In a corner of the library in the duke’s mansion, a place where few people usually ventured, the sounds of rustling pages and uncontrollable sighs could be heard.
“Ugh… this is way too thick.”
Helos carried a stack of heavy volumes, shuffling out from behind the bookshelf with unsteady steps. She dropped the books onto the floor with a heavy thud, kicking up a fine cloud of dust.
“There’s no other way. Most of the records concerning magical beasts are concentrated in these books.”
Julius was also carrying a stack of books, which looked even heavier than the one Helos had. He placed his stack next to hers and rubbed his aching arms, his face filled with helplessness.
The brief vacation that had never even truly started was declared over. The two of them had dived almost non-stop into an ocean of knowledge — a vast sea named “Monsterology” that they had never set foot in before.
Gavi, meanwhile, acted like a silent guard, following quietly behind them.
She easily carried a large stack of volumes that was heavier than what the two of them carried combined, yet her pace remained steady, drawing an envious gaze from Julius.
“Let’s go. Back to the workshop.”
Helos patted the dust off her hands and took the lead. She knew that for the next few days, her small workshop would likely turn into a temporary library.
Sure enough, when the three of them moved the piles of books back to the workshop, the originally spacious area was instantly packed to the brim.
The workbenches, chairs, and even the floor were covered with open books, and the air was filled with the distinct musty smell of old paper and ink.
“Alright, let’s get to work.”
Helos took a deep breath, like a general about to head to the battlefield. She sat down in the middle of the books and grabbed a worn copy of the *Continental Monster Illustrated Handbook*, flipping to the first page.
Julius also found a clear spot to sit, his expression equally focused.
The winter sunlight spilled through the workshop windows at an angle, casting a bright curtain of light on the floor and making the dust dancing in the air clearly visible.
Gavi stood quietly by the door like a loyal Sentinel, neither disturbing them nor allowing any distractions from the outside world.
***
Time passed slowly in this quiet atmosphere.
Helos read very quickly. Her fingers moved rapidly across the yellowed pages, and her pale purple eyes flickered with the light of deep thought.
Thanks to the memories of her past life and the few remaining “fine traditions” from her days as a student, she did not dislike this kind of systematic learning.
In fact, she even found some enjoyment in it. She quickly parsed the basic framework of “magical beasts” in this world from the dry text and crude illustrations.
‘I see.’
She murmured to herself, her fingertip tracing circles back and forth over a diagram depicting the structure of a “Monster Core.”
All living beings in this world, whether animals or plants, contained a certain amount of mana within their bodies.
The mana content in plants was relatively low and its nature was milder, so most were used as medicinal ingredients or alchemy materials.
In contrast, the mana within animals was more active. When the mana within an animal accumulated to a certain level, it would condense into a core within the body — this was the “Monster Core.”
Once a Monster Core formed, the animal would undergo a qualitative change and transform into a “magical beast.”
“So, the Monster Core is the key to distinguishing ordinary beasts from magical beasts?”
Julius looked up from another book, having just overheard Helos’s self-muttering.
“Yes, that’s what the book says.”
Helos nodded. “A creature with a Monster Core not only gains a much tougher body, but its strength and speed are also greatly enhanced.”
“More importantly, they become smarter, even capable of channeling the mana in their bodies to perform simple innate abilities, just like a mage.”
She flipped to the next page and pointed to an illustration of a “Demonized Horned Deer.”
That originally docile herbivore had transformed. After its monsterization, the antlers on its head became as hard and sharp as steel, and its body was surrounded by faint, emerald-green wind blades.
“See? Even the most docile herbivore will evolve aggressive organs or abilities once it possesses a Monster Core.”
Helos’s tone carried a hint of wonder. “Although their ecological habits aren’t much different from ordinary animals, their aggression is on a completely different level.”
“Oh, right. Plants also have the potential to become ‘magical beasts’ — or rather, ‘Demonic Creatures.'”
