Chapter 3 - Magical Beast 1

-550 days later-

Approximately 550 days had passed since Kurando began living in the cave.

He stares at the very-first-marking that he had etched (using a knife) on the cave’s wall.

Kurando casually reached towards the magical beast. It has a white & black polka-dot pattern and it resembles a snow leopard. Using his finger he plays with its nose.

This magical beast is already the size of an adult snow leopard on Earth, but surprisingly it is far from reaching maturity.

The magical beast slightly opens its eyes when Kurando had poked its nose. With a dissatisfied expression it looks upon the rude person. In protest it hits Kurando using its tail that happens to be twice as long as its body.

The beast wraps its tail around Kurando’s neck and back.

From there Kurando silently strokes the bottom of its neck.

Immediately after a sound similar to a cat’s purr can be heard coming from its throat.

If someone saw this scene they would’ve found it ridiculous, but to them it was normal.

He named the magical beast that was encountered, Yukishiro (ゆきしろ). Finally instead of staying inside Kurando decide to embark from the cave.

◆◆◆

-550 days prior-

Because he didn’t have to worry about food, it couldn’t be helped that Kurando chooses to shut-himself-inside the cave to make mental and physical preparations prior to embarking from the cave.

The current him couldn’t leave without anything disastrous happening to him. For a Japanese person such as Kurando, it wasn’t difficult for him to imagine being powerless in a dangerous world. Kurando had chosen to concentrate on mastering the magic from the textbook. He also took the opportunity to improve his physical strength.

Mostly likely this world is based on one’s magic skill and not so much on the technical abilities of one’s body.

While there was still a dim light shining into the cave Kurando skimmed the textbook and decided to practice magic.

「Fire」 (Kurando)

He faints.

Kurando got up. He recalled feeling a slight sharp pain throughout his whole body. The sun had already gone down. He couldn’t see his wristwatch so he wasn’t able to confirm the time.

Kurando sluggishly returns to the interior of the cave. He fell asleep while feeling pain throughout his body.

The moral of the story is “don’t skim read”.

The next morning Kurando awoke to the chilly air. Shortly after, he picks up the textbook.

Kurando learned his lesson. He felt a chill whenever he remembered the incident yesterday night.

Occasionally Kurando would take out some food to munch on as he read the table of contents, the prologue, and the 1st chapter (boys and girls coming of age) about the residents of this world. He reads the entire book. And, then re-reads it. Before once again practicing what he had learned.

「Small flame.」 (Kurando)

This time around Kurando fainted from a headache.

The content of the textbook causes fainting and sharp pains. However, the headache themselves weren’t much of a problem. Kurando disregards the fatigue and muscle pain; he uses the magic without hesitation.

To affect the outcome the intentions has to be made through the incantation. In addition, it is not possible to control the discharge of maryoku. Kurando had concluded that he faints during the phenomenon that occurs when maryoku is absorbed by the spirits in the surround air.

It could be said that a pool of maryoku is the surplus from a person’s life force. Maryoku is the term used to describe the energy that fuels magic.

Kurando takes a deep breath; it almost had an effect on his inner life force. His body sensed an impending crisis. It intercepts the outside supply of maryoku and blocks it off. This causes him to faint. When the body wrongly assumes that there is an insufficient amount of lifeforce it will then increase one’s life force pool.

The textbook acknowledges the existence of spirits and maryoku. It is said that spirits have existed in the air since ancient times. It also stated that Kurando’s actions up until now aren’t recommended.

Kurando felt his maryoku being sucked up by an invisible & formless plankton like thing. Those lifeforms gobbled up his maryoku like hungry pigeons gobbling up bird feed in a park. Feeling light headed, Kurando faints.

Kurando slowly gets up. This time, he felt pain and hears a slightly ringing in his ears.

He looks at his wristwatch. This time, a whole day did not elapse. Only 3 hours had passed since Kurando had fainted.

And once again,

「Small red flame.」 (Kurando)

Before he fainted, Kurando felt a blast followed by heart pains.

Nevertheless, he repeated this process 10 more times. He fainted every time; however, the interval in which he stayed unconscious shortened each time. Kurando dug a small hole in the middle of the room to be used as a makeshift fireplace. In that location is a small red fire. Kurando shakes his fist in triumphant.

This small fire is merely the concretization of the lowest-class of fire spirits; the resident of this world commonly uses this to cooking their meals.

Kurando learned from this experience that spirits manifest themselves as a natural phenomenon in this world as long as they are provided with enough maryoku.

After his first successful use of magic Kurando began to immerse himself in learning magic.

◆◆◆

Every morning after Kurando got up, he would gaze outside to relax. Afterwards, he would practice magic, and then faint.

This was Kurando’s daily routine. Before he knew it the blizzard outside had already ended.

In total there are now 180 marks etched on the wall.

Every morning after he got up Kurando ate his meal before remove the earth cover that he made to close the cave’s entrance way.

After Kurando had learned to materialize earth spirits whenever it was possible he would cover the cave’s entrance before going to sleep.

But, by no means could one call it a cave lid.

It is dawn, the dazzlingly morning sunlight causes Kurando to squint.

This is his first time coming into contact with direct sunlight after quite a long time.

After opening his eyes he looks around the mountain side. As usual, Kurando sees a magical beast, resembling a snow leopard, laying on the wide rocky area while it bathes in the sunlight.

The magical beast slowly raises its head. Its fur from its head to its abdominal is pure white. Overall it looks like a snow leopard with a few less black spot.

From a considerable distance away it motionless stares at Kurando with its ash golden eyes. The beast’s pride would not allow Kurando to disturbed it.

And thus, as if nothing happened the beast lays its head back down.

Kurando was mesmerized by the wild beast.

During those 180 days, the blizzard occasionally became calmer.

In the morning whenever Kurando looked outside he usually saw that magical beast laying there.

The first time he saw the beast his body stiffened. Kurando had thought he was going to be eaten. Several days passed. He had encountered it every day, but nothing happened. The beast didn’t seem to mind the company. Perhaps, it also had been watch Kurando all along?

And thus, the feeling seems mutual. They never approach one another.

There are various theories, but the magic textbook defines a magical beast as an animal that can use magic.

When an existence accumulates enough life force (life spirit) & other spirits it will result in the next generation becoming a race that can use magic.

Lifeforce is life spirit in itself. It resides in all living beings whether it is a tree, an insect, or even human. One could call it 『a second heart or a second brain』.

From a broader perspective, one could define a magical beast as the reincarnation of a human soul.

However, there is no coexisting (mutual understanding) with a monster – when the amount of spirits it hold within it decreases that cause it to transform and then materialize. They are natural disasters; it’s a universally enemy to all living beings – it is a different entity altogether.

Not every magical beast can be reasoned with. But, it is not-possible-at-all to reason with a monster.

In reality, Kurando and the snow leopard like magical beast had nonverbally come to a mutual understanding that they will not bother each other.

Perhaps, this was possible because Kurando doesn’t have any means to attack it.

Kurando never did show any attempt to hunt the beast for its fur to keep himself warm from the cold. Although it was a guaranteed method to keep himself warm Kurando never considered it, not even for a second.

As a result of their mutual understand, Kurando looked forward to gazing at the magical beast outside the cave; to Kurando it was his entertainment for the day. Perhaps, he wanted to be in the presence of another living being other than himself?

For some time now, he wanted to approach the existence that caught his attention. Today, Kurando decided to go outside.

Kurando shivers. Did he fear going outside into the world? Or, was his shivering caused by the cold air?

He didn’t have an answer to that question.

All he know is that he is going outside. And, that is all.