Author: Xerenity
I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 224
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224. A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2)
Demon headed to the underground training center while holding the knight by the collar.
The way Demon walked was full of confidence, as if familiar to this kind of attitude.
How could a cat who had tasted fish just pass by the fish market without doing anything?
And Demon wasn’t a cat, but more akin to a tiger.
And so it wouldn’t be strange for Demon to consume humans, not fish.
In Millions’ perspective, he had raised a baby tiger.
Demon, who had become as strong as possible, was planning to tear apart the master.
Because Demon had already tasted the sweetness of consuming the slaves of the training center, it would be difficult to resist the temptation to do so again.
Not only that, but the only person who could stop Demon, Millions, was absent.
This was a chance for Demon that may not come again before the summon back to the celestial plane.
The crushing killing intent that was felt back in the fight with Jurassic.
Demon was positive that Min-Cheol was there at the festival.
That’s why Demon was not satisfied with butchering the slaves from before.
Coming down the long spiraling staircase, Demon arrived at the entrance of the underground training center.
At the entrance were guards who oversaw the slaves.
After meeting the gaze of Demon, the guards were quite startled.
Marquis Millions had commanded the training center be accessible before.
However, the marquis was absent at this time, and they hadn’t received any new orders regarding it since.
Not only that, but the knight that was supposed to guard Demon’s residence having his collar grabbed while flailing about had made this all the more suspicious.
The guards pointed their spears and spoke.
“Demon. Why are you here at the training grounds at this time!”
“Kuhu. This isn’t the first time.”
“We didn’t receive any new orders from the marquis. Return at once!”
“You do not need to open the door for me. What’s the point of the lock on such a flimsy steel door?”
“You little… Do you dare go against the marquis’ order?”
“R-Run…”
“Kuhu!”
The knight who was forced to take on the role of a guide spoke with a labored breath.
He was asking them to flee.
However, that wasn’t possible.
Even if this was an open field, they would be caught by the difference in speed, but the only exit that existed here was back up through the spiraling staircase.
The one blocking the way to said staircase was Demon.
Demon had become a greedy murderer who didn’t want to miss out even the small power the guards carried.
Perhaps aware or unaware of what was going on, the sound of explosions occurred beyond the door within the training center.
The sound of an explosion caused by one of the slaves acted like a signal for Demon to move from the starting line.
With the explosion announcing the start of the hunt, Demon charged at the guards.
The hands that Demon stretched out forward absorbed the guards like how it was with the butchering of the slave in the past.
With the weapons and helmets being torn off and split, the ten guards were sucked in without leaving anything behind, meeting a horrific death.
This was only the beginning.
Behind this door were around 100 slaves.
As the Festival of Blood became heated, so did the number of people willing to become slaves increased, and this was a great chance for Barub.
Not to keep hold of the title of king in the festival, but for being supplied prey.
“Eeek!”
“Now, let’s get this party started. I hope that I’ll be satisfied.”
“Kuhu. There are far more people than before. It really is tempting…”
“D, Demon!”
“What? Huh? Why is the king of the festival here in a place like this…”
“I shall give you all the chance to become king… Kuhaha!”
****
Demon, having left Millions’ estate, was covered in blood.
It was expected, as Demon had slaughtered roughly a hundred slaves.
It was also obvious the slaves in the underground training center were just prey.
After all, they had all perished without leaving even a small cut, much less a small wound.
Unlike their weak attempt at resisting, the power that Demon gained was massive.
However, this wasn’t even close to satisfying Demon’s greed.
The reason why Demon had kept one of the knights alive came into play here.
As stated before, today was an opportune day that would not come again.
The small group of the top nobles were absent in order to accept the invitation of the castellan’s banquet.
The plan was to attack the residences of the nobles where slaves were being trained to become warriors, and to steal all the power of the Protectors.
After that, the nobles.
By killing all of the slaves, Demon would be able to obtain enough power to face off against a count or marquis.
Min-Cheol’s planned targets and Demon’s targets were now overlapping.
They didn’t follow through with their plans at the same time, but this would bring a great change in the playing field.
Demon took in a deep breath before speaking in an excited tone.
“Guide me. Do as you value your life.”
“Where did you want me to guide you to?”
“Kuhu. Must I tell you it myself? The counts and the marquises. From them, guide me to the residences of the ones raising warrior slaves.”
“Yes, yes! I understand.”
Because there wasn’t much time, Demon moved quickly to the location the hostage pointed out.
Before the nobles returned after the banquet’s end, Demon had to obtain enough power to be stronger than them.
To do so, Demon had to kill as many slaves as possible.
Following the guide, the first place that Demon arrived at was Count Eind’s estate.
It wasn’t as grand as Millions’, but it was still a large estate and the amount of slaves being trained weren’t little.
As expected, the knights serving Eind weren’t letting their guards down and were patrolling around the estate.
“Seems I’ll be needing a new guide.”
“Huh?”
“Your role ends here. You don’t know the estate inside and out, right?”
“L-Let me live! Please let me live!”
“Kuhuhu! How could I miss out on such a scrumptious snack?”
“P-Please!”
-crunch!
Taking the knight’s life, Demon charged into Count Eind’s estate.
There were many guards on alert, but they were taken down in an instant, and it didn’t prove much of a challenge for Demon to locate the training facility of the slaves.
This location did not fare better, as expected.
After taking down the knights, guards, and of course the slaves, Demon muttered while wiping the blood off.
“Yes… This is it! I wanted to get stronger at this pace!”
“Urgh!”
“Lead the way.”
****
An alarm through Soul Messenger appeared for Min-Cheol, who was in the middle of focusing on his hunt in the unexplored territories.
“What’s this?”
Because he had never used the skill since obtaining it, it was bothering him quite a lot to see the number appearing on his status window.
It almost made him wonder if there were free points he had forgotten to put into his stats.
After opening up the status window to check, he could confirm that it was Dan trying to contact him.
Unlike before, Dan didn’t reside in Min-Cheol’s storage and was living independently.
Because Min-Cheol was lacking information due to only focusing on the hunt, it was to obtain rumors regarding the castle and Larkenta as a whole, and also to see what the nobles were up to.
Min-Cheol accepted Dan’s request for communication sent through the Soul Messenger.
“Master!”
“Oh wow. This is quite an amazing feature, you know? It feels like I’m receiving a phone call for the first time in a while.”
“It’s a huge issue!”
“Hm? A huge issue? What happened?”
“There’s chaos within the castle walls!”
“What do you mean? Calm down and explain to me slowly.”
“You know of Demon, right? The king of the festival!”
“…”
After hearing Demon’s name being mentioned, Min-Cheol’s expression soured.
He had expected Demon to cause trouble eventually.
This confirmed that his suspicion that Demon was Barub wasn’t wrong.
Since not many days remained before having to return to the celestial plane, Demon was most likely beginning to act seriously.
With a heavy frown on his face, he asked Dan.
“Right. So is Demon on the move?”
“Yes! Demon is on a wild rampage!”
“Are you saying that Demon already obtained power greater than that of Marquis Millions’? That’s impossible! I’ve been keeping track of all those that faced the king of the festival. Even if Demon did butcher all of Millions’ slaves…”
“I also do not know how Demon had grown stronger so rapidly. However, Demon has now grown strong enough to fight with the nobles!”
“Damn it! If this is the case, then I have to take action… Dan.”
“Yes!”
“Since Demon is on the move, we cannot leave this be.”
“Of course! Master cannot lose the prey that he has already set his eyes upon!”
“Where are you currently?”
“I am at the castle. Should I head over to where you are?”
