"Death."
The incantation wasn't necessary, but it added flair—something that made it look more like magic. In reality, it was just a technique of wrapping creatures in high-density mana. The monsters clawed at their throats, suffocating, and died.
I had honed other techniques too—like Mana Transfer, the method I developed while helping Karina. I modeled it to seem like a genuine spell, but Death and Mana Transfer were closer to legend than reality. I couldn't openly flaunt Death—it was too dangerous—so I kept Mana Transfer as my more "benevolent" talent. If anyone asked, I'd say I saved a kind adventurer by sharing my mana.
Another skill, Search, was subtle but potent. It allowed me to detect the environment and creatures within a vast radius. Though mundane compared to other spells, mine worked more efficiently than anything the official academies could produce.
The greatest threat to me, however, was running out of mana. Without it, I was just a normal person. To avoid that, I developed a new method: mingling my external mana circulation with the natural mana in the world and absorbing it.
I called it Mana Absorb—my fourth skill. With these four techniques, I was armed and ready. The only risk was discovery—someone could expose my abilities using advanced mana detection. But as long as I relied on Mana Transfer, no one would suspect me.
I journeyed through the dungeon, picking off magic stones from the corpses I left behind. My pockets were filling fast, but these upper-level monsters yielded cheap stones. If I wanted real money, I needed to go deeper.
I navigated carefully, activating Search within a 100-meter radius and constantly absorbing stray mana. I kept Death ready within a 50-meter range—anything that came close perished. Adventurers were easy to avoid with my detection skills, and I exited the dungeon without anyone noticing.
After cashing in my loot, I walked away with more than a gold coin in hand. It was enough to eat well for the first time in forever. No more sneaking food behind the servants' backs—they'd turned a blind eye out of pity, but I wouldn't rely on their kindness any longer. I had survived on scraps, but those days were over.
To celebrate my newfound freedom, I decided to treat myself. I headed for the nearest tavern.
"What's your most expensive steak?" I asked the bartender.
"That'd be the orc steak," he replied.
Orc meat—it wasn't exactly top-tier, but this wasn't a fancy establishment. I wasn't expecting dragon steak or anything.
"Give me that. And bread, too."
As I waited for my food, I eavesdropped on the nearby conversations.
"Did you hear? Some noble brat died in a dungeon."
"Good riddance. Let them rot."
I smirked. With any luck, that noble brat was Plink, but I doubted it. I had heard his group escaping the dungeon after triggering the monster house trap. They had a map with the traps marked—they'd make it out fine.
The rumors continued:
"Apparently, someone killed all the monsters in that room—left no survivors and not a single scratch on them."
"Sounds like suffocation magic."
"Nah, probably water magic. Drown 'em, and they're as good as dead."
Interesting. I could use that story—better to tell people I used water magic than confess the truth about Death.
On my way out of the tavern, Search alerted me to something strange—a figure moving invisibly through the crowd. The magic said someone was there, but my eyes saw nothing. Concealment magic, huh? That's a high-level spell.
I stuck my foot out, tripping the unseen figure. They stumbled to the ground, their invisibility dissolving.
"Assassin!" someone shouted.
The guards were quick, binding the man with anti-magic cuffs. As they dragged him away, I studied the restraints. Anti-magic gear—interesting. I'd need to figure out how to bypass those someday.
But, surprisingly, the assassin reappeared later, free as a bird.
"What do you want?" I asked, wary of his intentions.
The man grinned. "I want to join you. Name's Hyde."
"Join me?"
"You saw through my concealment magic. No one's ever done that before."
"Trade secret," I said with a smirk.
"Fair enough," Hyde replied. "You can call me Phantom if it suits you better."
"Phantom, huh? I like it. So, what are you?"
"Pickpocket, mostly," Phantom admitted, showing me a tattoo on his wrist. "Got this to mark my previous... profession. If they catch me again, they'll take my hand."
I tossed him a gold coin. "Use this to stay out of trouble for now."
Phantom blinked in surprise. "Generous, aren't you?"
"Being stingy doesn't suit me," I replied. "Now keep a low profile."
With Phantom as my new ally, it felt like I finally had something of my own—a step forward.
Returning to the manor, I found the gates locked. The guards saw me and panicked.
"He's back! The ghost boy returns!"
Plink and my father appeared shortly after.
"Plink, I heard you were dead," I said.
"I almost was," he muttered, glaring. "This idiot set off a monster house trap."
Father cleared his throat. "We've sent word to the Kakurdo family."
The Kakurdo family—that was Karina's family.
"They want Karina to marry Plink if you're dead," Father continued. "They see him as the better option."
"And you accepted?" I asked, my voice low.
"I had no choice. Plink refused to reverse the engagement."
So Plink had been after Karina all along.
"Father," I said, clenching my fists. "I've mastered the art of Mana Transfer—a legendary spell."
"Prove it," he demanded.
Reluctantly, I took his hand and funneled mana into him.
After a moment, he nodded. "Your magic is genuine, but it's the magic of a saint. It's not... suitable for a man."
I scoffed. "Whatever."
"In light of this, I'll allow you to enter the magic academy. You'll be a year behind, but we can say you were recovering from an illness."
Magic school wasn't really my goal, but if I wanted to win Karina back, I had to play along. I needed to excel—being an heir wouldn't be enough for her family. I had to become unstoppable.
I wrote a letter to Karina, promising to reclaim her. "Deliver this," I told Phantom.
"At once, boss."
While Phantom left to deliver the message, I focused on refining my abilities. I practiced circulating mana outside my body, blending it with others without physical contact—something not even the saints of old had mastered.
Soon, I'd be ready. I'd rise to the top of the academy, outshine everyone, and take back what was mine. With Death in one hand and Mana Transfer in the other, I was ready to shape my future.
And woe to anyone who stood in my way.