Ch.5656. Impatience

I tried to understand the words of the woman in front of me.

She was saying she was identical to the mage who was in the 9th floor entry party?

The only one I was talking to here was her. As for other mages, there was only Shiro.

“…Were you part of the Polaris selection party?”

“Ah, yes. You didn’t know. My name is Seirai. Just call me Rei.”

Rei’s voice tone had changed quite a bit.

“But you, have you really never learned anything? Something seems strange.”

“I’ve never learned magic.”

When I said that, she began to stare at me intently.

“Hmm… it does look that way.”

Perhaps she was examining my mana aura in detail.

“Your mana wavelength is far from ordinary. I think it might be related to your magical talent…”

She showed signs of contemplation with her index finger on her chin.

‘Is my mana wavelength strange?’

I tried to ask Shiro for her opinion, but she was busy munching on snacks from the table with both hands.

“…”

Shiro looked at me and nodded.

That probably meant things were going well.

“Thank you.”

I smiled at her and turned back to Rei.

“Hmm… there was one person with a similar mana wavelength to yours. Honestly, I’m not sure. I couldn’t properly analyze that person either.”

Someone with a mana wavelength similar to mine?

‘A Possessor?’

That thought came to me immediately after hearing Rei’s words.

After all, I’m fundamentally a person from another world.

Of course, it could fall under the category of reincarnation, but since my identity remains on Earth, let’s call it possession.

Anyway.

‘Could it be because I’m a game user that my mana wavelength is different?’

It could be some kind of special trait for Possessors.

Maybe I had great talent for magic but didn’t know it, wasting my potential while struggling unnecessarily.

“Was there someone else similar to me?”

I asked her after finishing my thoughts.

“The guild leader of Polaris, you know?”

“I know a bit. Isn’t that the person who contributed the most to entering the 9th floor?”

Was the name “Vena”?

I only vaguely heard about it, but apparently she was a genius magic swordswoman who suddenly appeared a few years ago.

“That’s right. That person has exactly the same wavelength as you.”

“I see.”

Hearing that made it really credible.

She appeared suddenly and became strong instantly, entering the 9th floor.

Isn’t that exactly what a Possessor would do?

But there’s something that makes me wonder.

‘…Why couldn’t they enter the 10th floor?’

If they played the same version as me after the official release, that would make sense.

However, if all Possessors had talent, it seemed strange that there was only this one 9th floor entry party.

If Possessors had abilities incomparably superior to ordinary people, there should have been numerous 9th floor entry parties by now.

‘There must be something going on.’

It was just speculation based on uncertain information.

Instead of thinking deeper, I focused on Rei’s words.

“Well, actually, it might not be that the mana is strange, but rather a common trait among geniuses. Both the guild leader and you. Something’s unusual. It’s definitely mana, but it’s not maintaining the basic form that mana should have.”

“Basic form?”

“You can’t feel it, I see. I’ll explain roughly.”

She muttered something incomprehensible to herself.

It was something about how mana exerts power, or what form it should take for that purpose.

That’s roughly what she was talking about, though honestly, I didn’t understand it well.

***

Sunlight shining on the bed.

I stared blankly at the ceiling, organizing my thoughts.

“Hmm.”

After our conversation ended, Rei taught Shiro.

There was an attempt to draw me into the path of a mage, but I refused to use magic.

‘It’s already awkward since I’ve consumed all the Sources.’

While that was the main reason, I wasn’t actually wasting my magical talent.

I could just use enhancement magic.

And it was even efficient.

Originally, enhancement magic or prayers used by priests increase physical abilities by a fixed value.

Like “Strength +2” when used.

However, if the target of that enhancement magic has physical abilities above a certain level, it increases by percentage rather than a fixed value.

50% increase in strength, 30% increase in durability.

The magic swordsman I originally designed was meant to provide minor physical support, but with my current magical talent, I could demonstrate insane physical abilities.

‘I could probably clear up to the 7th floor at this rate.’

Looking at my specs alone, I might even manage to enter the 8th floor somehow.

Shiro was approaching 7th floor specs, and two priests would join the party from this Labyrinth expedition.

With a bit more strength, we could hunt on the 7th floor where items that expand the number of Sources appear.

“Ugh!”

I finished my thoughts and put on my equipment.

Today was the day the Labyrinth portal opens.

That means I won’t see this room for two weeks.

‘I’m excited.’

I felt like I was growing explosively as time passed.

I thought it would take at least 2-3 years to become this strong if I became an explorer, but there were many events along the way.

Especially my equipment luck and Source luck were good.

-Creak.

I opened the inn door and went outside.

My destination was Square 2.

“Another Labyrinth. Feels really disgusting.”

“But I have a feeling Sources will drop this time. We haven’t even seen a Source for almost 3 months, right?”

