Massive Mana Battery

‘This is……?’

The rewards Alter handed over were several magic items. Ones he had personally crafted, no less. The moment Vulcan took them, he grasped their purposes.

"I originally meant to give them to that child when we met, but since we've decided to go together, you won't need them right away."

Perhaps because they weren't ordinary items, Alter didn't hide their original purpose. They were meant for Hainel, but now that they were traveling together, they were no longer necessary.

'Jackpot.'

Vulcan had hoped Alter might give him items infused with powerful magic skills, and these were exactly what he needed.

'Items with option skills? I can craft and use 'em myself.'

With no points in Intelligence, Vulcan suffered from mana shortages, so the mana battery offering 5,000 mana was a game-changer, vastly expanding his abilities and tactics.

'And it's extractable too.'

Moreover, it was extractable. He could acquire the core magic—Mana Storage—and learn its crafting method, then mass-produce mana batteries via Magic Imprint. His low-rank Magic Imprint skill couldn't handle large-capacity ones yet, but raising its rank through use would let him create infinite mana sources.

'If I pull that off, I can spam option skills like crazy.'

It wasn't fully usable yet, but with the right setup, his combat power would skyrocket. It'd help with crafting and Magic Imprint too.

'The rest are solid too. High utility.'

The others were great as well. The magic communicator let him report findings without seeking Alter out. The Book of Space slashed teleport gate costs and offered versatile uses. Blank teleport scrolls were cheap anyway.

'Worst case, I craft 'em.'

With Magic Imprint, Vulcan could make scrolls via Inscription. It required a certain level and deep understanding of scroll magic circles, but levels were grindable, and knowledge came from buying a magic book and extracting its skill. Just pay for magic ink and blank parchment.

'Ten coordinates ain't a ton, but the perks outweigh it.'

High-level users bought pricey Books of Space as essentials, so Vulcan planned to anyway. Getting one with extras for free? Sweet.

The quest was the same. The reward was just Alter's recognition, but its value surpassed most high-level Unique items. Recognition from a presumed level 400+ 7-circle grand mage? The real prize was the follow-up quests and rewards.

Vulcan gladly stowed them. They toured the remaining sites with Alter, then returned to Rezina Lord's Castle.

"Then we'll head out first."

"Sir Vulcan, thank you. Please contact us again!"

Parting was swift. Alter swung his staff, unleashing immense mana, and vanished with Hainel to his abode. Maybe straight to the castle, maybe elsewhere. Vulcan had hoped for a ride, but with the Book of Space, Alter left him to his own devices.

"Where to now…… Any recommendations?"

- Hmph. Why not ask that punk?

With the Book of Space, it didn't matter. Teleport to Alter's territory, then use its gates to anywhere. No need to fixate on connected 6th cities after reaching 5th-tier metropolises—options abounded. Jump to a distant metropolis, then branch out.

Vulcan pondered, seeking Tud's advice, but Tud was sulking over Alter.

"Pfft, who'd compare the great Tud to some human grand mage? Ignore that fool's nonsense."

- Hmph. I'll let it slide this once. Next time, no mercy. Level up quick so you don't hear crap from punks like him!

Vulcan soothed Tud first—it wasn't hard.

"Right. So, any cities you'd recommend?"

Relieved, Vulcan wheedled slyly, hoping for a legacy spot. Gates were metropolis-only, but one or two hops away was fine. With his +9 weapon, clearing cities en route was easy.

- None.

"None?"

But Tud's answer was negative. Firmly no recommendations.

Legacy depleted already? He'd gotten basics, but not the end...

- Not at your level yet. Focus on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠raising your stature first.

"C'mon, spill it—I'll make it work."

No, Vulcan's level was too low. Maybe he'd grown too fast. Normal pacing would've let him digest gains and rank up skills leisurely, but his rapid adaptation made next steps feel distant.

Vulcan coaxed Tud. He'd improvise with gear power, experience, wits.

- Dream on. Luck won't cut it. Unless you wanna lose everything at once, build your stature properly.

"Urgh……."

Tud was firm this time. Whatever it was, no luck or gear power could touch it without stature.

Fine, but disappointing. Sounded like a massive power-up.

"Stature, huh……."

Vulcan pondered again. Choices here could make or break growth speed. Hunt in a city suiting his class/style for fast levels, or stagnate.

His gear made rampages easy, but time was short. Alter was moving; temple alliances were convening.

"Gotta level and chase the main scenario quest."

Sub-quests would branch soon. Big ones progressed slowly, but too late meant missing out. Maybe special temple quests, level-dependent.

"Levels first."

As Alter said, his stature was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠low. Legendary incarnation, fame, affinity helped, but suicidal missions? No.

Catch both hares: level fast, find clues timely to rejoin main flow.

"Ideally one spot solves both……."

Brainstorming spots fitting both.

"Hainel's data too—if not just weakening humans, places gathering soul/emotion energy exist. They're hunting those."

- Not bad reasoning. Low stature, but human emotions are fiercer than any energy. Demons use it for hellgates and king descents for a reason.

Tud agreed. Pre-Demon King War, demon followers gathered human negative energy to open gates.

Individually weak, but massed? Immense power.

"Why? Low stature means weak power, right?"

Why humans over higher-stature orcs? Dominion? Still, higher ones better?

- Their emotions swing wild, struggles ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fierce. High-stature souls are sturdy, unshakable. That volatile energy's unstable but intriguing—I researched it.

"……You did human experiments?"

Dragon past—humans as tools? Vulcan feared, but Tud reassured.

- Why bother? Humans drown in worries daily. Facing me alone crushes 'em—no need. Too unstable anyway. Negative extracts easy, positive? Nah.

"Got it. So hunting such spots makes sense?"

- Yeah. Whatever their goal—revive king, descend new one, reopen gate—they need human souls squeezed.

"Hmm. Got a spot worth checking."

- Where? Peaceful era now, no?

Vulcan recalled: one place demons would eye, aiding his growth.

"Sarucha."

- Sarucha?

The time-frozen city Sarucha. Preserved Demon King War ruins as a lesson, undeveloped relic near his target.

"Yeah. Others exist, but level-short... Sarucha fits."

- Sarucha...

"……? Something ring a bell?"

- Nah. Nothing. Go wild then. Test your luck.

"Right. Heading now."

Decided, Vulcan used the Book of Space: to Alter, then gate to target.

Instance Dungeon: Cave of Wailing. Demon King War refugees hid from monsters here, only to be massacred without rescue.

"Undead-heavy? Perfect prey."

The cave held special power unknown then; monster blood turned it dungeonized. Slain beasts revived as undead endlessly. Armies, temples, adventurers cleared repeatedly—to no avail. They couldn't exit, so abandoned.

Recommended level 180—20 over Vulcan's—but undead? Blessed Sun Sword made them easy. Demons would eye it too: wailing refugee souls trapped.

"Let's see... Dragon Eye catches..."

No red glow for main quest at entrance. Cave vast—too soon to judge. Vulcan slashed skeletons, ghosts, scanning meticulously.

"What the hell's that?"

He spotted something odd.