Aura Cultivation and the Mana Spring Invasion

Living with a greatsword is a dream and romance. Iran's Aura Cultivation Method. The price was one hundred gold, and its grade was low-tier. It wasn't anything special as far as cultivation methods went, but for the current me, there was nothing better available. The penalty attached to this method simply didn't apply to me.

A sturdy body. Iran's Aura Cultivation Method demanded a powerful physique. If an ordinary person tried to learn it, the aura would cause necrosis throughout every muscle in their body.

With a body stat of fifteen, this should be a piece of cake.

I lay comfortably on the bed and focused on Iran's Aura Cultivation Method. I took the mana that entered through my breathing and moved it bit by bit, gathering and condensing it in my lower abdomen—the dantian. Then I converted that condensed mana using Iran's Aura Cultivation Method.

Sizzle—!

The more I processed the aura, the more heat built up inside my body. This was the downside of Iran's Aura Cultivation Method. The accumulated heat slowly traveled through me and began warming my muscles.

It's warm.

What would feel scorching to others was merely a pleasant warmth to me. This would be perfect for winter.

How do people resist having their own personal human heater?

I moved the aura converted from mana and created an aura hole in my dantian. Once the aura hole formed, the aura stats dissolved throughout my body slowly stirred and began filling it.

My body and aura stats both doubled?

Once the aura hole formed, my aura had risen twofold.

Power is surging through my body.

Aura strengthened the body just by being stored within it. That was how potent its power was.

I should focus solely on the cultivation method today.

Even though my body had been reinforced by aura, it still wasn't enough. My current aura hole was smaller than a rat's tail. I devoted the entire day to Aura Cultivation Method training and expanded the aura hole until it reached roughly that size.

Vwoong—! Vwoong—!

I swung my greatsword through the air, testing the aura.

It's on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a completely different level.

Even while wearing armor, my body felt light. It was like working out in comfortable sweats.

This is why knights seem to fly around.

I had finally stepped onto the same starting line as those knights.

The power of stats is insane, too.

The body strengthened by aura, the might of thirty points in body stats. Before my awakening, the maximum weight I could lift was around two hundred kilograms. One might wonder if a woman could lift that much even with training, but it wasn't impossible. The weightlifting genius Jang Mi-ran had lifted one hundred eighty-six kilograms—though it was only a clean and jerk. Besides, this world overflowed with mana, so its inhabitants possessed stronger physiques than modern humans. Theoretically, the weight I could lift was six thousand kilograms. Six tons.

For reference, a tiger's front paw strike carried one ton of force.

And I still have aura left.

My body was already reinforced by aura, but that was merely the basic passive effect. There was a separate reinforcement where I actively used the aura.

I didn't know exactly how much it would strengthen me, but at the very least it would double my power. That meant my maximum output could reach twelve tons. Just imagining it sent a thrill through me. Was this what they called human heavy machinery? Of course, it would deactivate once my aura ran out.

This is seriously insane. Is this even human?

Humans are by no means weak! From now on, anyone who dares call humans a frail species will find themselves unable to breathe!

The mana spring. Nature's greatest creation and a treasure that brought benefits to countless living beings.

Clang—! Clang—!

Right now, creatures were digging through the earth with their sights set on that very spring.

"Hey. Bakun, don't you hear some strange noise?"

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

The miners extracting magic stones stopped what they were doing upon hearing the odd sound.

Clang—! Clang—!

"Shh. Listen carefully. There's some kind of ringing."

Clang—! Clang—!

"You're right. What is that? Sounds similar to a pickaxe striking stone?"

"No way...? Don't tell me some crazy bastards are tunneling in to steal the magic stones?"

"Might be. Should we tell the foreman and take some precautions?"

"Wait here. I'll go report it and come right back..."

KWAAAAANG—!

A deafening roar erupted as part of the magic stone wall collapsed.

"Graaaah—!"

Bloody orcs and goblins clutching pickaxes. The overwhelming stench of decay made it clear—they were undead.

"U-undead!"

"Run!"

A tidal wave of undead poured through the breach. Orcs, frogmen, and all kinds of other undead from the southern ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swamps flooded in.

"Hold them back!"

"What the hell is happening?!"

Squires training at the mana spring and a few mercenaries came running at the screams.

"There are too many!"

"Damn it, we don't even have proper weapons?"

