Demon Beast Mountain Range

Perhaps thanks to thoroughly practicing concealing mana with Ruin.

The old gentleman seemed unable to precisely see through Pernok.

“Hm? Not it?”

“The words are a bit different…”

It seemed there were words that came out when facing exceptional people.

But Pernok didn’t relax his tension regarding mana division.

Hidden within the old gentleman’s smile was the trickiness of continuously probing the opponent.

‘Until I can influence this place, I must hide my strength.’

This was a place with many entangled interests.

Colliding with even one could disrupt plans to reach the summit.

Pernok planned to quietly do groundwork only at the mountain range until raising his level one more stage.

“I came to register as a mercenary.”

“You seem to be a mage—which type?”

“Physical enhancement type.”

“Excuse me, but could you show your certification issued by the mage association?”

“I’ve never used the mage association.”

“Then I’ll just do a simple check.”

The old gentleman raised a transparent crystal sphere.

“Place your palm here and release mana.”

Following the old gentleman’s words and putting mana into the crystal sphere, blue light condensed solidly.

“Mana quantity is level 4…”

As if puzzled, he trailed off then straightened his expression.

“…Enhancement type confirmed. An esteemed person has come. Is this truly your first time as a mercenary?”

“I lack the skill of saying the same thing twice.”

“My apologies. Would you give me your identification card?”

Finishing even the last procedure, the old gentleman took out a thin red metal plate from a drawer.

He stamped Pernok’s name on the metal plate and placed it on the table.

“Pernok. Red rank.”

“A level 4 mage is merely red rank?”

“We can promote up to red rank by magic level, but beyond that you must fill achievements.”

“Achievements?”

“You must get high-rank guild recommendations or subjugate high-grade demon beasts or raise association contribution.”

The old gentleman pointed to one wall.

“Usually you perform association quests there. If you’re recognized for skill, various commissions will come too. If you accumulate those steadily, we’ll give you new rank plates.”

It meant rank required not only skill but also trust.

“How far can I enter with red rank?”

“Altitude 2,500 meters.”

“I’ll visit again soon.”

“I’ll be waiting. I’m Ramut. I’ll pray the Wind God’s blessing accompanies you here.”

Pernok took out 6 red-rank commission papers and went outside.

Rio glanced at Pernok’s red-rank plate and asked.

“Was bronze rank difficult?”

“They said achievements are needed, so now I’ll fill them.”

“Are you entering the mountain immediately?”

“Because I feel hot gazes.”

Even without Pernok pointing, Rio could also feel many people’s gazes gathering.

“You’re getting quite noticed. I clearly heard you’d hide your skill.”

“I met a peculiar guy. Called Ramut.”

“Ramut? Ah, you mean the Wandering Gentleman.”

“You know him?”

“He’s a powerful person mediating with A-rank guilds at the Astal branch. I heard he might have become gold-rank mercenary in his youth. Called the real power of the Astal branch.”

“No wonder he was sharper than other small fries. Fortunately I wasn’t discovered, but I made troublesome things entangle.”

A newly appeared rookie mercenary level 4 mage.

Attention focusing on him with no affiliation was natural.

“When will you leave?”

“Since I visited after long, I plan to stay here for the time being.”

“Then can you wait about a week?”

“Doesn’t matter. But do you have separate work to assign?”

“Because it seems like there’s good work to do together.”

“…?”

“Don’t you think this place is very good for raising people.”

“What?”

To puzzled Rio, Pernok laughed and extended his hand.

“We’ll discuss slowly later, the tools?”

“Here.”

Rio put demon beast material dismantling tools and dried provisions in a large bag and handed it to Pernok.

“Wait at that tavern a week later.”

Pernok shouldered the bag and entered the mountain range.

* * *

The reason Ruin said he couldn’t bring the Hollow Eye within two years.

It wasn’t only because of complex factional relations entangled here.

‘As I climb the mountain range, mana concentration thickens. Time raising Mana Reinforcement begins gradually delaying.’

The mountain range’s own essence.

To exert power at the summit requires high mage-level mana domination ability.

Moreover, breathing grows harsh heading toward the summit, demanding extreme mental strength and stamina.

To balance all these conditions required reaching at least level 7.

Become level 7 within two years.

Ruin’s condition was simple and clear, but others would have been shocked hearing it.

If magic was talent rising in short time like numbers, this world would be full of high-level mages everywhere.

But Pernok judged these extreme conditions might fit him well.

Because of doubts he’d held consistently since encountering demon beasts at the ruin.

‘Wouldn’t spiritual power of demon beasts eroded by demonic energy rather be denser than low-level mages?’

Unrefined souls become poison cutting spiritual power itself.

But what if purifying and devouring contaminated souls like at the ruin.

Would even low-grade demon beasts as targets help raise the Synchronization Rate.

From the moment he decided on the demon beast mountain range trip, he climbed to fit the first button he’d planned.

‘My skin stings.’

Having climbed only about 100 meters, his body gradually grew heavier.

Certainly as altitude rose, mana concentration thickened.

If wrongly raising mana here, invasion by the mountain’s mana would cause intoxication phenomena with delayed magic activation.

Just like those people.

“Huff, huff, huff!”

“Send down the mage!”

“Fuck! What if you collapse!”

“Damn! Fire something strong! We’ll break at this rate!”

Low-level mages had pallid complexions unable to even activate proper magic.

Caring for sprawled mages was entirely the guards’ burden.

Without training with Ruin, Pernok would also have had Mana Reinforcement scattered from the entrance like them.