“No. Summon me instead. Since it is an essential skill, I’m sure you have it too?”
“Of course. Just like Soul Messenger, all you have to do is accept.”
“Good.”
-Do you accept Dan’s summon?
-Location. Larkenta castle. (Coordinates 335:533)
The system message rang again.
This was a sound that Min-Cheol hadn’t heard since living as Protector here.
However, this notification sound was something that he had heard back on Earth to the point of annoyance whenever he leveled up or obtained a new skill.
Considering the massive amount of experience points obtained when taking out a group of monsters at once, the sound was enough to get stuck in his head.
Min-Cheol immediately agreed to Dan’s summon.
At the same time that Min-Cheol accepted, Min-Cheol was sucked into the air space in front of him, as if using Warp to travel to another space.
Surprisingly afters, in Min-Cheol’s field of view was Dan.
Min-Cheol’s astonishment at experiencing the summon for the first time was brief.
Demon’s doings cause the hair on the back of his neck to rise.
“Where is Demon headed right now?”
“My guess is that Demon is headed for the palace of the castellan. I’m sure that Demon plans to slay all the nobles gathered due to Friday’s banquet.”
“Did you confirm it with your own eyes?”
“N-No. It’s merely a guess. Demon has already raided all the estates without the counts and marquises presence there clean. I wonder if Demon had grown stronger by killing all the slaves meant for the festival. There’s no better place left for Demon to go on a rampage after all.”
“No. Demon wouldn’t go there.”
“Huh? Then where?”
“Demon has no guarantees. And lacks information, even more than I.”
“…”
“Dan, do you know how strong the castellan is?”
“No… That, I do not have any information on. It’s because no one had dared to fight against the castellan before. Since there is no one to compare it to, I can’t even begin to fathom. All I know is that since power is set depending on your status, the castellan would be unreasonably strong.”
“Of course. I am aware of that as well. So would Demon just go to the castellan’s palace and fight the nobles? Let’s say that Demon can face off against counts and marquises. But what against the castellan?”
“That’s… Don’t you think that Demon is just recklessly charging forward?”
“No. Demon wouldn’t take a fight without a chance at winning.”
“Then where do you think Demon disappeared off to?”
“If I was Demon, I would’ve picked out two choices. Either hide in the castle and ambush the nobles, or go after the ranker Protectors outside the castle.”
“Oho… Then what will you do?”
“Move as planned. Only the time to act has been rushed forward.”
“Will it be okay? Because of Demon rampaging through the castle, the situation isn’t all that great right now.”
“It can’t be helped, right? Rather than let it be stolen, I have to take on some risks.”
“I understand.”
“Now let us go. Make sure to not make any mistakes reading the names off the accounting books and stay close.”
“Yes!”
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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 225
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225. Competition
“Honorable Castellan Mithrael!”
“Hm?”
As the banquet was well underway.
An urgent call for the castellan thrilled by Millions’ surprise gift sounded.
Every noble directed their attention to the interruption.
The one to burst through the door with haste was a member of the castellan’s elite knights.
The elite knights of the castellan were on a completely different level than that of the nobles.
A simple way to explain it would be that the knight captains of the nobles were slightly weaker than a member of the castellan’s knights.
The castellan’s elite knights were truly made up of the strongest fighters.
The knight in question got down on one knee and looked at the ground while addressing the castellan.
“Honorable castellan. It’s a disaster.”
“How dare a mere knight barge into a banquet. What’s the commotion?”
What could possibly be a big enough of an issue for a member of the knights charged with guarding the perimeter to barge into the banquet without a word?
Even if this was an elite knight member that could not be easily messed with, there still was the matter of social class differences.
Mithrael showed the displeasure on his face without holding anything back.
After all, this kind of behavior was definitely considered rude in front of a large gathering of nobles.
This was also the same for the nobles.
However, what the knight member had to say was enough to make them forget their ire.
Instead, shock and fear would take its place.
It especially shocked Millions’, who had curried a great amount of favor with the castellan via a surprise gift.
“It has been reported that Demon has ambushed the residencies of the nobles and caused a massive amount of damage.”
“What? Demon?”
“Yes! According to the testimonials of the survivors, the witnesses were absolutely positive.”
With the name of Demon being mentioned, the castellan’s eyes now rested on Millions’.
The marquis chided the messenger knight with a rattled expression.
“You insolent knight! What are you saying! Demon?”
“I was informed that Demon has slaughtered not only the gathering of slaves set to participate in the festival, but all the knights and guards of each of the nobles.”
“The Demon you speak of… It can’t be that you’re referring to the king of the festival?”
“That’s correct, Marquis Millions. I am positive that it’s your slave, Demon.”
“That can’t be…”
The chaotic banquet was now filled with the whispers of nobles.
Millions was now busy putting on a forced smile and seeing how Castellan Mithrael would react.
That only lasted for a bit though.
“Actually, my knight captain had tried to contact me using Soul Messenger a moment ago. I declined it due to the banquet taking precedence, but I wonder if it was to deliver me the news of Demon’s sudden ambush…”
“It is also the same with me.”
“Huh? I also have a message request pending from Soul Messenger. It also was sent by my knight captain.”
The reality that Millions wanted to deny was now slowly being confirmed bit by bit.
Having been unable to foresee that his slave Demon would do something like this, cold sweat dripped down the marquis’ forehead.
However, since it wasn’t confirmed in person, there still was a chance this wasn’t 100% accurate.
The castellan spoke with a frown.
“Marquis Millions.”
“Yes… Honorable castellan.”
“What is the meaning of this?”
“I am unsure of it as well. It is true that Demon is my slave. However, even as I was leaving the estate in order to participate in the banquet…”
“If what that messenger says is true, then you are aware that this isn’t some trivial incident? What will you do?”
“I am sure that something fishy is definitely going on. There is no way that Demon would do something like that.”
“Hm…”
“I shall confirm it myself.”
Millions hastily tried to contact Demon through Soul Messenger.
Since Demon had contributed the most to increasing his fame, he had thought of Demon as a comrade rather than a slave.
After all, even though Demon was arrogant at times, the slave never crossed the line and even played dead when commanded to do so.
Millions waited anxiously for Demon to accept the message request.
It didn’t take long for Demon’s voice to come through.
“Marquis Millions. What is the issue?”
“Whew…”
Demon’s voice was the same as usual, and the Soul Messenger request wasn’t avoided either.
It wasn’t often that he communicated with Demon, but since there was no difference in tone from the usual, Millions relaxed.
He now believed that what the knight messenger had said wasn’t true.
Now calm, the marquis took in a deep breath and spoke.
“Demon. I’m currently attending the banquet. I trust you’re aware of this?”
“Of course. I heard of it from the knight members.”
“I see. But I’ve heard of a strange report while in the middle of livening up the banquet.”
“What is it?”
“The messenger has told us that you have ambushed the residencies of the nobles and were butchering both the slaves that were to be used in the festival and the knights guarding them. It’s quite the absurd report. I feel as though someone did this in order to try sabotaging me.”
“Who did you hear this from?”
“I’ve heard it from the castellan’s elite knight. Said that it was the eyewitness account of a survivor.”
“…”
“Of course it can’t be true, but wouldn’t it be right to confirm it so that the castellan and the nobles wouldn’t worry? I want to hear your answer. Now, where are you?”
“I see. Looks like the one that got lucky and survived had spread the word.”
“What? This isn’t the time for jokes. Demon, tell me the truth.”
Millions, who was chiding Demon with a lowered voice, felt as though he was going back and forth between Heaven and Hell in front of the castellan.
After all, his attempt to try denying the allegations while everyone’s focus was on him had now backfired into only proving the accusations.
