Yeoreum froze in place, standing like a statue, utterly motionless.

Did something happen to her? Worried thoughts started filling my head, so I tugged on her sleeve.

“Are you okay…?”

“Oh, yeah. Gyeoul, you startled me with that little roar.”

“Did I really surprise you?”

“Yeah. For a second, I thought my heart was going to stop.”

Her heart almost stopped? I wasn’t anywhere near that level yet, though. Everyone else seemed perfectly fine—so why was Yeoreum, one of the top adventurers, reacting like that?

Could it be that my wild instincts were getting stronger through practice? It seemed odd, but if Yeoreum said so, I’d better be careful from now on.

“I’m sorry… I won’t do it again.”

“Oh, no! I’d actually love it if you kept doing it!”

“Keep doing it? But didn’t you just say…”

She’d just said her heart almost stopped—she didn’t need to put herself in harm’s way.

“It’s just… I’m super resistant once I’ve experienced something a few times.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Think of it like when you shoot a hundred or a thousand arrows. Once in a while, one will hit the mark, right?”

“Oh…”

So, I’d randomly hit my wild instincts just by practicing enough times? I thought I understood what she was trying to say.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to practice with someone instead of a mirror?”

“Yes, I guess that would be better.”

“Good! Then you can keep practicing with me. Since I’ve already experienced it once, I’m fine with it.”

True. Practicing with a person is definitely better than using a mirror. I nodded at Yeoreum.

“Alright. I’ll do that.”

“Yes!”

She smiled warmly, looking genuinely happy.

“But… I shouldn’t do this to anyone else, should I?”

“To anyone else?”

“Yes. I mean, what if my wild instinct flares up again accidentally, like it did just now? It could be dangerous.”

At my question, Yeoreum rubbed her chin, pondering.

“Hmm… I think it would be fine with people you’re close to.”

“People I’m close to?”

“Yeah, people who know you wouldn’t hurt them even if you show that wild side.”

“Oh.”

It was similar to when I had faced Encia’s aura. Though her instincts were frightening, I trusted she wouldn’t actually harm me. As Yeoreum suggested, it might be okay to show my wild side to close friends.

“Alright. I’ll only do it with people I trust. But I think I should head to the dungeon for now.”

“Take care of yourself, alright?”

“Yes.”

I waved to Yeoreum as I left the training hall. For some reason, the people inside began murmuring as soon as I stepped out.

“Hey, Yeoreum! Are you only looking out for your close friends?”

“Hey, don’t hog her to yourself.”

What did they mean by “don’t hog her”? Was Yeoreum monopolizing something? With lingering questions in my mind, I grabbed my bow and headed for the dungeon.

Even with training, I still needed to earn some money.

—

That afternoon, after finishing my hunt, I sat on a bench by the pond, practicing my wild instincts.

Sophia, sitting beside me, seemed unaffected, but Levinas was trembling uncontrollably. It wasn’t my aura that frightened her—she was just naturally fearful.

“W-Wang-ah, Levinas is scared…”

“I-I’m sorry…”

Levinas pressed her face into my back, wedging herself between me and the bench. Although I was the one scaring her, she sought comfort by hiding against me, which made me feel quite guilty.

“Sophia, am I doing this right?”

“Yes, you’re doing well. Don’t rush yourself. This power is different from handling a bow; it takes time.”

“Oh… How much longer do you think it’ll take to get it right?”

“Probably at least ten years.”

Ten years? That was longer than I’d lived in this world. My eyes went wide with surprise.

“That’s… a really long time.”

“Of course. It’s more than twice as long as you’ve been alive.”

“Tw-twice as long?”

It wasn’t really twice my age… Hadn’t I told Sophia how old I was? As I looked at her in confusion, I realized she might only be counting the years I’d lived as a beast-kin.

From a beast-kin perspective, I had to admit I’d be seen as quite young, since I hardly knew anything about them.

“Again, don’t be in too much of a hurry. It’s incredible to master wild instincts before becoming an adult.”

“It’s that impressive?”

“Yes. No beast-kin has ever fully harnessed their instincts before adulthood.”

“Oh, really…”

Even if I trained for ten years, I’d still only be about ten years old by beast-kin standards. Of course, I was actually older than that, but at least by beast-kin age, I’d be considered young. I could see why Sophia was advising me not to rush.

“Plus, you have natural talent.”

“T-talent? I have talent?”

