Not Trolling
"...So, you're saying we should donate those Magic Stones to the government?"
"Yep, though obviously not for free."
The Magic Stones that Ahjussi and I would each end up with were 5,000 each.
Even a rough calculation puts that at 5 billion won.
That's enough money to live on without ever running out until the day I die, provided I'm frugal.
'I don't really need more than that anyway.'
Money is good the more you have, but too much money is no different from poison.
So, I'll just donate the rest.
Ahjussi, who had been listening to my plan in silence, opened his mouth.
"But if you're not donating them for free, what are you going to ask for in return?"
"That's... something I'll have to think about gradually."
I hadn't made a plan that specific yet.
Actually, I could just ask them to prepare a fake identity for me.
But if I did that, there's a possibility of being back-traced, and would they even listen to such a request in the first place?
'Forget it, forget it.'
And since there's one thing I need to prepare to contact the government, I can just think about it slowly.
After listening to my plan, Ahjussi thought about something deeply, then.
"Then, let's donate my Magic Stones too."
"Huh? Really?"
"Like you said, too much money just becomes poison. I'm satisfied with my current life."
Uh... I didn't expect that.
But, no matter how I think about it, isn't donating an additional 5,000 Magic Stones a bit much?
"Then I'll take two sacks."
"...Alright."
Still, I don't intend to trade both sacks for money.
If I stash them away at home, won't I find a use for them someday?
Ahjussi kindly delivered the two sacks of Magic Stones right to my front door, and after saying goodbye, I went inside.
**
What is needed to safely donate Magic Stones to the government!
Drumroll please....
It is none other than, Tracking Prevention Magic!
You ask what kind of magic that is?
"After living in another world, I realized there's all sorts of magic out there."
There really is all sorts of magic.
And I am the Great Wizard who has mastered all of that "all sorts of magic."
But the problem is, I can't use it right now.
"...My mana circuit has completely changed."
The structure of the mana circuit has changed.
Since I've become this body from the body of a 40-year-old Ahjussi, it seems the magic circuit has changed to match it.
I practiced Fireball every morning like jogging, so I could use it subconsciously, but other magic won't activate at all.
But it's not all bad.
"The output has increased significantly."
It seems that as the mana circuit changed, some evolution occurred as well.
The output of mana has increased noticeably, and more delicate control has become possible.
'No wonder those Morning Goblins were popping like balloons.'
Anyway, because of this problem.
The thing I need to do right now is relearn the Tracking Prevention Magic.
But.
"...How am I supposed to do it?"
The theory is all in my head.
The problem is the change in the mana circuit.
Because it's not the circuit I'm used to, the magic won't activate.
"Hrmmm......."
Just then, as I was sitting cross-legged and swaying left and right like a roly-poly toy.
-Clink, clink.
I heard some sound from my pocket.
I checked, and it was the Magic Stones I intended to sell.
These are translucent and sparkly, so they're strangely pretty....
Without realizing it, I stared intently at one of the Magic Stones.
"...Huh?"
Something started to become visible.
Blue particles filling the inside of the crystal.
"That's mana, isn't it?"
Mana was trapped inside the Magic Stone.
It was mana that wasn't active, perhaps solidified into this form.
'Is this what they burn in generators to create energy?'
I said it myself, but that was an incredibly rational deduction.
Good job, me.
But, they were using this just to create energy?
"The purity is incredibly high."
Perhaps the crystal trapping the mana acts as a protective barrier, because the purity of the mana contained inside was absurdly high.
I'd have to break it to know the details, but just looking at it, this much is....
'It would be incredible if I opened it, right?'
I placed just one Magic Stone on my palm and clenched my fist tightly.
"Ugh, ow...."
When I opened my hand, there was a red mark in the shape of the Magic Stone.
Well, if it had the strength for a kid to open it, it wouldn't have become a Magic Stone in the first place.
However.
"Then I just have to infuse it with mana and apply force, right?"
I grinned and wrapped my hand around the Magic Stone again.
And slowly.
Very slowly.
I flowed mana into it.
'I'm looking for a gap.'
No matter how hard a gemstone is, there's bound to be one incredibly small gap.
I'm using mana to find that gap.
At that moment.
-Crackle.
The Magic Stone in my hand trembled faintly.
And soon after, cracks began to form on the surface of the crystal.
-Crack. Crrrack.
Like an egg hatching, the single crack gradually began to spread into several branches.
Soon, a single blue thread leaked out from between the cracks.
It was a very, very blue light that could only be seen in another world.
No, it was mana.
"Oh, success."
My hypothesis was right after all.
Just as I was admiring my own incredible deductive skills.
-Whoosh.
Mana, drawn out like thousands, tens of thousands of threads, seeped into my body through my fingertips.