As expected on portal opening day, the streets were full of explorers.

Some prayed not to die, while others wished for a big windfall.

Meanwhile,

“Oh, is that person the one?”

Someone pointed at me from a distance.

‘…?’

Pointing at a person while saying “that one”—I turned my head, thinking they must be ill-mannered.

But then.

“Wow, it really is him. The one who played a big role in the purification operation.”

“I thought he was just a barbarian who got lucky by charging in blindly, but he looks more normal than I expected.”

“I think I saw that person last week. I didn’t recognize him without armor then, but now I can tell right away.”

There were too many people pointing.

Sometimes people blocked the way, which was uncomfortable, but.

‘It feels good though?’

Not the kind of stares you get for being a potential criminal or an unclean barbarian, but attention received for doing something genuinely good.

This kind of recognition was always welcome.

“Wow, look at that equipment. That’s upper-level gear, right? Is he really someone who’s only been to the 5th floor?”

“Maybe the achievements are all lies, and he’s just being pushed by the imperial family?”

They weren’t even talking among themselves from a distance, but within 5 meters of me.

These bastards.

‘Let it go.’

I ignored these people who treated others like NPCs and headed to the square.

There are many people in the world, which means there’s also a high proportion of beasts pretending to be human.

“Adel.”

As soon as I arrived at the square, Shiro was the first to greet me.

“Hello, Mr. Adel.”

“Oh, hi! Adel.”

Starting with Shiro, they quickly surrounded me.

“Hello. Am I late?”

“No, you’re right on time.”

Shiro grabbed my wrist and led me to the portal waiting line.

“Let’s go.”

She seemed somewhat resolute today.

‘Is she in a bad mood?’

As I was quietly standing in line thinking that,

-Whoosh.

“…?”

I felt a strange energy sweep around me.

An inexplicably chilling sensation.

‘What was that?’

I looked around but didn’t see anything unusual.

Except for the feeling that something had been there.

I was about to investigate when—

“The portal is opening! Everyone please keep your distance!”

I decided to focus on the Labyrinth for now.

***

The Labyrinth conquest was going smoothly.

No, it was so simple that it felt almost too easy.

I kept running, and when I spotted monsters, I cast enhancement magic and Instantaneous Hardening before throwing a punch.

Monsters appearing up to the 4th floor were at least critically wounded just from that, and usually died with one more punch.

‘And this is just with knuckles?’

For reference, I threw the punches with the hand holding my sword.

-Clang! Clang!

Thus, we reached the 5th floor before the third day ended.

By the time the concept of sword strikes became a crude joke.

-Boom!

In the Arid Wilderness where sand was flying around.

The rock golem that took my punch turned to dust and disappeared.

I sliced through even the 5th floor monsters very easily.

To be more precise, I beat them up very easily.

‘This is insane.’

Punches were the strongest.

As I was looking at my fist, wondering if I should throw away my sword—

“…You said you learned enhancement magic, and that’s why you’ve become so strong.”

Airi remarked with admiration.

“Yes. I didn’t expect this either.”

I withdrew the bluish mana that had been surrounding my body.

“…It’s incomparable to when I saw you in the Crystal Cave.”

The lady also offered something close to admiration.

That must mean I’ve gotten that much stronger.

“Can we take a short break? I’d like to replenish some mana.”

“Alright.”

“Yes, of course, Mr. Adel.”

“…”

The lady and Airi answered, and Shiro quietly nodded.

‘Is something wrong?’

I decided to ask while moving later, and sat down to continue my thoughts.

I wanted to unravel the reason why I had become stronger.

‘Is it because of magic?’

That seemed the most plausible reason, but it didn’t seem to be simply because I learned magic.

It was more like my pure weight class had increased.

It felt like something unidentifiable was making me stronger.

Anyway, I continued with some random thoughts after that.

“Adel.”

“Ah, Shiro.”

Shiro approached me after I had been sitting still for about 10 minutes.

I was lost in thought, so I didn’t notice until she spoke.

“Can we move soon? I’m sorry, but I want to move a bit faster in this Labyrinth.”

Even if everyone was on guard, staying still in the Labyrinth was dangerous.

And there was nothing good about just resting.

“Then let’s move now. I’m sorry for wasting time in a place like this.”

There was a limit to how much energy I could recover in a place like this anyway.

It probably wasn’t a good decision.

“No, there’s no need to apologize. But this is about getting your Source, right?”

“…Yes.”

“I’m really sorry, but I want to get stronger as quickly as possible. Whether it’s you or me. We both have goals to achieve.”

Shiro’s eyes looked somewhat urgent as she said this.

“…I understand.”

“Yes. I love you.”

Shiro whispered that with a faint smile, then turned around and started walking.

“…”

Her back view looked even more urgent.