Sidegrade (3)
I mean, me aside, even Cheonma and SwordTasteStar hadn't seen this coming at all—an utterly unforeseen sidegrade. It wasn't bad, per se, but the evolution had veered off in such a weird direction that it felt all too ambiguous.
If I could just condense it somehow, maybe it'd improve a bit?
In the end, I had no choice but to shift my training focus. Before advancing to Aura Blade, I'd compress my aura first. Once I got the hang of cramming it down tight, I'd infuse it with cutting power. I asked about this on the Gallery, and everyone said that process would be tough too.
As I'd mentioned time and again, from Aura Blade onward, it was all about talent. Nothing to be done.
It won't explode or anything, right?
Even after compressing it, the anxiety lingered. This was a case even SwordTasteStar had never witnessed. What kind of aura would future me manifest? Would I swing around aura shooting straight to the heavens, or just your run-of-the-mill(?) Aura Blade?
...Getting ridiculously strong isn't so bad.
I had gotten stronger, at any rate. No time to be picky about hot rice or cold. Besides, I planned to keep consuming inner cores. Even with the storage container from SmartMine, they wouldn't last forever.
In the end, steady training was the only way. Somehow, I had to get stronger.
"Kyuwooo..."
"Wonmo. You're up?"
Time passed, and Wonmo staggered out of the cave. Those sleepy eyes were adorable. Perched on her back was TreePpareumbo, wearing its usual blank expression.
After that, we enjoyed breakfast. Three fish had gotten snagged in the trap. I'd planned on training post-meal, but first things first—I had chores.
Sending a message to the dwarf. I asked why the mithril-oriarukon alloy, Mithoricon, glowed. Sure, it looked pretty when infused with mana, but before that, it was this dull silvery stuff. Good was good, but since this was a brand-new material unknown anywhere else, I needed to handle it with care.
So, did you figure out why it glows?
PassingDwarf: How the hell should I know in one day? Research doesn't just snap into place overnight;;
It's not dangerous, right?
PassingDwarf: Didn't find anything dangerous. Problem is it's too good.
No danger, but too good to be true. That was the dwarf's verdict.
I pondered, then asked for another opinion. It tied back to advice he'd given me before.
You told me to hand out Mithoricon carefully last time, right?
PassingDwarf: Yeah. The moment the world finds out, shit hits the fan. Insane alloy.
What if we just mass-produce it? Flood the market.
PassingDwarf: Whoa. You know how to start a war, huh? Thought you were just some soldier—turns out you're a scary bastard.
I was kidding. For real. Just a joke, but the dwarf took it seriously. Guess that said how insanely valuable and powerful this alloy was.
I barely cleared up the misunderstanding and got to my point.
I wanna give some to others too. You know Olfather?
PassingDwarf: Ah, that mage. Heard some high-nick say he's got an Immortal King locked in his fridge. Kinda get who now. Yeah, give it to him for research. Fine by me.
PassingDwarf: Hurry up. Lemme drink. Research is a pain in the ass.
PassingDwarf: I love booze more than ores lol
Sheesh;; Guy's gonna die of liver cancer at this rate.
Anyway, I took his opinion to heart. Not just Olfather—I wanted to gift Mithoricon to other high-nicks too.
If I give ChangguPrincess one as a glowstick... would that be weird?
Even I thought it was a dumb idea. But who could resist a glowstick?
For now, gifting one to Olfather for research seemed best.
Olfather: Oho! Mithril-oriarukon alloy? You didn't just find it this time—you made it...!
Yeah. Gave some to other high-nicks too, but they're busy boozing. Can you check for any risks?
Olfather: Of course. Anything you want in return?
Nah. I'm giving it to you for research too.
Olfather: My thanks. Makes my loins stir often these days.
An adult mandrake?;;
Olfather: No need. Still spry.
Oh, and try not to post proof pics if you can. Your style's so unique, it'd pinpoint you in real life.
Olfather: Noted.
Gifted Olfather some too. In ingot form, naturally. The glowstick for ChangguPrincess... I held off. Looked too ridiculous no matter how I spun it. Better stick to tools for my own use. That'd suffice.
Time for an inner core.
During morning training, I swallowed one. As I'd said before, best to consume them quick. Worried I might pass out like yesterday, but false alarm. Recited the incantation after, and that was it. Nothing special.