The sound of a sinister laughter was heard over the messenger spell.
“Kuhu. Kuhahahaha! Millions.”
“…”
“You took in someone that you shouldn’t have. You’ve dug your own grave.”
“What?”
“I was planning to give the nobles a surprise present upon their return, but it seems that plan is no longer possible.”
“You little…”
“Are you upset? You want to catch me and tear me apart? Do come. Come find your little loyal pup.”
“Demon!”
Millions let out a yell and raged.
His reaction was observed by all those present.
With this, it was confirmed.
Millions’ slave, Demon, had murdered the slaves, knights, and guards.
Ending the messenger spell, Millions looked around.
It felt as though everyone was mocking and sneering at him.
He turned last to see how the castellan was reacting.
“Millions…”
“Honorable castellan! It is my mistake. I shall make up for the damage that was caused.”
“…”
“Please give me a chance. I shall compensate two fold monetarily for the lives of the slaves and knights lost. Please allow me to catch and execute this slave before all to see.”
“Hm… What does everyone else think?”
The castellan’s eyes shifted over to the nobles.
However, he wasn’t really asking for their opinions.
Since he believed that Millions’ was someone of use, the look in his eyes was that of forcing the nobles to agree with him.
It was so obvious that anyone could tell at a glance.
The hesitant nobles reluctantly muttered one by one.
“T-That sounds good.”
“Well, I could always get more slaves….”
“There are more than enough knight applicants. As long as you are able to repay me back…”
“Y-Yeah. It’s true that Marquis Millions had worked hard to revamp the Festival of Blood…”
“I believe that should be.”
“I also agree.”
The nobles were agreeing, but unlike what they were saying, their expressions were filled with disappointment.
After all, they wanted to execute Millions on the spot if they could, since he was receiving the full interest of the castellan.
With that settled, the castellan addressed everyone in the banquet.
“It seems that today’s banquet will end with this. I shall give Marquis Millions a chance. I shall also be giving everyone a chance as well.”
“Thank you. I won’t disappoint you again.”
“First, compensation for all nobles affected. Second, dealing with the slave Demon.”
“Yes!”
“Lastly, I will be putting a bounty on Demon.”
“Honorable castellan! Please allow me to kill Demon with my own hands!”
“Millions. Don’t you think that there should be compensation for something that cannot be repaid with money? And this is the first incident in decades. Don’t you think this will turn out to be something amusing?”
“But…”
“I shall give the one who takes down Demon an increase in status.”
“I understand.”
With a powerful, short and concise reply, Millions immediately left to find Demon.
With that, the other nobles started to turn in order to return back to their estates.
It was then. Castellan Mithrael continued when everyone had thought he had finished.
“All those with the title of marquis may return.”
“Huh? Then what about the rest of us…”
“What is the reasoning behind putting up a reward of increasing our ranking and then sending only the marquises away?”
“Isn’t there a wild beast called Demon hiding within Larkenta? If Demon had absorbed all the powers of the slaves and knights, then that slave is now strong enough to overpower you all. Until all of the marquises including Millions had caught Demon, it won’t be safe outside.”
“That’s…”
“Even so, we’re not ones to be done in by a mere slave.”
“Is that so? Those with the confidence are free to do so. However, do not forget that those who do so are solely to blame for the outcome.”
“…”
“…”
Around 20 marquises immediately returned to their estates at once.
It was to check the damages they received and to request for the appropriate compensations.
It was also to kill Demon in order to obtain the bounty.
However, the counts were unable to do so.
They were hesitating from what the castellan said.
While it was true that combat strength was divided according to their ranks of barons, viscounts, counts, and marquises, it was true that they just stayed still.
While their rankings were low, there were some with a lot of power.
Some of them actually grew a lot stronger since obtaining their ranks.
However, those that didn’t couldn’t even consider leaving the castle.
As the castellan had said, there was a wild beast hiding outside the castle walls.
Out of the 100 counts, roughly 60 returned back their estates, and 40 remained at the castle.
Of course, not all 60 of the counts that left had enough strength to defeat Demon.
If repayment for the damages was the only thing to gain, they would’ve stayed at the castle.
There was nothing more important than staying alive.
However, they were blinded by the promise of political power.
Even if they were overstepping their bounds, they were trying to defeat Demon in order to raise their rankings.
With this, a huge problem had arisen in Min-Cheol’s plan that he had thought up of.
The plan was to quietly defeat the counts, then the marquises, and finally the castellan.
However, with Demon’s attack, the number of counts that could be attacked were cut in half, and those who should’ve been unaware were now armed to the teeth and readying for battle.
Not only that, but 20 marquises that were difficult to deal with were now hunting down Demon with great speeds.
While the target wasn’t Min-Cheol, it was only a matter of time for him to become a target as well if he was planning on doing similar things that Demon was doing.
Considering the current situation only, it meant that the showdown could be concluded even before returning back to the celestial plane.
After leaving the castle, Millions moved quickly with fury boiling in his eyes.
“Demon…”
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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 223
Chapter 223 is now available.
I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 223
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223. A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A night blanketed in pitch black darkness.
A banquet hosted by the castellan of Larkenta, Mithrael was held.
The banquet was filled to the point that it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that every noble that resided within the castle partook.
It was just a simple dinner feast without any meaning behind it.
It was such a luxurious feast that the average person outside the castle couldn’t even dream of it.
It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that the nobles were putting on a show to get in the good graces of Castellan Mithrael, who held absolute power.
After all, their objective wasn’t to fill their bellies with delicious foodstuffs, but to be noticed by the castellan.
Also present was the master of Demon, Marquis Millions.
Since he was receiving all the attention alone for reforming the Festival of Blood, he was together with the castellan at the center of the banquet.
Even as the banquet went underway, the focus of the conversation was on the Festival of Blood.
After the festival was altered to allow Protectors to participate, the majority of the nobles had been training slaves into warriors, and thus were asking each other’s fighting force and reading the atmosphere as best they could.
All the talks were about the secrets to raising a strong warrior, predictions on who will be winning in the next match, and other such small talk.
The Festival of Blood was a form of entertainment for the nobles, but it also played a huge role in increasing their political power.
To put it simply, it was the easiest way to gain a lot of fame in order to become noticed by the castellan.
However, Castellan Mithrael did not pay much heed to talks of the nobles.
It was because the castellan did not feel much amusement from the Festival of Blood.
The only things on Mithrael’s mind were young maidens and freshly awakened Protectors.
After all, the castellan saw the nobles only as a means of getting a steady supply of said two things.
With the banquet nearly at its end, those drunk on wine dispersed into their own familiar groups.
It would be more accurate to say that they formed groups with those of the same power rankings.
Roughly 10 nobles were gathered around Mithrael, putting up fake smiles.
The one to break the mood was the castellan.
With a cold look, Mithrael asked the the nobles.
“It seems that I can see the end of all of your loyalty towards me. It is perhaps due to the Festival of Blood?”
“…”
“…”
Everyone knew that the castellan was referring to the cut in the supply of tributes.
However, no one was willing to tell the castellan about the swift disappearance of Swesi.
It happened as everyone was staying quiet while trying to read each other.
With 2 half filled glasses of wine carefully held in his hands, Millions moved towards the castellan.
Arriving in front of Mithrael and lowering his head, he offered up a glass and spoke in a low voice.
The other nobles nervously gave Millions a sideways glance, worried that he would sour the castellan’s mood or earn the displeasure of the castellan.
“Oh great Castellan Mithrael. I am Marquis Millions. Dare I speak to you.”
“Right… Marquis Millions. Speak.”
