of his resolve.
That he would succeed no matter what.
Before long, Moikan's form changed from an ordinary human boy into a monkey about 2.5 meters tall.
“Ugh!”
Kkyu! Kkyuuu!
Della's eyes widened at the sight.
It was her first time seeing a beastfolk transform, so she was startled.
Whid, on the other hand, was used to the sight, so he wagged his tail excitedly.
The two had often played tag together once, so it seemed to remind him of those days.
“There, there. Nothing to be surprised about. He looks different, but he's still Moikan.”
“Unlike other beastfolk, I can still speak human language. My oral structure doesn't change that much.”
“Though my pronunciation gets a little slurred.”
Jade chuckled.
It was because Moikan seemed pointlessly proud of something so trivial.
Even so, Jade carefully examined Moikan's body.
He checked inside the beastified body by poking various parts of it with his fingers.
“The mana circuit seems fine.”
“It expanded along with your larger body. The minor mana channels throughout your body are unchanged. Try moving your mana.”
“Yes.”
Hmmmmm.
Since he still couldn't freely generate aura, a small resonant hum came from Moikan's fists.
He had enough mana, at least, to move and concentrate it.
“How does it feel? Is anything different from usual?”
“I don't feel any particular difference. If anything, it feels a little easier to control my mana.”
“That's the same phenomenon as with humans. Can you control all the mana in your body?”
“I'll try.”
Since everything he was doing was an experiment and research, Moikan wore a serious expression as he drew up every bit of mana available to him.
The future of the monkeyfolk rested on each one of his attempts, so Moikan's expression was more resolute than ever.
Hmmmm!
He clenched both fists again, and a faint resonant hum could be heard.
And though faint, aura flickered into being.
He had somehow formed aura, even if it wasn't yet an Aura Fist.
But Jade examined the inside of Moikan's body rather than his fists.
“Hold it a little longer.”
“……Yes! I'll endure as long as I can!”
“That's enough.”
“Huh?”
Moikan, who had been gritting his teeth as though determined to hold out as long as possible, looked blank for a moment.
He was flustered because it had ended so abruptly.
But instead of answering, Jade furrowed his brow.
He was organizing his thoughts.
“Ugh!”
“Heh, this is your first time seeing him like this, right?”
While Jade was lost in thought, Della approached with Whid.
Then she stared at Moikan with curious eyes.
She was surprised that her mischievous big brother had transformed into a gigantic monkey with pitch-black fur.
Unexpectedly, however, Della was not afraid.
“U!”
“You think he's cool? Our Della really does have excellent aesthetic sense. Heh heh heh!”
Far from being afraid, Della even tentatively stroked his fur with curious eyes, prompting Moikan to strike a comical pose.
Fortunately, she wasn't afraid, but he wanted to look as funny as possible so he could put her at ease.
Kkyut! Kky-heh-heh!
Whid clapped and laughed at Moikan's pose, which was enough to provoke explosive laughter.
It was because Moikan looked so funny after beastifying.
Della giggled softly beside him.
“What do you think? This form is charming too, isn't it? If I get the chance later, I'll show you Uncle Elephant too. Do you know what an elephant is?”
Baden Village had tigerfolk, lionfolk, and foxfolk, but Moikan naturally left them out.
They were too fierce and ferocious for young Della to look at.
Della was still young; she had too little time even to look at beautiful and pleasant things.
“Ugh!”
“You don't know? Then I guess I'll have to show you sometime. The elephant tribe is fierce too, but they're still better than the other tribes.”
“Wouldn't the fox tribe be better?”
“They're too crafty.”
“Oh my?”
Arellia wore an incredulous expression.
It was rather like the pot calling the kettle black.
“Later, I'll let you ride on my shoulders too! It'll be refreshing to run through the trees! That's my specialty!”
“Moikan.”
“Yes, Lord Jade!”
Moikan, who had been showing off his muscles by shifting through various poses, immediately turned around.
He straightened up toward Jade like a soldier standing at attention.
“I think you can begin properly learning the mana circuit. We still need to keep monitoring your progress, of course. But your tribe doesn't really use weapons either, does it?”
“Yes. We use our hands and feet better than other beastfolk, but we're still nowhere near humans. And as beastfolk, we're fairly large, so human weapons don't fit us well either. At most, we throw rocks or uproot trees and swing them.”
