"Whoa! Your armor looks cool! Are you a monster slayer?"
A little boy stared at Max in admiration as he walked in the morning around the small town he stayed in overnight.
"I'm an adventurer."
"Oh! I'd also like to see the world! Slay monsters, save people and find treasure!"
"You better work hard then. And be brave."
"I will!"
The next town was Rinea.
Rinea is a port town settled next to the sea. It is almost at the southernmost point of the entire continent. Only the small island about twenty kilometres in front of it is more south than Rinea.
The squad has already entered the Kingdom of Mareka two days ago.
Max entered back into the restaurant. He passed the time walking around the block until the food was done.
He sat with his friends.
It was an expensive restaurant and there was even a storyteller telling stories.
Everyone listened to the story being told.
"And the valiant prince of Mareka saved Nasna from the monstrosity. He would be crowned and become the current king of our warm and beautiful nation."
"Hail Tranus!"
"Hail Tranus!"
"Enjoy the food boys." Thomas said with a happy voice.
The storyteller started with a new story.
"This story takes place on the island in front of Rinea..."
***
[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."
"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."
"Wow."
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 imbued with aura and reinforcing his friends would weaken him as the main damage dealer.
"Hmmm. Let me try a sword."
He willed the summoning of a sword that looks like Virtonia.
"Hmm. I lost 5% of aura because of just this. Even my aura slashes waste less."
And he keeps losing a percent for every second the aura sword is levitating in place.
Max sent the aura sword at a rock. The aura dispersed once it pierced the rock, leaving behind a hole in the rock.
Even the firing of the sword at the rock wasted 1% of aura. Leaving Max at 90 percent.
"Now let me try piercing with my real sword."
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 Max didn't enhance himself with aura.
"Not bad."
He could do much more than just summon a sword.
***
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.
It slowly recharges and if you run out of it in dangerous combat, that's most likely a death sentence.
It takes hours to fully recharge it if it's nearly fully consumed. Consuming aura potions will help but it simply isn't enough to reduce the preciousness of the resource.
Once a player loses 90% of aura, he gets various symptoms that make him weak and sickly. At this point, a player needs to stop using aura for combat. So that it can be used for his mind and body's well-being.
Going below 1 percent is going to your death.
Every player received a notification from the game system about aura and its importance for your health and life when they first used it.
"It's the twin mountain pillars. We're here." Eliyah said.
"How long did it take us? 15 days?" Thomas asked.
"Something like that." Manuel answered.
"Well, we've still got a dozem 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 had plenty of time to spare before having to find Lovrin.
This is where the squad will stay for at least a week.
Complete rest and relaxation, away from monsters and battles, will follow.