Chapter 4

It's been two weeks already since I started swinging the sword. Thanks to exercising diligently and practicing without slacking off, my body felt noticeably more toned. It was like my frame had gotten subtly lighter somehow.

'Status window.'

My overall rating was still D-rank, but I could see some growth nonetheless. Stats rose quickly up to 10, but once the average hit 11 and I reached C-rank, the pace would slow dramatically, making me far ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stronger than now.

"Just two weeks left..."

I needed to eat well to grow properly... but I was broke. All I could do was buy cheap meals for each one. Han Siwoo's backstory had him losing his parents young, so having money would be weirder.

'Things should improve once I enter the dorms after enrollment.'

Tuition was already paid in full, apparently. That's why I'm broke?

Anyway, it was a bit tight financially, but I was starting to figure out how to handle Mana Insensitivity. Even if I awakened Sword Prodigy, if my mana stat stayed too low, it wouldn't matter much. I'd practiced swordsmanship diligently enough that it should be fine.

'If it gets too dangerous, I can always run.'

With my mind made up, it was best to head there right away. I stopped by home, grabbed a real sword I'd never swung before, and set out.

My destination was the Tomb of the Young Mage.

The renowned mage, on his deathbed, extracted the essence of his mana and passed it to his disciple, the young mage. Grateful, the young mage resolved to grow strong enough to absorb it properly before doing so. Tragically, his talent was hopeless; he never got strong enough and died from mana backlash trying to force it in his lair.

That botched absorption burst the essence, flooding the dungeon with mana. Just being there gradually eroded Mana Insensitivity and filled one's mana reserves.

A place with a story both ridiculous and pitiful... Even without talent, he was a mage, so he'd shaped his home into a dungeon-like setup. Guides said average stats around 6 could clear it, but I was a coward.

'Ideally, I'd max everything but mana at 8 first...'

No time to delay now, scary or not. I had to go.

The Tomb of the Young Mage wasn't far from home—in the sewers of the next neighborhood over. Feeling peckish on the way, I bought a skewer and let happy fantasies spin in my head. Once Mana Insensitivity vanished, Sword Prodigy would awaken naturally. With usable mana, I'd skyrocket in growth. Once strong enough, I'd meet Park Serin again.

Lost in thoughts, I reached the sewer entrance. The stench assaulted my nose, but what choice did I have? In I went. One hand pinched my nose, the other flicked on my flashlight.

It was a dungeon, but starting in the sewers meant no immediate threats. I nearly slipped in the filthy water a few times but pressed on until the air felt... off.

'Is this mana?'

My body tingled faintly. Even with Mana Insensitivity, this compressed mana density was impossible to ignore entirely. It was already seeping in, chipping away at the trait.

Click.

A mechanical whir, then whoosh! An arrow flew. But...

"...?"

The trap was so shoddy, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it embedded in the wrong spot.

'Maybe high-level design.' Like baiting dodgers based on sound alone. Or lulling into complacency... Anyway, proper dungeon now—time to stay alert.

I switched the flashlight to my left hand, drew my sword with the right.

Shaking off distractions, I focused. It hit me how quiet it was. The beam didn't reach the end; only my footsteps echoed softly in the dark.

I minimized even those, creeping forward. Vision useless, smell overwhelmed—only hearing to rely on.

After a while, another click ahead, then a whistling arrow—faster this time. Heart skipping, I calmly swung and deflected it.

"Holy shit. It actually worked."

I hadn't expected it to. More arrows followed, but I batted them all away. Was the young mage a bad designer, or did he not want to kill? They all aimed for shoulders or thighs.

"Oh."

Prolonged vigilance paid off with a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠new trait. Sharp Senses was a solid one, appearing often in Outer World and Akarnak Star—a lesser version of my unawakened Primal Instinct, but it heightened reactions to presences and attacks without constant focus.

Thrilled by the gain, a squelching came from ahead. Flashlight revealed a massive mud clump with limbs shambling toward me.

"Mud golem, huh."

His pitiful talent barred metal or stone golems, so he made these from sludge. Low attack, slow speed—no big worry. Plus, as a golem, its mana barrier had dissolved in the dense ambient mana.

I lowered my stance, flashlight reversed over my right shoulder, sword raised in right hand, waiting.

The slow-walking golem finally raised an arm to strike.

Whoosh!

Even mud, that mass at that speed was threatening. Recalling pre-possession boxing, I stepped back lightly and dodged.

Its arm smashed the wall, bursting like mud should. Seemed I'd crippled one arm already—but no. Golems regenerated unless the core was destroyed. I'd screamed as a kid in games when bosses reformed after that.

Sure enough, wall-smeared mud floated back, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reforming the arm perfectly.

Waiting meant endless fight. Sword high, I charged.

It swung the other arm; I rolled under like a log.

Martial arts novels called this "rolling escape," ugly as hell—but who cared? No audience, survival first.

Under its armpit, I thrust and sliced. One arm lopped off, splat to the ground. It tried swinging the regenerating one, but I was faster.

Golem cores sat center-chest. I stabbed the mud chest—sword sank easy. That did it; it froze and melted down.

"Eww, gross."

Up close, mud splattered me inevitably.

I knew I'd grow here, but more than expected.

"Real combat's the best for specs, alright."

"Oh!"

Thrilled that Mana Insensitivity was finally fading—but then...

"Ugh...!"

This place overflowed with mana from the shattered essence. Barely sensing it now, adaptation wasn't easy.

"Gotta get used to it before moving..."

Best to sit and rest. Plopping down soaked my butt in sewer muck, but I was already sweat-drenched, so whatever.

Mana-saturated or not, I couldn't stay forever. The young mage couldn't handle it all; neither could I. Absorb the shattered essence fragments quick, shed Mana Insensitivity, and bail.