Those without arms hastily grabbed shovels and pickaxes to fight, but they couldn't withstand the overwhelming numbers for long.

"Get as high up as you can!"

"Use the narrow passages! There's a limit to how many can attack at once!"

They bought time by taking advantage of the confined underground space.

"This is bad... the mana spring..."

The mana spring was being corrupted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by the undead's malice. If it stayed exposed like this, the spring itself might be ruined.

"Do something! Deal with those damn undead already!"

The mine administrator who rushed over after hearing the news fell into a panic the moment he saw the situation and began hounding everyone.

If the mana spring was destroyed, the magic stone mine would be forced to close. And if that happened, the administrator would bear the responsibility—likely ending with his head on a guillotine.

"There are far too many undead!"

"That's why I'm telling you to deal with them quickly! Aren't you all squires?!"

The administrator, who normally never forgot to speak politely to squires, was so frantic he couldn't see straight.

"Hurry and notify the guards! Bring the knights too!"

"We've already sent someone!"

"Damn it, damn it! Give me that!"

"W-wait a second!"

The administrator snatched a mercenary's pickaxe and charged straight at the undead. His speed was impossible for someone of his heavy build.

They say people display unbelievable power in extreme situations...

"Is this the time for commentary?! Stop him! He's going to die!"

But it was already too late. The mine administrator was torn apart among the undead and met his end.

Die this way or that way...

It would've been less painful to have your head cleanly chopped off at the guillotine.

The administrator's sacrifice was a meaningless dog's death.

What is that?

From earlier, an inexplicable rumbling had been spreading from underground.

Did an earthquake start? Nom.

I stuffed the chicken skewer in my hand into my mouth in one bite. There was no teriyaki in this world, yet the flavor was unbelievably good.

This is happiness. This is bliss.

Gourmet food truly was the greatest treasure humanity had ever discovered.

"Clear the road!"

"Whoa, hey?!"

"It's an emergency! Make way!"

Knights came pouring out of the lord's castle and raced off somewhere in a hurry. Even on the narrow streets, their horseback drifting could rival a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sports car.

"Wow, their horsemanship is incredible."

How could they drift on horseback? It had to put insane strain on the joints. Will I be able to ride like that someday?

KWAAAAANG—!

"Huh?!"

"Watch out!"

"What kind of earthquake is this?"

The vibrations coming from underground grew increasingly violent—to the point where people walking the streets struggled to keep their balance.

This... doesn't feel like an earthquake.

If it were a real quake, the entire surrounding area would be shaking. But these tremors were clearly originating from directly beneath the city.

Could something have happened at the mana spring? That would explain why the knights rushed out so urgently.

The mana spring was Dorua's most critical strategic asset. It drew squires from across the world and helped recruit promising mercenaries. If anything went wrong with the mana spring, it would essentially spell Dorua's downfall.

I can't just stand by. I'd better head to the guild.

The guild master might know what's going on.

"Nom! Nom!"

I shoved the chicken skewer from my other hand into my mouth too and broke into a run. Mm, the seasoned chicken flavor was absolutely killer as well.

Like I thought, something really did happen.

When I reached the mercenary guild, countless mercenaries were already gathered, weapons in hand, waiting for the guild master.

"Good, everyone came quickly. We needed you all right at this moment."

"The knights were rushing somewhere in a hurry. Does this have something to do with that?"

"Exactly. That's why I summoned you so urgently. Other groups are being called up for the emergency as well."

The guild master moved to the second-floor railing—the spot that offered the best view of the entire hall.

"Dorua is currently under invasion. And the target is a location of utmost strategic importance."

At the words strategic importance, the mercenaries stirred. In Dorua, there was only one place that fit that description.

"Undead have tunneled underground and invaded the mana spring. The spring is currently being contaminated by their malice, and the mine administrator died trying to stop them."

The string of shocking revelations left the crowd in stunned silence.

"A decree has arrived from the lord's castle. It declares a city-wide emergency and orders every mercenary capable of fighting to head for the mines immediately."

Though it was a compulsory order, the mercenaries only gripped their weapons tighter. This was a place they had built with blood and sweat. They couldn't simply hand it over.

"Those sons of bitches—I knew it. Everyone, move out!"

The mercenaries charged forward with roaring battle cries. Their destination was the mine.