[Your Aura has reached 300 points!]
[You have unlocked a Passive Ability: Advanced Aura Manifestation!]
[Passive Ability: Advanced Aura Manifestation]
[You can manifest bigger and more complex forms of aura. Example: Aura Weapon]
"Oh, I got...Advanced Aura Manifestation," Max said as he stood on the head of a red furred field boss monster.
"Huh? Even I don't have that," Eliyah said. "Just how high is your level, Max?"
"It's not the level, but the titles I got that boost me."
"Wow," Eliyah said.
Max already had the ability to do things like sending out aura projectiles and reinforcing his friends with aura since his aura surpassed 100, but the projectiles were useless because he used a weapon that he imbues with aura and reinforcing his friends would weaken him as the main damage dealer.
"Hmmm. Let me try manifesting a sword."
He willed the summoning of a sword that looks like Virtonia.
"Hmm. I lost 3% of aura because of just this. Even my aura slashes waste less."
Max sent the aura sword that levitated at a rock. The aura dispersed once it pierced the rock, leaving behind a hole in the rock.
Even the firing of the sword wasted 1% of his aura.
"Now let me try piercing with my real sword," Max said as the squad watched.
He did it without imbuing Virtonia. Only his body was enhanced with aura.
And the hole was bigger and deeper. Not by much though.
So the aura sword's piercing power is about the same as Virtonia's would be if I didn't enhance it with aura.
"Not bad," Manuel said.
I could do much more than just summon a sword, Max thought.
On the way to Rinea, he experimented with various things and concluded that the ability had its uses, but that it wasn't going to be used too much.
It was still limited. Perhaps as the stat rises the possibilities will increase. It consumes quite a bit of aura and aura is a precious resource, extremely precious, and takes a while to recharge.
"It's the twin mountain pillars. We're here." Eliyah said.
"How long did it take us? 13 days?" Thomas asked.
"Something like that." Manuel answered.
"Well, we've still got over two dozen days to go. Let's have some well-deserved fun," Thomas said excitedly.
The road went straight to the edge of the cliff and then down into the city.
The squad stood at the edge, looking at the city below.
"It's beautiful," Max said.
The glowing blue sea, the clear weather, the beautiful buildings that remind you of old Mediterranean towns.
Colorful houses, packed close together, with red roofs. The ships docked at the port. The people.
And the surrounding cliffs and natural pillars.
The town is shaped roughly like the letter U, around the sea that pierces the south shore of the continent, into the town's land.
Flying monsters flew high above. Either friendly or fearful of humans.
"Let's go eat Rinea's specialty guys," Thomas said.
"You know it?" Max responded
"Yeah, their horned fish! I heard NPCs talking about them even in Trianca."
"Alright," Max said.
Max had plenty of time to spare before having to find Lovrin.
This is where the squad will stay for a few days.
***
"Make me a sword with these poisonous shards."
The tall blacksmith with a bald head looked at it.
"That'll be 750."
"Deal." Max paid up immediately.
Money wasn't a problem because he sold a lot of drops from monsters he killed. Hides, claws, tails, horns, etc.
There were few things that he actually needed among those drops, one of which is the poisonous shard.
He got it from the flower field boss in the desert he was in.
"And I also want you to insert this into my sword."
Max showed a gem to the smith.
"Is that a..."
"Yes, an attribute gem."
"Hm, how did you even get it? You don't look like a noble."
"Found it on a corpse."
"Okay...Well you chose the right guy. I've already done this for a few warriors that found them."
Max knew this balding NPC was good. He heard from quite a number of people about his skills. He even rejected to work under the royal family and nobility. Wishing to remain independent and in his hometown.
"Can you tell what attribute will this gem give?"
The blacksmith looked at it carefully.
His face betrayed his inability.
"I'm afraid not. I've never seen this one."
"That's fine. As long as you can insert it."
"This will be expensive. 3000."
Max took out six 500 currency papers. It was most of the money he had from the many drops he gained and sold.
***
The gem insertion didn't take long, only 15 minutes. Max wanted to stay and wait.
"It's done."
Max grabbed the sword and immediately checked its description.
Besides the previous information, he saw something else.
[Attribute: Chaotic Energy]
[This weapon now carries the energy that destroyed most of the old continent. It is a chaotic energy that inflicts random effects upon a hit.]
"Old continent huh," Max thought.
That's the secret area Max is thinking of exploring in the future.
"Thanks. When can I come for the poison sword?"
"Come tomorrow morning."
"Alright thanks." Max left the shop.
In front of him was a wooden railing and a view of the port below.
He leaned against the railing and admired the scenery around him.
Max noticed the ships unloading. He smelled fish as he gazed at the port.
The port was a means of trade between Rinea and the island in front of it, and also the other port towns along the coast.
Using a ship is far faster and safer if you want to reach other coastal towns. Fishing is also a major factor.
The food here is mainly seafood. Fruits and sweets are imported.
I should go to the city's springs and relax, the player thought as he started walking.
And then...
Boom!
Max collided with a woman carrying two boxes.
The woman said something Max couldn't understand and had a worried expression on her face.
Max was silent and staring at her stupidly.
Then the woman decided to speak another language, guessing that the tall man in front of her was a foreigner.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," She said.
Max could understand this. It was Virtonian.
Even though her apology was said in a computer generated language, Max knew it, because Virtonian language was downloaded in his brain.
"It's fine, don't worry. My fault."
