After the battle against the rank III monster, Adam and the knights were already on their way back to the city of Arkam.
Adam had also stopped at the mana stone cave, his father had asked him to visit. They didn't stop to rest; he wanted to get out of that cursed demonic forest as quickly as possible.
Despite the initial losses, the gains had been much greater... although Adam knew that the dead would not be able to enjoy any of it.
First, they had the body of a rank III monster, almost in perfect condition, which could be used for armor, weapons, and more, and could be sold for a great price.
They had also extracted the mana stones, which, in addition to being used to create new mana-powered equipment, increased strength.
And most importantly, the reason Adam had decided to take such a risk: the Mana Dragon Lotus herbs. They had managed to collect more than a hundred, which had not been destroyed during the battle against the monster.
Now, for the moment, his beautiful chapter in the demonic forest was over; he had already gotten what he needed.
Adam let out a long sigh as he looked up at the sky, which was slowly darkening, like the mouth of a wolf.
And he opened his status window to check his progress.
Adam Hall
Novice Knight [EXP: 22/500]
Talent: A
Trait: Fencing (SSS) Hand-to-Hand Combat (D) Tracking (C) Mana Manipulation (B) Magic (SSS)
Strength: 28 +
Stamina: 27 +
Agility: 28 +
Vitality: 30 +
Mana: 65 +
Statistics points: 10
My stats have increased by one... but only in two of them.
Adam fixed his gaze on the EXP. It had only increased by twelve during this brief foray into the forest, and he needed five hundred to move up to the next rank. It seemed too far away.
However, he now knew that killing monsters also earned him EXP and that with quests, it wouldn't take so long.
Putting those thoughts aside, he fixed his gaze on the stat points and decided to use them immediately on Mana.
[+10 Mana]
A notification window appeared; his mana stat began to increase, while his stat points were reduced to zero.
After assigning the points, he began to feel a slight tingling sensation in his body.
However, it did not last long, nor was it as painful as when he had invested forty-nine; it was much milder... he found it strange. He had expected intense pain, but it was not so.
The change, on the other hand, he felt immediately. His mana reserves grew noticeably.
He was even sure that he now had more Mana than most Novice Knights.
Compared to his past life, he was making tremendous progress... Then, a thought crossed his mind.
When I recover from these injuries, I will tell her.
Adam closed his eyes and fell into deep concentration without realizing it. In that state of introspection, with his eyes sealed and his mind focused, he could visualize every corner of his being.
From the complex networks of veins that ran through his anatomy to the constant flow of blood that coursed through them. He could even sense the movement of platelets in his bloodstream.
His inner exploration finally led him to his core, in his heart, where much of his body's manna was stored.
As he contemplated that small reserve of energy, he strained to direct it toward his hand.
The process took seconds, leaving him astonished by the speed and ease with which he had completed the transfer.
Then he began to follow the Mana that flowed through the channels that had formed when he became a Novice Knight. He watched as it moved naturally throughout his body.
Unconsciously, Adam also sensed what was happening outside his body. It was a strange, almost divine feeling, as if his consciousness were expanding beyond its usual limits.
For a moment, he felt as though he could see everything... even truths he wasn't ready to understand.
And then, deep in the forest, his attention was drawn to a presence.
An imposing figure.
Seated on a raised throne, covered in dark fabrics and decorated with details evoking the image of a fallen emperor. The armor was black and worn, and a long, tattered cloak descended the steps like a living shadow.
The head, crowned with a black tiara encrusted with dark gems, was slightly tilted forward.
On the chest...
A rusty sword, deeply embedded.
"...!!"
Adam suddenly opened his eyes, breathing heavily, with cold sweat running down his forehead.
What the hell did he see?
The trembling in his body intensified; it was as if he had seen something he shouldn't have seen.
And then, before him, a notification window appeared.
[You have awakened a new Trait: Mana Perception]
That allowed him to calm down a little.
Was everything he had experienced real? Or just an illusion?
No. Adam knew it. It hadn't been an illusion.
Deep within that Demonic Forest, there was "something." Something that defied all logic... or at least, that was what he believed now.
The memory of that figure remained etched in his mind with disturbing clarity. The throne. The black armor. The rusty sword pierced the chest like eternal punishment. He had sensed no direct hostility... but no benevolence either.
Adam unconsciously tightened his fingers around the reins. A slow, persistent chill ran down his spine.
"Young master..."
The voice of one of the knights snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Are you all right?"
Adam blinked and returned to the present. He nodded briefly.
"Yes. Just... tired."
It wasn't entirely a lie. His body was exhausted, but his mind was even more so. He felt the mana flowing more clearly than before, as if the world were slightly more defined, sharper. He could sense faint currents in the air, residual echoes of creatures that had passed through hours earlier.
They kept going until the edges of the forest started to fade.