“I am unsure if you have heard this already, but there is a strange rumor going around in Larkenta.”
“A rumor… What is it?”
“Since this is the place to speak only the truth, I shall inform you with everything bare.”
“Go on. I am pleased with your current attitude.”
“I am most grateful. The rumor is that Swesi, a supplier of goods, has been completely wiped out.”
“Continue.”
‘How does Millions plan to handle things after saying such a thing…’
‘He’s digging his own grave… He should’ve been content with holding the king’s seat of the festival…’
The nobles thought such things to themselves.
And they mocked Millions.
They expected his arrogance to receive the ire of the castellan.
However, Millions continued without hesitation.
“Up to here has been confirmed as the truth. The rumor I am trying to convey to you is… They weren’t taken down by an organization or a group, but by a single individual.”
“A single individual crushed Swesi?”
“That seems to be the case. I am aware that this part only amounts to a rumor, but isn’t there a saying that where there is smoke, there is a fire?”
“I expected the fall of Swesi to a certain degree. And I wasn’t worried about it. There are plenty more to take the place of that organization, right?”
“…”
“However, I feel a flash of anger after hearing your words, marquis. Yeah…”
“I also feel the same way.”
Seeing Mithrael stare with great intensity into Millions’ eyes, the nobles sneered.
Each of them reacted a little bit differently from each other, but it was obvious that all of them thought that the arrogant Millions has finally made a huge misstep.
After all, everyone could agree that this could only be only interpreted as Marquis Millions daring to challenge the castellan.
However, the events that followed were more than enough to shock them all.
The castellan gulped down the wine that Millions offered in one go and threw the glass down.
Wiping the wine off his mouth, the castellan spoke.
“Count Eind.”
“Yes! Lord Mithrael.”
“Do you know why I am upset?”
“That’s… I believe that it is due to Marquis Millions’ thoughtless rudeness.”
“Marquis Crixie. What are your thoughts?”
“I also agree with the count.”
“Kuhahaha! Amusing. Lastly, Marquis Millions. What do you think? Do you believe it is your fault?”
“If I am allowed to speak my mind, I dare say it is the arrogance of them trying to cover your eyes and ears.”
Mithrael pointed at the shattered glass coated in wine and asked.
“What is that?”
“…”
“…”
“I asked what that was.”
“It is a glass.”
“It is glass that is broken.”
“No. That is trust.”
“…”
“It is my trust towards the lot of you, pathetically broken.”
“What…”
“I shall also speak bluntly. Do you think Marquis Millions has brought young maidens and Protectors as tribute to me before?”
“…”
“…”
“No. Not even once. You must think of him as someone extremely arrogant. How dare he not show gratitude towards me, the castellan. However, why am I hearing the truth from him!”
“That’s…”
“It was because it was just a floating rumor…”
“Was Swesi’s destruction also a rumor? Furthermore, if the rumor is true, that means it was done by someone who is at least strong as a count, if not a marquis. Doesn’t this means that everyone gathered here at this banquet could be a suspect for having attacked Swesi in order to interrupt the tributes towards me?”
“…”
“…”
Due to the aura of killing intent that the castellan was letting out, the entire banquet was halted immediately.
The banquet area had become silent to the point where you couldn’t even hear the sound of breathing.
The one to break the silence and speak was Millions.
“Bring them in!”
With a single sentence, the door opened, and everyone’s attention turned towards the gates.
Millions’ armed knights were positioned in the front and the back of the group, with 20 young maidens or so between them.
They were young maidens captured in order to give tribute to the castellan.
It was timed as if he had expected this exact moment to occur.
With his head bowed to the castellan once more, Millions spoke.
“Shouldn’t we avoid stopping the merriment of the banquet with such things like this? Please show mercy and recind your anger, Lord Mithrael.”
“Kuha! Kuhahahaha!”
“…”
“An amazing display of foresight. Millions! I had the wrong idea about you. Now! A toast to you!”
Millions earned the envy of every noble gathered at the banquet at once with this move.
The castellan’s attention was on Millions and only him alone.
It was almost as if Swesi’s demise and the identity of the one who attacked them was no longer a concern.
The mood had already been soured, but because the castellan was pleased, the nobles were unable to leave the banquet and were busy raising a toast as well.
The owner of the strongest slave in the Festival of Blood.
On top of that, he had now become the noble who the castellan most favored.
It all happened within a single day. And he had done so in front of every noble to serve as witnesses, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he was effectively second in command of Larkenta.
However, Millions’ happiness wouldn’t last long.
The misfortune that would come his way would be hundreds of times more brutal than the happiness he had experienced today.
****
A luxurious estate befitting the king of the festival.
Booze and food were in a surplus, and there were more than enough whores and slaves to satisfy the carnal desires of the flesh.
The master of this place was the king of the festival and Millions’ loyal dog. Demon.
If you took out the constant surveillance of the knights, then Demon was living a life without lacking.
Demon heard the news that a banquet would be held by the castellan.
Until Millions left, Demon had been drinking alcohol like water, as if having all the time in the world.
With only 20 days before being summoned back to the celestial plane, Demon was planning something grand.
“Kuhu… Is now the time…”
“Hm? Did you run out of alcohol? Do you need a whore?”
Hearing Demon mutter, one of the knights looked through the bars on the door at Demon and asked.
However, instead of a reply, Demon carried a sinister smile.
Thinking that he misheard, the knight moved his attention elsewhere and returned to focusing on the conversation between other knights.
It was only then that Demon walked towards the door.
“Hm? What is it? Do you need something?”
“My master. I wish to meet Marquis Millions.”
“Didn’t you know this already? That the marquis has left to partake in Friday’s banquet. He will return at midnight at the earliest.”
“Is that so…”
“If there’s nothing else, you should go back to resting quietly.”
“That would mean that Millions isn’t here right now.”
“What? Millions? Is the marquis your friend or something? You insolent slave.”
“And it’s a situation where all the nobles have left their homes to boot…”
“What are you saying? Stop distracting me and go finish your booze.”
“Kuhu!”
“Huh! Urgh! W-Why are you doing this, Demon! C-Calm down!”
“With just one of you, it’s plenty. I don’t need the rest.”
“Stop Demon! Restrain the slave!”
“Oraa!”
“You bastard!”
“Uwaaa! D-Demon…”
Stationed to guard the door were Millions’ knights.
There were 10 of them, but after Demon broke down the door, only one remained.
All 9 had their heads torn from their bodies before even having the chance to scream.
Weapons and skills weren’t used.
Demon had just punched them at a speed that was hard to believe.
With a single flurry of attacks, Demon had subdued some of the more decently powerful Protectors.
Of course, these knights weren’t placed in order to stop Demon.
It would be ridiculous to expect a group of knights to stop Demon, who had risen to the seat of king in the festival.
All they had to do were to keep up surveillance and to have even one survive in order to report to Millions if anything went awry.
It had been 80 days since Barub had obtained the name of Demon and worked as Millions’ dog.
Demon hadn’t caused any troubles that entire time, and had never disobeyed Millions even once.
That was why the marquis must’ve let down his guard and attended the banquet.
The only surviving knight had his armor crumple like paper as Demon grabbed him by the collar.
Demon spoke to the man who seemed on the verge of foaming at the mouth and fainting.
“What I need from you is to serve as a guide.”
“Urk!”
“The only things you need to serve as a guide are eyes, ears, and your mouth.”
“L-Let me live… Please!”
“I don’t need you to have arms or legs. Do you understand what I mean by that?”
“Eek! Just say the word! Where would you like me to guide you to?”
“Kuhaha!”
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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 222
Chapter 222 is now available.
