episode_0012

I read the beginner’s magic guide.

‘Hmm…’

The first section was about how to handle .

I tried manipulating mana.

‘Gather mana in your hand.’

Ooooh!

A blue mass of energy formed.

‘Compress.’

I compressed the energy mass to increase its density.

What was once a hazy, smoke-like mass

transformed into a distinct, liquid-like clump.

‘Rotate.’

I spun the nearly liquid mana and compressed it even further.

Then,

it morphed into something resembling those ‘techniques’ often seen in ninja comics.

‘Oh…’

‘Is this the power of the spiral?!’

I wanted to test it.

I was curious—just how strong was this spinning mass of mana I’d created?

So I tried it.

I drew my sword and clashed it against the rotating mana mass.

Poof!

“Huh?”

The moment the mana mass touched the blade, it burst apart pathetically.

The impact was practically zero.

In comics, explosions like that would’ve had devastating force,

but in reality? Nothing.

Just a light breeze, at best.

…Judging by that alone, it was completely useless in actual combat.

But the real problem was something else.

‘My sword got stronger.’

Some of the mana had seeped into it, reinforcing it.

So what?

What if I used it on an enemy?

‘Is this a spell that buffs the enemy?’

What a garbage spell.

‘Well…’

‘The fundamental nature of mana is .’

If it merges with the body, the body strengthens.

If it merges with a weapon, the weapon strengthens.

That’s its basic property.

So,

using pure mana as an offensive tool was just plain stupid.

…With that in mind, I tried a different approach.

‘Reinforce the body.’

I closed my eyes and imagined.

The sensation of growing stronger.

I envisioned mana flowing into every muscle fiber,

amplifying my physical power.

‘It’s a common trope in battle anime.’

Strengthening the body with mana.

Channeling ki to enhance the body.

Using chakra to fortify the body.

Armament Haki to reinforce the body.

I drew inspiration from anime scenes and imagined my body being enhanced.

And then—

It worked.

My body grew stronger—noticeably so.

‘Oh…’

‘This is good.’

With a bit more practice, I could use this in real combat.

‘It’s simpler than I thought.’

Magic.

A technique that harnesses the energy called mana

to turn imagination into reality—a miracle.

The key here is imagination.

The more vivid the mental image, the more powerful the magic.

But.

That’s not easy.

Conjuring a detailed image of a spell you’ve never seen before is far from simple.

…Or so the guide said.

Ah…

It’s ridiculously easy.

‘Vivid imagination?’

‘I can just picture scenes from anime or games.’

Thanks to all the anime I’ve watched, it was a breeze.

Ah.

Is this what they mean by “modern knowledge making you unstoppable in a medieval world”?

‘Hahahahaha!’

‘Yes!’

‘This is what a proper protagonist looks like!’

‘Even if I’m stuck in a D-rank weakling, I’ll still become overpowered!’

…With that thought, I moved on to the next section.

[Imagine the wind.]

[If you have an affinity for wind, you may manifest the basic wind-element spell .]

I imagined.

But.

No wind appeared.

[Imagine lightning.]

[If you have an affinity for lightning, you may manifest the basic lightning-element spell .]

I imagined.

But.

No lightning appeared.

“……”

The same happened with everything else.

I imagined,

but nothing manifested.

I had dreamed of dominating this medieval world with modern knowledge,

but I hit the colossal wall called ‘talent.’

Still,

there was hope.

‘I have fire and water magic.’

Two basic spells Cain had learned from the beginner’s guide.

That’s right.

Cain had an affinity for fire and water.

Thanks to that, I—now inhabiting Cain’s body—could wield them too.

…With that in mind, I created water.

‘We’re inside a carriage.’

‘Practicing water magic is safer here.’

Bubble bubble.

The water mass in my palm frothed and shifted forms.

A sphere.

A star.

An arrow.

A dragon.

Just by imagining, its shape changed effortlessly.

‘Oh…’

‘At this rate, I could even do that.’

Techniques like ‘Breath of Water,’ where water wraps around the blade for attacks,

or ‘Aqua Jet,’ where water engulfs the body for a rushing strike—

and so on.

I could replicate anime techniques like this.

‘Hng…!’

‘This is the dream!’

Suddenly, my body tingled with excitement.

I wanted to try it.

I wanted to use those anime techniques myself.

…Just as I thought that—

“E-ek! Big trouble!”

“A horde of monsters has appeared!”

Test dummies had arrived.

How convenient.

“What kind of monsters?”

“Goblins!”

