Transmigrate to another world

"Well, that gives me a lot to think about. But here's something that still puzzles me: why are you surprised that I have mana?"

Ele says, "Because beastmen have a beast core. A beast core absorbs mana and converts it into life energy, that's why beastmen can be so strong. To have mana, you either don't have a beast core, or you have mana so strong that it's more than your beast core can absorb. The only being known like that is what you called a dragon."

"Wait, I have a beast core?"

Ele says, "As a beastman you should. But my time is running out."

"Oh right, sorry, I lost track of time."

Ele says, "Don't worry, I enjoyed our chat. You're a very interesting character, Klein. Makes me wish I could stick around to see what happens next. Hmmm..."

"What?"

Ele says, "Well, there's a possibility, since you have mana. I could try to form a bond with you that would allow you to summon me. However, you can only form one bond and it would be for the rest of your life."

"Alright, let's do it!"

Ele says "What, you didn't even think about it!"

"You're the first friendly being I've met since I was summoned to this world, and who knows how long it will take me to escape this place. If I don't have a friend to talk to, I'll go crazy."

Ele says "Friend? I've never had a friend before! Fine, we'll give it a try. But first you must give me a proper name, Ele won't work since it's just short for Elemental."

I look at her carefully and think of a name for her. It has to be a good name, something that fits her.

"How about Ruby? Because to me your eyes look like rubies."

Ruby says, "I like it! I don't know what a ruby is, but I like the sound of it."

"A ruby is a type of gemstone, usually dark red in color. If they exist in this world, I'll show you one when I find one."

Ruby says, "All right. Now, when I make the contract, you'll have to put your blood on it to sign it. Then I will seal the bond with a kiss. Now, keep in mind that I am made of fire, so it will burn you. Also, the bond will be burned into your soul. It will hurt you a lot!

Are you still sure you want to do this?"

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"Yes, I'm sure."

Ruby says, "Okay, I'll do the contract now, it only takes a drop of blood. I'll also disappear afterwards because this will use up the last of my mana. While you should be able to summon me right away, wait about a week before you try, as I need time on the other side to recover."

"Okay, I get it, let's do it!"

Ruby spreads her hands about a foot apart and after a minute, a scroll made of fire appears. I read it very quickly and find no hidden clauses or anything, so I prick my finger and place it on the bottom of the contract.

As I touch the contract, I burn my finger, but then everything starts to glow and the scroll rolls up and spins so that its ends point toward Ruby and me. Then, when Ruby leans in to kiss me, the parchment stretches and enters our chests.

"How can lips made of fire be so soft, and how can it be so pleasurable when my lips are burning?"

I collapse to the floor, writhing in pain as Ruby disappears. I feel as if all the blood in my body has been replaced by fire and I'm being burned alive from the inside.

⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩

- Congratulations, the Pain Resistance skill has advanced to level 4!

√ Resist pain

√ Level 4.

- You feel 45% less pain.

- Physical damage reduced by 3%.

"DIZ" "DIZ"

- Congratulations, you've acquired a new skill!

√ Thanks to the contract you have obtained the Fire Elemental Bond!

√ Fire Elemental Bond.

- You are bound to the Fire Elemental Ruby. Fire resistance +30.

⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩

- Congratulations, you have acquired the Summoning skill!

√ Summoning

√ Level 1

- MP cost 100+5/Hour

- You can summon Ruby, Lesser Fire Elemental.

'Whew! Argh! Ow! That was only sixty percent of the pain? I thought I was going to die!

I lay there for quite a while, the memory of the pain making me reluctant....

To move. Finally, the rumbling of my stomach motivates me to get up. I grab my spear and head to the mushroom area to catch something for dinner.

"Hmm... 100 MP +5 per hour? That way I can summon Ruby and keep her around for eleven hours max."

I need to get more mana or level up the skill to reduce the cost. It says it's a minor fire elemental. I wonder what the ranks are, I'll have to ask him in a week when I can summon her.

I soon catch two fish and go back to my room to roast them. I try to pick up my book and read as usual, but I have too many thoughts swirling around in my head to concentrate on the words.

So I put the book down and think about everything Ruby had said to me while I was eating the fish. Wait, didn't she say something about lighting a forge? What forge? Do I have a beast core? How can I find out?

As I think about it, I think about meditation. In many manga, meditation can be used for various things. I decided to try meditating to explore my body instead of focusing on healing. When I immerse myself in meditation, an outline of my body appears before my mind.

As I focus on myself, the body becomes clearer and then I can see the movement of energy within my body. I see a solid black beast core in the center of my chest. It looks like the beast cores I have collected and absorbed.

As I focus on it, I seem to get closer and closer to it. As I get closer and the image of my body becomes clearer, I can see how the energy flows into my body from the outside and then follows paths leading to the core.

-So, is this the mana I am absorbing to feed my core? I wonder if I can affect it. Or the channels it follows?

Then I start experimenting and soon discover that I can make small changes here and there. Mainly, I can smooth out some rough spots in the channels and widen some narrow spots. I am surprised when I suddenly lose meditation and fall down. I feel dizzy and strange.

MP: 0/155

I guess doing things uses MP as energy to make changes. That just means I need to get my MP back and try again. So I meditate normally for seven hours to get my MP back. Then I go back to mind-eye meditation; it's much easier the second time.

This time the channels look good, so I concentrate on the center. As I zoom in, I discover that my center is not smooth, but covered with ridges and imperfections. I can start making small cuts, but very soon I give up meditation because my MP reaches 0.

Again I have to stop and meditate for seven hours to regain my MP. Now that I have found out about the inner vision, I am obsessed with it. I am about to go back to work on my core when my stomach strongly objects. I am forced to procrastinate while I go fishing and cook a couple of fish.

Once my hunger is satiated, I immediately return to the inner world and nibble again at the same spot. Just before I run out of manna, I pluck a flake and discover that there is red underneath instead of black. Then I lose the meditative state and feel dizzy and sick again. So I do another seven hours of meditation to recover my MP.

√ Core upgrade process started. 1% progress.

⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩.

- Congratulations, the Meditation skill has advanced to level 8!

√ Meditation

√ Level 8

- physical +8 Intelligence. +4 Charm. +4

- A skill for recovery. HP 30/hour MP 30/hour

'Core upgrade? What did I just do?'

Wait, does that mean I have to turn the entire core red? That'll take me a year with my current mana! Well, I need to upgrade my mana before I continue working on my core. Wait, all beastmen have cores? does that mean rat men have them too?

I run over to the pile of garbage and ignore the smell as best I can. I open the chest of the rat man I killed. Sure enough, I find a small core and pull it out. I go back to my room with it and wash it off, along with my hands. Then I sit down and look at the core.

√ ITEM.

√ Beast Core

- Quality: Minor

- Would you like to absorb it? Y/N.

"Yes!"

- You have absorbed the Minor Beast core. HP +5 MP +5

'Is that all?'

No, wait, that's something, there are twenty-nine more rat men, this will add up quickly. Okay, new plan, hunt everything in the sewers that has a beast core to increase my MP and then work on upgrading my core."