Arthur struggled as he tried to swallow the sticky, reddish porridge.
It seemed to be made from a mixture of milk, some kind of meat, and grains in a demonic mix that resulted in the worst thing he had ever eaten in his life. But still, Arthur forced the food down.
His father had put him through an army prep course in his teens, and there he learned to eat even if he didn't like it.
After long minutes of struggling, Arthur swallowed the last spoonful of porridge and let out a relieved and even regretful sigh. "I should have kept some water to clean up that taste," he muttered before putting the bowl in a corner under his bed.
Conrad had already left for a few minutes, and Arthur didn't know when he would be back.
Back in the sudden boredom of solitude, Arthur decided to explore his skills and grabbed the spoon he used to eat; it was made of wood, rustically carved by seemingly unskilled hands.
It wasn't much, but with nothing metallic to test, Arthur could only use this.
Holding the spoon tightly in his right hand, he exclaimed, "Imbue mana!"
…
…
…
Nothing happened and after Arthur's voice ceased, all that remained was an awkward silence caused by a cliché action that was standard in every movie he watched.
Praying no one had heard his gaffe, Arthur decided to make a more serious attempt.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated.
Despite not knowing how to sense and manipulate mana, Artur used his intuition and tried to imagine mana, just as he did in his childhood when he tried to conjure up the powers of anime superheroes.
Only after many minutes did Arthur feel something different flow through his veins, like the heat he had felt when he had received the flask full of red liquid from the masked man, but with much less intensity.
At that moment, he concentrated even harder and tried to guide this energy.
It was a sensation that could only be defined as 'new.' As if Arthur had a new limb in his body, he could guide this energy in the same way that he could simply move his hands.
But it still felt strange. He had to put too much mental effort into it, and his control seemed to be so tenuous that even the slightest lapse of attention could lead to the energy collapsing.
[You have received the profession skill 'Mana Manipulation!']
[Skill: Mana Manipulation
Description: gives the user the ability to manipulate mana with a little bit of concentration.
Type: Profession passive.
Level: 1 (Can be evolved with diligent practice)
Grade: F (can be upgraded)
Effect: Slightly improves the circulation of mana in the user's body]
As mentioned in the skill description, the moment Arthur shifted his focus from the spoon to the notification screen, the mana flow collapsed, and the spoon was thrown out of his hand in a silent explosion.
Although it hurt his hands a little, Arthur couldn't help but smile. If he could master this skill, it could easily become one of his most useful abilities for the future.
In that instant, the mighty metal door opened again, revealing the smiling figure of Conrad. In his hands, he held all of Arthur's equipment.
"How was the food?" Conrad asked, his tone slightly playful.
"As good as dog feces," Arthur retorted in response to the man's jest.
"Hahaha! Indeed... times are tough, and this is all we have," Conrad laughed before setting down Arthur's equipment and walking toward him.
Stopping in front of Arthur, he gazed deeply into his eyes.
"I am the leader of the Blackwing mercenary group. I heard your story and believed you..." Conrad spoke, his tone cold, before extracting a key from his pocket and unlocking the chains that bound Arthur.
As the sound of the chains coming loose and falling to the floor reverberated through the room, Conrad placed his hands on Arthur's shoulders.
"Don't. Betray. Us" he emphasized; each word accompanied by an overwhelming aura that emanated from his body.
Arthur swallowed dryly, feeling this potent pressure, but he didn't yield. It was merely a tiny fraction of what he had experienced upon encountering Hel, far from being comparable to the intensity he sensed from the masked man.
"I won't..." Arthur responded with a slight difficulty.
"Good!" Conrad smiled, handing over Arthur's spatial ring. "Hide it well; my group is not just made up of virtuous individuals."
"Uh... thanks," Arthur hesitated for a few seconds before taking hold of the ring.
"Put on your gear. I'll be waiting for you by the door," Conrad instructed, turning and departing, leaving Arthur alone in the room.
The moment the metal door closed behind him; Conrad was forced to lean against the wall. His legs quivered, and his body almost collapsed as he coughed up large gulps of blood.
"Just a little more... please," Conrad whispered and clenched his fist. The blood on his hands and mouth evaporated as powerful mana filled the air around him.
He had used his power to threaten Arthur, to show him the consequences of betrayal. However, this came at an extremely high cost. The wounds sustained from his fight with the masked man were accumulating all over his body and burned whenever he used his mana.
Finally stabilizing his Aura, Conrad sat down on a small stool next to Arthur's room and patiently waited for him.
It wasn't long before the familiar creak of the mighty metal door reached Conrad's ears as Arthur emerged from the darkness.
His black armor had been cleaned but still bore deep scars from previous battles. As for his long sword, it had been sharpened and polished, completely erasing the dozens of cracks that had run along its edge.
Arthur didn't know what he would find, but he assumed Conrad would introduce him to his mercenary group, so he decided not to put on his helmet.
"All set?" Conrad asked as he stood up.
"Yes," Arthur replied briefly.
When he heard Artur's reply, Conrad nodded and the two of them started walking.
Arthur took advantage of the walk to observe the place he was in.
It appeared to be some sort of underground city. Above the narrow alleyways they walked through, large buildings stood majestically, constructed from black bricks.
in the sky, Crystals illuminated the city below with a faint blue light, giving the place a magical appearance.
Despite its aged and slightly decayed look, Arthur had to admit that this place was beautiful.
"What is the name of this place?" he asked, his eyes carrying a certain sparkle—one he hadn't shown since childhood.
"We don't know," Conrad shook his head. "Our translator was killed by that damn masked brute, and the signs and documents we found were all in an ancient and unknown language."
"Ah... I understand," Arthur replied, his mind raising a new doubt. He had encountered two people in this world, and oddly enough, they both spoke fluent English. He wanted to ask Conrad about the languages in this world but decided against it.
He sensed Conrad's lingering caution and knew that such a question might only raise more suspicion.
"We're here," Conrad said, and the alleys widened into a broad street, revealing a large black building that resembled a town hall.
Without waiting for Arthur's reply, Conrad grasped the handles of the two massive doors that sealed the building and opened them, revealing a spacious hall that, despite its aged furnishings, exuded a sense of luxury.
On the floor, completely built-in purple porcelain tiles were dozens of people. Warriors to be more specific.
They seemed to be using the place as a kind of camp; many sleeping bags were spread out on the ground, next to small campfires that were being used to prepare the same mixture that Conrad had offered Arthur.
Naturally, the loud creak of the doors opening caught the attention of everyone there, who watched the new face that accompanied Conrad with curiosity.
Ignoring everyone's stares, Conrad guided Arthur to a staircase that led to the second floor of the building.
"This is Cosmos and Julian, they're the ones who found you and brought you here." Conrad pointed to a pair of men sitting at the beginning of the staircase.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir..." Julian, a tall man with short green hair and dark eyes, greeted Arthur and prolonged his voice a little longer than he should have on the last word, waiting for Arthur to complete it.
"Arthur" The young man replied, before shaking Julian's hand. " It's nice to meet you as well and thank you for saving my life."
"You're welcome, young man. We're always here to help hahaha" Cosmos, a short, bald, and thin man laughed before also shaking Arthur's hand.
They were cheerful and seemingly pleasant people, or at least Arthur thought so as he noticed the smiling faces of the duo.
He wasn't a fan of extroverts, but he didn't hate them either. It was something he looked at rather neutrally.
"Come on, there are other people I need you to meet." Conrad hurried Arthur along and continued up the stairs.
"Okay." Arthur nodded before following Conrad, a slight touch of anticipation appearing on his face as he wondered who these other people were.