“Yes, haven’t you lived in the wild for quite a long time?”

“Oh…!”

The wild. Sophia’s casual remark sparked a major realization in me. Memories of the first day I met Encia and Argo flashed through my mind.

“They said I was wild back then.”

Living in the wild had made me “wild.” In other words, living in nature could cultivate that wild instinct.

“Sophia! I’ve figured it out!”

“…What are you talking about?”

“A way to develop my wild instincts!”

Maybe if I lived like a savage—or rather, like an animal—I could cultivate my instincts. Other beast-kin had hinted at something like that before.

I’d push myself even harder in the wild than I had in the past. It was all for my future self.

“I don’t know what you’re planning, but give it a try. Even if it doesn’t work, it’ll be an experience.”

“Yes!”

I hurried off toward the container. There were a few things I needed to prepare for living in the wild.

—

Returning from Kwon Arin’s training session, Yeoreum was left speechless as she stood in front of Gyeoul.

“Oh…”

Normally, Gyeoul wore clothes that were old and tattered, but now her outfit was even more worn, resembling something straight out of a caveman comic. Though she looked a bit primitive, it was undeniably cute since it was Gyeoul.

“Gyeoul, why are your clothes like that?”

“I’m working on developing my wild instincts.”

“Your… instincts?”

“Yes! I think I can develop them if I live in the wild.”

Sophia had said something along those lines. Yeoreum looked over at her.

“Sophia…?”

“Ehem… It’s not wrong, though I didn’t expect her to take it this far.”

“So… it’s possible?”

“…It’s possible.”

A rather extreme method, but if it could work, it was hard to argue against it. No parent would ever want to discourage a child’s growth.

“So, Gyeoul, how are you planning to do this?”

“I’m going to live without a home.”

“N-no home…?”

“Yes.”

Thud! Thud!

Gyeoul began digging into the ground with a small trowel. Levinas, who loved digging, joined in to help her.

“Levinas is good at digging, too!”

She dug with her bare hands, creating a burrow at an impressive speed, even faster than Gyeoul.

“Why are you digging a hole?”

“I’m going to sleep in it.”

“Oh my goodness…”

Yeoreum had gone through so much trouble to bring her into the guild building, and now Gyeoul wanted to live outside again—this time in a literal hole, not even a tent or container. Yeoreum clutched her head in shock.

“Levinas likes burrows, too! Can Levinas sleep underground as well?”

“Sure. We’ll just need to dig it a bit bigger.”

“Don’t worry! Levinas is a digging prodigy!”

Thud-thud-thud!

Watching Levinas burrow into the ground like a rabbit, Yeoreum closed her eyes. Indeed, Gyeoul’s current behavior was genuinely wild.

If she wanted to harness her beast-kin instincts, this approach made sense, but it was hard to resist the urge to intervene.

“Gyeoul, you’ll still eat meals with me, right?”

“Well, actually, I was thinking I’d catch my own food…”

“Catch your own…?”

“Yes. I want to live like a real animal for a while. Since I’ve lived so much of my life as a human, I thought I might lack the more primal aspects of a beast-kin.”

Claiming she was going to live more like an animal to enhance her primal side sounded almost absurd. Gyeoul had already lived far more wildly than most beast-kin. Even Sophia looked stunned.

‘Encia and Argo were right.’

Gyeoul was indeed more wild than any other beast-kin, a worthy candidate for the title of Beast-kin Queen. Sophia had assumed that Encia and Argo had merely been exaggerating, but now, she saw the truth in their words—Gyeoul’s potential was remarkable.

‘Smart from her human heritage, yet deeply wild in nature.’

And on top of that, her heart was pure.

At such a young age, her talent was exceptional. Sophia nodded with satisfaction. Thinking her protégé was the best brought a warm feeling.

“Sophia, now

’s not the time to look so pleased.”

“O-Oh, my apologies.”

Sophia scratched her cheek in embarrassment. She hadn’t expected to become such a doting mentor. Clearing her throat, she looked to Yeoreum.

“So, what should we do now?”

“For now… we’ll leave her be.”

“L-leave her…?”

“Yes. I wouldn’t want to stop her from working so hard. It’s not even a wrong approach.”

That was true. Yeoreum let out a deep sigh, torn between her worries for Gyeoul and the potential reactions of the people at the park.

______________________

TL NOTE: Please don’t skimp on the stars and likes of the translation – it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep