Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Blocking the Sensation of Mana
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After finishing Alensia's massage, I hurried back to my room. Midway through, Alensia suddenly let out a moan that sounded incredibly erotic, nearly making me hard just from the sound alone. Even with my vision blocked, it was a shame. Hearing something like that from her usually expressionless face made me wonder what expression she had been wearing.
I shook off the stray thoughts and tried the meditation I'd been doing every day lately.
'[Sensory Block]. Block my hearing and touch. Then amplify my mana sense with [Sensory Amplification].'
Using the method I'd realized from my conversation with Bram last time, I began meditating with my mana sense amplified by [Sensory Amplification]. I blocked out my other senses and focused solely on tracking the flow of mana inside my body.
The two adventurers I'd met today had overcome it with a combination of [Sensory Block] and [Poison Resistance], but if we'd fought head-on, I would've been at a disadvantage. [Sensory Block] was an excellent skill that let me solo the Labyrinth and go on rampages against enemies similar to or weaker than me who fell for it, but my own skills were still lacking.
The way to make up for that lack of skill was to awaken to mana and learn to wield it directly.
As I closed my eyes and concentrated, the flow of mana being consumed by the [Sensory Block] skill became even more vividly perceptible. I memorized the pathways through which the mana flowed, recalled the sensation when it was expended, and tried somehow to move the mana with my own will.
I kept at it until the duration of [Sensory Block] ended, but the mana still stopped moving the moment the skill expired, independent of my will.
"Damn..."
I knew there was no need to be impatient. With [Sensory Amplification]'s help, I could already sense mana more vividly than others, so my circumstances were better than most. I knew that... but when the mana I could feel so clearly during skill use suddenly vanished, it was frustrating as hell.
".......Wait?"
Let me think differently. Clearly, while 'using the skill,' I could continuously feel the mana being consumed. That must be the flow of mana. Building on that insight, up until now, I'd blocked my other senses and amplified only the sense for mana with [Sensory Amplification]. That way, I could remember the sensation of mana moving and wield it myself someday.
What if... all that sensation hit me at once? What if the flow of mana moving crashed over me in an instant, so intensely I could never forget it?
".......Shall I try?"
There might be side effects, but since it was my own skill, I could heal any damage to my mana circuits. That insurance shattered my hesitation and spurred me into action.
'[Sensory Block]'
I cast the skill once more. The target was myself. The sense to block... my mana sense.
Did it work? I'd cast it like usual, but I didn't feel the mana being consumed. Normally, the skill activated as long as I willed it, but without that sensation of mana expenditure, I wondered if it had properly activated. Maybe the level 4 [Sensory Block] simply couldn't block mana sense.
I'd just have to check. I needed to stockpile more senses to release with [Sensory Release] anyway. I cast [Sensory Block] on myself again. This time, I blocked my sense of smell moderately. Still no feeling of mana consumption... but I pulled out the oil for sword maintenance nearby and sniffed it.
...No smell. So the skill had activated properly. To avoid trouble later with [Sensory Release], I set the oil bottle aside from my nose. Just in case, I'd maintain it for about 30 minutes?
While keeping the skill active, I casually started mending the clothes I was wearing with needle and thread. Ever since quickly acquiring the [Archery] skill thanks to [Heavenly Touch] last time, I'd been trying various activities to gain new skills. And it had worked somewhat. I'd bought darts from the commercial district and practiced, earning [Throwing].
I mended the frayed parts of my socks and clothes, stripped down to light clothing just in case, placed a potion nearby, took a deep breath, and released the skill.
'Release [Sensory Block]. [Sensory Release]... Activate [Sensory Amplification] too.'
I figured I might skip [Sensory Amplification], but what the hell, I activated it anyway.
Exhale... Alright, come on.
"........! Gah!"
The moment I released the skill, unfamiliar sensations flooded in like a torrent. It felt like the blood inside my body was flowing backward. Like someone had shoved a hose into me and cranked the water full blast—a fierce current sweeping through my entire body from within.
Was this pain too? Did mana circuits have pain receptors? It was fundamentally different from anything I'd felt using skills before. Something was there. I desperately tried to control that fierce flow I'd sensed inside my body.
Did my efforts bear fruit? Faintly, it felt like something was slipping out from the pit of my heart.
".....Hah.....Hah..."
This was it. I was certain this method would work. No new skill popped up instantly, but I was convinced it wasn't wrong.
"....Urk"
Then I passed out.
"........Hah!"
When I came to, the sun was already up outside the window. Had I really fainted?
Yesterday's method... It definitely worked, but it didn't feel like something I should do often. Just to be safe, I'd skip the Labyrinth today and head to the temple to check if anything was wrong with my mana circuits.
I tried casting the skill on a whim, and [Sensory Block] still activated fine. Still, better safe than sorry—I'd go to the temple today.
