Chapter 262: Good News (2)
Chapter 262: Good News (2)
I leaned back comfortably against the sofa and closed my eyes.
To anyone else, it would look like I was deep in internal meditation. While that was my intention, there was something I had to check first.
'Status Window...!'
Ding!
======================
【Amplified Dragon Heart Fragment absorbed!】
You have consumed a well-refined Dragon Heart fragment, further amplified by the power of Cyclic Life!
The fully absorbed Dragon Heart fragment has taken root in your body in the form of massive mana and a degraded trait.
Did you know? During the War of the Gods, there were warriors who received pieces of Dragon Hearts just like you to gain a portion of their authority.
Well, they all died during the war, though.
I hope you don't end up like them.
======================
Good grief, what is this now?
Originally, a Dragon Heart fragment is an elixir that only increases mana.
Much, much later, there’s an opportunity to obtain a complete Dragon Heart. If you used that as an elixir instead of for something else, you could randomly inherit one of a dragon's traits.
Among those random traits was Mental Resistance (S). Intimidation Resistance was likely its lower-tier version.
I mean, even if it’s a lower-tier trait, is it really okay to just hand it out like this? It’s a sweet deal for me, but still.
…Wait. Come to think of it, it was similar when I took the Blessing of the Sea elixir.
Originally, that was a potion that granted a trait allowing one to breathe and move freely underwater.
But when my Medicinal Constitution amplified the effect, it added bonus effects: a 10% reduction in water-attribute damage taken and a 10% increase in water-attribute damage dealt. A plus sign was even attached to the trait rank.
It was the same now. The fragment, which was definitely S-rank, had been amplified to S+ rank, and the random trait effect had been added.
Perhaps Medicinal Constitution doesn't just add 10% to the final value, but actually raises the very grade of the medicine by 10%.
If so, this trait truly shines when consuming top-tier elixirs rather than several mediocre ones.
Rejoicing at the unexpected harvest, I moved on to the next notification.
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【Proficiency increased!】
You have awakened the true essence of the Lindblum Mana Core!
Its name is Lindblum Core Origin!
…Oh? Is it a bit lame? But the performance is solid!
By the way, remodeling your body into a single mana organ… you’re out of your mind!
They say there’s a thin line between genius and madness, but this was a bit much! If you had made even a tiny mistake, your heart would have gone pop!
Well, since you succeeded, it’s a meaningless hypothetical now.
Be happy! No matter how vast the mana, it will never be free from your will!
You’ve gained a body with a very promising future, haven't you?
======================
I expected the Lindblum Mana Core to grow. The plus sign meant it was nearing its next stage, and I had just gained a bit of enlightenment.
It rose because it was meant to. Mm-hmm.
Mana Affinity. This was the constitutional trait that was the exact opposite of the Mana Insensitivity I used to have.
I was surprised by the high rank, but I already knew I would gain a constitutional trait.
Even without the system confirming it, I could feel my body had changed ever since the mana core integrated with my heart.
Iona had sensed that dissonance as well.
In truth, I hadn't struggled with mana manipulation before. In fact, it had been quite smooth.
But now, it was on a different level.
First, the amount of will required to move mana had decreased exponentially.
It felt as if I was receiving system correction for simple mana manipulation itself, much like the correction received when casting a spell.
Now, not only could I perform incomparably delicate operations, but my maximum output would have increased significantly as well.
I basked in the high of being a mage for a moment, but then I noticed one more notification remaining.
What is it?
Tilting my head, I opened the next alert.
Ding!
======================
【Special conditions met!】
Go to Fafnir's Lair.
======================
???
That’s it? Nothing else? Where did that infuriating tone go?
Of course, I knew where Fafnir's Lair was.
He was a Black Dragon famous for his incredible greed even before the War of the Gods.
Rumor had it that because he died during the war, all the treasures he had hoarded in his lair were left abandoned.
