Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: One Day on the Battlefield (3)
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‘If I equate mana to money, it might feel more real.’
Killing one monster nets you a few thousand won, maybe tens of thousands, and at best a few hundred thousand.
Under that basic premise, how many people could secure 10 billion in funds?
As long as consumption through the shop exists, there wouldn’t be many players in this game who could amass 10 billion mana.
‘For average players, growth mostly stalls here at gold rank.’
With a completed gold-rank body, they upgrade software like mana and spells bit by bit for incremental growth.
‘That’s the limit most will face.’
But I had no intention of stopping here.
‘From now on, I need to stand toe-to-toe with those higher up—guys in a completely different league like Horfena Rashar and Gretman.’
Only then could I hunt the marshal-grade or legion commander-grade monsters they handle.
Grit my teeth and scrape together mana to reach platinum rank.
‘Or find another way.’
My eyes sharpened as I gazed at the battlefield littered with evolved monster corpses.
But that lasted only a moment.
I closed my eyes, withdrew my gaze, and let out a long breath.
‘Doesn’t mean I can rush it, though.’
Slowly, but surely.
“Kyaooo!”
No sooner had I steadied my mind than a sudden cry rang out.
A monster’s wail, tinged with fury and a hint of sorrow.
Turning toward the sound, I saw the general-grade monster trapped in my spell, howling away.
“You’ve been noisy as hell since earlier.”
As I looked at the general-grade, Ahel, who was squatting beside it with his chin propped on both hands, suddenly spoke up.
Next to him lay the corpses of three or four evolved monsters, likely Velta’s work—her hands were shaking off black blood.
As I approached them, Velta lit up and promptly climbed onto my shoulder.
While I manifested water mana to wash her hands, Ahel jerked his chin toward the general-grade.
“Right?”
“……Yeah.”
I replied flatly, and soon Yang Tae-ho and Kim Yul gathered in one spot.
“Gonna take it down now?”
Kim Yul asked, wiping the black blood from the relic dagger I’d given him.
I shook my head and locked eyes straight with the general-grade.
Its crimson eyes glared at me murderously.
That was all it could do.
The general-grade was trapped in my ‘Lightning Prison’ right now.
A 5th-grade spell I’d successfully added to my status window two days ago.
I inspected the Lightning Prison, which had held the general-grade for over four hours.
‘Output’s weakening.’
At first, just approaching the lightning would scorch its scales black.
Now, it only singed them slightly. The maintenance time was running out.
‘Maybe pump more mana into the structure-maintenance array?’
I tweaked the mana array I sensed visually and through my senses, and the Lightning Prison flared hot again.
For prolonged use, I’d need to adjust the mana input during initial manifestation.
As I nodded to myself while checking the array, Kim Yul sidled up and spoke.
“This the spell you stored in my dagger, right?”
“Yeah.”
“What’d you just do? The sparks got stronger again.”
“Replenished the mana.”
“Like charging it?”
“You can think of it that way.”
“Different from Sword Dance, though…….”
“That’s focused on single-shot burst consumption.”
AoE spells like Sword Dance or Flame Storm have insanely high mana rotation rates.
Think of it as mana fuel getting burned up the moment you inject it.
Dump in a lot at once, and the range and power scale accordingly.
Lightning Prison, on the other hand, stores the initial mana input and dispenses it steadily at a fixed rate.
You can adjust consumption by scaling the spell’s size, but pumping in more mana doesn’t boost raw power.
“Hmm…… This part here? That the structure-maintenance array? No? Hard to tell without the full structure…….”
He’d been scrambling just to manifest mana until now, but the arrays were starting to click for him.
I explained to Kim Yul what Ahel had taught me.
In the process, when he heard the Lightning Prison’s mana consumption, Kim Yul asked stiffly.
“Wait, how much for initial manifestation?”
“42 thousand……no, 43 thousand or so.”
“Eek.”
He recoiled in shock, sticking out his tongue.
“I thought Sword Dance was no joke, but this eats even more? 5th-grade lives up to the hype…….”
Spells generally demand more mana the higher the grade.
1st-grade Mana Detection takes hundreds; 2nd-grade barriers take thousands.
3rd- and 4th-grade jump to tens of thousands, and 5th-grade Lightning Bolt demands a whopping 100,000.
The ever-sparking blue Lightning Prison was no exception.
‘All these things are mana-guzzling hippos.’
Even for me, who’d swept up attribute stones at auction to push past 50,000 attribute mana, it was burdensome.
But I had no complaints.
‘Power’s undeniable.’
Lightning Bolt went without saying, and the new Lightning Prison’s potency was unquestionable.
My review after properly testing Lightning Prison was satisfying.
‘Couldn’t check it fully since regular evolved monsters just burned up.’
Thanks to this general-grade showing up, I got a precise gauge.
‘Not bad.’
Strong enough to use as a defensive tool against tough foes.
A replacement for barriers, which were useless against general-grades.
‘Naming’s lame, but it restrains and defends.’
Unlike standard barriers, it also disrupts mana movement inside.
No matter how much the trapped target thrashes with mana, escaping the magnetic field is tough.
Mana cost for manifestation was a bit heavy, sure.
But I’d keep building attribute mana, so it’d resolve soon.