I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 222
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222. Preparations Completed
I followed Dump into his workshop.
The workshop that was normally messy from all materials scattered about and burning hot from the heat was cleanly organized.
Looking around, I was able to see a neat line of artifacts against the wall on the left.
Armors, swords, and helmets. They were nicely organized by each set.
For boots, since I needed the status immunity from Titan Boots, I did not request for one.
I had planned to replace the armor that raised various stats and the Butcher’s Sword that stole the stats of those I’ve killed with it because Protectors already did that without needing any equipment.
Dump spoke with a confident expression.
“How is it? 6 sets. They’re all of the highest quality.”
“You’ve worked hard. This is astounding.”
“I didn’t know if what was required would change, so I prepared in abundance. Are they enough? If you need more, then all you have to do is give me a little more time. I can make about two more sets in two day’s time.”
“No, this is perfect. The exact amount I needed happened to be 6.”
“That’s a relief.”
Almost as if predicting that the amount of clones I’d be able to summon would be 5, Dump had prepared 6 sets of artifacts.
I did feel a little bad for Dan, but since he wasn’t strong enough to be part of the fighting, I didn’t prepare him for a set unfortunately.
Seeing his expression, it seems that he wasn’t that disappointed.
Dump and Berlette had no way of confirming the stats on the equipment that they had created.
These artifacts could only be identified when a Protector equipped them.
Thinking about how I would’ve needed to harass a hired bodyguard hundreds or thousands of times to confirm the stats on of the artifacts if I didn’t have Dan, I gave a half hearted laugh.
“Even the appearance doesn’t look plain… It’s enough to show that you’ve put a lot of effort into these.”
“I put an extra helping of effort.”
“Seems the job of a bodyguard is quite annoyin-…”
“Won’t these be used in the final fight here in this world? Or perhaps they will shine in another world.”
“Huh?”
I was briefly speechless at Dump’s words.
It was the same for Dan and Berlette.
I knew that Dump though I was someone from another world from my conversation with Berlette before, but I had no idea how he knew that I would be returning after this fight.
I gave a sheepish grin and spoke.
“You knew?”
“Yes, of course I did. I don’t know why you’ve come to this world in the first place, but I expected that you wouldn’t stay here forever.”
“I see. You’re correct. The remaining time I am allowed here in Larkenta is 20 days. After that, I will be taken to another dimension.”
“Eh. Master, are you still on about that? How could you still be entertaining what that old woman said to mess with you? Master needs to learn restraint.”
“Were the skills that my clones used something that mage class Protectors used in this world? How could you be so dense? It makes me wonder if what you said about how you survived off your intuition was a lie.”
“That’s… Are you being serious? Are you really a god?”
“I guess you can see me as a fake god for now. Just know that I’ve come to this place in order to take the position of an actual god.”
“Huh… I’ve really outdone myself on choosing the right side here. This isn’t a ladder up, this is more of an elevator. An elevator!”
“Regardless, I only have 20 days left. It’s most fortunate that the artifacts were created on time. Thank you very much.”
“I’m just happy that I was of use. It feels as though I was able to repay the debt in my heart, if even a little.”
“No need to say that. You were the greatest ally to me. Is the past tense a bad fit here? You were and still will be the greatest ally going forward.”
“I know there are still days left, but since it won’t be enough no matter how many times I say it, I will say it. Thank you… Thank you so much. Your appearance before my daughter and I…”
“…”
“If you weren’t here, Sir Guardian, then living would’ve been pointless. You’ve returned my daughter back to me, and I know it wasn’t an easy feat to allow us to live in such luxury, you know?”
“As I’ve told you before, what I did was for my benefit. I’m embarrassed by you saying such things.”
“I owe you my eternal gratitude.”
“If I return and win to become a god… Then I’ll be able to see you all again. Don’t think of this as the last time.”
“Of course you must. I’m sure that it’ll come to be.”
“Now! Let’s leave the heavy talk behind and check the equipment. Dan, I’ll need you for this.”
“Of course.”
Dan waddled over to where the armors and weapons were.
He wore an expression of knowing exactly what he needed to do.
The breastplate and the shoulderplates of the armor had dragon and tiger engravings.
A deep blue covered the armor and the pure white sword.
Getting near the nameless artifacts, Dan quickly put them on.
Following that, Dump began explaining.
“As I have mentioned before, the armors have 30% damage reduction and absorption. Also they all increase attack damage by 20%. All 6 of them are maxed out.”
“You’ve accomplished it perfectly.”
“I put my life on line and did all I could.”
“Master, all 6 of them have the maximum stats available. Shall I look at the swords?”
I nodded my head, and Dump’s explanation continued.
“Firstly, in this world, it is impossible to add a defensive bonus to a weapon. That’s why I focused all that I had to increase the offensive capability as much as possible.”
“I see. Most of the weapons in the dimension I was in were the same. So what are the bonuses?”
“30% attack damage increase with electrical, flame, ice, holy, physical, and magical enhancement bonuses have been put on them.”
“Okay. Looks like these bonuses will synergize greatly with my ability to ignore all resistances.”
“That’s a relief.”
“So with just the weapon and armor, my attack damage will increase by 50%. This world’s technology is amazing. Well, it’s only possible because of a talented blacksmith.”
“Hoho. You flatter me. The last are the helmets.”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to that.”
“Master, each of the swords carry different powers. All of them have the 30% attack damage increase bonus though. Looking at just the power of the swords, they are strong enough to be considered part of the top five in Larkenta.”
“Ok, good work. And lastly, check the helmets for me.”
“Yes!”
The helmet’s stats consisted of 205 damage reduction, 20% damage absorption, and 30% damage reflection.
With this, my full armor set gave me 50% damage reduction and absorption, and even obtained the 30% damage reflection.
The damage reflection will synergize amazingly with my Reflect Shield to great effect.
This meant that damage would be reflected at a very high chance.
As the enemy attacked me, they would be receiving that exact damage aimed at me.
I summoned the clones on the spot.
It was to make them wear the equipment right away and prepare for battle.
“Take off the weapons, armors, and helmets you all are currently wearing. And wear these instead.”
“…”
“…”
There were no replies, but the clones moved swiftly as if they were whipped soldiers.
With the artifacts haphazardly worn so far without much care piled aplenty on the side, the clones wore the highest tier armors and swords.
Following their example, I also wore the equipment.
Perhaps learning from when I asked him to change the appearance of my equipments, the new armor that Dump created fit perfectly.
I didn’t feel any weight, and I was able to move freely as if only wearing a cotton t-shirt.
Seeing my clones don the armors and swords, I couldn’t be more reassured.
As my cloning skill’s mastery increased, so did their somewhat muddy form become exactly like mine.
And since all of the clones wore the same equipment as I was, it was to the point where it was hard to tell who was the real one.
With a satisfied smile, I spoke to Dump.
“I am most satisfied. It doesn’t even feel like I’m wearing armor. And I have a full range of motion.”
“I am humbled. It’s my pleasure that you are happy with the result.”
“However, I see that there is a socket for talismans in each of the armor? Did you make them with Protector talismans in mind?”
“Ah! I almost forgot.”
“…”
Dump brought the Protector talismans that were laid upon the shelf above the workbench.
As expected, the talismans were surrounded by a golden light and had engravings.
Putting each of the talismans into the armor of the clones one by one, he finished by standing in front of me and speaking.
“These are Protector talismans. It’s much better than the one you’ve used before.”
“I’m sure that you were short enough on time as it is, but you prepared this as well?”
“That’s not the case. Remember how you rescued those that were captured by Swesi before?”
