TSOMFL 07

Chapter 7

However, the reason I didn’t deny Tashik’s words wasn’t only because of those romantic thoughts.

I calmly examined my dream of becoming an ice sculptor once again.

‘Just having passion alone doesn’t guarantee I can achieve that dream.’

Because becoming an artist who creates ice sculptures requires money.

In my past life, I also wanted to become a sculptor, but the biggest reason I couldn’t achieve that dream was money in the end.

‘To study sculpture, I needed to enter an art university, but the material costs and tuition were far beyond what my family could afford.’

A path you cannot walk without money.

In the end, the me from my past life chose a different future.

Even so, I could never fully let go of my dream and kept looking back at it.

But luckily, the current me no longer had to worry about material costs.

Because I had the crystal engine inside my heart, and with it, I could create endless amounts of ice.

Still, even then, money was necessary.

I was only a thirteen-year-old child.

Thanks to remembering my past life, I knew a little about how the world worked, but my body was still that of a child.

‘And because of all the experiments, I’m weaker and smaller than children my age.’

For a weak child to survive, one thing was absolutely necessary.

A guardian to protect them.

But sadly, I had no guardian.

The Grand Duke, who was supposed to act as “Genuere’s” guardian in the original story, was the person destined to kill me.

‘And the priests of Leventos… there’s no need to even talk about them.’

Maybe that was why.

Honestly, I didn’t feel like I needed a guardian anymore.

‘Instead, I absolutely need money!’

With money, I could get proper food, a place to sleep, and clothes to wear.

‘And hunting magical beasts makes money.’

In this world, materials from magical beasts sold for quite high prices.

This was something many people didn’t know, but certain magical beast materials could be sold to medicine shops for a lot of money.

‘And the Tashik standing in front of me now…’

Was someone with great potential who would someday become the war-crazed beast male lead.

Magical beasts were dangerous, but somehow, if I stayed with this boy, I felt like no magical beast would scare me.

Because I knew just how incredible he would become.

‘Then…’

What should I do?

After thinking for a moment—

I looked directly into his golden glowing eyes and opened my mouth.

“Tashik.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to be friends with me?”

“…What?”

Tashik blinked slowly in surprise at my words.

After a long moment, he asked,

“…What’s a friend?”

“Just someone who does fun things together?”

I raised one finger.

“Hunting magical beasts. You said I had talent, remember?”

“Uh? Yeah.”

“Then let me join you next time you hunt magical beasts.”

At least I won’t hold you back.

‘No, I’ll probably be helpful instead.’

Most importantly, Tashik probably still didn’t know that magical beast materials could be sold for a lot of money.

‘If you stay with me, you can earn tons of money!’

At that moment, Tashik reached his hand toward my forehead.

“Can I touch your forehead?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

I nodded stiffly and tightly shut my eyes.

Then Tashik’s hand carefully touched my forehead softly for a moment before pulling away.

After that, he frowned.

“You have a fever.”

“Yeah.”

I nodded.

I already knew.

‘Actually, for a while now, I’ve been seeing three Tashiks.’

Well, it made sense.

Before I could even recover from the shock of remembering my past life, I escaped the underground laboratory, wandered through the snowy mountains, defeated a magical beast, and came all the way here.

‘I never really had a chance to rest.’

I quietly accepted my condition and slowly lay back down.

“Sorry, but I think I’ll rely on you a little longer.”

“….”

Through my blurry vision, I saw Tashik stare at me speechlessly before slowly nodding.

Tashik stood up and pushed more fallen leaves and branches into the campfire while messing up his hair.

Fwoosh, crackle crackle.

Watching him, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

‘This feels cozy.’

Even though this cave had nothing in it, it still felt far more comfortable than the laboratory.

Listening to the warm sound of the campfire, almost like it was gently telling me to sleep well—

I quickly fell asleep.

At one point, Tashik believed he clearly understood why he fought magical beasts.

Because his mother had always told him.

“Tashik, you must meet your father someday.”

“And for that, you must possess the blood of the strongest warrior.”

“Just kill magical beasts. Kill more of them, and kill stronger ones.”

“If you do that, you will gain the blood of the strongest warrior.”

Because his mother, who had once been the meaning of his entire life, told him those words, Tashik followed them without doubt.

From childhood, he wandered the snowy mountains alone, killing many magical beasts.