‘From this point, only level 3 and above will have smooth magic activation.’

He seemed to understand why low-level mages formed parties with ordinary guards for mountain trips.

“Descending!”

When guards shouted like spitting, demon beasts everywhere stirred.

As if to pursue and devour the wounded, demon beast movements became simple.

When demon beasts scattered everywhere chased fleeing humans, gaps opened.

Pernok climbed the mountain through there without collision.

“Whew.”

Already altitude 1,000 meters.

The slope was steep and breath filled to below the chin.

Using mana to kick the greatly tilted ground made it heavy like weights attached.

Crack!

Something was trampled at a rapidly tilting section.

When Pernok swept away dirt with his foot, it was human bone fragments.

Countless remains scattered everywhere.

“Around here?”

Cunning demon beasts living here where many people died.

Pernok set down his bag.

And leaned his back against a withered tree letting the scent of flesh flow on the wind.

He hid mana and continued exposing a clumsy appearance alone.

A mage without guards.

Quite drool-worthy prey, wasn’t it.

Rustle.

Pernok turned his head toward the left thicket.

Something was holding its breath in the shadowy place.

No need to examine with Soul Discernment.

Because a pitch-black guy was flashing eyes in the thicket like darkness.

The plump guy was doubtless this area’s predator.

“Ate quite a lot.”

The moment Pernok transformed the artifact to glove form.

“Kaaaaah!”

A huge shadow rapidly burst from the thicket.

It was a demon beast called Shadow Wolf.

However, it was far larger than those in demon beast books, and its claws’ sharpness exceeded steel swords.

Crash!

Where the forepaw struck down split apart.

His body shook from simple wind pressure.

Power to crush bones from mere grazing.

‘It looks accustomed to facing people.’

Though it should normally be sluggish matching its large build, the Shadow Wolf was as fast as a level 3 mage’s acceleration magic.

Yet it swung claws only when Pernok showed openings, and whether trying to deceive, it moved along thickets and trees constantly mixing irregular movements.

Body movements that would make the Fighting Pit’s guard captain look like a child.

“Awoooo!”

When Pernok kept dodging, the provoked guy’s methods became more vicious.

‘Is it calling companions.’

The guy’s cunning wasn’t ordinary, creating situations where cornered humans would most panic.

Pernok tried overlaying enhancement magic on Mana Reinforcement.

‘Mana intoxication?’

The magic he thought didn’t ‘manifest.’

‘That can’t be. This level of mana concentration shouldn’t be interfering with me, though?’

Each time he tried activating magic, mana scattered away.

He couldn’t experience mana intoxication phenomena at altitude 1,500 meters.

Whoosh!

When the Shadow Wolf’s forepaw grazed his chin, Pernok realized.

‘That paw pad is sweeping down my mana. But did Shadow Wolves have unique power inhibiting mana activation?’

That mana gathered scattered each time it swung forepaws was a characteristic not found in books.

‘They said mutants exist among demon beasts too.’

That individual was quite special.

‘The more special, the more exceptional the quantity and quality of spiritual power.’

Pernok raised Mana Reinforcement and clashed head-on with the Shadow Wolf.

Crack!

He lightly dodged the Shadow Wolf’s forepaw and stuffed a fist into its nose bridge.

The Shadow Wolf that withdrew whining opened its eyes wide as if flustered.

‘Accumulation enhancement method is advantageous for continuous mana domination.’

If nature element magic is ‘principle bestowal’ making forms externally, Mana Reinforcement is ‘accumulation enhancement’ method directly storing mana in the body.

The Shadow Wolf seemed to face the accumulation enhancement method for the first time.

Its body movements were bold and crude as if only facing principle bestowal mages.

It easily revealed itself judging it could just devour before the opponent activated magic, but that’s a clear mistake.

The guy had no choice but inhibiting magic activation to devour with claws and fangs.

“Kaaagh…!”

He immediately stuffed the glove into the throat opening mouth and howling.

The Shadow Wolf curled its body round and jumped sideways.

But that too briefly.

When preventing it from calling companions, the guy resisted with vicious claws.

It intended to scatter Mana Reinforcement’s mana but it was impossible.

Mana already permeated into the body circulated like blood becoming one.

That moment Pernok’s combat style became simple.

Without needing to worry, swing fists and trample with feet.

One-sided battle of strength.

Indomitable strength breaking through all adversity trusting only the body.

Pure violence needing no techniques mixed with combat skills.

Crack!

Raising fingertips to pound tough hide, flowing impacts inside to destroy organs first.

Boom!

The guy’s abdomen expanded and burst.

When blood and flesh smell began spreading, a pitch-black soul surged together.

Similar to the sight seen at the ruin.

Pernok released his spiritual power to the pitch-black soul.

Caressing to wash away dirt in water, pitch-black cracks spread.

Soon corrupted dregs disappeared and pure white brilliance flashed.

‘It worked!’

Pernok smiled while absorbing spiritual power.

“The ruin’s demon beast wasn’t a special case. Demon beasts here can all be purified by interfering with my spiritual power. Then…”

Demon beasts generate at regular intervals, and souls can be refined and converted to strength.

Though spiritual power shaves away during purification making the quantity minute like water drops, killing endlessly generating guys ultimately forms vast lakes.

“Grrrowl!”

Smelling the Shadow Wolf’s organs and blood, demon beasts began swarming.

All directions were already surrounded by demon beasts, but Pernok’s smile deepened.

Prey to grow in short time scattered everywhere.