I tidied the bed, then headed to the front courtyard for my usual morning training.
Gripping my sword lightly, I swung it as usual while waiting for Alensia. Unless something came up, she taught me swordsmanship every morning.
"She's late?"
But after finishing my usual warm-up, Alensia still hadn't come down. She was always punctual like clockwork. Had I woken up earlier than usual? I'd checked the clock in the mansion earlier, and that didn't seem right...
In the end, I trained swordsmanship alone while waiting, but Alensia never came down.
'Did something happen? Or did she go out while I was sleeping?'
Given Alensia's personality, she'd leave a note if she was going somewhere... And she wasn't the type to skip training on her own when we'd agreed to do it daily.
Worried, I finished training and headed upstairs to Alensia's room on the second floor.
-knock knock
"Alensia, are you up?"
-creak
The door wasn't fully closed, apparently—it swung open a bit when I knocked. It felt awkward to enter, but with no response, I peered through the gap out of concern to see if she was there.
"Huh?"
Contrary to expectations, the room was empty. That explained why the door hadn't latched properly—she must've left without closing it fully. There was some sweet scent lingering inside.
Confirming she wasn't there, I closed the door to leave, but it slammed shut with a 'bang,' and something rolled off inside from the impact.
"Oh no, did something break?"
Thinking I'd caused trouble, I hurriedly reopened the door to check what fell. It looked like it had tumbled from atop the wardrobe nearby—a light pink rod similar to human skin color lay on the floor in front of it....
".....No way."
No, this was a dildo. Something I'd only seen in porn. I didn't expect to find one in this world.
I never imagined I'd see one here, let alone in Alensia's room. And... since it came from her room, she must use it, right?
I couldn't picture the always expressionless Alensia, with her stiff speech, using something like this.
Unthinkingly driven by male instinct, I compared its size to my own dick. Tsk... Length seemed similar. No way I'd drop my pants to measure properly.
For now, I stood on tiptoe to place the dildo back atop the wardrobe, then carefully closed the door and went downstairs like nothing happened.
............I wonder if she used it last night too? When I meet Alensia, maybe I should practice controlling my expressions.
Alensia returned after I'd finished making breakfast in the kitchen. After eating the meals she made at first, I'd been buying food or cooking myself. Lately, since I'd been working on acquiring skills, I'd been doing almost all the cooking.
-[Cooking Lv.3]: Bonus to cooking actions. Completed dishes gain deeper flavor.
With the dexterity bonus from [Heavenly Touch] and the taste/smell amplification from [Sensory Amplification] combining, my cooking level was rising incredibly fast.
"Alensia, you're back?"
"Mm. Ian. Sorry for skipping morning training without a word. Gloria called me to the temple. I meant to leave a note but forgot."
"Did something happen?"
"No, nothing serious. Don't worry about it. I just went for a mana circuit checkup after yesterday's massage."
As she answered, Alensia sat at the table familiarly. After nearly a month of me making breakfast, even she, who initially refused, now ate what I prepared without complaint. When I said it was skill training, she ate without a word.
Watching her eat the light stew I'd served, that dil... sex toy from her room kept popping into my head.
Of course, Alensia was a normal adult woman, so masturbation wasn't strange... But since I'd never seen her expression change, I couldn't help imagining what she looked like during it.
Did her face change at least when she masturbated?
"....Why are you staring like that?"
"Ah, it's just..."
Had I stared too long? Alensia noticed and turned to me. Uh, what do I say?
"You... went to the temple, right?"
"Yes, but?"
"I was planning to go today too.. Got lost in thought.."
This should be a decent excuse, right? It was true I planned to go today anyway.
At my words, Alensia nodded and set down her utensils.
"Why? Did you get injured?"
"No, just in case, for a checkup..."
"Perfect."
With that, Alensia suddenly stood, fetched a sheet of paper, scribbled something in elegant handwriting, and handed it to me.
"If you haven't picked a temple, how about the Temple of Light?"
"Sure? I don't mind."
"Then take this letter to the Temple of Light and find the cleric named Gloria I mentioned."
"Ah, the one you shared my skill details with?"
"Yes. She's a good person, and her skills are reliable."
I took the letter from Alensia. Since she praised her so much, I'd been wanting to meet her sometime.
After Ian left following breakfast, Alensia headed to her room on the second floor.
"Hm?"
But the door, which she thought she'd left ajar in her rush that morning, was properly closed.
Puzzled, she flung the door open, and something atop the wardrobe 'thudded' down from the gust.
"Eek!"
It was the dildo she'd used last night. She hurriedly picked it up. Not knowing where to put it yesterday, she'd left it hastily atop the wardrobe, but the wind from the door had knocked it off.
She quickly changed its storage spot, shoving it under the bed. With a sigh, a faint question arose.
Last night, she'd placed it on the right side of the wardrobe, but the spot where it fell just now felt like it was from the left...