As Lancer walked back to the group, he could hear them in the middle of a lively debate.
"I'm telling you, I'm not carrying that thing," one of the guards grumbled, pointing at the largest manticore.
"We're selling them to the guild. Someone has to do it," Selene countered, crossing her arms.
"Not me!" Lancer said quickly, gesturing to the creature's massive size. "I can barely lift this spear, let alone... that!"
Selene shot him an exasperated look. "Fine. I'll handle it." She stepped forward, rolling up her sleeves.
Lancer, deciding to stay out of her way, approached one of the smaller manticores. As he crouched and touched its rough hide, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Objective complete: Survive your first fight. Skill acquisition in progress.]
He blinked, caught off guard, as the voice continued.
[New skill acquired: Essence Assimilation. This skill, a derivative of Otherworlder's Blessing, enables the user to replicate the abilities of beasts or plants encountered, as well as gain immunity to their harmful effects.]
Lancer couldn't help but grin. "Oh, that's awesome," he whispered, giving the system a mental high five. The possibilities of this new skill swirled in his mind, each more exciting than the last.
But the system wasn't finished.
[Magic capacity increased to match absorbed attributes. Current MAG: 500.]
Lancer's eyes widened as he opened his status screen. Sure enough, the number had jumped significantly. He felt a thrill at the increase but quickly masked his expression as Selene glanced his way.
"What's that smug look for?" she asked, hoisting the manticore over her shoulder with apparent ease.
"Nothing! Just... happy to be alive," he said, waving her off and hiding his excitement.
"Good," she said, adjusting her grip on the beast. "Then make yourself useful and help carry something lighter."
Lancer sighed but complied, still distracted by thoughts of what Essence Assimilation could do.
His bag was already heavy enough with all the stuff crammed inside, but now he had the added problem of carrying it along with the unwieldy spear. He adjusted the strap over his shoulder, grumbling to himself about how ridiculous this was, when the system interrupted his thoughts.
[Suggestion: Utilize mana to create a personal storage space for your belongings. Estimated cost: 300 magic points.]
Lancer perked up at the idea, though the steep cost made him hesitate for a moment. "Do it," he finally said, reasoning that it would be worth it in the long run.
[Skill acquired: Dimensional Stowaway.]
He felt a faint tingle, almost like a static charge, and a new awareness of an empty space somewhere just out of reach. Testing it out, he thought about putting his bag inside this newly created "locker." In an instant, the bag vanished from sight.
Lancer's eyes widened in amazement. "Oh, that's cool," he muttered, still trying to wrap his head around the concept.
Next, he tried the spear. Sure enough, it disappeared just as easily. This was going to make his life so much easier.
Feeling ambitious, Lancer approached one of the manticores and focused on it. However, the system quickly interrupted.
[Storage attempt failed. Insufficient space. Dimensional capacity is currently too small. Storage space will expand with increased magic capacity.]
Lancer sighed but shrugged it off. "Guess I'll have to work on that." He glanced back at the others, who were still busy dealing with the remaining carcasses.
At least he wouldn't have to lug that awkward spear around anymore.
Selene turned to him, one eyebrow raised in suspicion. "Where's your bag? And the spear my father gave you?"
"I have them," Lancer replied casually, trying to sound nonchalant.
Selene crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. "Are you actually dumb or something? I don't see them."
Without a word, Lancer raised his hand and focused. In a blink, the spear materialized in his grip, gleaming as if it had never been touched. He couldn't help but smirk as he watched their reactions. Selene's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and even the guards exchanged curious glances.
"See?" he said, enjoying the moment a little too much.
Selene finally broke the silence, grudgingly admitting, "Okay, that's... kind of impressive." But her tone quickly shifted back to her usual dismissiveness. "You're still weak, though. Don't let it go to your head."
Before Lancer could fire back, she turned on her heel. "We need to get home before nightfall. Let's move."
He sighed, following behind her as the group started their trek back to the village.
That night, Lancer rummaged through his bag, relieved to find everything still there. His various books, a few essentials he had packed, and even his phone were intact. He turned the phone on briefly, though it served little purpose now that he was in another world with no way to charge it. After a moment's thought, he decided to store the bag in his pocket dimension for safekeeping.
As he lay on the bed, staring at the wooden ceiling, his mind wandered. This world was fascinating, but it was also terrifying. If he wanted to survive, he needed to get stronger—much stronger. The memory of those manticores sent a chill down his spine, but it also sparked determination. He decided that, come morning, he would ask Selene to train him. She was tough, and he figured she might be able to help.
The next day, after much begging and pleading on his part, Selene finally agreed to teach him the basics of combat. Her patience was... limited, and her teaching style was harsh, but Lancer didn't complain.
Not surprisingly, he was terrible at it. His form was sloppy, his reflexes slow, and he struggled to handle even the simplest moves. But every time his focus wavered, he thought back to those manticores. The memory of their gleaming fangs and relentless attacks reignited his resolve, and he pushed himself to keep going.
By the time two days had passed, he had only slightly improved, but it was better than nothing. On the second evening, Livia presented him with his newly completed Guild Card.
It was a strange piece of material, smoother than anything he had ever seen, yet durable. The card displayed his name, age, and occupation: Blue Mage.
"This will make your life a lot easier," Livia explained, leaning on the counter. "With this, you'll be able to get into most places without anyone giving you a hard time. Just don't lose it."
Lancer nodded, slipping the card into his pocket.