Chapter 34
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Five Days (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
#34
An Invitation from the Steel Tower!
It's an event that really exists in the game.
The trigger conditions are having a high fame stat or clearing city-benefiting quests above a certain threshold.
Lord Rohart, the lord of Valkeros, was a man of decent reputation, so it wasn't some ultra-rare event that was impossible to see.
"Damn, is this really an invitation from the lord? I've never gotten one before!"
Of course, that was only in the game.
Ilrak's fussing was proof of the invitation's rarity.
She'd been a mercenary in Valkeros for years and never received one, so the conditions must have been pretty strict.
"Br-Bran..."
But a shadow hung over Kael's face.
He knew an invitation to the Steel Tower meant a reunion with Silien.
Still, now that things had come this far, there was no backing out.
"It's fine. It was bound to happen anyway."
Bran opened the envelope.
Golden ink scripted elegant letters on paper as red as flickering flames.
The contents weren't much different from what he'd seen on his monitor.
Thanks for devoting yourself to Valkeros! I'll give you a reward, so come have a meal together!
That was the gist of it.
His personal contributions were listed in surprisingly detailed fashion, and the thanks were repeated several times, showing genuine deep gratitude.
Ilrak tilted her head.
"But why do you guys look like someone died? Shouldn't you be happy about this?"
"W-Well, you see... Ahaha..."
Kael let out an awkward laugh.
From Ilrak's perspective, their reaction must have been baffling.
Bran rubbed his chin and asked her,
"Ilrak. Can you keep a secret?"
"Huh? Of course. Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
"I've got something to tell you. But only if you promise to keep it secret until death and believe me unconditionally. It's that insane."
"Hey. After all we've been through together, you still don't trust me? I'll keep it, so spill it already."
Thud thud! Ilrak thumped her chest.
In truth, considering what lay ahead, he had to tell her anyway.
A heavy body meant a heavy mouth, after all.
"Alright. Valkeros is going to fall soon."
"......What?"
"A bunch of bastards who want the world to end are holed up in the Steel Tower. We call them the Abyss."
The die had been cast.
Bran relayed everything he'd told Kael to her verbatim.
Outer gods and the Abyss, the chain of destruction they wrought, even the true identity of the mage Silien.
Through the explanation, Ilrak's tail scales repeatedly lay flat then bristled.
After hearing it all, she slowly nodded.
"Yeah. That's some crazy shit."
"Right?"
"But it's gotta be real, damn it. What now?"
Ilrak truly was a straightforward friend.
Most would suspect bullshit at least once.
Bran said,
"What do you mean? We're gonna spend the most rewarding five days ever."
The good news was there was still time before the visit.
The Steel Tower deadline was five days from now.
No need to agonize over what to do.
"I'm gonna use this chance to learn mana cultivation."
"Mana?"
Kael and Ilrak both turned to him at once.
Mana cultivation.
The collective term for methods to accumulate and manipulate mana, before learning body reinforcement arts or spells.
The absolute basics of basics.
"What? Bran, you can't use mana?"
"Nope. Short education."
Ilrak's eyes went wide.
"That's super unexpected. I figured you learned body reinforcement from some renowned master."
"I'm honored."
"No, seriously. I thought you were at least rank 3... So that's why you asked for my help."
It was from the fight with Jerban.
Without Ilrak's aid, things really could have gone sideways.
If that laser beam had fired even once in the golden district, it would've been a catastrophe.
To fully draw out the Numerite longsword's power, he needed basic mana manipulation at minimum.
Ilrak said,
"Hmm. Want this big sis to teach you?"
She sidled up and threw an arm around his shoulder.
"When it comes to mana, it's me. You saw back then, right?"
Ilrak did possess an enormous amount of mana.
She'd made the Numerite longsword weigh as much as a small ship's anchor.
Years of swordplay meant she handled mana skillfully, but there was a fatal flaw.
Bran shook his head.
"No can do. Your cultivation method's from Zarheim, right?"
"Cultivation methods are all pretty similar anyway. What harm could come from you using it?"
"Yeah. I'd explode from every hole and die."
"What."
Racial differences weren't easily bridged.
Current-day Bran learning a dragon's mana cultivation was like installing a jet engine in a sedan.
He knew because a character had literally exploded doing the exact same thing.
'Good thing I leveled her for fun. Otherwise, I'd have tried it for sure, damn it.'
This was the root of Ilrak's poor efficiency too.
Despite being Dragonblood, she used a purefire dragon's mana method.
That enabled explosive damage, sure.
Ilrak clicked her tongue.
"Tch. So what're you gonna do?"
"Actually, I had one in mind."
He'd had it planned since getting the Numerite longsword.
The choice of mana cultivation drastically affected one's build, so it was crucial.
The issue was acquiring the item to learn it.
'Hmm. Hope there's stock somewhere.'
No matter how he thought, it was tough solo.
The imperial capital's grand library guaranteed access, but good luck getting there anytime soon.
Pondering, Bran walked to the desk.
As expected of a luxury hotel, ink and a quill were provided.
Having sorted the needed item in his head, he began writing smoothly.
- To the esteemed Executive Director Leodorn Belmeyer.
Hello. It's your eternal friend, the cutie pie Bran. (Omitted)
Leodorn's reply arrived the next day.
Along with the item Bran requested.
A thick book was tucked under his arm.
"Money really is great. Feels like my wealth luck's kicked in."
Bran chuckled as he walked.