“Yes…”
“It seemed that among them was an apprentice of an alchemist working in the marketplace. They came and said the following. They really want to meet Sir Guardian one more time.”
“…”
“However, since you haven’t visited this place in days, they decided to show you their gratitude by leaving these talismans here. With the hope that I would deliver these to you as a must. Since a professional has made these, I’m sure these will be useful.”
“Whew… It feels as though I’m quite indebted moving forward.”
“The ability provided is relatively simple. However, while I do not know who you will be facing, I am sure that they have a similar amount of power as you. I’m sure that it’ll come in handy.”
“…”
“The ability of the talisman is to protect the equipped artifact. No matter the attack received, the talisman prevents it from breaking.”
“Hm… is it possible that you can make another socket for another talisman?”
“Hoho. I thought you might say that and made another in advance. I thought that it might be possible for you, who isn’t of this world, to be able to use two talismans at once. Please check the waist area of your armor.”
It seemed that Dump knew exactly what went on in my head.
To think that he’d know my thoughts so well and prepare in advance for it.
As with what he had said, other than the socket in the chest, there was also another socket for a talisman in the waist area.
At that location, I put in the Fire Dragon’s Talisman.
As expected, I felt a massive amount of power flow in.
Normally only the effects of a single talisman can be active at a time.
But as they say, it can’t hurt to try.
I expected my victory with utmost confidence, but I didn’t know if there would be a time where I’d need to use the power of Fire Dragon’s Talisman.
There wouldn’t be time to switch out the talismans mid battle.
Dismissing my clones gave the signal to those present that all preparations for the battle had finished.
“Where will you go now?”
“I move to return Larkenta back to normal. It’s also to increase my strength, obviously.”
“I see.”
“Mr. Dump, we’ll be going to the castle. We’re going to take care of the troublesome nobles there. Well, master will.”
“…”
“I won’t be going right away. It’s because I haven’t been able to estimate just how strong the castellan is.”
“If that’s the case, I see that you’ll move when you’re about to head for the other dimension.”
“Yes, that’s correct. I plan to strike quickly and go.”
“I’ll see if I can think of anything that may be of use in the little remaining time before you head out. Please come visit me before you leave.”
“I understand.”
The clones had put on the artifacts that Dump had made.
Fire Dragon’s Talisman.
And the cursed scroll with unconfirmed effects.
I was positive that there wasn’t much time left before a great battle unlike anything before would occur.
“Let’s go, Dan.”
“Yes!”
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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 221
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221. Cloning Master
Only 20 days remained before my bet with Barub was up.
Time went by scarily fast.
On one hand, each day was precious, but I also hoped that it would end as early as tomorrow.
The reasoning for that was simple.
It was because if we returned right now to the celestial plane with our current growth, the victor would be me.
But as time passed, there was no way to know how Barub would grow.
Starting off by slaughtering all of the slaves in the underground training facility, Barub seemed to also recognize my existence and began increasing the pace for their growth.
As with Dan’s suggestion, I planned to strike down the nobles that engaged in trading with Swesi after Dump’s artifact creation was successful.
While avoiding taking any noticeable action, I focused only on hunting the unexplored territories.
There was no reason to agitate the nobles, who were still sensitive after the fall of Swesi.
My hunts in the unexplored territories produced quite the significant result.
While my growth was slower than hunting other Protectors, there was nothing better than hunting monsters to increase the proficiency of the cloning skill.
Well, there really was no other way to raise this skill’s proficiency in the first place.
Thanks to a sustained tens of days in hunting, I was finally able to reach the max proficiency of the cloning skill.
The reason why I put aside raising my other attack skills and focused on mastering the cloning skill was due to the special ability I would receive after reaching the maximum.
Due to the 1% energy per minute consumption rate, the Protectors of this world are not able to raise their proficiency of this skill to the limit.
However, that wasn’t the case for me.
I did not have this energy resource and instead had unlimited mana, but I could still use these skills that required said energy.
You could say that the cloning skill is the best there is.
Only when you reach the maximum proficiency at it like me that is.
When one masters the skill, they are able to summon 5 clones at once.
Not only that, but each clone is able to copy 100% of the caster’s strength.
This meant that whoever faced me would have to fight 1v5 against me.
This also meant that my combat capability had shot up five fold instantly.
Was it also because of the bonus special abilities each of the clones received?
While they couldn’t talk, these clones had not only my combat capabilities, but the intelligence and combat instincts that I had, and went into battle with the same thoughts as I.
The clones each had received a special unique ability.
If I label the first clone to have reached maximum power as 1, the special unique abilities from 1 to 5 were as follows.
Number 1 dealt bonus damage with curse type skills.
Number 2 had a bonus to recovery skills.
Number 3 had a buff to offensive skills.
Number 4 had a buff to defensive skills.
Number 5 had a revive bonus.
Each time the clones received a unique ability, I couldn’t help but expect a huge increase in my combat capabilities.
Each clone could use an infinite amount of mana, and also ignored all cooldowns on skills.
Since I could, these clones could as well.
However, since each clone had received a bonus unique ability, the clones had become stronger than I.
If I was able to also equip them with the same artifacts as I, then these clones really would be stronger than me overall.
Dump soon would be able to print out top tier artifacts like a factory.
If the clones and I are able to equip them, then existences so strong that it’d be hard to imagine would be born.
Clone Number 1’s unique ability specifically is a debuff that increases the damage that the opponent takes.
Obviously it was a skill to cast on the opponents, and the lower the number of opponents getting debuffed were, the more severe the effects were.
Therefore, the less enemies there were, the greater this ability would shine.
For example, if I had gathered hundreds of monsters, it is possible to cast the debuff on every monster.
After all, this skill cursed all within an area like an AOE skill without regards to the number gathered.
However, if you consider the total power of the curse as 100, then you’d be dividing it up by the number of targets present.
If it was a single opponent, then you’d be able to put all 100% of the curse’s power onto a single target.
It was lethal enough to allow me to blow up a monster from the unexplored territories with a single punch.
Number 2 had the unique ability of healing.
As with me, all the clones had healing skills.
The Heal I learned around the time I first Awakened and the Mega Cure I obtained later.
However, due to the unique ability that clone number 2 had and the comparatively higher healing that Mega Cure had to Heal, the amount of healing that could be achieved could no longer be compared to Heal.
Ironically, my test subject to confirm this was a monster.
Other than Full Heal that you could use on summoned creatures, healing skills could only be used on sentient creatures like humans, such as Awakened and Protectors.
However, this clone’s healing could not only be used on humans, but monsters as well.
This ability was a lot more valuable than what I had originally thought.
In a heated battle, it would be difficult to even keep myself alive.
I would not be able to pay attention to each and every clone.
However, if I give a simple command before the battle starts, then I don’t have to worry about the health of any of my clones.
The 2nd clone would take care of the health of the clones and I autonomously.
This meant that unless an attack powerful enough to instantly overcome the defenses and total health of the clones and I, none of us would die.
Because our mana was infinite, healing spells could be used without end after all.
You could say that clone number 2 is the most reassuring ally.
Number 3 and 4 had abilities that straight up increased attack and defensive capabilities.
Their buffs added on top of the buffs I casted, so not only was it usable alongside my buffs, but the power of the buff was quite high.
And since they kept recasting the buffs with scary precision the moment the buffs ran out, you could even consider them as buff shuttles.
Out of the 5 clones, their function was simple, but they still performed an important role.
Lastly, clone number 5.
This clone had quite the cheat-like unique ability.
You could explain the entire ability with one word, revival.
To be honest, I wasn’t able to confirm yet if this clone would be able to resurrect me, a human.
