Once upon a time, mercenary groups had a bad reputation, but as they stepped up to be the frontrunners in dungeon conquests, their image improved significantly.
Some among the mercenaries even received official titles, meaning their status has risen quite a bit.
In-game, the protagonist’s transition from adventurer to mercenary is tangled up in that backstory.
The size of mercenary groups varies, but those with leaders attending the Mercenary Council boast a formidable presence, often comparable in size to a military force.
Around the base where a mercenary group operates, villages naturally spring up.
In those villages, various craftsmen and specialists gather, blooming with brilliant skills.
“…Yoo Jin.”
“What?”
“…Can I touch that?”
“I told you, you can touch it after the processing is done. Stop nagging.”
Mi Jeong is whining again as she looks at my bag.
She wants to touch the mana stone.
I really can’t understand why she’s so obsessed with it…
It’s true that mana stones are precious.
Well-processed mana stones can increase efficiency and volume of mana transfer by two to three times, or even hundreds of times compared to raw stones.
For mages, they serve as main gems, and for swordsmen, they act as adjuncts to stabilize the flow of mana within the body.
Even if someone can’t handle mana at all, just having a mana stone increases their resistance to magic slightly; thus, they are a must-have item for mercenaries.
As the usefulness of mana stones grows day by day, mana stone processing has become a hot topic recently.
Especially in the villages around here, they are famous for mana stone craftsmanship.
Mercenaries flock from all over the continent to either have their mana stones processed or sell raw stones and purchase finished products.
The person I’m looking for is probably working as an apprentice craftsman in that village by now.
“Get some good sleep. It’s gonna be a while until we arrive.”
“…”
“Oh right, you don’t sleep.”
“…Yeah.”
“Just close your eyes for a bit. They’re getting bloodshot.”
“…Uh-oh.”
Inside the carriage heading to the nearby village, I pull my hat over my face and lean against the wall.
A quick glance reveals that Mi Jeong is sitting cross-legged with her eyes tightly shut, just as I told her to.
Of course, we’re not the only ones in the carriage.
There’s a crowd of people heading to the nearby village.
It’s a bit bumpy and somewhat uncomfortable, but it feels more relaxed on this side.
Every time I ride a well-kept luxury carriage, I can’t help but think of our main heroines.
Comfortable as it is, there’s an unsettling feeling in the back of my mind.
Plus, the fare is dozens of times cheaper, so there’s really no reason to torture myself mentally by spending a lot on a fancier ride.
“Cuddle up a bit closer.”
“…Okay.”
Mi Jeong pulls closer to avoid touching the person next to her.
I really wouldn’t want anyone to figure out that she’s a blood ghoul.
Even though I’ve got her fangs pulled, there’s no danger, but I know the chaos would ensue before I could explain that she’s no threat.
I absolutely hate annoying situations.
Hmm… maybe I should practice mana control.
Since the journey is dragging on, this is the perfect time.
I should practice the mana control I’ve been unable to use while conquering dungeons.
Just like any other trait tied to a level, when you’re a low level, even a slight touch can shoot the level up.
Even a little practice squeezed in would surely help.
[Trait: Mana Control (lv.1)]
[You can skillfully control mana in your body. Consuming a small amount of mana significantly enhances physical abilities. Overloading causes damage.]
I quietly close my eyes and try to activate mana control.
Since it’s an internal process, there’s no need to worry about being discovered even in a crowded place—unless I suddenly overload and become paralyzed, that is.
‘It’s strange. I used it for three days in the adventurer zone, and my level is still 1.’
What’s interesting is that while I rampaged through the adventurer guild, my level didn’t increase at all.
I did use it like crazy as a stat-boosting skill to substitute for a guardian knight, after all.
As a result, I often caused overloads and wreaked havoc.
‘So I need to use it correctly for my level to rise, huh.’
This trait is quite picky.
The gist is that I need to use it cautiously without causing overloads or rampages if I want to increase my proficiency.
It’s like you only get recognized for your driving skills after driving for ten years without an accident.
Like one should crash a bit to learn, I wanted to practice with some overloads, but it doesn’t matter because I can’t cause overloads in the carriage.
“Hoo…”
Taking a deep breath and concentrating, I can feel the flow of mana streaming within my body.
It feels strange.
It’s like I can directly feel the blood flowing through me.
It’s a sensation I still can’t get used to after 12 years.
Controlling the mana in my body is possible even without any traits.
