The Fairy of Uriphenia
The last fairy in existence, guarding something known as the Trinket of Destiny.
But in reality, it was just an earring.
The novel barely elaborated on its many abilities, but among them was one I knew all too well: a mana reservoir. It absorbed and stored a massive amount of mana into the earring. The amazing feature, however, was that the mana stored would be converted by the trinket itself into the unique signature of its wearer.
And that was where the problem lay.
The reason no one could instantly refill their mana pool was due to the mana core's need to purify and convert atmospheric mana into the user's signature before transferring it. That process took an agonizingly long time—especially in the heat of battle.
But just imagine for a moment...
What if there was something that stored a vast amount of mana, already converted into your signature? With something like that, you could refill your mana pool instantly. The mana core wouldn't even need to purify it since it had already been refined. The mana would flow through the core as smoothly as water through a stream.
"An hour," I muttered, scanning the area for the object described in the novel. The protagonist had encountered it here, but finding it was proving more difficult than I anticipated.
"Curse it!"
I kicked a branch in frustration and watched it sail through the air.
Then...
"Gruu..."
Damn.
The branch landed right on the head of a sleeping Crenox I hadn't even noticed until now.
It was a tiger-like creature with a mana core embedded in its forehead, blazing red eyes, and fur that literally radiated heat.
Damn it. A Tier 3 mutated beast.
In this world, there are two types of mana beasts: Mutated and Evolved.
Mutated beasts are rampant in this part of the world. These creatures were once incapable of wielding mana—not because they lacked the ability, but like humans, they required a form of awakening. When these beasts awakened, they became mana beasts.
Evolved beasts, on the other hand, were creatures born with the ability to wield mana. They are far more dangerous than their mutated counterparts.
But here's the truth: I'm weak.
I may have sword skills drilled into me since childhood, but at the end of the day, I'm still Level 1. A Level 3 would struggle against a Tier 3 mutated beast, so what chance do I have?
The creature rose to its feet, its gaze locking onto me. It seemed to assess whether I was a threat or a meal. Judging by its next move, it had chosen the latter.
It lunged forward with absurd speed, flames trailing behind it and burning the grass in its wake.
I sighed.
"It's been a while since I used this."
I manifested my old, worn-out sword from my spatial ring and dashed toward the beast. The academy hadn't provided us with weapons yet, but just like in the novel, they'd probably issue them on the first day of combat class.
Swish!
My sword tore through the air as the creature closed the distance. But its next move shocked me—it opened its mouth and aimed to catch the blade.
Realizing its intent, I skidded to a halt and twisted my body to alter the sword's trajectory. Unfortunately, that left me exposed. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late.
The creature's claws sank into my shoulder, and I grimaced in pain. I twisted, swinging my sword again, this time targeting its hind leg. But the moment my blade connected, it turned red-hot.
I leaped back, realizing my sword couldn't withstand the creature's intense heat.
Damn it.
I can't harm it with my sword—it can't endure the heat of this bastard.
But I also can't waste too much time here.
What do I do?
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