“It’s just that when ordinary plants become demonized, they don’t think like magical beasts do.”
Julius leaned over to take a look, his brow furrowing slightly.
“In that case, magical beasts are essentially a ‘super-evolved’ version of ordinary beasts?”
The squire certainly knew that magical beasts were dangerous, but he couldn’t explain exactly why. Now, however, he had a deeper understanding.
“You could put it that way.”
Helos closed the book and switched to another volume. “However, the book also mentions that magical beasts can be tamed.”
“Tamed?”
Julius’s interest was piqued. “Like a hunting dog?”
“Similar, but the difficulty is much higher.”
Helos shook her head. “Because they are smarter, it’s difficult to make them submit through food and violence alone like ordinary beasts.”
“To tame a magical beast, you usually need to raise it from a young age or possess absolutely overwhelming power to make it acknowledge your strength from the bottom of its heart.”
“Generally speaking, the larger a creature’s size, the more mana it can hold, and the easier it is for it to become a magical beast.”
“Therefore, many of the large magical beasts we see in the wild were transformed from ordinary large beasts. Small animals also have a chance to become magical beasts, but there aren’t as many of them.”
“However, magical beasts themselves possess the ability to reproduce. Their offspring are born as magical beasts.”
The two of them exchanged information they had gathered from the books, and before they knew it, evening had arrived. The Sunset Glow dyed the workshop in a warm orange hue.
Gavi stepped forward noiselessly and placed the tea and snacks she had prepared into the open space between the two of them.
“Ah, thank you, Gavi.”
Helos rubbed her sore eyes and popped a biscuit into her mouth.
“Speaking of which…”
Julius took a sip of tea, suddenly remembering something. His expression became a bit grave. “Does the book mention anything about Demonkind?”
Helos froze for a moment, then quickly realized what he meant.
“Oh, right.”
She set down the biscuit and reopened a book that looked quite old. “I think I saw some related records just now.”
She searched carefully through the book, finally stopping on a certain page.
“Found it.”
Her voice dropped a few octaves. “It says here that the birth of Demonkind seems to have similarities to magical beasts, but the root cause is entirely different.”
“The book speculates that demonkind are not products of nature. Instead, they are the result of intelligent races such as humans, elves, dwarves, and orcs undergoing a mutation after the mana in their bodies was subjected to some kind of ‘pollution.'”
“Pollution?”
Julius frowned.
“Yes.”
Helos nodded, pointing to a footnote on the page.
“The source of this pollution is unknown, but it distorts the essence of a living being. For example, humans or elves who are polluted might grow horns and tails.”
“And polluted orcs would change from their original ‘humanoid with animal features’ form into ‘beast-men’ who walk completely upright.”
“In other words,” Julius said thoughtfully, “Demonkind are actually ‘monsterized’ intelligent races?”
“At least according to this book’s perspective, that’s the case.”
Helos closed the book, a serious expression appearing on her face.
“This would also explain why demonkind possess wisdom and power far exceeding that of humans, and why they once harbored such strong hostility toward humanity.”
“Of course, there are exceptions — like Miss Sefina’s race, the Vampires.”
“Normally, Vampires should be classified as demi-humans, but because they are so unique, they are categorized directly under the umbrella of demonkind.”
Silence fell over the workshop once more.
The sky outside gradually darkened, and Gavi noiselessly lit the oil lamps in the room. The warm glow dispelled the gloom and slightly softened the gravity on their faces.
“Forget it, there’s no use thinking about these things.”
Helos stretched, temporarily pushing those heavy thoughts to the back of her mind. “Rather than these ethereal stories, we should worry about the ‘diagnostic test’ in front of us.”
She picked up *Monster Weakness Analysis* again and patted the dust off the cover, the fire of fighting spirit reigniting in her eyes.
“Come on, Julius, stop dazing. Tonight, we must devour this entire book!!”