Feels the same aside from the vitality surging through me?
Had my body adapted already? Fingers crossed.
Morning training flowed by, and lunchtime crept up fast. Heading to the river for fish, yesterday's dream suddenly resurfaced.
Come to think of it, there was that massive tree...
As SaryeongSul-eun Sarang-ida said, not a dream but an out-of-body experience. If real, that giant tree probably existed too. But it was crazy far—six hours straight minimum. Forest's disorienting nature meant even longer.
Factoring in how I floated in the sky... could take over a day.
Thought while checking the trap. Way too risky. Shelter wasn't even fully safe yet. Plus, might run into leader gorilla types. Better master Aura Blade first. No clue how long, but safety first. I'd committed to long-term anyway—no rush.
Just gotta curb the curiosity.
Curiosity killed the cat, and here it was suicidal. Shelter security wasn't ironclad. Gorilla raids unlikely now, but who knew.
"..."
Maybe 'cause of the tree, but back at shelter, I eyed the corner. The sapling from GrowTrees. It was thriving.
Thriving too well, that's the issue.
Used to barely reach my knee; now up to my chest. Not even a week. How big in a month? Curious if normal, so I posted on Gallery. No private message— not that close, unlike other high-nicks. Kinda distant.
GrowTrees-nim. Take a look. (Pic of sapling shooting up)
This grew this big in days. Normal?
└Cheonma: Growing splendidly. This lady wants to raise one too.
└Don't take saplings from elves. Bad news.
└YasaengGrill: Why bad?
└Alvhaym's mana-rich. World Tree nearby makes plants extra so.
└Sucks up soil nutrients hard. Desertifies planted areas.
└SukSukZaragera: Elf planted in our village—crops failed that year. First time seeing Dad cry.
└GrowTrees: Wow! Exceeding expectations! Usually takes half a year!
└YasaengGrill: Got it. But is the above true?
└GrowTrees: Fair to say. We didn't anticipate either. So we plant in mana-rich spots!
└You tree-hugger fuck. Just don't plant.
└Your elves wreck nature;;
└Can't do shit about them? What gives?
└Issued statements, but elf queen ignores. Hence war talk.
└GrowTrees: As I've said, Alvhaym wants no war! Just trees for the world!
└That's a war declaration, you psycho;;
└Punch your face black-and-blue, call it makeup?
└GrowTrees: That's violence!
└That's what you're doing;;
└Queen ascended and lost it lol
└Alvhaym finest nation, elves world's center? Her speech.
└Yeah, elves got high off it lmao
└Speech was fire lol. Agro or real? Sounds like invasive species...
But it was booming, so hard to relate.
Mana in soil maybe?
Touched the dirt. Looked normal, but packed with Four Seasons Forest's dense mana. Wondered: what if I planted crops here?
Sapling shot up; normal plants faster?
Trees grow slow, yearly cycles usual. This was abnormal.
No farming plans, but...
Worth considering. Not scatter seeds wild—pick spot first. Space tight already; adding fields complicated.
So that's why ancients felled trees for farms.
Nodded, getting it. Find land or cart soil out. Either worked. Perfect timing—a presumed farmer high-nick commented.
Planned to ask, make connection naturally, but...
Breaking: Saint Country El Dorado. Holy Knights dispatched to Four Seasons Forest urgently lol [34]
Couldn't ignore. Not pure bait—fresh post, comments flooding.
They're catching heat from public opinion, right?
Made no sense. Bad move amid backlash. Stunned briefly, I clicked in.
Breaking: Saint Country El Dorado. Holy Knights dispatched to Four Seasons Forest urgently lol
Pope himself ordered. "God's hammer on wicked tongues" lol
Holy Knights forming expedition now lol
└For real? Looks like damage control.
└Nah, deflecting. Cardir issued statement. Panicking, stalling.
└What confidence to send knights there?
└Pope says since Grill uses Gallery, they can too.
└Madlad;; But won't work, right?
└If Gallery works, Grill wasted time lol
Someone said it: young suffer for elders. Thought world-specific, but universal.
...Can they really use Gallery?
But to me, glimmer of 'hope'. Pope's sins unchanged, but they sent people.
If only they come my way.
Humans are sly.