And the destination of the sub-quest to track those rumors and loot his legacy was Fafnir's Lair. However…
In the game, it was a bittersweet quest where the lair had already been looted by cultists, leaving only an empty cave with traces of the dragon and its minions to greet the player.
It was also a place I had planned to take the party to eventually.
But to be told to go there out of the blue?
It was absurd, but the phrase "Special conditions met" didn't appear often, so I couldn't ignore it.
Usually, that notification popped up when clearing a high-grade penalty trait, combining two lower traits into a higher one, or finding a hidden piece.
Whichever it was, it was certain that going to Fafnir's Lair would be of great benefit to me.
Anyway, that was the end of the notifications. It was time to check the detailed information.
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【Intimidation Resistance (B)】
An unfounded confidence wells up from deep within your heart.
It seems you won't be easily frightened by most opponents.
Sometimes, blind confidence helps, doesn't it?
======================
It’s not something I’ll use often, but it’ll be quite useful when facing large monsters or boss-level enemies.
Of course, it wasn't at the level of Mental Resistance, which nullifies all mental attacks and status effects.
Next…
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【Mana Affinity (A)】
You are loved by mana.
Actually, since mana has neither will nor emotion, saying you are "loved" is an incorrect expression, but…
Your affinity for mana is so outstanding that it’s the only way to describe it!
Of course, how you utilize this is up to you!
======================
Simple but fundamental, just like a constitutional trait should be.
Until now, I could only receive system correction for magic use, but now I would receive it for every action using mana. It would be useful no matter how I used it.
'Finally, the status window.'
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Name: Yandel
Title: Adversary
Basic Stats
Strength: 18
Endurance: 17
Agility: 18
Dexterity: 18
Mana: 24 -> 26
Traits
Endless Mana (A)
Elemental Affinity (B)
Excellent Memory (B)
Excellent Weapon Skill (B)
Lindblum Mana Core (A)
Intermediate Magician (B)
Sun God's Blessing (A+)
Cultist Hatred (A)
Medicinal Constitution (C)
Element Combination (A)
Blessing of the Sea (B+)
Intimidation Resistance (B) NEW!
Mana Affinity (A) NEW!
======================
My mana stat is already 26. At this level, my mana capacity is essentially at the entry level of a high-tier mage.
Rebecca must have given me the Dragon Heart fragment with this in mind.
However, stepping into the realm of a high-tier mage meant that from here on, a difference of a single stat point would be enormous.
In reality, stat growth through training should be considered almost impossible. More accurately, it’s possible, but it would take years to move to 27.
By then, either I’d be dead or the Evil God would be.
Of course, considering the upcoming cultist-related events and the hidden pieces I haven't been able to collect yet, this was incredibly fast progress.
The trait list had grown quite long, a sight usually only seen in the late stages of H&A, but…
The problem was that the cultists had moved beyond reacting within their plans and had begun to accelerate the plans themselves.
It wasn't a small-scale terror attack like the dungeon practice raid, nor was it an accidental clash like the incident with Ayla.
They had brought a literal army of monsters and even showed dominance against the Righteous Light, which was considered the strongest in martial power among the churches of the Good Gods.
This clearly meant they were starting to reveal the hand they had kept hidden.
From now on, those cultist bastards would start running rampant across the continent. The Siege of Solaris was merely the opening shot.
But it’s always important to start off on the right foot.
Thanks to Rebecca, I was able to achieve a significant power boost before the big battle. All that remained was to show it through results.
I dismissed the status window that lingered even behind my closed eyes and slowly sank my consciousness into my body.
Two days until we head for Solaris. It was a short time, but delaying any longer could put Helena in danger.
So, I had to get used to this body within two days, no matter what.
With that resolve, I began testing things one by one. First, I had to overhaul the Element Combinations I was familiar with.
If more delicate mana manipulation was possible, combinations I had only dreamed of because they were too difficult would now be feasible.
*
Two days later.
I, and the other women, had finished all possible preparations.
"We're leaving now."
Along with Iona's slightly more serious voice, a dark red light flickered.
It was the mana light of the teleport heading toward Solaris.