277 Chapter 38

"The mana concentration is oddly sparse."

Maxi had been lost in her thoughts when she jerked her head up at the gruff voice.

Wrapped in a fur coat, Armin Dolph was looking around the misty terrain, holding what appeared to be a gray pearl dangling from a chain. Maxi regarded the object with curiosity.

"What is that in your hand?"

"It's a mana gauge made of fairy egg."

Armin moved the thumbnail-sized orb closer to Maxi.

"Fairy eggs have mana-absorbing properties, so they're often used for this purpose. This one's made with an unfertilized one, but it still retains those attributes. Do you see how pale it is? Normally, it's a rosy pearl, but it turns vivid red when the mana concentration is high. This color means there's little here."

"We'd best conserve our reserves, then," Anette remarked with a sigh. "Though I guess we haven't needed to use magic thus far anyway."

"That's going to change," intoned a hoarse voice.