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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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In the past, mercenary groups had a poor reputation, but as they started spearheading dungeon conquests, their image greatly improved.
Some mercenaries had even been formally granted titles, elevating their status quite a bit. That background was tied into the protagonist’s job change from adventurer to mercenary in the game.
Mercenary groups varied in scale, but those prestigious enough for their captains to attend the Mercenary Council boasted army-level numbers.
Villages naturally sprang up around mercenary bases, attracting various craftsmen and specialists to bloom wondrous skills.
“…Yoo-jin.”
“What.”
“…That. Can I touch.”
“I said I’ll let you touch them after they’re processed. Stop pestering me about it.”
Undecided whined again, eyeing my bag. She kept asking to handle the mana stones. I had no idea why she was so fixated on them.
Mana stones were indeed precious. Well-crafted ones could increase mana transfer efficiency and capacity anywhere from 2-3 times to hundreds of times compared to raw ore.
For mages, they served as main gems, and for swordsmen, as auxiliary tools to stabilize internal mana flow.
Even for those who couldn’t manipulate mana at all, just carrying one boosted magic resistance slightly, making them a must-have for mercenaries.
As the utility of mana stones grew day by day, mana stone crafting was a rapidly rising field.
The village we were heading to, in particular, was famous for mana stone crafting. Mercenaries from all over the continent flocked there to commission work, sell raw ore, or purchase finished products.
The guy I was looking for should be working there as an apprentice craftsman around this time.
“Get some good sleep. We still have a long way to go.”
“…Okay.”
“Ah, right. You don’t sleep.”
“…Yeah.”
“At least rest your eyes. They’re already getting bloodshot from drying out.”
“…Oh.”
Inside the carriage bound for the neighboring village, I pulled my hat over my face and leaned against the wall. Glancing to the side, I saw Undecided obediently closing her eyes and maintaining a meditation posture as I had instructed.
Of course, it wasn’t just the two of us in the carriage. It was packed with people aiming for the same destination. The ride was bumpy and a bit uncomfortable, but I felt more at ease like this.
Whenever I rode in a fancy carriage, thoughts of the main heroines came to mind, and though my body felt good, a corner of my heart became unbearably uneasy.
Besides, the fare was dozens of times cheaper this way, so there was no need to pay through the nose for self-inflicted mental torture.
“Sit closer to me.”
“…Okay.”
I pulled Undecided nearer so she wouldn’t touch the person beside her. If they made contact with her icy skin and realized she was a blood ghoul, things could get troublesome.
Her fangs had been extracted, so there was no actual danger, but an uproar over a blood ghoul’s presence would likely break out before I could even explain that. I abhorred bothersome situations.
‘Should I practice Mana Control to pass the time?’
Going along a dull road, it was a good opportunity to train the skill I couldn’t test while conquering dungeons.
Like most leveled traits, proficiency shot up with just a bit of use at low levels. Even some light practice during the gaps would make a big difference.
[Trait: Mana Control (lv.1)]
[You skillfully control the mana in your body. By consuming a small amount of mana, you greatly enhance your physical abilities. You take damage if overloaded.]
I quietly closed my eyes and activated Mana Control. Since the effect occurred internally, there was no need to worry about getting caught even in a crowded place like this. Unless sudden overload caused full-body paralysis, that is.
‘I spammed this disgustingly for three days straight in the adventurer district, and it’s still only level 1…’
Interestingly, the level hadn’t risen at all while I was gleefully assaulting the Adventurers’ Guild. Indeed, I had recklessly used it as a stat boost to replace Guardian Knight then, so I kept going berserk and overloading. It was utter chaos.
‘So I have to use it properly for the level to increase, huh.’
This trait was quite finicky. The key was to raise proficiency by using it carefully, without causing rampage or overload. Like acknowledging driving skill only after achieving 10 years of no accidents.
I wanted to learn by crashing the car a few times, as one does when practicing driving. Well, it didn’t matter since I couldn’t overload in the carriage anyway.
“Phew…”
I took a deep breath and focused my mind, sensing the flow of mana coursing through my body. The feeling was bizarre. As if I was directly perceiving my blood circulation.
Even after 12 years, I wasn’t used to the sensation. Controlling the mana within your body was possible even without the trait.
During the last 12 regressions, I had regulated it in my own way, albeit unable to output enough to overload.
However, Mana Control explicitly stated the effect of “skillfully” controlling mana, and that impact was considerable.
Before, I had to concentrate intensely as if taking a dump just to slightly improve my condition. Now, I felt an illusion of my body instantly lightening.
I could understand why Yerina had emphasized mana control so much, and why she sighed at my lack of talent. For superhuman beings like her, this trait was practically always active.
They constantly maintained the same mind-numbingly intense focus I had now. Crazy.
[Trait: Mana Control (lv.2)]
The level rose by 1. The system seemed to finally acknowledge that I was training properly. Just gaining a single level left cold sweat trickling down my forehead and my whole body sore. When would I ever get this to level 10… It felt daunting.
Still, I was quite satisfied to discover Mana Control’s true performance. Though it lasted a mere second, I also glimpsed the potential. The potential to catch a peek at the realm of superhumans.
“Are we almost there?”
I let out a deep sigh and opened my eyes. I had concentrated so deeply that I barely heard the surrounding noise. It was probably the most effort I had put into focusing since the English listening section of the college entrance exam.
“Hm?”
But something was off. The moment I opened my eyes, something was shoved in front of me. I slightly pulled my head back to bring it into focus. It was the tip of a blade. A man was pointing his sword at me.
“I said get out! Can’t you hear me?”
“…”
I quickly surveyed the situation. The carriage was already empty except for Undecided and me. Outside, the other passengers were trembling with their hands up, kneeling on the ground. Surrounding them were men wielding large swords.
“Hah.”
I understood what was happening. The carriage had encountered a gang of bandits while traversing a mountain path. But that wasn’t what I found absurd.
“Undecided. You should have woken me up.”
“…Why?”
“What do you mean why? It’s a dangerous situation.”
“…Danger? This?”
I was at a loss for words. Undecided, sitting beside me in the same position as before, tilted her head quizzically. She didn’t even recognize this as a dangerous situation.
Well, considering she had forgotten her own name, it was unlikely she possessed such basic common sense.
“Wh-what are you doing! Stop casually chatting and hurry up and get out! You wanna die?”
In fact, Undecided wasn’t entirely wrong. This wasn’t actually a very dangerous situation.
Their swords were cumbersomely large. Menacing in appearance, but with completely misaligned centers of gravity and dull blades. They were clearly decorative.
However, their stances were quite stable for that. It seemed they weren’t holding swords for the first time.
Rather than not knowing how to appraise swords, they had likely intentionally chosen decorative ones to intimidate ordinary people. Judging by the numerous scars on their faces and arms, they were undoubtedly experienced in banditry.
“Final warning!”
“Undecided. Stay down.”
“…Okay.”
Perfect training opponents had conveniently shown up on their own. It was a good opportunity to test the results of my Mana Control training.
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Training dummies obtained