It was because this clone was the last to be mastered, and I hadn’t fought a single Protector since.
However, I was able to confirm that this clone was able to revive other clones.
There was no cooldown time to summon or banish any of the clones.
And even if there was, it wouldn’t affect me.
However, if these clones were not banished by my will, but instead destroyed from losing all of their health, then it was a different story.
If a clone had perished at the hands of a monster, then I could not summon said clone for 10 minutes.
This was an issue that an infinite amount of mana or the ability to wield all power freely at will could not solve.
Of course it was possible for me to banish a clone before said clone perished and resummon them at full health, but that would be extremely difficult in a battlefield where attacks could fly at me from all directions.
The ability that the 5th clone possessed would allow me to completely remedy this issue though.
With clone number 2 on the job, the chance of losing any clones would be nearly nil, but even if one of them does fall, the 5th clone will come in to fix that.
Status Denial allows a body to return to a state that is desired, but the revival of the clones return them to the best condition they were before.
This not only included health, but mana and cooldown time as well.
It’s almost as if I’ve received a powerful army. 1
I didn’t train this skill by casting the skill over and over again, but instead just summoned them and let them hunt.
Since I was able to grow stronger while also letting them grow stronger, it wasn’t as if I had set aside my time to invest in training said clones.
With a skill like this, I did not want to stop at 5 clones, but instead wanted hundreds and thousands.
Dan, who came out of the storage, was shocked beyond belief after seeing the hunting performance the five clones were putting on.
“Huh!”
“What do you think? Don’t you think they fight better than expected?”
“Did you really finish raising your proficiency on all of them to the max?”
“Yep. The number of clones is five. Not only that, but each of them has 100% of my power.”
“My goodness… Master is really persistent. Absolutely persistent. So quickly… And the cloning skill at that.”
“I actually haven’t done anything. I just let them free so they can go play. You can say that I just chaperoned them. Moving on, you’re drooling. Close your mouth.”
“Yes, yes… with this, can’t you take out the counts with ease? You achieved the maximum proficiency in the cloning skill, something that no one has ever done.”
“That’s welcome news. Let’s begin. Even as early as tonight.”
“Hm… First, let’s head to Mr. Dump. There’s a chance that the artifacts are done at this point.”
“Well, since I haven’t visited him in over 15 days, so perhaps he has.”
“…”
“Let’s meet at the mansion.”
“Yes.”
****
Dan did not return back into the storage and moved on his own accord.
This new development was a cause for celebration.
This meant that instead of relying on my commands for every move, he has now started to decide on how to act on his own.
When we arrived at Dump’s dwelling, it was quieter than expected.
Even though the usual sounds of a hammer ringing loudly and hot metal sinking into water should be present, it was nowhere to be found.
I felt unsettled for a brief moment, but seeing the light from a candle by the window casting a wavy shadow, I felt reassured as I entered the house.
-knock knock knock.
“It’s me. Guardian.”
“I, Dan, is here as well.”
“Aha. You’ve arrived? Due to a lack of visits from you recently, I was worried thinking that something had happened.”
“You’re here? Protector. Dan. Good to see you again.”
“Sorry about that. I’ve been rather busy.”
“Hoho. Miss Berlette is becoming more beautiful with each passing day.”
“You’re such a sweet talker, Mr. Dan. Thank you for your words.”
“No! It’s not just empty words. It’s the truth, you know?”
“Thank you. You’re here too, Sir Guardian?”
“Yes. It’s been awhile. I trust you’ve been well?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Berlette put on the most beautiful smile in the world.
It was enough to make even the freckles on her face look attractive.
Dan’s words weren’t just out of politeness.
After the fall of Swesi, she was showing off all of her feminine charms.
She didn’t need to keep her hair short or wear heavy armor and loose clothing anymore, which she had to do previously to pretend being a male.
Almost as if showing off her anger at not being able to dress up before, her beauty was that much more radiant.
“You really are becoming more beautiful with each passing moment.”
“Huh? Yes… Thank you. The weather sure is hot…”
“Ah. That’s not. Yes. It’s hot. Right… Mister?”
“Hoho. Yes, go on.”
“I’ve arrived with the hopes that you’ve completed an artifact. How far have you come along in that task?”
If my appearance didn’t change into that of a rugged look, I’m sure that she would be a peer roughly the same age as I.
I was embarrassed at those words that slipped out and muttered to myself.
It was the same with Berlette.
Because the two did not speak much with each other before, the awkwardness must’ve been two or threefold.
Quickly changing the topic, I asked Dump about the situation regarding the artifacts.
Perhaps noticing the cue, Dump quickly continued the conversation.
“Why do you think I’m taking a break like this?”
“Huh? Perhaps…”
“Yes. It’s finished. The creation of the artifact is finished!”
“Is it really true?”
“It is. It has all the stats I wanted on it, and all the stats on it are of the highest caliber.”
“You’ve worked really hard. I want to confirm it immediately if possible.”
“Let’s do so then. I shall lead the way.”
“Yes.”
With that, everyone including Dump and I headed for the workshop area.
And in that workshop were artifacts elaborately shaped beyond belief lined up.
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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 220
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220. Demon God’s Scroll 2
With an insidious smile, the old woman returned to the table she was drinking the tea at with a skill scroll in hand.
It seemed that she wasn’t your ordinary elder.
She had muttered as if she had an ability to see through a person’s ability.
The old woman’s eyes were only on me.
Looking only at me despite Dan’s complaints, the old woman spoke while handing the scroll to me after sitting down.
“Unfortunately, there is no demon god tier skill scroll for you. But what about this?”
“Hey. Grandma. Over there are enough demon god tier scrolls to overflow. Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Dan. Wait. Let’s hear what she has to say first.”
“Huh? Sure, master…”
“The demon god tier scrolls are stocked in abundance. Here. And over there as well. However, a scroll that fits you won’t be found even if you search the entire world. After all, it won’t satisfy you.”
“…”
“There’s a strange energy I’ve never seen before flowing through your body. It’s an energy that makes it difficult to believe that you’re human.”
“…”
“No. I’m positive. This isn’t a power of this world. It’s a power I’ve never felt before in my entire life.”
“You’ve seen correctly. Seems you’ve got quite the fascinating ability.”
“Hm. At my age, you see things that you couldn’t see before. Even if you don’t want to. Yes. So who are you? No. I think the better question is what are you.”
“You do realize that it could get very dangerous after you hear the answer to that question?”
“The area around is quiet due to the Festival of Blood starting. To the point where no one would notice if an elderly like me died. Hm.”
“Your skill in speaking isn’t something that I can handle. I’ll answer first then. I’m a demigod. You can think of it as half god and half human. And I hold the power of a demon king as well.”
“Master. Are you really going to do this after coming all the way here? This is time to be serious.”
“You over there who looks like a dried dead grasshopper, stay out of it. This one’s words are not lies. Did you not realize this entire time who you were even serving!”
“Huh? A grasshopper? Are you seeing something else that’s strange?”
Dan looked around.
Almost as if to say there was no way that he was a dead grasshopper that was dried out by the sun.
A burst of laughter came out in response to his reaction.
Understanding the situation, Dan quietly observed the conversation between us while his lips stuck out in a pout.
“Let’s talk about this scroll.”
“Hm. A demigod… Demigod… Where did I hear that before…”
“…”
“It feels like it happened a very long time ago. A time far before monsters appeared in this world.”
“Grandma. Let’s talk about scrolls instead, okay?”
“Grasshopper. How long will you complain?”
“Ahem…”
“The shape is different from regular scrolls. And the color it radiates isn’t of silver or gold, but the color of blood.”