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, let me help you.'
What the fuck is wrong with me? Am I actually stupid? The player thought.
Max couldn't believe he couldn't see the imminent collision.
"Where do you want to carry this?"
"Just down there. I'm making a store there."
"Oh? What for?"
"Flowers!"
"Oh, but why are you carrying three heavy boxes by yourself?"
"Oh, I'm actually a mage," The beautiful girl with long brown hair said. She had a white flower with a dark blue ovule on the side of her head.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I used to be an adventurer," She said with a smile.
"Oh, same. I mean, I'm an adventurer now."
The two of them walked down the wide wooden walkway on the side of the cliff, beside various stores, cafes, restaurants and other things built on the cliffside.
"Right here." The woman stopped walking.
"I'll open it," Max said.
He held the heavy box in one hand and used his other to open the door.
Inside, was a normal-looking room with a door leading to another in a corner.
There was a counter, presumably for transactions and that was it.
The man and the brown-haired woman with vibrant blue eyes set down the grey boxes.
"Thank you. In return, I can inspect your aura to see how strong it is, if you want."
"Oh, you don't have to." Max said politely.
"I insist," she said, "I'm interested!"
"Uh, okay."
She grabbed his hand with her both hands, which caused Max to feel butterflies.
She closed her eyes...
...
Then her eyes opened wide.
"Wow, you must be someone important!"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you a high noble?"
"No. I'm not. I'm just a commoner."
"You must have slain a great number of monsters to become this strong."
"You could say that."
"What's your name?" The girl asked.
"I'm Max, you?"
"I'm Berlona." She extended her hand and Max shook it with a slight smile.
"I like your hair. All the other men have short hair, slickbacks or long hair. Yours covers the forehead. I've never seen that."
"Hahaha, I've been rocking this for ten years now."
"Keep it that way. It makes you...stand out."
"Sure"
There was a brief pause.
"If you want, come by here during daytime and I'll buy you a nice drink. I'll be here."
"Haha, okay," Max said as he smiled. I'll see you again, Berlona."
With that, the player left the store.
She was pretty, Max thought. It's also been a couple of days since I genuinely smiled.
He gazed at the blue sea as he walked.
What about the language of the second floor?
He frowned as he thought about this.
Max then concluded that a new language will be installed after he enters Floor Two. There was no way that the players would spawn there clueless about the floor's language, right?
***
"Five misses in a row..." Thomas said and sighed.
He was on top of a cliff he flew up to, practicing archery.
The young man was trying to shoot down birds in the sky.
He was a decent distance away from the city of course. You don't want the arrows falling down on the citizens from the sky.
"I'm getting better though. I have to be, for the time when I get to the second floor..."
He sat down on a rock and cracked his knuckles.
Was choosing to be an archer the wrong move?
He shook his head.
No, don't think about that. There's no going back.
***
"Ugh, you're pretty strong." A knight said, with respect. He was on one knee. Manuel stood straight.
"Anyone else wanna spar?" Manuel asked as he cracked his neck.
"I will!" A red-haired man in training armor answered Manuel's question.
Manuel asked to spar the town's guard that weren't on duty at their training ground, intending to hone his skills.
They used training weapons that cause minimal damage.
"Don't think I'll be as easy as the rookie you just lectured!" The red-haired knight said playfully.
"Alright, what's your name?" Manuel asked.
"I'm Levent Ivor, an Awakened."
Manuel's eyebrows shot up as he clenched his spear.
"Wow, I'm Manuel. Don't go too hard on me,"
Levent closed the distance without warning. Manuel got his shield up just in time. The impact drove him back two steps.
He hits like a wall, Manuel thought.
Levent came again with his spear, high then low. Manuel blocked both and threw a spear thrust at his ribs. Levent turned his body and let it graze past him.
"You're fast for a mundane," Levent said.
"You haven't seen fast yet," Manuel replied, rolling his shoulder.
The watching guards had gone quiet.
Levent planted his back foot and thrust twice in rapid succession — one at the throat, one at the knee.
Manuel deflected the first with his shaft and absorbed the second on his shield, then immediately countered with a wide sweeping strike aimed at Levent's lead leg.
Levent jumped back, grinning now.
The two circled. Spear tips tracing slow arcs, each waiting for the other to commit.
Levent feinted left and drove forward hard. Manuel read the feint late — the tip caught his shoulder and spun him sideways.
"Good eye," Manuel said, steadying himself.
"You held your ground well," Levent replied, lowering his spear slightly.
Manuel rolled his struck shoulder and raised his spear again. He wasn't done.
***
"Mmmm..."
Eliyah was relaxing at the popular swimming pool of this town. It was in the shape of a circle. Colorful trees from blue to red encircled the whole place as decor.
There was a ten meter diving platform on Eliyah's left. Someone jumped head first but Eliyah didn't even glance at the diver. He stared at the sea in the horizon through the glass fence of the pool.
"Where are you from?" A blue haired man asked him.
"From another world." Eliyah replied.
"Your purple hair makes it believable."
Eliyah chuckled as he closed his eyes.
"Look at your own hair, haha. I did it to match my aura color."
"You're an adventurer?"
"Yeah," Eliyah said as he looked around at the women in this place. All that time on death row made him hungry.
I should dye my hair, he thought. I could easily be identified once the news of the escape reaches here soon.
"I'm gonna dive, you coming?"
"Sure." Eliyah smiled.
Thank God I didn't die that day...