He could see why merchants loved Delpha.
He hadn't earned it himself, but owning a house outright was no different.
'Rocket delivery, huh. The power of a massive trading company is fearsome.'
Leodorn had used Baek Eunsong's distribution network to snag the item Bran wanted in a flash.
Something from a nearby city's auction house, he'd said.
The book's title was engraved on a cover of thick wooden bark.
An ancient book from long ago.
A translation into common tongue of an ancient elf's mana cultivation method.
Now nearly all lost, with fewer than twenty copies left worldwide—a rare tome.
"I-Is it really okay to take something like this?"
Kael's voice trembled.
Like Bran, short on education, he was heading off to learn mana cultivation too.
Priests prioritized holy power, but for later needs, mana handling was essential.
'Gotta teach him the basics for utility at least.'
Kael held a book titled Imperial Basic Mana Cultivation Method.
Established by a genius, it was the continent's most widespread—not too pricey.
"Huh? Isn't it fine?!"
But the reason Kael's voice shook was the necklace sparkling at his throat.
A high-purity manastone meticulously crafted—game name: Pure Manastone Necklace.
A premium item boosting mana quality, circulation speed, and stability simultaneously.
"You earned this much. Of course I'm grateful."
Bran said.
Both books and the necklace were what he'd requested.
He'd planned to cover half the cost, given the price, but Leodorn refused payment.
Something about investing in promising youths, separate from the favor.
"Ilrak'll be fine, right...?"
"She'll handle it. Would she get offended over something like this?"
It had been a while since just him and Kael.
Ilrak, already knowing mana cultivation, had no reason to tag along.
She grumbled about being left out and headed to the mercenary guild.
Whatever commission she took, her target had his pity.
'Impulsive personality. If she'd just waited a bit, I'd have sorted her out.'
Of course, he had no intention of leaving Ilrak out.
They'd split only because mana cultivation was urgent now.
If word came from Bilморis, her build would get 'normalized' quickly too.
"Bran. What do you think of Ilrak?"
"Cool friend. Straightforward and refreshing."
"I see."
Kael tapped his foot on the ground.
His shoulder-length hair swayed in the wind.
"Why ask? Got a thing for Ilrak?"
"N-No way! What are you talking about?"
"No judgment here, Kael. World's full of tastes. Long as you don't bring home a goat and call it your girlfriend, we're good."
"It's not like that!"
Chatting away, they soon reached their destination.
An open sky stretched overhead.
The vast vista made Kael's eyes go wide.
"Whoa."
They were midway up the Crimson Mountains.
Even the lofty Steel Tower looked like a tiny line from here.
Clear skies and majestic ridges encircled them—perfect spot for mana cultivation.
"See you later, Kael. You've got a knack, so you'll pick it up fast."
"Yeah. You too, Bran."
Encouraging each other, they parted.
To resonate smoothly with mana, some distance was needed.
Bran sat cross-legged on a jutting rock.
Gulp. He downed a prepped potion, and messages appeared.
You consumed Breath of the Turquoise. Mana affinity greatly increases while the effect lasts.
Heart of Harmeno activates. Plant-based beneficial effects are doubled!
Efforts to maximize efficiency.
His body took potions well now, so he had to use them right.
No sooner had the messages faded than changes began.
"Oh."
Tiny, cool water droplets seemed to brush past his skin everywhere.
Likely mana particles drifting in the air.
Completely different from Ilrak's hot, fierce, flame-like mana.
'Not easy. Gotta gather these droplets in the heart.'
Bran let out a groan.
The path ahead was dauntingly long.
As the book described, he had to become a tree.
Like a tree drinking rain, let mana droplets permeate the body, then store only the highest-quality fraction in the heart. That was the Primordial Flow cultivation.
"No wonder it fell out of use."
He could see why it vanished in real crises.
Even in-game, it was niche.
An archaic method no one but perverse build-chasers touched.
Slow growth, poor time efficiency, and the book was ridiculously expensive to boot.
Yet Bran's reason for choosing Primordial Flow was the Nameless Hero's unique trait.
'Theoretically perfect synergy. Theoretically.'
Tenacity of the Weed boosted growth speed.
Primordial Flow's biggest flaw: slow growth.
Consistent training should match other methods in accumulating pure mana.
And Bran knew the peak of characters who'd mastered Primordial Flow.
'Top ten, including the pantheon.'
Terrifying even now.
An elf king who bowed to neither emperor nor gods.
Humble beginnings (despairingly so), but a grand end!
Muttering to himself, Bran focused in earnest.
Training in Primordial Flow Cultivation Method has begun!
Your mind is serene. Focus greatly enhanced.
High mental power boosts meditation efficiency.
Helpfully, a training start message popped up.
The droplets brushing his skin increased steadily.
Maybe the Nameless Hero had talent here too.
Bran looked up; the clear sky and cityscape filled his view.
'Nice.'
Peaceful.
Valkeros, untouched by calamity yet.
People bustled unaware of doom at their doorstep.
Ignorance truly was bliss, a timeless truth.
Outer gods and Abyss—less real than fairy-tale demon kings.
Bran sincerely hoped that atmosphere endured.
Transcended limits, entering utmost tranquility. Tenacity of the Weed activates.
Growth speed of mana cultivation Primordial Flow slightly increases.
First droplet of pure mana settles in the heart.
Thus, he gave his all.
The heart learns a new beat.
Total usable mana slightly increases.