“It’s because it had received a curse.”
“…”
“This scroll isn’t something a monster dropped. It’s something a human dropped.”
“That sounds like a story far harder to believe than my story of being a demigod.”
“Hm. I’m sure it is. And the more interesting fact is that this scroll didn’t come here due to the appearance of monsters, but was an item that existed here far before that. My grandma’s grandma…”
“It’s an item that existed way before, almost as if to herald the coming of Protectors and monsters?”
“It seems you like granny’s old story.”
“You can see the ability on the scroll, right?”
“Of course I can see. I assume you’re curious?”
“…”
“If you use this scroll, you would gain twice the power you have now. This obviously includes your physical status, but also the destructive power of your skills. Not only that, but you can imbue great power to your weapons or body.”
“Just from the description alone, it seems like an amazing scroll. I assume there is a catch to using the scroll?”
“There are no requirements to use the scroll. But I cannot guarantee that your body can handle it after using the scroll.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Didn’t I tell you that this scroll has existed for centuries. During that long period of time, the scroll’s power remained the same. Don’t you think that others would have desired this scroll through the years? But no one was able to obtain that power. Obviously regular people, but also Protectors had their bodies consumed.”
“Master… My intuition does not like this. It’s saying that we need to get away from that scroll and run away right now!”
“The requirement to use the scroll is to… use it? The only thing is that I have to be able to endure it…”
“Hm. What will you do? Will you trust in the words of an old woman and attempt the test? Or will you consider this an act of mockery against the gods by an insignificant human being?”
For a brief moment, I was lost in thought.
If what the old woman said was true, then I could not afford to miss my opportunity to use this scroll.
After all, if this scroll ended up in the hands of Barub, the situation would turn for the worst.
But what if what she was saying was untrue?
If I lose my life the moment that I use the scroll…
And this wasn’t like any old artifacts that I could ask Dan to test for me.
If he used it, then he would lose his life to the scroll.
There was no reason for me to take such a huge risk.
As long as everything went according to plan, I would be able to defeat Barub.
This meant that I didn’t need to risk everything for something that wasn’t certain.
I took the scroll from the old woman’s hand.
The old woman observed me with her eyes nearly closed.
“For now, I’ll be taking the scroll.”
“Unless it’s you, I don’t think anyone worthy of being the owner of the scroll will ever appear, so feel free to.”
“However, I won’t be using it.”
“Tsk. I was wrong in my expectations on this part. Why so?”
“I do not have the slightest worry that I would be consumed by the scroll. However, I just can’t believe what you’re saying. Such a convenient stroke of luck. Unreasonable favor shown towards me. These are things that I can’t even begin to imagine in the world I’ve experienced and learned from.”
“Hm… I understand. When the worst situation possible comes to be, and it will in due time. Perhaps then you will change your mind.”
“…”
“It’s just the ravings of a crazy old coot, so don’t pay too much attention to it. I may die at any given moment, so there’s no way I would be able to predict your future.”
“I’d feel too bad leaving just like this. After all, I even received a scroll. Dan.”
“Yes, master.”
“Buy some useful skill scrolls and then come out. I’ll be taking a brief stroll nearby.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I walked out of the store and back onto the street.
For now, I put away the cursed scroll that the old woman had handed over into the storage.
This would be my last resort.
No. You could say this would be my last gamble.
I planned to use this if I lost to Barub, or as a final resort when I lost all my strength to struggle or resist.
If such a time did come.
Even if the scroll did not have any effects and only stole the life of the user, I wouldn’t lose anything.
Because the situation would be that there wouldn’t be anything left to lose.
An encounter that seemed like fate and a skill scroll that could be considered a legend.
There wasn’t anything concrete I’ve gained as of now, but there was a chance that it would be what turns the tables later on.
My thoughts on it didn’t last long though. It didn’t take long before Dan came outside.
There were 3 scrolls in his hands.
It seemed as though he had these in mind before choosing to come to a skill scroll shop.
Scurrying along, Dan spoke with much relief.
“She’s a real strange one, that old woman. Right?”
“You’re right about that. It feels as though I’ve just met a ghost. To think that I’ve received a cursed scroll out of nowhere…”
“If it is the Fire Dragon’s Talisman that you’ve obtained before, then I’ve heard of it in rumors. I couldn’t confirm its existence because it’s considered an artifact that only exists in legends, but to think that a cursed scroll I’ve never even heard of exists.”
“…”
“I do not have even a shred of trust on this matter. The old lady and the scroll too. It totally isn’t because she called me a dried out dead grasshopper in the fields. You know this, right?”
“Pff. Of course. My thoughts are the same as yours. I do want power, but I can’t just accept power without identifying and confirming what it is. I’ve only received the scroll because I thought that others would covet this scroll, so no worries.”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Enough about that, what skills did you purchase?”
“Skills that most Protectors here consider it a must to obtain. It seems as though you already have more than enough attack and defensive skills, so I just got these instead.”
“Well, even if I did have more attack or defensive skills, I wouldn’t be able to use them properly.”
“Firstly, this is Energy Scan. It shows the remaining health of your opponents.”
“Oho…”
“However, it doesn’t show an exact number. But it does give you a ballpark estimate of how much damage they took and how long they can hold out for.”
“It’s quite a useful skill.”
“I know, right? Try obtaining it first.”
I twisted each end of the scroll and obtained the skill.
There was no explanation for the skill, but I could sense that there was an increase in the number of skills I could use with my power.
I immediately used Energy Scan on Dan.
-Thump. Thump.
“Hm… A heart?”
A red orb floated above Dan’s head.
Like the beating of a heart, it kept on contracting and expanding.
“Do you see a red orb?”
“Yep. I do. An orb that beats like a heart.”
“Right. You can think of it as your opponent’s heart. If the size shrinks or the beating slows, it shows that your opponent’s health is running out.”
“Oho… Good. It’s quite a useful skill. I can even roughly check an opponent’s combat capabilities with this too.”
“I’ll explain the next skill as well.”
“…”
“The next skill is Summon.”
“Hm? Am I summoning a summoned creature or making copies? If that’s the case, I can already do that.”
“No. It just summons a selected target in front of the caster.”
“Does that mean I can just summon anyone in front of me?”
“That’s not the case. The person who you are trying to summon has to agree to the summon. If the target refuses, then there is absolutely no way to bring them so. And I think it’s obvious, but you know that you need to be familiar with the person you’re trying to summon, right?”
“Hm… I don’t think this will be very useful though?”
“This is a skill mostly used by those who party up to hunt. It’s used to summon allies that are caught out by a Monster Wave or surrounded by monsters in general. Obviously by the person who is in a safe location.”
“Now that I hear your explanation, I think it’s pretty good. If I put them into storage after summoning them, then they’d be safe from any kind of danger.”
“Correct. And you really don’t absolutely need the last skill, but it’s called Soul Messenger.”
“Telepathy?”
“Yes. Well, similar. You can talk with your desired target without opening your mouth. However, this also requires the receiving target to agree, and if the receiver isn’t able to cast the skill or are just regular people, then they can only hear your voice. To have a conversation, both sides have to cast the skill on each other.”
“There really are all sorts of skills.”
“Anything else you need, you can learn them as you think up of any. For now, I think it’d be best if you focus on raising your proficiency on your cloning skill.”
“Okay. Mr. Dump’s successful creation of artifacts and raising the cloning skill’s proficiency to the max. I guess these two are the only things left.”
“That’s right.”
“Let’s get going. When it comes to leveling skills, I’ve become very good at it.”
With that, I headed to the highest difficulty of the unexplored hunting grounds that I could handle.
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