Chapter 332
Chapter 332
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 332
Chapter Title: Carrot and Stick #6
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When my body was about to be torn apart by enormous claws, someone snatched me away.
"Whoa, that was dangerous. Phew—I thought we were done for!"
Even in my dazed state, I could feel my body floating up and heading toward a high place.
"It's still too early for you to challenge this place. It doesn't tolerate intrusions from the living. No matter how much of a blood brother you are, it'd rip you to shreds without mercy. Then you'd end up bound down here forever."
Who the hell are you?
I stared at the odd-looking man holding onto my body.
He had a winged hat and shoes, and a long staff, but his face was shrouded in darkness by some impossible halo-like glow, making it hard to see.
One thing was clear: he talked a lot, and fast.
"I'll send you back up top, so hold on tight. No one is faster or more precise than me at this—only Mercury can pull it off."
Mercury?
"Anyway, to open the door here, you need at least a total stat of 50. Oh, and a message from my father: confidence is key when dealing with women."
What the hell does that—
As I opened my mouth to say something, I was hurled upward by some strange force.
"Uwaaack!"
With a scream, I came to my senses, feeling something cold pouring over my hands and feet.
I rolled my eyes around. No strange darkness or giant door—just a cramped, rundown inn room with a bed, window, and fluttering curtains.
"Fuck, what the hell was that? I just saw some seriously weird shit."
I wiped the cold sweat pouring off my body with my palms. Soaked like I'd been caught in the rain—not normal at all.
"Looked like you got caught in mana feedback."
I sensed Elfride watching me. Sitting on the bed, reading some book, she added a few words without looking up.
"Unfamiliar meditation can sometimes lead to that comatose state. Elf martial artists call it 'deviation into the demon.' You see illusions, suffer hallucinations."
Deviation into the demon, huh.
Had I, while meditating, fallen into some wuxia-novel status effect?
"So everything I just saw was bullshit?"
"Don't know what you saw, but probably. Messing with it carelessly could make it worse, so I didn't wake you."
Fuck, all a dream then.
I felt real relief knowing none of that had actually happened.
But as I tried to wipe the moisture from my hands, I spotted a vivid handprint on my wrist.
Exactly where that Mercury from my vision had grabbed me.
If it was just a hallucination or imagination, would it leave a mark like this? I felt what I'd seen was absolutely real.
That giant door.
And the things crouching inside.
Maybe that was Pluto's Labyrinth, the entrance to hell at its end—the place everyone was searching for. Nothing else made sense.
The thought sent a chill creeping up my neck. Had I nearly been sucked into hell's entrance while comatose?
Was this some near-death afterlife experience from that state? Imagining what would've happened without Mercury's help was horrifying.
Thanks, Mercury!
I gave thanks to the messenger and traveler god who'd helped me during meditation. Whether he got it or not, who cares—none of my business.
Anyway, sounds like I heard something interesting.
Come back once your Karma Value hits 50, right? The underworld might be like a special dungeon with a level 50 entry requirement.
"So, can you feel the mana now? You were deep in meditation till evening."
Elfride snapped her book shut. Only then did I notice how dark it was outside.
Those split-second moments had spanned hours. The unexpected time flow left me stunned.
Looks like the meditation worked pretty effectively. I focused on my surroundings to see if I could sense mana now.
Ssshhh—
A sensation like snowflakes—icy cold—clinging to my skin and melting away. But this was an inn room, still only autumn—no snowflakes here.
The bizarre feeling made my scalp tingle.
This... this is mana?
Holy shit, am I actually sensing mana right now?
I was overwhelmed with emotion.
So shocked and moved that, if Elfride weren't watching, I might've broken into Luna-style joy voodoo right there.
As I lay there speechless, Elfride spoke.
"Never thought you'd sense mana in just one day."
"That's fucking impressive, right?"
"Yeah. Unless you reach the realm of death, mana affinity doesn't awaken like that. Maybe 'cause you're turning into a god or something."
Elfride mocked a bit, like she was slightly offended—young apprentice mages would spit blood seeing this.
Others need serious training and years; I broke through in two days. No wonder she's pissed. But I didn't care.
"So, can I use magic now? Fireballs or whatever?"
"Nope, you've just taken your first wobbly steps. The real work starts now."
"Shit."
*
*
*
She was right.
Sensing mana in the air was great, but that didn't mean I could cast spells.
I'd barely toed the starting line.
