Chapter 77
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Mana Transfer
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My master was a powerhouse who could effortlessly take down even top-tier 3-star monsters back when he was a 3-star hunter himself. So what if he became a 4-star?
'It'll be a huge help in clearing the labyrinth.'
As far as I knew, he'd been stuck at level 30 for years, unable to promote. He couldn't enter gates above 3-star.
Gates of 3-star and higher were rare, so access was strictly limited.
Only the guild's core executives—especially those close to the guild leader—got to enter them. Unfortunately, my master wasn't one of them.
'Probably some faction infighting.'
He spent most of his time training and mentoring juniors. Factions weren't his thing.
'No helping it. Time to repay the favor. I'll run a double EXP event for him.'
He'd just finished off a Minos. I confirmed the battle was over and approached.
"Hoo. Sorry about that. Took a bit longer, huh? You could've ended it in one shot."
"Definitely slow."
"...Looks like you're pissed about Branch Chief Kim's screw-up. Let me apologize on his behalf..."
"I'll help."
"Pardon?"
"I'll fight in your place."
I waved Hongcheon Branch Chief aside. With me stepping up, someone had to guard Jin-hyuk hyung and Soo-young noona.
'He's a 3-star hunter, after all. He can handle that much.'
"Let's move."
The butchering was done. Time to press on. Though this time, things would be a little different.
* * *
"Mooo!"
"Yeah, yeah. Hang on. Just a sec."
I thrust my spear into the Minos, using the bare minimum mana.
It punched a hole the size of my fist, but unless it hit a vital spot, the Minos wouldn't drop.
Naturally, I should've aimed for vitals. But I targeted lower—between thigh and shin, right at the kneecap.
Crack!
Holes through both knees, and the Minos crumpled. I gave the same treatment to the other one.
"Mooo!!"
In an instant, both were immobilized. Blood gushed from the holes like fountains.
'That should be enough for a water shield.'
Sure enough, Master drew four blood arrows from the pooling blood. They streaked in and embedded in the Minos' eyeballs.
"Moo!"
Blinded in seconds. The rest was child's play.
"Ugh. I wanna hunt too."
Hongcheon Branch Chief muttered enviously, but shrank back every time I glanced over.
'Don't even think about butting in. You're already three strikes out.'
One for harassing Soo-young noona. Two for hurling that fireball at me. Three for ditching us as porters, lives be damned.
"Hoo. Thanks to you, the hunt's way faster. But you okay with this? You'll just be burning energy without much EXP."
"EXP. Not much. Allies. Get stronger. Better."
"You... weren't you speaking fluently earlier?"
"..."
"Anyway, thanks. EXP's pouring in. At this rate, I might promote before we hit floor 2."
"Good. Good."
"...Good?"
I left Master tilting his head and pushed forward. Too early to celebrate.
Once Tauruns showed up, hunting wouldn't be this easy. Had to cram in as much EXP as possible first.
'Tauruns take almost all my mana to kill. Rest times will drag out more.'
Two days in the dungeon already. Even hustling, this was our pace.
The labyrinth grew bigger and twistier per floor. Pathfinding took longer, obviously.
Rush too much, and we might not hold the monster wave. Time was the enemy.
'To cut time, allies need to pull weight.'
Hongcheon Branch Chief wasn't on that list, of course.
'Alright! Keep the momentum—time to level up Master!'
Weird for a disciple to level the master, but we were in it now. Finish strong.
"Mooo!"
"Here we go! Charge!"
* * *
"Ooh! Finally!!"
We fought and marched all day, repeating. Just as fatigue hit and I considered camping—
Master finally leveled up.
"Thanks. Made it to 4-star thanks to you."
"Hm? But... why the face? Not happy?"
"You think I don't look thrilled?"
Yeah. As far as I knew, his first promotion in ten years.
'I figured he'd be ecstatic. Why so stoic?'
Master wiped blood from his trident and spoke calmly.
"Got a bit stronger, sure. But only stats and mana increased. Core skill's the same."
"Can't understand. Explain."
"For me, levels and ranks matter less than spear mastery or mana control. Stats and mana help, of course."
Still hard to grasp. Weren't visible boosts like stats and mana the fastest way to power up?
"Know what I learned in twenty years of training?"
I shook my head.
"Mana isn't about brute-forcing more of it. Control matters more than quantity."
He pulled water from a blood puddle on the floor. A finger-thick stream rose like a snake.
It wriggled softly like a real snake, then split into two like a twin-headed serpent—then merged back. Flashy transformations.
No way raw mana quantity enabled that.
"I've only used water-element magic. Liquids demand way more effort than others for comparable spells."
He'd poured in the work, no doubt.
"But lately, this is possible."
The water tip sharpened to an arrow. A vortex swirled inside. It flew and slammed the wall.
Thud!
The thick labyrinth wall caved easily. A spiral gouge remained, like a screw driven in.
'Rotation for penetration. Added spin inside an arrow form... that's a spiral strike?'
Comic versions were flashier, but that missed the point.
Point was, he'd perfected it as a 3-star hunter.
'Not just levels and skills. Key is mana handling.'
My face heated. Embarrassing. I'd skimmed the surface, whining about the fruit.
Missed the core entirely.
Mana.
Mana was core.
'Amazing.'
While I obsessed over levels, he'd honed true skill despite stagnation. Real power.
Maybe because he was old-school.
Previous gen built strength through pure effort, no levels or skills.
That's how he transcended levels, right?
Even more admirable: he shared it with juniors.
Like now.
"Seems you condense power in the spear, then burst for vibration... right?"
"How?!"
"Prep hum, impact effect. Wounds on the Minos. That technique... Shockwave?"
Reading the name from that. Impressive.
I'd grown cocky with superior stats. Today, that shattered.
"Yes."
"Mind some advice?"
"Please."
Master's words. Couldn't ignore.
"Shockwave gathers and regathers power, then unleashes. Remind you of anything?"
"Huh?"
"Thousand-Pound Thrust. Or 'Brace' as you'd know it."
"Ah!"
"Brace is same principle. Gather power for unshakeable stability."
"But how..."
"Your mana now splits—feet and spear tip. Flows opposite, weakening the tech."
"I-Is that so?"
"Try Shockwave without Brace."
I stood, spear ready. No shockwave incoming, no need for Brace.
Pure mini Shockwave attack...
Boom!
Spiderweb cracks on the wall. Fissures widened; stone crumbled down.
Unbelievable for a 1-mana mini Shockwave.
"Th-That's incredible. Oops!"
Slipped into my real voice. Master ignored my fluster, gripped his trident beside me, and posed.
"Not really a technique. Just explained your power loss. But this next..."
"Different how?"
"Boosting technique power, obviously."
He used Brace. Mana gathered faintly at his toes.
'What's different? Same... Huh? W-Wait?'
I lost words at the sight.
White mana stream rose from his feet, climbed his leg, and settled at the spear tip.
Hummm—
A fist-sized blood orb formed at the tip.
"Same power types merge or split freely. Some mana loss, but..."
He thrust. Blood orb smashed the wall.
Boom!
It burst on impact, splattering wall and floor red.
"Skill lets you fully convert Brace mana to attack."
"If I learn this..."
"Shockwave and Brace mana combine. Power doubles."
Chills raced my spine.
"I call it Mana Transfer."
"Mana... Transfer."