Chapter 51
A person in a robe was surrounded by two or three burly n, engaged in conversation.
“So, you’re saying if I keep my mouth shut and pay you 40% of the profits each ti, you’ll release the hostages unhard?”
“That’s right. Think of it as extra protection money. Judging by the Magic Tower folks’ reactions, things are gonna get busy around here. Big deals require big investnts, especially in a place like this.”
“In other words, I have to fork over 40% of the profits every ti to keep you from causing trouble.”
“Depends on how you look at it. But I won’t deny it. So, partner, how about it? Let’s help each other out~”
“I heard the night market operator already pays protection money to your boss. If I just snitch to him about this, I wouldn’t have to pay, right?”
At the ntion of snitching to the boss, the thug’s expression changed completely.
“Phew… So, negotiations are off? You keep forgetting who’s holding your employees.”
“…It’s not off yet. How about 35%?”
Whoosh!
A small spark burst in the sky, and Luca’s lips curled into a smile.
It seed Sigrin’s group had escaped safely.
“No, on second thought, extra protection money sounds ridiculous. Do whatever you want with the hostages.”
“You okay with selling them to the slave caravan?”
Luca’s brow twitched.
I want to kill this guy.
“Oh, sure! Use that to cover your protection money or whatever.”
“Hold on, where are you rushing off to?!”
Luca turned and bolted from the spot.
His running was remarkably fast, and he quickly disappeared from sight.
Luca fled the scene, heading toward the eting point with Sigrin.
✦ ✦ ✦
Sigrin’s plan had succeeded.
Luca, back at the library, looked at Sigrin, Bilha, and Apple, letting out a sigh of relief.
Everyone seed unhard.
Luca frowned as he noticed Apple, who looked utterly defeated.
“Hey, you… Where the hell is your head at…?”
His voice dripped with nace.
Just then, Luca’s eyes t Sigrin’s.
She shook her head, and Luca, understanding the signal, sighed.
“So, did you buy that Temporary Core Generator properly?”
“…Huh? How did you…?”
“It’s obvious.”
Contrary to Apple’s expectation of scorn, Luca spoke warmly.
That only made Apple feel even more like dying.
Apple pulled several small devices from her pocket. Just in case, she’d spent her entire savings to buy about ten of them.
“Since you bought them, let’s test them out. This damn thing needs to end soon. A no-core like you can’t even protect yourself properly.”
“Now?”
“Yeah, now. The sooner we finish, the sooner you can decide your path and talk to the professor to change your classes.”
“Now that’s a productive conversation.”
Sigrin smiled with satisfaction.
“I’ll help too, so go ahead and use the device.”
Sigrin tossed a Physical Enhancent Potion to Apple.
“…Ugh.”
Hesitating, Apple’s eyes welled up with tears again. She felt so sorry for everyone who’d risked themselves…
And so grateful.
Composing herself, Apple exhaled heavily and gripped the potion bottle.
Gulp, gulp!
After drinking the Physical Enhancent Potion, Apple lifted her shirt and attached the device above her dantian. Then, she channeled Ether into the device.
“…Is it working?”
“Oh, it’s working well. This is really fascinating.”
Sigrin, observing Apple’s dantian with the Eye of Ether, let out an exclamation of awe.
Normally, Ether sent to the dantian would scatter, but thanks to the device, it was being forcibly gathered there.
However, instead of swirling in a circular motion as it should, the Ether seed to be trying to escape the device, flowing outward.
“Ugh…”
Apple’s face contorted in pain, as if the process was straining her body.
I was going to help her grow a core, but at this rate, the device might just break.
Sigrin wrapped Chemforce around her fingertips.
Then, she stirred the Ether to flow in a circular pattern.
“Young lady… What did you do? It’s so much easier to breathe now.”
“Don’t mind , just keep doing what you were doing.”
“…Okay.”
Apple steadied her breathing and focused on gathering Ether in her dantian.
But there was a limit— the Ether wouldn’t coalesce properly; it just swirled around the dantian and dissipated.
In other words, it wasn’t easily converting from Ether to Ki.
“Try using a Dantian Core ability, like Physical Enhancent.”
“…Okay.”
Nodding, Apple attempted to strengthen her arm.
Normally, the ‘Ki’ from the dantian would linger in her arm to make it stronger, but all that ca from her dantian was Ether.
“…It’s not working, but it has to.”
“You’ve still got nine more devices. Let’s keep going until a core forms in your dantian.”
Nodding in agreent with Sigrin, Luca tossed Apple a wooden sword.
“I’ll spar with you, so swing your sword with the device on. You never know— in a tense situation, you might be able to tap into the dantian’s power.”
“That’s true. Thanks, Luca.”
“Yawn…”
“Sniff… Thank you, everyone… so much.”
Apple had no idea.
She didn’t know Luca would push her to the brink of death.
✦ ✦ ✦
“L-Luca… Can I… just rest for ten minutes before picking up the sword again?”
“Two minutes is enough to catch your breath.”
“…Okay.”
For days now, Luca had been relentlessly driving Apple like a mouse caught in a trap.
In the na of discipline, he worked her to the bone.
[“You got kidnapped because you went all the way to Zone F to buy that device when you could’ve just grabbed a snack nearby?”]
[“Luca, if you rescue Apple, don’t scold her too harshly, no matter what.”]
[“Why not? Her path is clear as day. She should just take it. If she’d contracted even one weak spirit, she could’ve escaped on her own by now.”]
[“Are you going to take responsibility for Apple, Luca?”]
[“…Huh?”]
[“Even if soone chooses the right path, if it leaves them with lifelong regrets, it wasn’t the right path for them. Let her try everything to her heart’s content.”]
Luca had agreed with those words.
People aren’t always rational beings, after all.
While watching Apple’s swordsmanship, Luca began to understand why she was so fixated on the Dantian Core.
Her small hands were calloused and rough, evidence of her effort, and her swordsmanship carried a seasoned finesse.
At first, he thought she was full of openings due to fear, but as her confidence grew, her true skill shone through.
“Hah!”
Clang!
Luca dodged Apple’s attack by a single step.
She’s thinking at least two moves ahead.
As a no-core, her speed was slower than Luca’s, but he could see she was moving with pre-calculated attacks and patterns in her head.
He’d heard she spent her entire middle school years alone in the training grounds, gripping a sword, and her efforts clearly hadn’t gone to waste.
It’s a sha she can’t infuse Ki into her weapon.
Even with the Temporary Core, all she could manage was Physical Enhancent, and even that wasn’t very effective.
Luca clicked his tongue.
She could’ve been an exceptional swordsman.
Apple trained her hardest, using up all ten devices she’d bought with her entire savings.
And the result…
“Still… nothing.”
“….”
“….”
Effort doesn’t always yield results.
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