Damned System

Chapter 95. Compounding Interest (5)

“Still sleeping, huh…?”

I looked at the guy snoring away in the guest room.

“Zzz…”

Looking down at Breche, spread out on the bed snoring, I soon shook my head and turned away.

‘Let’s just go.’

Today’s main purpose for the outing was hunting.

Having Breche as an acquaintance would be good, but it wasn’t essential.

Maintaining friendly ties and networking with other races was just a secondary aim.

‘Doesn’t necessarily have to have someone help with the hunt, does it?’

I had been doing fine on my own so far.

Besides, seeing him sleep so soundly suggested he was exhausted.

Getting paid for the catnip today wasn’t urgent, going alone wouldn’t be a problem at all.

‘Let’s just get there first.’

With his sense of smell seeming to be more developed than a human’s, he should be able to catch up.

Even if he didn’t chase after me once he woke up, it wouldn’t matter.

Having organized my thoughts, I left a brief message with the attendant who had shown me to Breche’s room.

“If he’s looking for me, tell him I went to the Lamolt Mountains.”

“Yes, sir K.”

Having informed my destination, I set off from the mansion.

I soon arrived at the familiar entrance of the Lamolt Mountains, where I could now find my way even with my eyes closed.

The purified areas had increased significantly, meaning I had to go deeper than before.

After finding a spot and hunting for a while, I paused, brushing off my spear.

Then I opened my status window.

Currently, my mana was in the mid-30,000s.

Through 6 or so hours of hunting, I gained about 2,000 to 3,000 mana by purifying an area of corruption.

‘It looks difficult to exceed 40,000 today as well.’

Some mana was inevitably siphoned off as points went to the Order.

After gazing silently at the status window numbers, I soon shifted my gaze to the map.

‘There was a Level 2 corrupted area over there, wasn’t there?’

Lately, hunting in the Level 1 corrupted areas felt akin to repetitive labor.

I began to think the battles here weren’t dangerous.

‘Only one evolved creature too.’

After mulling it over, I finally altered my direction towards the unfamiliar area.

I intended to find out how much mana could be obtained for the time invested at Level 2.

Given my intention was mainly exploration, I traveled safely through the skies using the barrier.

“Hmmm…”

I had been informed by Rashar of the criteria for distinguishing corrupted areas.

‘It depends on the number of the messeo, the scale of mana concentrated in them, and the number of evolved creatures.’

Compared to a Level 4, level 2 corrupted area had between 3 to 5 Messeo.

However, the number of evolved creatures was higher.

‘I’ve already found 9…’

Entering a Level 2 corrupted area, I had located only 4 Messeos.

Yet, there were 9 evolved creatures eating smaller monsters, lurking around the corrupted area.

With two black stars on their heads, these creatures surely were Level 2 evolved types.

And those were excluding the ones near the Messeos; including them, there’d be more.

Mana sensed from these lurking evolved creatures was about 1000?

Similar in scale to the mana I had previously seen from Han Changshik.

‘Perhaps there’s a limit to their growth.’

It seemed they couldn’t absorb more mana past a certain point.

‘If not, why would creatures monopolizing and not sharing the messeo now be loafing outside?’

From a Level 2 corrupted area onward, it meant having to face evolved creatures roaming the field.

‘Basically, the higher the corruption level, the older the messeo.’

Evolved creatures would need time to absorb mana up to their limit.

‘Moreover, it seems the size of the Hole attached to the messeo is increasing.’

I focused my Mana Detection on the messeo just at the edge of my range.

Certainly, more mana was gathered than what I saw in a Level 1 corrupted area.

Reflecting on what I had confirmed with my own eyes, I checked the mission list.

I let out sighs from deep within my consciousness.

In a higher-level corrupted area, the thought of how many evolved creatures teeming around was daunting.

“What’s the point in overthinking…?”

It was best to deal with the ones right in front of me first.

I cast aside unnecessary thoughts and stood up.

Beneath a red, translucent barrier about 20cm in diameter, an evolved creature was visible.

I assessed the size of the corrupted area.

‘With a scale like this, it seems impossible to clear it all in one day.’

Leaving after capturing just a few would feel incomplete.

‘Since I’m here, I’ll clean it out thoroughly before I leave.’

I had camping experience, and informing Rashar that I’d be staying out was enough.

A brief rest could be taken with Barrier Stones.

‘The sooner I finish, the more costs I’ll save.’

Buying too many Barrier Stones would lead to high expenses.

‘I should finish within 2 or 3 nights at most.’

Having done the calculations, I jumped toward the evolution lingering at my feet.

* * *

On the third day devoted solely to hunting, a message appeared saying that I had cleared my first Level 2 corrupted area.

With all 4 Messeos destroyed and 14 evolved creatures killed.

Breche joining briefly to help with hunting was part of the reason it ended quickly.

After a total of 2 nights and 3 days, my mana earned exceeded 30,000.

Yet, the actual increase in my mana was below 20,000.

Having purchased potions, food, and numerous magic stones to save time, it couldn’t be helped.

‘Though I finished early due to investments,’

At first, a few pressure stones attracted not just dozens, but nearly a hundred monsters, forcing purchases of attack magic stones.

Efficiency-wise, moving to Level 2 was better than staying at Level 1.

Though I frequented the shop, the revenue also increased proportionally.

‘Next time, I should pick a day and go out again.’

