Chapter 127: Catching Up

They returned to the mana spring the next day.

The journey was smooth and uneventful. The once wildly turbulent mana now calmed, the shimmering light diminishing to a gentle, steady pulse that colored the surrounding rocks with changing colors.

Cindy drifted ahead, her small body moving with more confidence than before. Her frills swayed gently as she approached the spring, and Gray watched as her silver eyes lit up.

"It’s still here," she breathed. "And it’s stable."

Gray hovered at the edge of the clearing, his senses sweeping the area for threats. The mana spring was calm, but he had to remain alert because danger could come at any time.

’Be careful,’ he said. ’We don’t know if something else is watching.’

"I will," Cindy said, already drifting toward the crack in the seafloor. "But this is important, Gray. The mana here is dense enough to refine my channels. If I can absorb enough of it, I might be able to push past Third Circle."

Gray settled onto a rock near the entrance to the clearing, his serrated bell angled so he could watch both Cindy and the surrounding water.

’I’ll keep an eye out,’ he said. ’You do your thing.’

Cindy nodded, then turned her attention to the spring. She raised both hands, and silver light gathered around her fingers. Slowly, she began to draw the ambient mana into herself, threading it through her channels like water flowing into a reservoir.

Gray watched her work. Cindy’s small body was silent and cute, like a doll. Seeing her like that made him want to stroke her head, but he knew that if he tried, she’d bite him again. So he just watched her, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

For a long while, everything was peaceful.

Cindy’s glow grew brighter as she absorbed the mana. Her frills splayed wide, pulsing with a rhythm that matched the spring’s own light. Her small body trembled slightly, but she didn’t stop.

Then Gray noticed a shape moving in the dark beyond the clearing.

It was a creature the size of his bell, its body translucent and jelly-like, with a single long tendril trailing beneath it. It drifted toward the spring, drawn by the mana, its tendril swaying like a fishing line.

[MOTE DRIFTER — Level 12]

HP: 60 / 60

Threat Level: LOW

« Analysis »

A small, harmless creature that feeds on ambient mana. Mote Drifters are often found near mana springs but are too weak to pose a threat to larger creatures. They are, however, incredibly sensitive to mana fluctuations and will flee at the first sign of danger.

Gray watched it drift closer, its tendril grazing the spring’s surface. It pulsed once, twice, then began to absorb the mana just as Cindy was.

’Cindy,’ Gray said quietly. ’There’s a small one here. Should I kill it?’

Cindy didn’t open her eyes, but her voice came steady.

"No. It’s harmless. Let it feed."

Gray settled back onto his rock, his senses still tracking the small creature. It pulsed steadily as it absorbed the mana, its translucent body glowing brighter with each passing moment.

Another Mote Drifter drifted into the clearing. They gathered around the spring like moths around a flame, their tiny bodies pulsing with mana.

’They’re gathering,’ Gray said. ’Is that normal?’

"Yes," Cindy replied. "Mana springs attract small creatures. They’re drawn to the energy. It’s the same on the surface, magical beasts will always be drawn to a spring like this. As long as nothing larger comes, it’s safe."

Gray wasn’t convinced, but he held his position. The Mote Drifters continued to feed, their glow growing brighter.

Then Cindy’s body flared.

A pulse of silver light erupted from her, so bright it painted the entire clearing in white. The Mote Drifters scattered, fleeing into the dark. The mana spring rippled, its surface churning briefly before settling again.

Gray was on his feet in an instant.

’Cindy!’

She hovered above the spring, her frills splayed wide, her silver eyes glowing with a new intensity. Her small body had grown, just slightly, and her glow was steadier, stronger, more controlled.

"I did it," she said, her voice trembling with disbelief. "I reached Fourth Circle."

Gray drifted closer, studying her.

’You’re sure?’

"I’m sure," Cindy said, and there was a quiet pride in her voice that hadn’t been there before. "I can feel it. My channels are stronger. My core is more refined. I can cast spells that would have been impossible before."

’Good,’ Gray said. ’That means you’re stronger.’

"Yes," Cindy said, her frills lifting. "Much stronger."

She raised one hand, and a sphere of silver light formed above her palm. It was larger than the Mana Bolt she’d used before. She let it hover there for a moment, then dismissed it with a flick of her fingers.

"I can do more now," she said. "I can cast real attack spells. I can heal more effectively. I can protect myself."

’Then you won’t need me as much,’ Gray said, his voice light.

Cindy turned toward him, her silver eyes soft.

"That’s not true," she said. "I’ll always need you. Just like you’ll always need me."

Gray was taken aback by her words. Yet underneath the surprise, a warmth spread through him, the quiet joy of being needed by someone.

’Yeah,’ he said. ’I guess that’s true.’

They left the mana spring shortly after. Cindy had absorbed everything she needed, and Gray didn’t want to push their luck with the Xytheris gone but other predators potentially drawn to the same energy.

As Gray swam back toward the Verdant Hollow, Cindy rested quietly in the curl of his tentacles, her small body fitting neatly against his bell.

"With this, I’m stronger than you now, aren’t I?" she said, her voice light with teasing pride.

’Impossible,’ Gray said. ’I’m still the stronger one. Don’t get cocky.’

Cindy’s frills lifted, clearly offended.

"Cocky? I just reached Fourth Circle. That’s not cockiness, that’s fact."

’You reached Fourth Circle,’ Gray agreed. ’And you’re still the one riding on my tentacles because you can’t keep up.’

Cindy went rigid against his bell. Her small hands curled into tiny fists.

"...That’s because you swim too fast," she muttered.

’Yep,’ Gray said. ’So until you can outswim me, outfight me, and survive on your own, you’re not stronger than me. You’re just... still catching up.’

Cindy could only fume at Gray’s strange logic. Then she pressed her cheek against his bell with a small, indignant huff.

"One day," she said. "One day I’ll be stronger than you, and I’ll make you carry me instead."

’I already carry you.’

"That’s not the same thing!"