Despite my lack of capacity to output to the point of overload, I’ve been managing my own level of control over the last 12 cycles.
But since the trait ‘Mana Control’ specifies that I control mana ‘skillfully,’ the effect is considerably significant.
In the past, I had to use all my strength to improve my state just a little, but now it feels like my body instantly becomes lighter.
Looking at it this way, I understand why Yerina emphasized mana control so much.
I can also see why she sighed and told me I had no talent.
This ability is supposed to get stronger quickly, yet I was just happy to be in a better state, which must have looked pathetic.
‘Towards ten years without an accident. Towards ten years without an accident.’
I focus on the flow of mana again and try to control it.
I force all the wild mana racing around my body to move in one direction.
If I slip up even a little, unruly mana will start veering off in different directions.
It’s a tricky sensation, being unfamiliar to me.
While it says ‘skillfully’, feeling the overall flow of mana is hard enough for me.
It’s like trying to lift a heavy shopping bag using muscles I’ve never used before.
Focusing hard but seeing poor results is so frustrating.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Trying to delicately adjust my output to avoid overload seems to increase the burden.
But as I continue to concentrate, something is coming together.
At first, I could only see the large flow of mana circulating inside me, but now I can see even the finer streams.
Branches of this flow spread out to every part of my body.
If I fail to control the large flow, the mana will never reach the extremities.
And if I do well in the large flow, but still fail in the small, the transfer efficiency will plummet.
‘Whoa.’
In that fleeting moment, all the flows of mana in my body fell under my control and formed harmony.
It couldn’t have lasted even one second, but I felt it.
Time drastically slowed down, and power surged throughout my body.
It felt like entering an entirely different world.
‘Crazy. I was thinking of just using this recklessly?’
Until now, I thought mana control was just a basic stat-boosting skill.
Guardian knights get their stats visually represented as multiplied by five, yet why didn’t I see any such display for this skill?
That question just got answered.
Because the effects depend immensely on proficiency and focus, there’s no quantitative way to show how much the stats rise.
So, it means that superhumans like Yerina are in a constant state where this trait is always active.
Imagine maintaining intense focus like I’ve just experienced.
That’s insane.
[Trait: Mana Control (lv.2)]
I’ve gained a level!
Seems the system finally recognizes that I’m training properly.
Just from raising one level, sweat drips from my forehead, and my whole body aches.
How long will it take to get to level 10…?
It feels daunting.
But knowing the true performance of mana control is satisfying enough.
Even if it lasted only for a second, I caught a glimpse of potential.
A chance to reach the realm of superhumans.
“Are we almost there?”
Exhaling deeply, I open my eyes.
I’ve been so focused that I almost can’t hear the surrounding noise.
It might be the most intensely concentrated moment I’ve had since my English listening exam.
“Hmm?”
But something seems off.
The moment I opened my eyes, something was thrust in front of my face.
I lean back slightly to focus.
It’s a tip of a sword.
A man is aiming a sword at me.
“Put it down! Do you hear me?!”
“…”
I glance around to understand the situation.
The carriage is empty except for me and Mi Jeong.
Outside, passengers tremble in fear, raising their hands while kneeling.
And surrounding them are men holding large swords.
“Ha!”
I get it now.
The carriage has run into a band of thieves while traveling down a mountain road.
But that’s not what surprises me.
“Mi Jeong, why didn’t you wake me?!”
“…Why?”
“Why? Because we’re in a dangerous situation!”
“…Dangerous? This?”
I’m at a loss for words.
Mi Jeong, sitting beside me, tilts her head, sitting in the same position.
She doesn’t even recognize this as a dangerous situation.
Then again, she couldn’t even remember her name, so it would be reasonable for her to lack that basic common sense.
“Well, what are you all doing! Stop dawdling and get out now! Or I’ll kill you!”
In truth, Mi Jeong isn’t entirely wrong.
This isn’t really a dangerous situation.
A sword that’s more of a burden than a threat.
It looks intimidating, but it’s clearly a ceremonial blade that is neither well-balanced nor sharp.
Judging by the unstable grip, it seems it’s not the first time they wield such a blade.
Given the scars on their face and arms, they’ve clearly been once bandits for a while.
“This is your last warning!”
“Mi Jeong, get down.”
“…Okay.”
Well, a perfectly suitable training partner has arrived.
This is a great opportunity to check the results of my mana control training.
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