While I tallied Lightning Prison’s strengths, Yang Tae-ho and Kim Yul got hyped inspecting the general-grade.
“This one seems to eat water mana—wonder what spells it’s got. That swamp over there looks magical too, yeah?”
“Probably. Facing real general-grades is such a pain every time. Not like games with fixed mob patterns…… Even in an era respecting individuality, do we gotta respect the mobs’ too?”
Watching the two squat by the Lightning Prison like Ahel, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Back in silver rank, encountering a general-grade was a life-or-death threat.
Now here we were, caging one and casually chatting while gawking.
‘Like locking a beast in a zoo for viewing.’
Who’d believe this scene if described?
It felt so unreal, the thought just slipped in.
Not that I dwelled on idle musings.
Kim Yul turned to me with another question.
“You said general-grades in contaminated zones gather evolved monsters for detachments, right?”
I nodded at Kim Yul’s question.
General-grades, with explosive ego development, assemble squads or detachments from evolved monsters to their taste.
‘The space-manipulator one only gathered 5-stars.’
This one was broader, ignoring evolution stages and collecting aquatic-capable evolved monsters.
That’s why some died to 3rd- or 4th-grade AoEs.
“So the underlings take after the boss, then.”
“Likely.”
“Can’t predict the general-grade’s hand in advance—if they proliferate on the battlefield, headaches all around.”
I got Yang Tae-ho’s worry.
But we couldn’t just wallow in that and do nothing.
“Before that, we need to get proficient ourselves. In every way.”
Wrapping up the short talk, I beckoned the two squatting by the Lightning Prison.
“Time to wrap it up.”
Checked Lightning Prison’s power—now on to the next phase.
“Soloing it? We hang back?”
That wouldn’t do.
‘Chances to gain combat experience against 8-star general-grades don’t come often.’
At minimum, I needed skill to handle two or three solo.
‘I know Kerak’s dangerous.’
But that’s no reason to sideline party members.
They’re people to stand with me on the battlefield, not hide under my protection.
‘If it uses Kerak, pull back then.’
No way I’d bench them preemptively against an 8-star that hasn’t even used Kerak, making them spectate safely.
“For now, no offensive spells. Go melee. Maximize hand-to-hand and weapon skills; spells only for support.”
“Got it.”
“Roger.”
At general-grade level, low-grade spells don’t land at all.
So prepare for spell immunity by steadily building melee experience.
‘Disruption inside Lightning Prison means it’s burned plenty of mana too.’
Perfect conditions for spell-less combat training.
I signaled Yang Tae-ho.
As he stepped forward, Kim Yul used Wind Step to reposition behind the general-grade.
Finally, I regripped my spear shaft and dismantled the Lightning Prison array.
“Kyaaak!”
With Lightning Prison gone, the 2-meter 8-star general-grade roared fiercely.
But instead of charging, it whipped its red eyes around in place.
Especially wary of Kim Yul behind it, tail lashing nonstop.
Water splashed from nearby puddles with each swing.
Seemed cautious after its minions got wiped.
I had no plans to drag out this standoff.
“Hyung-nim.”
A Taunt spell manifested instantly—tanker basics.
The general-grade’s busy eyes locked straight onto Yang Tae-ho.
I watched closely.
‘Taunt’s just 1st-grade, yet always works.’
Not just Taunt. Mana Detection, also 1st-grade, always pinpoints monsters.
Because it’s non-physical damage?
Maybe tied to why 1st-grade spells classify as skills in the status window.
‘Magic theory’s full of contradictions.’
Before pondering the source, Yang Tae-ho banged his hammer on his shield to provoke it.
“Lookin’ tasty? Come get some.”
To the general-grade’s eyes now, Yang Tae-ho must look like a gourmet meal.
Boosted spell proficiency made the Taunt irresistibly appetizing.
“Kyaooo! Eat!”
After twitching in place repeatedly, it finally roared and stomped the ground.
The waterlogged soil caved under the force.
Thud.
In a blink, it closed the few meters, slamming into Yang Tae-ho’s mana-clad shield.
Both dug feet deep into the ground.
The general-grade then gripped the shield with both hands.
Its thick, long tail whipped toward Yang Tae-ho beyond the shield.
Instead of brute-forcing, Yang Tae-ho shoved the shield tight against the evolved monster, dipping his upper body slightly.
The balance shattered; the shield tilted at a slant.
The tail meant for Yang Tae-ho’s head glanced off the incline, flying harmlessly.
‘Shieldwork’s flawless, no notes.’
I didn’t miss the opening Yang Tae-ho created.
I lunged at the general-grade’s flank, thrusting my spear.
As it released the shield to block, swinging a hand sideways—
Kim Yul struck from midair, where he’d been lurking.
The general-grade whipped its bounced tail back fast.
“Kyao! Kill!”
A grating screech, like metal clashing.
Kim Yul’s dagger couldn’t pierce the scales, bouncing off.
Unlike him, my spear tip did penetrate—thankfully.
But shallower than expected. Just a shallow stab.
‘Meant to gut it.’
Tougher hide than previous general-grades.
I yanked the spear free and yanked the shaft sideways.
Then lashed it at blinding speed.
‘Can’t pierce? Then shatter the bones.’
Damn System