Chapter 9
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Dungeon (4)
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Agnes had already finished her spar with Ilione and was now looking my way.
She'd probably been watching since I started forming the ritual.
Seeing her flustered expression made me realize I'd messed up.
There was no need to reveal that I'd reached intermediate level.
Behind her, the statue was repairing itself.
Floating lightly back to its position, it seemed Lenoc had put a lot of effort into it.
"May I ask one thing...?"
Saying no here would only raise suspicions.
Better to clear it up before the two statues fully repaired and overheard.
"Sure. But only until the statues finish repairing."
"Understood."
She nodded.
What was she going to ask? How I'd reached intermediate so quickly?
In truth, reaching intermediate was just from devouring spiritual medicines and practicing mana control...
"Do you perhaps possess two mana attributes?"
"...What?"
It was so absurd I had to ask again.
Two mana attributes? What nonsense was that?
Mana attributes refer to colors, and once set, they can't be changed.
And they can't coexist... Wait a minute.
No way.
"You mean the black mana?"
"Yes. The test clearly showed black, but just now it was purple."
Ah.
That's when I pieced it together.
Even her request for guidance made sense.
She must have seen me unconsciously use the Black Dragon's Mana during the test to overpower the instructor.
That would definitely cause a misunderstanding.
Normally, mana before intermediate is a faint blue.
But if a deep black gathered in the fist, even I'd suspect something.
Now, how to explain this.
I had reached intermediate with purple mana, that's true.
But the inky black mana was different.
It wasn't my mana—it was Arxius the Black Dragon's.
Admitting it was the Black Dragon's Mana outright felt iffy.
Arxius was ultimately an evil dragon, and its mana was ferocious and cruel.
'Especially to someone like Deron Phillasia.'
It'd be perfect fodder for rumors.
The guy who's always violent and trash-like now has the wicked Black Dragon's Mana?
For someone like me who just wants to quietly raise hero party members at the academy, no thanks to that gossip.
"That's... a bit hard to answer."
"If it's troublesome, you don't have to say..."
"To be honest, I don't know much about this mana either."
It's true.
Aside from knowing it's the Black Dragon's Mana and that it devours lifespan, that's it.
Basically, it consumes the existing mana to take root, but how they coexist...
And why it's so dormant in my body.
"It appeared in my body at some point after I reached intermediate."
"Ah..."
"That's all the info I can give right now."
I hinted not to spread rumors, then sheathed my sword.
She nodded vigorously.
And right on cue, the statues finished repairing.
[Hah. Breaking through the guard and one-shotting it. A heads-up would've been nice?]
"I did give one."
[You think I'd believe that was real? Here, the spiritual medicine we bet on.]
The axe statue tossed me the promised Mana Ginseng.
That's how much lifespan that costs—tossing it like that!
Beside me, Ilione watched and yelled at the axe statue.
[You're just giving it away like that? Beden, are you insane?]
So its name was Beden.
The knight called Beden scratched its stone head and briefly explained.
Honestly, not sure if you could call that an explanation.
We made a bet, I won, end of story.
[Is that what you call an explanation?]
[Lenoc entrusted it to us anyway. What's the harm? We didn't even get the real reward.]
While they bickered, I chewed and swallowed the Mana Ginseng.
A clear energy circulated through my body, making me feel refreshed.
My lifespan increased to 168 days.
Even subtracting the 20 days used in the spar, that's a net gain of 40 days.
"Please take this too."
Agnes handed me something.
Looking closely, it was another Mana Ginseng.
"Didn't we agree all spiritual medicines from this dungeon go to you?"
I glanced at her, then carefully picked it up and swallowed it amid the statues' stares.
[You have immediately consumed the same spiritual medicine. Effect randomly adjusted.]
[168 → 210]
Vitality surged through me.
It definitely felt easier to move.
Similar to when I ate the Fragment of Black Dragon's Inner Core.
Passing 200 days made my body feel lighter.
No stat increase, but overall sensation sharpened.
I threw a light punch.
Power flowed without using lifespan.
An unexpected gain.
[Lenoc's heir, I won't comment on sharing the reward.]
[Proceed to the next stage? Or forfeit here?]
I stepped back to watch Agnes.
Whatever she decided, I'd respect it, but given her personality...
"We'll go to the next stage."
She absolutely wouldn't quit here.
[The next stage could kill you. Not a spar.]
"It's fine. Lead the way."
[...Very well.]
They said that, but the statues seemed pleased.
Of course—telling us to back out was just politeness.
We advanced down the passage with the statues.
This one was shorter than the first, the door smaller too.
Still plenty big for two people.
The statues stopped as if this was their limit.
Agnes glanced at them and opened the door.
Beyond it, an unfamiliar sword was embedded.
A demonic sword leaking chill, freezing the surroundings.
Her eyes widened.
She must have guessed its identity from hearing this was Lenoc's dungeon.
As she approached, a hole opened in the ceiling, something dropping down.
Rattle, clatter.
Definitely bones colliding.
That thing ahead was probably...
"Skeleton Warrior."
Agnes ground her teeth.
I knew from the novel, but she didn't.
When first entering, the novel described even Lenoc not expecting the corpses to move.
Skeletons are animated dead bodies.
But at warrior level, it's different.
A warrior is a hero's soul from life sealed into bones.
This one was made the same way.
"Sparring first, now real combat."
I said, stepping back.
Agnes looked unusually angry.
Her grip on the sword was too tight.
Time to teach her a bit.
Clang!
Metal on metal.
Whatever maintenance Lenoc did, the sharply honed blade blocked Agnes's strike.
No aura, but it was someone exceptional in life.
The Skeleton Warrior's sword aimed for Agnes's neck.
She parried diagonally, then slid along the blade to slice its body.
Skeletons regenerate, but crushing the skull stops them.
So, sever torso from legs and head, then smash.
"That's not the answer."
The sword halted midair.
Agnes's eyes widened.
"How?"
The skeleton's empty hand—
Magic was forming there.
Telekinesis stopped her sword.
Then it kicked her abdomen.
She groaned shortly, retreating.
The skeleton busily moved its left hand, signaling serious magic.
A magic circle drew in the air.
Icy spikes flew at her.
Simultaneously, the warrior charged.
Her eyes held no fervor, only panic.
I watched, then spoke.
"Don't try operating three things at once!"
Incomprehensible to most.
If not Agnes, I wouldn't say it.
But in the original, she understood.
I trusted her.
Intervening wouldn't help her grow.
Unless she asked, I wouldn't help.
Agnes kept defending.
Taking time to grasp my words.
Magic still clung only to her sword.
She hadn't fully grasped being a magic swordsman.
Aura and mana.
From one source, yet repelling each other.
Like black and white forces.
Magic swordsmen seek harmony or isolation.
One hand magic, one sword.
Combining doesn't make you one.
Separating doesn't either.
Sometimes separate magic and sword, sometimes merge.
That's simultaneous deployment's start.
True magic swordsmen begin there.
Agnes and the skeleton distanced.
Her eyes closed briefly.
"...Thank you."
Then opened.
Simultaneously, the sword-bound magic burst out.
Crackle.
The ground froze.
Her sword too.
When the world covers in ice,
That's when you'd notice Magic Swordsman Agnes's arrival.
Just like the novel.
She surpassed what I taught.
First step toward the palace.
Icicle Field
Everywhere her vision touched froze.
Nothing escaped.
Crack!
Agnes lightly smashed the frozen skeleton's head.
A fresh chill billowed from her mouth.