“That’s no problem, then.”

“Stop the carriage.”

“Y-yes!”

The coachman halted the carriage.

“Lia.”

“Time to work.”

“Yeah!”

Lia and I stepped outside.

“Grrk!”

Ten goblins blocked the road.

Perfect.

An ideal number for testing.

Swoosh!

I drew my sword and wrapped it in water.

“Breath of Water, First Form—”

Wait.

No.

I might be copying anime techniques now,

but eventually, I’ll develop my own original moves.

I should rename them right away.

“Water Sword, First Style – Fox Rain.”

Like a light drizzle on a cloudless day.

A swift sword strike, accompanied by a gentle stream of water.

The perfect opening move.

Slish!

I cleanly severed a goblin’s neck and slipped between them.

“Water Sword, Second Style – Downpour.”

Like a raging storm.

A flurry of heavy, rapid slashes, each laced with torrential water.

Slashslashslashslash!

With my enhanced strength, I carved through every goblin.

“Haaah…”

Test complete.

“Wooow…”

“Master’s swordplay is sooo pretty…”

Even Lia was impressed by the beauty of my ‘Water Sword’ technique.

It really was beautiful.

The way the water surged with every swing,

the rainbows left in its wake—

Aesthetically, it was a success.

But.

There was another issue.

‘There was almost no difference in attack power.’

Wrapping my sword in water didn’t add any elemental damage.

Well…

That’s to be expected.

Water magic was never known for its offensive power.

So,

this was an anticipated problem.

The real issue was something else.

“Ugh…”

Me.

After just two techniques, I was already mana-drained—pathetic D-rank adventurer Cain.

‘Seriously…’

‘If two measly techniques drain me dry, what’s the point…’

My mana pool was pitifully small.

What?

An overpowered protagonist dominating the medieval world with modern knowledge?

No such thing.

Thanks to anime, I could vividly imagine spells to boost their power,

but I was still fundamentally mana-deficient.

No matter how hard I struggled, I’d never surpass C-rank.

Yeah.

At this point, I’m just an extra.

…As I resigned myself and turned to return to the carriage—

“Like this?”

“Water Sword, Second Style – Downpour.”

Lia swung her sword, mimicking my technique—water swirling around it.

Slashslashslashslash!

A violent surge of water shot forth like a blade of energy.

BOOOOM!

It was like a natural disaster—everything the water touched was obliterated.

“Gyaaaah!”

“Keeeek!”

Even monsters in the forest were caught in the destruction.

Wow.

She’s insane.

‘That’s the same technique?’

If my water was a babbling brook,

Lia’s was a tidal wave.

‘Is this the difference in mana reserves…?’

Our levels were probably similar.

But.

The gap in mana was overwhelming.

This was the difference between D-rank and S-rank.

Even at the same level, the disparity in stats was like heaven and earth.

‘Sigh…’

‘How can I call myself overpowered when she exists…’

I suddenly felt deflated.

But.

That was that.

My original goal was to escape as soon as I recruited my first companion,

then build a happy family with my favorite character.

Strength wasn’t necessary for that.

‘Well, I need enough to survive bandits and monsters until we reach her village.’

‘But once we meet, I won’t need strength.’

So,

there’s no point obsessing over power.

Being able to casually recreate anime techniques as a hobby is enough…

“Master!”

“A bracelet dropped!”

Lia picked up a bracelet lying near the unfortunate(?) monsters she’d slaughtered along the way.

[Bracelet of Mana] MP +500 MP Recovery +10

“Th-this is?!”

A low-tier item, barely worth keeping past the early game—

but for a D-rank adventurer, it was a dream come true.

Considering my mana pool was around 100–200,

this thing would triple or quadruple it—a miracle item.

Gulp.

I want it.

With this, I could fulfill my dream of recreating anime techniques more often,

and even grow stronger by using magic more efficiently.

But.

Lia had earned this item solo.

There was no obligation to share it.

‘Still…’

‘If I phrase it right, maybe she’ll give it to—’

“Master!”

“Here, take it!”

“Y-you’re giving it to me?!”

“Yeah!”

“But this is good for you too?”

“It’s fine!”

“I’d rather see you get stronger!”

“L-Lia!…”

Lia.

Is she an angel?

Even if it’s early-game gear,

giving away something this useful so easily…

Thank you.

But.

I’m still running away.

‘A little further, and we’ll reach the city.’

‘From there, I’ll take the hidden warp gate to …’

I can recruit my first companion today.

Then it’s over.

Good.

I’ll escape tonight.