With the Barrier Stones, I could hunt for extended periods while resting for 3 to 4 hours.

‘For now, let’s head back.’

Having achieved decent results, I dragged my tired body back toward Habon.

Trudging along the main street towards the mansion, my steps were heavy.

I wanted to head back to the mansion to soak in warm water, but sweet rest had to wait a little longer due to the numerous mana detections.

On the path I came and the alleys along the route, if not mistaken, the energies centered around me were moving in all directions.

‘I feel a strong sense of déjà vu.’

There was only one way to confirm whether this feeling was a misunderstanding.

Without second-guessing, I changed directions.

Significant auras were trailing behind me.

‘Indeed, they’re closing in.’

Their aim on me was confirmed.

Furthermore, it was clear they weren’t just some unskilled thugs.

‘Did another Order send them?’

After an official rejection, they were silent.

Seizing the opportunity as I stepped out to make a move?

‘Openly like this?’

Even if my title’s effect was acknowledged, could a group worshipping a god be this overt in their actions?

‘Such foolishness…’

Given they offer a real-time communication feature in their order website, the chances of failure were high.

Players could interact with Order officials in real time.

‘Should it be assumed a party unaware of the website function is involved?’

While narrowing down on the unfamiliar presence, I moved off the main street.

Soon, I entered an unpaved, muddy alley, hemmed in on all sides by them.

Eyeing the unfamiliar faces, I realized the number picked up on Mana Detection was identical to the visible count.

The implication was straightforward.

‘At least there’s no core presence.’

I queried Ahel before departing the mansion.

What were those immune to the Mana Detection?

Thanks to her, I learned it involved mana cores.

-Detection magics gauge the whole amount of mana from the emitted waves.

By containing naturally emitted mana within a core, it remained undetected by detection arts.

Following Ahel’s explanation, removing the residual resonance of mana was similar.

Therefore, being unable to evade Mana Detection meant they weren’t proficient individuals possessing cores.

‘Furthermore, their mana feels petty.’

A size one could associate with an ordinary human.

“Hmm, well now. This is quite a meeting.”

During an instant standoff as if exchanging glances, someone from the intervening crowd stepped forward.

A man in his early-to-mid thirties with three long scars down one side of his face.

He looked like the leader of this team at a glance.

Finding no need to respond, I simply surveyed him up and down.

A man grimaced, spat, and uttered,

“A stoic one, aren’t we?”

With a sweeping glance at the surroundings, the scarred man drew the sword at his waist.

“Boys, be careful even if he resists.”

A piece of unexpected information was gleaned from his subsequent words.

“The ransom is a whopping 1,000 Herrs.”

A brief term uttered by him lodged firmly in my ear.

‘Ransom.’

The significance of that word was all too clear.

‘An attempted kidnapping.’

Someone had clearly hired these kidnappers targeting me.

“What are you doing? Grab him.”

As I processed the situation, the scarred man ordered, and the assailants started closing in.

Facing several commoners without mana manipulation wasn’t difficult for me.

‘A monster caught today is weaker than a human.’

Nevertheless, I didn’t let my guard down. The scarred man exuded confidence.

‘Perhaps he has a trick up his sleeve?’

In such a case, caution couldn’t hurt.

‘In battle, winning is always preferable.’

The limited space would inconvenient my spear.

Immediately drawing two daggers, I got into combat posture.

‘Investigating the instigator matters too.’

Facing them personally was necessary to find out who targeted me.

Though I had a rough idea, there was too little information in the current circumstances.

‘At most, something rich.’

If 1,000 Herrs meant a thousand platinum coins, it indicated abundant financial resources to catch me.

Verifying deeper required direct confrontation.

Calculating, I sprang into the encirclement and brandished my daggers.

Every slash evidently drew blood, affirming the immense gap in skill.

Watching the stark disparity, uncertainty crept in.

‘It doesn’t seem like the Order.’

If they intervened, wouldn’t they have sent holy knights?

I’d have been captured without even a struggle.

“Why are you guys so weak?”

Accidentally muttering those words, their lackluster skills bewildered me.

The assailants were too pathetic, causing confusion and

Leaving me at a loss as to why they were so self-assured with such paltry skills.

I redirected my focus toward incapacitating them instead of killing.

They posed too little threat to endorse a massacre.

Though unintended, I ended up appearing to toy with them.

Shielding with a complex facial expression, I abruptly shivered from the shoulder.

“Let’s see how long that ease lasts!”

Upon the shout from the back-stepping scarred man, mana stirred from the side.

When the Mana Detection level rose, such tingling sensations appeared.

Mainly when Ahel demonstrated magics.

It was similar to the feeling experienced when someone other than me imbued magic.

Kicking the nearest assailant, a surge of black smoke rushed toward me.

By stepping up onto a nearby fallen one, I managed to leap into the air.

Thus, the smoke initially headed toward me dispersed toward unrelated assailants.

‘It’s an unfamiliar type of magic.’

What attribute does that magic employ?

No sooner was the doubt raised than the woman who inhaled the black smoke began sobbing uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.

‘What ordeal is befalling her?’

Though my curiosity about its effect piqued, no immediate means of verification existed.

Leaving the slack figures, I turned my attention to the scarred man.

Judging from his sinister demeanor and rummaging through his waist-slung leather bag, he seemed to have more cards to play.

Given the chances of possessing more magic stones, intercepting before he acted was a necessity.

Damned System