“There’s a technique I know called external arts (外功). It trains the skin, muscles, and bones to their limits. Of course, beastfolk already know how to use mana, so I was thinking you could learn external arts tailored to monkeyfolk rather than pure external arts.”
“External arts?”
Moikan tilted his head.
It was another word he had never heard before, after genes, so he wondered what it meant.
As he did so, Moikan sneaked a glance at Alfredo and Arellia.
But both wore expressions showing that it was unfamiliar to them.
“Yes. You develop the abilities monkeyfolk are born with to their absolute limits.”
“Develop the abilities we already possess to their absolute limits……!”
Moikan's eyes sparkled.
Just hearing it made his heart pound.
“Once your mana increases, you can make something like this too.”
Vroooom!
A layer of aura rose over Jade's body.
It was far weaker than a body-protecting aura, but it still formed a barrier capable of protecting his body to some extent.
Moikan's eyes shone even more intensely at the sight.
“If a hardened body and vast mana were combined, it might well be possible to transcend the limits of the monkeyfolk.”
Gulp!
The aura barrier vanished in an instant.
But in Moikan's mind, he envisioned himself pummeling lionfolk while covered from head to toe in an aura barrier.
There he was, pounding his chest and roaring at the sky.
“Of course, there will be countless trials and error.”
“I’ll do it! I’ll definitely succeed! Please teach me!”
Thump, thump!
Moikan slammed his forehead against the floor.
He bowed his head as though he were human.
But the action ended after only two repetitions.
Jade had used mana to stop Moikan.
“Stop. I was going to research it with you even without that. I don't know the details myself, so we'll have to study it together. I know the general method, but I can't say for certain that it's the correct answer. You might even have to go through more trial and error than you are now.”
“I’ll do it! I’ll do it no matter what! If there’s even a 1% chance, I’ll do it!”
“It will be incredibly difficult. It will be agonizing beyond mere physical training. Your skin might peel off dozens or hundreds of times.”
Unlike humans, his entire body was thickly covered in fur, but monkeyfolk hide was not especially durable compared to that of other beastfolk.
So he would have to endure tremendous pain.
“I’ll do it anyway. Nothing can be gained without sacrifice or endurance.”
“You sound like an old man.”
Jade chuckled.
The phrase high risk, high return had come to mind.
But on the other hand, he acknowledged Moikan's resolve.
“I’m truly grateful to you, Lord Jade.”
“It’s too soon. Thank me when it’s complete—when it’s complete.”
“Understood.”
“For now, practice the mana cultivation technique. If anything goes wrong, stop immediately and come to me. Don’t forget.”
Jade urged him repeatedly.
Fortunately, the mana circuit had settled stably, but one could never be too careful.
Since it was right to be cautious if there was even the slightest chance something could go wrong, Jade warned him again and again.
There was even a possibility of qi deviation—or, in their terms, a mana rampage.
‘Well, that’s true of completed mana cultivation techniques too.’
Even a mana cultivation technique proven safe was not entirely free of danger.
Moreover, since all mana cultivation techniques could be dangerous in the beginning, Jade explained that aspect as well.
“Mana rampage?”
“Yes. So don’t practice while overly excited. You must always maintain your composure. A mana rampage can happen in an instant.”
“Mana rampage really is dangerous. Even our breathing technique, passed down for thousands of years, occasionally causes mana rampages.”
Gulp!
Upon hearing that mana rampages could occur in elves as well as humans, Moikan swallowed dryly.
He realized anew how dangerous great power was when told that survival required good luck and most victims ended up disabled.
“Still, Jade is here.”
“I’m not a healer, though.”
“But you know more about this field than anyone, don’t you?”
“That’s true.”
“I’d like to ask your advice too, if not for the Oath of Covenant.”
Arellia's eyes gleamed.
Knowing how extraordinarily knowledgeable Jade was about mana cultivation techniques, she desperately wanted to ask his advice.
But because of the oath, she couldn't.
“Elves are already strong enough. Why bother?”
“We still desire to climb higher. What do humans call it? The desire for self-improvement?”
“Aren’t elves a race that loves peace?”
“We think a little differently. Peace requires strength, too.”
Jade nodded.
He agreed with those words.
“If we keep researching and pondering, we’ll find a way. What matters is effort and direction.”
Arellia turned Jade's words over in her mind.
The words effort and direction stirred a strange resonance in her heart.