The moment my claws brushed against it, a violent force rebounded from the transparent stone.
I didn't even have time to react before my body was flung backward.
"—!"
The world spun. I expected pain, or at least the floor rushing up to meet me, but instead I fell into something solid and warm. A strong arm wrapped around my small body mid-air, stopping all momentum as if it had never existed.
Soren had caught me.
He held me against his chest, one hand steadying my back while the other supported my hind legs.
I blinked, dazed. 'What the hell just happened?'
I stared past his shoulder at the transparent energy stone still sitting innocently on the table, as if it hadn't just tried to murder me.
That didn't make sense.
I was fine when I carved Soren's black dragon energy stone. More than fine—I had synchronized with it almost immediately. The carving back then felt natural, like breathing. There was no rejection. No resistance.
So why now?
Soren looked down at me, his brows knitting together slightly. He didn't look angry—just puzzled, thoughtful. "To carve an energy stone," he said slowly, "the first thing you should do is call out your perception."
I stiffened.
'Perception?'
I definitely had that.
In my past life—no, even now—perception was as natural to me as breathing. I didn't need to consciously summon it like most carvers. The moment my mind focused, it would automatically extend, gently touching the inner structure of a stone, listening to it, synchronizing with it. That was why my grandfather had called me a prodigy before I even learned proper sculpting techniques.
I lifted my head, ears flicking in irritation.
'I know that.'
Soren seemed to sense my stubborn confidence. His tone softened. "Try again."
I inhaled deeply, calming myself. I reached out once more, this time consciously focusing inward—searching for that familiar thread, that resonance I used to feel when my perception brushed against a stone's core.
My paw extended.
The instant my claws neared the surface—
Bang!
An invisible wall slammed into me.
I was launched backward again, faster this time.
"—!"
Soren caught me once more before I could hit the wall, his grip tightening briefly. His expression darkened, not with anger—but with alert concern.
"This damn stone!" I growled internally, my ears flattening. 'Why was I fine before?!'
He adjusted his stance and gently set me back down, then moved with efficiency. Pillows were placed around the room, lining the floor, the sofa, even the edge of the bed.
Only then did he allow me to try again.
Again.
Again.
And again.
The tenth impact left my head spinning.
I landed on the pillow again, my body sinking into it as I let out an irritated huff. My ears flattened tightly against my head and my tail lashed once in pure frustration. I glared at the transparent energy stone on the table as if it had personally offended my ancestors.
'What is your problem?!'
The stone sat there quietly, innocent and unmoved, reflecting the light like a clear drop of water—beautiful, untouchable, and absolutely infuriating.
'You think I'm giving up? Dream on!'
I glared at the transparent stone as if daring it to try again, then turned and stomped—well, as much as a leopard could stomp—straight toward Soren.
I wasn't done. Not even close.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Carving an energy stone was fundamentally different from simply cutting it.
If the energy inside a stone wasn't activated, it could be cut like any ordinary mineral—split, ground, polished. But such a stone would be nothing more than a decorative object. For beastmen, an energy stone only became meaningful once its internal energy was awakened and guided. Without that step, it was completely useless in suppressing Hysteria.
For high-grade energy stones especially, resistance like the little beast experienced was not unheard of.
When perception was insufficient, unstable, or improperly applied, the stone's internal power would instinctively block the carver. The stronger and purer the stone, the more violent this rejection could be. This was why so many talented carvers stalled at middle-grade stones for their entire lives.
Back then, she hadn't consciously carved his energy stone. She had simply… interacted with it. The activation had been instinctual, accidental, and incomplete—yet astonishingly effective.
If the little beast truly couldn't activate the transparent energy stone, then Soren had no expectations for anyone else in the empire.
In that case, his plan was already forming.
He would send her to study.
As he watched the little beast march up to him with determined eyes, Soren tilted his head slightly. "Why?" he asked calmly. "Are you giving up?"
The little leopard shook her head fiercely, ears flapping with the force of it. Then she raised a paw and jabbed it straight toward his pocket.
Toward the three-colored low-grade energy stone.
Soren blinked, then understood. "Do you want to practice first?"
The little beast nodded immediately, so hard it looked like her head might fall off.
A faint curve appeared at the corner of Soren's lips.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
I cracked my neck—an old habit from my past life—while Soren placed the three-colored energy stone on the table.
This one felt familiar.
Not powerful. Not oppressive.
Just… cooperative.
I activated the mechanical paw arm. The segmented metal unfolded smoothly over my front paw, the joints locking into place with soft clicks. Tools shimmered into position at the tips, waiting for my command.
