Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Survival Exam (6)
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The cure for congenital mana disorder.
I naturally knew it.
Medes, a key executive in the Mine Group Pandemic.
Among the Mines, she's a special entity whose heart itself has turned into a mana stone.
The heart of Medes, which has been growing stronger by absorbing her mana for decades, is needed.
With that, the mana disorder can be cured.
And Medes appears in the latter half of the original story.
That means I can't cure Ellis's mana disorder right now.
But why bluff like this? Because Ellis knows nothing anyway.
Congenital mana disorder is a disease that even the mega-guild Iris poured all its resources into researching, but ultimately failed to cure.
As long as Ellis believes that "Lee Ho-yeon has a way to cure congenital mana disorder," I can spout whatever nonsense I want.
No one has found a cure.
"T-The cure... Tell me too. Please."
"I'll tell you."
"R-Really?"
Color bloomed on Ellis's face.
But I can't just let it slide like a pushover here.
Capturing Ellis has become difficult to follow the original route now that my relationships with other women are exposed.
Since other women have already claimed me first, I won't show the generosity of the main wife like in the original.
In the end, I need to establish a dynamic where I'm the dominant one.
The first step is overcoming her mana disorder.
'Judging by her reaction, I can't raise her favorability too quickly.'
Even I wouldn't want a guy with a bunch of women on the side.
The goal is to maintain my dominant position until Medes appears and the conflict with Ellis's sister Irene begins.
If I can naturally keep the dynamic where I'm on top until she enters the capture route, it might work.
Of course, by the time the capture route starts, her favorability needs to be higher than in the original, since she'll be starting knowing I already have other women.
In other words, I need to maintain dominance over Ellis while also raising her favorability.
'Tricky.'
For now, I spoke to Ellis, who was gazing at me with sparkling eyes.
"Ellis, but there's something we need to do first, right?"
"...?"
"You don't get it?"
Ellis tilted her head, then seemed to realize as she looked at my expression and bowed her head.
"Oh... I'm really sorry for digging into your background and trying to use it to blackmail you."
"Yeah. Got it. I was just a bit upset."
Honestly, getting an apology for the background check isn't a big deal. It annoys me, but it's practically standard practice in the hunter world.
Moon Soo-rin did the same to me right away.
But I still need to get the apology, even if it's just for show.
These little things are part of establishing dominance.
"About the cure, it'll take at least a year. That's okay, right?"
"Yeah. As long as it can be cured... I don't mind."
It'll take a year for Medes to appear, so I need to buy time until then.
A method that shows even a little effect while also raising favorability...
One idea flashed through my mind.
While helping with Lumi's training, I learned how to control mana in other people's bodies.
So, couldn't I just infuse my own mana directly?
That should be enough to buy time.
And to raise favorability too, I just need to infuse it in a slightly different way.
"Do you know about mana massage?"
"What?"
Ellis looked like she'd never heard of it.
Of course. I just made it up.
"It's something I developed with some people I know... but it requires someone with high mana control. Come here for a sec."
I grabbed Ellis's shoulder and infused a bit of my mana.
Then, I naturally melted it into her mana circuits.
"Ah? What is this..."
"Feel your mana increasing a little?"
"How is this possible?"
"The result of effort. I worked really hard to cure my own mana disorder too."
Lies.
It's thanks to my special privilege [Mana Sensitivity].
Regulating mana is my specialty. Probably impossible for anyone else.
Infusing mana into someone else's body to attack or assist elixir absorption is completely different from converting my mana into theirs.
"To do it properly, you'd need top-grade mana stones... but I'll give you a simplified version."
I placed my hand on Ellis's back and blew in mana.
Not a lot, but enough for her to be active for a few hours.
"If you keep getting these massages regularly, you'll start feeling gradual changes."
"Thank you. Just help me a bit during the survival exam. Once we're out, teach me the method and I'll research it myself."
"Sure. For now, I'm the only one left who can do it. The person who used to help has retired from active duty. If it doesn't work out, I'll help."
"Yeah. Thank you. I'll definitely repay you once we're out."
"Nah. What are friends for."
Anyway, even after the survival ends, Ellis will come back to me.
No one without [Mana Sensitivity] can perform such advanced mana manipulation.
Once she gets a taste, she'll want more.
Filling mana with stones feels like forcing mana absorption into the body—inefficient, with lots wasted. But I deliver it directly to the circuits.
Forcing my mana in also forcibly expands the circuits.
Of course, temporarily widening the circuits doesn't make it an easy disease to cure.
But for Ellis, with her narrow circuits, even that process will feel like part of the treatment.
"For now... let's stick together during the survival exam."