And then stronger magical beasts.

Again and again.

He had nearly died countless times, but thanks to the blood of the wolf tribe flowing through him, his body healed quickly no matter how badly he was injured.

And as his battle experience increased, his combat ability also continued to grow.

But since when had it started?

A corner of Tashik’s heart began feeling empty.

‘Why do I fight?’

He thought he knew the answer.

But sometimes, a strange feeling would suddenly tear through his thoughts, making him wonder if he had never truly known the reason at all.

Whenever that happened, Tashik deliberately imagined one person’s face.

‘Father!’

The person he absolutely had to meet after proving himself as the strongest warrior.

Now that his mother was gone, he couldn’t say he felt no longing for the father he had never met.

But at the same time, that father was still an extremely distant existence.

No matter how hard he imagined him, he could never picture the face clearly.

Was the reason he covered himself in the blood of magical beasts really only to meet that person?

Whenever sleepless nights came, Tashik would sink into deep thoughts.

Eventually, he stopped thinking about the “reason.”

Instead, he simply killed more magical beasts.

Again and again.

As if trying to fill the emptiness inside his chest.

Tashik decided not to think too deeply about this problem anymore.

After all, surviving in the snowy mountains meant killing magical beasts.

And more importantly—

It was the only thing he had done his entire life.

So he simply kept killing.

Again and again.

But then…

One day, after the blizzard disappeared and sunlight sparkled brightly—

The moment Tashik opened his eyes, he saw a girl with emerald eyes standing outside the cave beneath the sunlight.

The girl stared blankly at the endless blue sky for a while before sensing his presence.

Then she turned around, smiled warmly at him, and said,

“Good morning, Tashik.”

Her cheeks were slightly red, and she looked strangely excited as she continued.

“Today’s the day, right? The day we go hunt magical beasts together.”

“…Hah.”

Without realizing it, Tashik let out a dumbfounded breath.

Ever since that day, the girl had been sick for several days like she was almost dead.

And now she had barely recovered enough strength to step outside for the first time.

‘What exactly is this girl?’

Tashik messed up his dark blue hair in confusion before suddenly remembering the girl’s name.

‘Her name was… Genuere.’

Right.

Genuere.

And just as Genuere had said, today was the day they would hunt magical beasts together for the first time.

Around this time of year, there was a place not far from the cave where bear-type magical beasts frequently appeared.

Yes.

Today they would hunt one of them.

After preparing for the hunt, Tashik brought Genuere to the canyon where the bear magical beasts appeared.

Now they were hiding behind a large rock at the top of the canyon while watching the forest below.

Soon, a bear magical beast slowly walked out from the trees.

Thud. Thud.

The bear moved lazily while thick black liquid dripped from its body.

Suddenly, it lifted its head and discovered Tashik and Genuere.

The magical beast grinned, lowered its body, and revealed its long claws.

In other words—

It had entered a battle stance.

‘It’s coming.’

Soon the magical beast would climb the canyon wall and attack them.

Tashik lowered his body and gripped his spear tightly.

But then—

Silver hair shining beneath the sunlight brushed past him and stepped forward.

It was Genuere.

“…Right. If you move like that.”

Genuere fixed her eyes on the bear magical beast and slowly breathed in.

It looked as if only she and the magical beast existed in the entire world.

After calming her breathing, she suddenly stomped her small bare foot onto the ground.

Bang!

The moment her foot struck the earth, ice burst upward from beneath her feet with a cracking sound.

The ice slithered down the canyon wall like a giant snake.

In an instant, the ice spread across the cliff like an opening fan.

And the bear magical beast, which had been confidently climbing upward, suddenly slipped on the cold ice and lost its balance.

Boom!

It crashed headfirst into the ground below.

“Kraaaagh!”

The fallen bear rolled across the ground in pain while wildly flailing its legs in the air.

“Wow.”

Genuere let out a small sound of admiration before turning toward Tashik with a bright smile.

“I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“….”

Everything had happened in a single instant.

Unable to believe what he had just witnessed, Tashik stared blankly into Genuere’s emerald eyes before roughly messing up his own hair.

“You…?”

So he hadn’t imagined it after all.

This girl truly had talent for hunting magical beasts.

But why did that realization stir something deep inside his chest?

(To be continued)