Chapter 62: Beast Essence
[Congratulations, Host. You have received your first beast essence from Baby Beast Nyx. Nyx Satisfaction: 88%. Reward: An additional 20% beast essence bonus for the next 5 resonance sessions.]
[Baby Beast Nyx Affection toward Host (Mother): 96%. Baby Beast Nyx Affection toward Target Jeryon of Argenor (Father): 80%. Beast Essence Received: 36 (Bonus Active)]
Shani froze mid-stride, dazed with disbelief as a wide grin tried to spread across her face.
’From 15 essence to 36 essence?! Yippie!’ Shani cheered internally, only to realize a second later that something about the calculation did not add up.
The amount of beast essence a baby beast gave to its parents was fixed according to the baby beast’s rank.
For Nyx, a B-Rank baby beast, its total beast essence was 3,000 essence for each parent. That essence would be fully transferred to its parents after 200 resonance sessions, which meant each parent received 15 essence per session.
’Since when does an additional 20% turn 15 into 36? That’s more than double! System, explain the calculation. Did I miss something?’
[Host, Baby Beast’s Affection toward its parents affects the amount of beast essence received.]
[Below 50% receives half the normal essence. 50% - 74% receives the normal amount of essence. 75% - 94% receives twice the normal amount of essence. 95% - 99% receives three times the normal amount of essence. 100% receives ten times the normal amount of essence.]
Once again, Shani was left dumbfounded by the system’s explanation.
She began calculating in her head. ’The amount I received falls into the 75% - 94% category. But haven’t I already reached 96%? Does Jeryon’s affection value affect it too?’
[Correct, Host. The lower affection value is used as the reference.]
’Hmm, so I can’t let Nyx stay away from Jeryon for too long. Oh, right. System, does Jeryon also receive the same amount of essence as me?’
[Correct, Host. Target Jeryon of Argenor receives the same amount of essence.]
Shani nodded in satisfaction. After all, Jeryon had played a major part in raising Nyx. He deserved it.
’Why hasn’t there been any word from the palace? Nyx’s existence is living proof that Jeryon isn’t some ruined, cursed prince! If they just re-measured his beast energy, he could even become the Crown Prince!’
Unfortunately, Shani did not know that a B-Rank baby beast was nowhere near enough to satisfy the king.
While Shani was thinking about Jeryon’s fate, Jeryon was focusing on the new energy entering his body.
The flow of essence felt unfamiliar, yet it also carried a familiar quality, allowing his energy pool to accept it without much resistance.
The 36 essence merged with the other energy inside his pool, binding itself with 36 streams of energy that felt compatible.
After Nyx fell into a deep sleep, the resonance session came to an end.
Jeryon returned to his room while Shani searched through the academy books for information about beast essence.
’Beast Essence merges with Beast Energy inside the Energy Pool. The two become indistinguishable. The addition of Essence is what causes a beastman’s beast energy rank to increase after resonance.’
Shani nodded. "So beast energy itself is fixed. What increases is beast essence?"
But then Shani shook her head. "At least that doesn’t apply to me. I can increase my beast energy with energy potions."
Unsatisfied with the information in the academy books, Shani bought a book about beast essence from the system.
’Inside the Energy Pool, essence and energy are very different. They also serve different functions in the process of beastification. Energy is the fuel, while essence is the engine.’
Shani had suspected that the system’s books contained information that had yet to be discovered on this continent.
"Basically, having a lot of fuel is useless if you only have a few engines."
Shani stayed up quite late because she was so engrossed in reading. She was not too worried since tomorrow was Saturday.
She had forgotten that a few days ago, she and her friends had made plans to visit a baby beast supply store.
She did wake up early to feed Nyx, but then went back to sleep.
At eleven, her smartwatch rang, followed by knocking from outside the door.
"Shan, are you sick? You missed breakfast." Kiran’s voice came from outside.
"Your Highness, did your resonance session last night last too long?" Noella asked someone else.
"Only a little over half an hour," the person being asked replied. It was Jeryon.
"Then Shani must have passed out. Let’s just break down the door!" Another loud voice came from Sonny.
Hearing the commotion outside, Shani finally woke up. With sleepy eyes, she walked to the door.
She found two young men and two young women staring at her worriedly. "What’s wrong with you guys...?"
Suddenly, Shani remembered their plans for today.
She reflexively closed the door again. "Wait for me on the fourth floor. I need to get ready first."
"Shani, you don’t have a fever, right? Can you even walk?" Sonny continued shouting.
Kiran immediately pulled him away. "She just woke up. Come on, let’s go downstairs."
Sonny was dumbfounded. Noella nodded in understanding, while Jeryon let out a relieved sigh.
Half an hour later, Shani joined them on the fourth floor. She tried her best to forget the embarrassing incident from earlier.
They headed to Crown & Crest Nurtury, a high-end store for baby beast products, using Noella’s hovercar, which Noella drove herself.
The large silver hovercar was still spacious enough for all five of them as it sped along the highway.
Sonny gripped his seatbelt tightly. "Noella, I know you’re good at everything, but don’t tell me you’re also good at giving people heart attacks!"
"I once won a hovercar race against your older cousin. You don’t need to be afraid," Noella replied calmly.
"He’s bad at driv—Agh!" Sonny screamed loudly as they took a sharp turn.
Kiran squeezed her eyes shut, regretting ever letting Noella drive them. From the corner of her eye, she saw a long arm.
It belonged to Jeryon, who was protecting Shani as she sat beside him.
’One won’t shut up for five seconds, one is a secret adrenaline junkie disguised as a prodigy, one is a shameless simp in broad daylight, and the last one has the flirting awareness of a brick! What did I do to deserve this squad?!’ Kiran screamed internally.
...