"Yeah. Got it."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "There's just one thing I want. Let's not get in each other's way. I trust you. More precisely, I trust Ellis's pride. You're not the type to accept favors without reciprocating."
"Yeah. Good idea. I do have my pride."
We were walking and talking.
"Background checks? Honestly, who doesn't do them. It's fine. I'm in a position to receive a request voucher from your guild leader right now anyway."
"Oh... right. The request voucher. I got it from my father. I'll give it to you after the survival."
"Really? Thanks."
I'll use the request voucher for Nam Da-eun.
Need it to pressure Viper Guild later.
To avoid relying on other heroines' help, I need considerable power myself.
"Lee Ho-yeon. I... feel inadequate."
"Come here."
Every few hours, I place my hand on Ellis's shoulder and infuse mana.
Just a little at a time.
I could fill her up in one go if I wanted, but then it wouldn't feel like gradual progress, so I'm doing it bit by bit on purpose.
"Thank you."
Ellis thanked me each time she received mana.
She says she'll only rely on me during the survival, but she'll seek my massages outside too.
The act of continually receiving my massages during the survival itself builds the foundation for me to be dominant.
"By the way, are you going separately from Lumi?"
"...How did you know I met Lumi?"
This is weird.
Clearly, Ellis left, then Lumi came, Lumi left, and Ellis came back.
She couldn't have seen me with her.
"Oh, uh... I saw her on the way. Lumi was coming from your direction. And she took food, so I figured you two met."
"Ah... I see."
I pretended to buy it and opened the status window.
★ Heroine Status ★ [Ellis] Favorability: 33 Lust: 57 Appetite: 40 Fatigue: 79 Current Status: I almost got caught... Gotta watch my words. '...Suspicious.'
What almost got caught?
She already told me she knows about my relationship with Lumi—what else is there to hide?
Anyway, one thing needs to be clear.
"Don't meddle in my relationships with women. We each mind our own territory."
"Yeah, sorry. That wasn't my intention. ...Where to now?"
"Let's hunt for treasure or supply crates first. Or a boss monster. Those three should have good rewards."
Ellis changed the subject to cover her slip-up.
'Let it slide for now.'
If it's really important, she won't slip again.
I can figure it out by watching, so I'll wait.
We were climbing the mountain.
The survival exam existed in the original too.
I remembered finding a few treasures and even boss monster locations.
We headed to one I recalled.
Treasure locations were the same each playthrough, but types varied, so I don't know what's here. But anything is profit.
Crunch—
Ellis was hacking through trees with her sword to clear the path ahead.
After my massages, she takes the lead. She has a conscience.
By the way, I brought the sword just in case.
"Let's go this way. Feels like something's here."
"...You sure?"
"You don't know anything anyway. Just follow my lead."
"Got it."
Ellis diligently chopped trees, and I followed behind.
"This is seriously suspicious..."
Ellis made a dumbfounded face.
'Yup, this is the spot.'
We found a blatantly suspicious massive boulder.
"Too tough for me to break."
Thud thud.
Yeah, it looks solid just by sight.
"I'll break it. Step back."
I gathered mana spirally in my hand and activated Spiral.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Spiral Mana spiral compression unleashed.
Boom—!
The boulder shattered with a massive roar upon contact with my Spiral, revealing the cave entrance behind it.
"Let's go in."
"Yeah."
Whirr whirr—
The drone that had been tailing us since morning followed into the cave.
It's been sticking around since Ellis and I teamed up.
Probably monitoring the alliance of two promising prospects.
Ellis cautiously advanced, scouting ahead.
'No monsters here.'
This massive boulder cave ends once you break the rock.
No traps, no monsters.
Of course, Ellis doesn't know that, so I quietly followed.
I summoned spheres of fire intermittently to light the way.
Whenever Ellis glanced back, I put on a tense face and acted the part.
About ten minutes in, there was a treasure chest screaming "reward" to anyone who saw it.
"Let's open it."
"Wait. Could be a mimic. Stay alert."
"Y-Yeah."
True, mimics exist here too.
I summoned fire magic and scorched the chest.
I knew it wasn't, but I played along diligently.
"Seems fine. I'll open it."
"Be careful just in case."
"Got it."
I opened the treasure chest.
Inside was a single piece of paper.
'What is this?'
[Treasure No. 19. 100% Stamina Recovery Ticket] "Stamina recovery ticket?"
As I examined the paper in confusion, my smartwatch started blinking.
I checked the survival exam app on my smartwatch.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You have discovered [Treasure No. 19. 100% Stamina Recovery Ticket]! Press the Stamina Recovery Ticket button on your smartwatch, and the Saintess will immediately come to you and restore 100% of your stamina. One-time use. "......"
Baek A-young, you again?