Chapter 66: Chasing the Mana Stone

Delphin had never told a lie, not even once.

Her fear of tigers was genuine, her position as an association employee was truthful,

and hiding behind a tree out of fear of Harang was entirely real.

Yet, something shifted the moment she picked up Harang’s toy fishing rod.

The tiger she had feared moments ago was now begging her for the fish, stirring an inexplicable exhilaration deep within her.

“Ah…”

Delphin glanced down at Harang, holding the fishing rod tightly.

The pure, innocent eyes gazing up at her ignited a strange urge she didn’t understand.

‘W-What’s wrong with me?’

Delphin knew her personality better than anyone.

She was introverted, reserved, and barely initiated conversations, even for personal reasons.

But in front of Harang, she felt completely different like she had become someone else.

‘This is strange.’

She wanted to tease Harang.

Whether by lightly smacking Harang’s rear or denying her the toy fish she so loved,

Delphin imagined making her cry, only to hug her tightly and comfort her afterward.

To render Harang utterly reliant on her unable to live without her protection.

Even the mere thought caused a blush to spread across Delphin’s cheeks.

‘I don’t get it.’

Deciding to surrender to her instincts, she followed her whims.

After all, it didn’t feel bad. Not at all.

“Harang, let’s play with the toy fish some more, okay?”

“No, I’m done!”

Harang bolted into her cardboard “house,” leaving only her face peeking out.

She looked like a stray cat searching for its owner, and that pitiful sight only fed Delphin’s sadistic urges.

“You don’t want to play with me anymore?”

“Nope. I’m not playing with you. And you’re not my sister, anyway!”

Hyaaak!

Harang hissed, baring her teeth.

Delphin shuddered at the display.

‘Dangerous.’

It was frighteningly feral, enough to tug at her trauma.

But Delphin knew better.

A wild child was far more rewarding to tame than an obedient one.

The satisfaction of seeing them cry was incomparable.

Still, patience was key.

Bullying someone upon first meeting them would only make her seem unlikable.

Slowly, methodically, she would build their relationship whether through teasing or bonding.

Her ultimate goal was singular:

To make Harang completely dependent on her.

‘Tsk.’

Meanwhile, Harang gnawed on the edge of her “house.”

She needed to chew on something after failing to capture her prey.

Nibbling at the cardboard eased her hunting instincts, albeit slightly.

It was nowhere near as satisfying as catching a real fish, but it was better than nothing.

“Haah…”

She sighed, longing for a proper catch.

But for now, it was beyond her reach.

Delphin, clutching the toy fishing rod, was far too formidable an opponent.

‘Ugh.’

I gnawed endlessly at the edge of my box until Delphin crouched before me.

“Harang, do you really want to catch the fish?”

“……”

Did she even need to ask? I was practically losing my mind over it.

I furrowed my brow and gave her a reluctant nod, expressing my pent-up frustration.

“Then, how about we try for real this time?”

“Huh? For real?”

“But there’s a catch,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“What catch…?”

Instead of answering immediately, she grabbed the toy fish dangling from the rod, drawing my full attention.

“You can only catch it with your mouth, not your hands.”

“With just my mouth?”

“Yep. Only your mouth.”

That seemed way too easy.

My sharp teeth could rip through almost anything, and my reflexes were unparalleled.

“Alright, I’ll do it!”

I clenched my fists, brimming with confidence.

But then, out of nowhere, Delphin did something utterly baffling.

She bit the toy fish herself.

‘What the…?’

She had invited me to play a hunting game, yet now she was the one biting down on the fish?

I was still trying to make sense of her sudden move when she mumbled through the toy in her mouth, her voice muffled yet playful.

“Why don’t you try taking it from me?”

“Huh?”

I hesitated, slightly flustered.

But no way could I fail to retrieve something just hanging from her mouth. Besides, half of the fish was sticking out.

I immediately reached for it, aiming to grab it with my hand—

Only for Delphin to seize my wrist.

“Ow!”

Her grip was so tight it hurt, like she was about to snap my wrist in two.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at her in distress.

She reached out with her free hand and gently tapped my lips.

“Harang, remember? Only your mouth.”

“Oh, right.”

She was right I had violated the rules.

Her reasoning made sense, so I nodded in agreement and leaned in toward her.

If I wanted to catch the fish, I had to use my mouth.

Hoo—

The distance between us shortened until I could feel her breath against mine.