Before starting, I waved my paw at Soren, signaling him to step back.
This was important.
I needed silence.
To his credit, Soren didn't question me. He took a few steps away, leaning against the table with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on me but his presence restrained—like a guardian standing watch.
I inhaled slowly.
Then I closed my eyes.
Perception wasn't something you forced. It wasn't sight or hearing—it was closer to intuition, to awareness. Like reaching into deep water and letting it surround you.
I let my thoughts settle.
I reached inward.
There it was.
A familiar, subtle thread—soft, steady, responding the moment I acknowledged it.
My perception.
I guided it outward, letting it brush against the surface of the three-colored stone.
This time, there was no rejection.
The stone responded immediately, warmth blooming under my claws. The chaotic mix of black, red, and gold steadied, its internal currents aligning like threads being pulled taut.
I opened my eyes.
The mechanical paw arm hummed softly as it synchronized with my movements. I began sculpting. My claws traced patterns guided not by force, but by feel, following the natural flow of energy inside the stone.
Minutes passed.
I carefully selected the golden portion of the three-colored stone. After removing the excess material, I left behind two tiny points at the proper position, shaping them into narrow, vertical pupils. The gold framed them perfectly, and within it, a trace of black naturally formed the pupils themselves.
I finally stopped working, took off my mechanical paw arm, and stared down at my finished piece.
My heart thumped with excitement as I twisted around, tail flicking wildly, and called out to him.
"Nyaa-nyaa!"
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Soren stepped forward.
Then he stopped.
For a brief moment, he simply stared at the energy stone resting on the table.
He had seen countless carved energy stones in his life—masterpieces crafted by famous artisans, stones with absurdly high utilization rates, sculptures that mimicked real beasts down to the smallest scale. But this…
This was different.
The three-colored stone had been used with astonishing ingenuity.
The black formed the dragon's core and scales, dense and imposing. The red from the mixed hues had been transformed into streaks of blood seeping from fractured scales, giving the sculpture a sense of battle and vitality. The gold became the eyes—sharp, vertical pupils gleaming with intelligence and dominance. Even the faint black within the gold had been preserved, naturally forming the pupils.
Nothing was wasted.
Perhaps because beastmen relied on energy stones to suppress Hysteria, the entire industry had become obsessed with precision, similarity, and ratings. Utilization percentages were everything. Multi-colored, low-grade stones were dismissed as crude materials, unworthy of serious effort.
Very few people would ever treat such a stone with this much care.
Even fewer would see it as an opportunity.
Soren's lips curved upward, just slightly.
"Very good."
The little leopard lifted her head, chest puffing out, unable to contain her pride. "Nyaa~!"
The moment Soren touched the energy stone, his movements halted.
A faint ripple spread from his fingertips. His eyes narrowed, then widened slightly as doubt flashed through them. The response from the stone was dense, vigorous, and astonishingly stable. The energy circulating within it surged in a smooth, powerful rhythm, far beyond what an ordinary mixed-colored stone should ever be capable of.
This strength was no weaker than the high-grade energy stone the previous master carver had prepared for him.
No—if he were being precise, it was even closer to the energy stone she had carved for him before, back when the little leopard had no tools at all and relied purely on instinct and raw perception.
And yet this… this was just a low-grade, mixed-colored energy stone.
Soren's fingers tightened slightly around the miniature dragon. The internal energy pathways were clear and unobstructed, the activation rate frighteningly high for such a material. It was refined, efficient, and—most importantly—perfectly compatible with his aura.
The little leopard's perception was still unstable. That much was obvious from her repeated failures earlier. But once she fully mastered it… once she learned how to control and focus it…
The results would be terrifying.
Soren lowered his gaze to the table.
The little beast had already collapsed there at some point, exhaustion overtaking excitement. Her small body was curled slightly to the side, paws tucked in, tail loosely wrapped around herself. Her breathing was slow and even, and faint, almost inaudible snoring sounds escaped her nose.
She had pushed herself too hard.
Soren reached out and gently picked her up. She stirred slightly, ears twitching under his fingers, but she didn't wake. His thumb brushed over her furry ears in a slow, absent motion, the softness grounding him.
Without a word, he carried her to the bed.
He removed his coat leisurely, placing it aside, then laid down and pulled the covers over them. The little leopard was settled naturally against his chest, fitting there as if she belonged. His arm curved around her instinctively, shielding her from the cool air of the room.
The energy stone rested nearby, faintly glowing in the dim light.
Soon, Soren's breathing slowed as well.