Three days, four, five—
Time kept passing, and while I'd sensed mana quickly, learning magic? Zero talent, zero knack.
"Gather mana in the exact center of your palm. No, don't scatter it—gather the mana!"
"What the hell does that even mean?"
"I'm telling you, gather it without letting it scatter!"
"How do you do that?"
Seriously, how?
I stared holes into the spot Elfride marked on my palm, straining so hard veins popped on my forehead to pull mana there. Nothing.
"Lots of people can sense mana like you. But only about one in three can actually use magic."
"And even fewer can handle attack magic?"
"Right, you get it."
Heard that somewhere before. Back when bronze-tier folks entered Pluto's Labyrinth, the ice mage Belmina said something similar.
Very few sense mana; fewer can cast spells; and combat-practical ones? Rare as hell.
I asked.
"Necromancy's the same?"
"Not quite as hard as attack magic. You need affinity for hellforce. That's why most Necromancers go insane."
Fuck.
How the hell did I pull that off?
Back when I could raise goblin corpses with a finger flick. Looking back, it felt like I was cheating with game hacks.
No worrying about hellforce or theories—just raised corpses on a whim.
If I hadn't been sealed back then...
Would my hellforce-corrupted mind have gone haywire?
Who knows.
What I do know: Baron Fleur's deadline is two days away, and no way I'll master Light Vessel or whatever glowy spell by then.
"Hoo—"
I steadied my breath and tried gathering an orb of light in my palm.
But the creeping energy scattered at a certain point, just draining my stamina.
"Magic's ultimately about imagination, idiot. Picture the spell you want—visualize what it'll look like when you cast it."
Imagine, huh?
I pictured myself casting magic.
Magic warrior Hassan. Looks badass. And once Fleur teaches me true Necromancy—not hackjob stuff—I'll be unstoppable.
Necromancer.
No, Necromancer Sultan.
Necromancer Sultan Hassan.
Underworld Sultan Hassan.
Sultans have harems full of cute girls—that's the rule.
Even just imagining it lifted my mood, motivation surging.
"Hiya—Light, come forth—"
"No need for chants like that."
"Fuck."
"Still, incantations help with self-suggestion."
That night, I pulled an all-nighter gathering light in my palm. And so came the last day of Fleur's deadline.
"Master Hassan, Lady Luna asked me to check on you...! How's the magic training going...?"
During breakfast at the cheap inn, Paranoia approached. Guess she heard I was here from Luna.
"It's... going."
"Light Vessel should be easy for you...! I can do it like this...!"
Swoosh—
Paranoia raised her palm toward me, and a fluffy orb of light formed above it. I was fucking shocked.
"Wait, you can use magic too?"
"What did you take me for...? My mana reserves rival most mages...!"
Come to think of it, she's ex-cultist.
Nymphs are nature-loved folk; most can use magic.
Fuck, if Paranoia can, and I can't? Pissed me off big time.
"And I asked Lady Luna why you grabbed her ass in her dream...!"
"What're you talking about?"
Time flew, down to the final day.
Gonna master that 1st-circle glow spell today, I thought—but night fell.
"Ah, damn—just a bit more time and I'd have it."
A whole week.
From weird meditation to nosebleed mana control—yet failed. So frustrating.
"Reaching that level in a week is huge. Normal mages would take a year."
"You know time's really short now."
"Yeah, guess so."
Elfride stayed chill, crisis or not.
I get it. My problem, her role's just teaching.
She's done her best, in her way.
No helping it.
Opportunity for Fleur's patronage gone. Still, awakened mana sense—rewarding week.
Need new noble sponsor. Don't know any now, but Lady Enya might help.
Regret lingers, though.
Then something flashed in my mind.
"Hey, Elfride. Didn't you say that staff or whatever makes magic easy?"
"..."
Elfride, lounging on the bed reading by lantern light, shifted her eyes.
Head tilted for the book, silver hair parted—her red eyes gleamed viciously through.
"Using it leads to irreversible shit. You ready? Once addicted to mana, no going back."
"Why say it like that?"
She mentioned it first. Now this scary warning? Hard to adjust.
But backing out now? No way.
Time's critical.
"Fine, fuck it—what's the worst?"
"Then strip to your waist and lie on the bed."
"Wait, strip? What're you planning?"
"You'll see."
Elfride splashed some liquid from somewhere onto her legs and bare feet. A weird peach scent hit, dazing my mind.