As I leaned in, closing the distance until our lips were nearly touching, I couldn’t help but grin.

‘Hehe.’

Finally, I was about to catch that elusive fish. My excitement bubbled over, and my tail swayed with joy.

Then—click!

The door suddenly swung open, and Raxy Bora burst in.

“Harang! I got the fishing rod! We can catch the abyssal fish now!”

“What? Now?”

I turned to look at her, and just like that, the fish I was so close to catching slipped from my mind.

It was right there, within reach, and now…

‘My fish!’

I whipped my head back toward Delphin, but she was gone.

‘What the…?’

Not even the faintest sound of movement had reached me, yet she had retreated far into the distance.

I stared at her in confusion as she raised a finger to her lips a silent gesture for me to keep quiet.

Quiet about what, though?

We were just playing, having fun.

Still bewildered, I exchanged looks with Delphin, only to feel Raxy Bora’s hand gently ruffle my hair.

“Harang, were you having fun?”

“Yeah, but just when I was about to catch the fish, you barged in.”

“Oh no, I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s fine.”

After all, we were about to catch an abyssal fish, and nothing could compare to that thrill.

We began walking toward the stream, anticipation in the air.

But something about the rod Delphin was holding felt… off.

She was holding my toy fishing rod, not an actual one.

“Why’d you bring that? You can’t catch any fish with it.”

“Maybe not fish, but I might catch a cat,” she replied with a sly smile.

‘Well, it is a cat toy…’

If she wanted to catch a cat, then that made sense. It wasn’t my place to judge.

In fact, watching her attempt that might even be entertaining.

‘Whatever.’

With nothing else to say, I simply followed the group to the stream.

“Harang, should we start here?”

“Yeah.”

We settled down at the edge of the stream, and Raxy Bora raised her fishing rod.

But… something seemed strange about it.

The rod’s end didn’t have a hook or bait.

Instead, it had a round gemstone attached a luminous blue stone that shimmered in the sunlight.

“Raxy, what’s that? Why doesn’t it have any bait?”

“This is a special lure for abyssal fish. ”

“They’re attracted to shiny things. Once they bite, the magic in the lure makes it impossible for them to let go.”

“……”

I’d heard about such methods before. Rare fish required expensive bait.

But using a mana stone for bait? That was on another level.

Raxy Bora’s wealth never failed to astonish me.

‘Wow.’

The sparkling mana stone was mesmerizing.

Even as Raxy Bora prepared to cast the line, my gaze remained fixed on the glittering blue gem.

“Alright, Harang, let me teach you how to fish.”

“Okay.”

“First, you loosen the line a little like this…”

“Mm-hm.”

She went on explaining the process step by step, but honestly, I wasn’t listening.

The mana stone at the end of the rod had completely captivated me.

‘So pretty…’

The brilliant blue glow was utterly enchanting.

As the fishing line swayed with the mana stone, my head followed its movement instinctively.

“Harang, are you ready to cast?”

“Yeah.”

As Raxy Bora pulled back the rod, my leg muscles involuntarily tensed, like a spring ready to snap.

Then whoosh!

With a swift motion, Raxy Bora cast the line,

and the glowing mana stone flew through the air in an elegant arc, landing in the middle of the stream.

“It’s mine!”

Without thinking, I dashed toward the stone.

The beauty of the gem seemed to pull me forward.

Splash!

“Harang!”

Raxy Bora called out from behind me, but there was no real danger.

The stream wasn’t deep, and the current wasn’t strong.

Panting, I pushed through the water, determined not to let the fish steal that stunning gem.

‘The mana stone is mine.’

Before the abyssal fish could take a bite, I grabbed the mana stone firmly with my teeth.

Squeak!

Slowly, Raxy Bora began reeling in the line.

“Harang, you need to hold on tight!”

“Mm-hm!”

With the small mana stone in my mouth, I was dragged along, but it didn’t hurt.

I paddled my legs along with the pulling motion, helping ease the strain on the line.

Perhaps it was because my body felt so light.

Panting, I fought the current, and soon, I reached the rock where Raxy Bora stood.

“Hehe, I caught a big one!”

“Yeah, you caught a tiger.”

I was glad to have the mana stone, and Raxy Bora was thrilled to have experienced catching a tiger fish.

As we laughed together, I heard Delphin’s voice from nearby.

“Eh…”

For some reason, she seemed disappointed as she stared down at my toy fishing rod.