A situation I hadn't predicted.
Without time to be flustered, I started to feel something.
The sensation of pure, clear mana circulating throughout my mana circuit.
'Wait a minute, by any chance...?'
I hurriedly got into position and started meditating.
...It's certain.
"My mana circuit is changing!"
The mana circuit gradually increased in size, and then it changed to be even more precise to fit my body.
And at the same time.
"Huh?"
Something, a feeling that I could use magic, started to emerge.
Of course, maybe because I used a lowest-grade Magic Stone, it feels very weak.
"But I have those, don't I?"
I walked over with quick steps and opened one of the sacks.
Lowest-grade Magic Stones piled up inside.
That means high-purity mana is sleeping in each and every one of those....
"Okay."
Let's die trying today.
I poured the entire sack out onto the living room floor.
It looked like a mountain of small Magic Stones had been built.
It looks like tonight is going to be a long one.
**
-Chirp, chirp chirp.
"Th-this is the last one......."
With the chirping of sparrows hanging on my balcony as background music.
I finally succeeded in absorbing the last Magic Stone.
"Ugh! That was exhausting...!"
I felt like I was about to collapse from exhaustion, so I flopped backward.
I looked to the side and saw a pile of Magic Stones that had lost their light and were split open.
The sparkly gems that had lost their light didn't look very pretty, but.
'Still, I absorbed them all.'
I spread my palm toward the empty air.
I thought I could see a faint blue light beneath my thin skin.
A mana circuit that had become clear enough to be seen through my skin.
I knew it instinctively.
"In short, my mana circuit seems to be rechargeable now."
A wizard cannot output more than their limit.
Because the amount of mana they can accept depends on the circuit.
But my current circuit doesn't operate that way.
Instead of having mana filled inside, I have a special constitution that can absorb mana into my body at any time.
'That must be why the magic output has become stronger.'
To give a very easy example, a wizard is like a normal person bundled up in clothes.
I am currently like someone walking around naked.
In a state of being in contact with mana 24 hours a day.
...That's a bit of a weird way to put it. But what can I do, that's reality!
Anyway.
"If I consume the mana stored in my body now...."
I'll be able to use new magic.
Honestly, there's no reason not to, right?
"Let's do it right away."
I lifted my exhausted body back up and started meditating.
At the same time, my body glowed like an LED bulb.
Blue light began to flow out, centered on my body.
'With this, I'm getting closer to my original level...!'
How much time had passed?
I could feel the mana that had been filling my circuit gradually soaking into the circuit.
Bye-bye, mana!
I'll fill you back up again soon!
It was a short time, but I said goodbye to the mana with which I had built up enough memories.
Instead, what remained for me was a cleaner and more beautiful mana circuit.
I have to test it right away.
"Ah."
This is my usual voice.
It's very thin, high-pitched, and cute at the same time.
On the other hand.
[Ah.]
This is my voice after using the Tracking Prevention Magic.
A thick, low, artificial voice with a slight mechanical sound popped out.
"Very successful."
Tracking Prevention Magic is magic devised so that others don't know the caster is the caster.
The voice is modulated, and the appearance seen by others changes too.
And although it's my guess.
"It will probably apply to electronic devices too."
To check, I turned on the gallery and wrote a post.
[Early Bird Wake-up]
Early bird wake-up.
At the same time, comments started to be posted at an incredible speed!
ㄴ? Why can't I see this guy's IP?
ㄴ Must be a semi-registered user.
ㄴ No, no. Not a semi-registered user. It's a guest?
ㄴ Huh?
ㄴ What the, how'd you do that?
ㄴ There's a bug in the gallery? Share it.
ㄴ What's with this troll-optimized bug, damn
"I guess I should've been a detective."
All the guesses I'm making are turning out to be right.
If I hadn't been dragged to another world, I might have become a great detective like Sherlock Holmes by now.
Just as I was indulging in self-absorption.
ㄴ (Sub-mod) ? What is this guy
ㄴ Wow, the mod has entered
ㄴ Gallery normalization, yeah yeah yeah yeah
"...Huh?"
The mod left a comment.
I hurriedly tried to delete the post, but it seemed it was already too late.
ㄴ (Sub-mod) Just called the main-mod
"Ah."
The main-mod.
The king of the gallery, is arriving.
ㄴ (Main-mod) What, I thought it was bullshit but it was real?
ㄴ (Main-mod) Wait, let's see if the ban works
ㄴ (Main-mod) The ban isn't working either, what the f*ck is this
"Uh...."
In an instant, my post became a meeting place for the main-mod and the sub-mod.
It seems.
'Looks like things got a bit big, huh...?'
I shouldn't use this magic and browse the gallery next time.