Chapter 49 - Chapter 48: Physical Enhancement
The third day of the third week of the third month of Wind.
A cold day, with only about three weeks left until New Year's Eve.
Mika was running energetically through the forest.
"Stone Bullet!"
He hammered a Stone Bullet into the head of a Sou-Labi that had leaped at him, then immediately twisted his body away.
(0 o'clock "1", 2 o'clock "1", 9 o'clock "2")
Mika made an immediate judgment and charged straight at the one in front.
As he passed it, he fired a Stone Bullet into a Sou-Labi, then without slowing down, charged at the one at 2 o'clock.
He closed the distance sufficiently, getting close enough that it couldn't dodge, then fired a Stone Bullet into it.
("2" remaining!)
Searching for presences within his mana range, he saw that the two Sou-Labis had split into two groups, but one had come right up beside Mika.
He twisted his body to dodge the mouth of a Sou-Labi opening wide to leap, and fired a Stone Bullet into it.
Mika stabilized his unbalanced body and focused on the remaining one in front of him.
The Sou-Labi leaped low, aiming for Mika's right leg, but Mika lifted his leg to dodge and then stomped down on it.
"Air Cutter."
He sliced off the head of the stomped Sou-Labi and let out a breath. "Phew..."
Six dead Sou-Labis lay scattered around the area.
Mika had unfortunately run into a group of Sou-Labis that were eating.
Perhaps they thought their food was being stolen, or perhaps they weren't full enough, they all attacked Mika at once.
He had turned the tables on them, but fighting six Sou-Labis all at once was undeniably tense.
Mika threw the corpses of three Sou-Labis each outside the forest, collecting the bodies of all six.
"Hmm, hmmmm..."
Arriving at the lake shore, Mika stretched widely and cut off his Physical Enhancement.
Immediately, his body felt heavy.
He twisted and turned his body lightly to shake off the sluggishness.
If not for the Physical Enhancement provided by God's Miracle, fighting six Sou-Labis would have been strictly difficult.
However, since he had grown accustomed to the enhanced physical performance, he was able to defeat them more easily than expected.
"I'm glad I got used to Physical Enhancement... If I were in my normal state, I'd be dead."
Unusually, Mika thanked his own good fortune.
It had been nearly ten days since Mika first manifested Physical Enhancement.
During that time, Mika had continued to think only about how to master this hopeless junk-heap of a God's Miracle.
Following his first magic, his first God's Miracle had manifested on its own.
The despair of that moment is something he cannot forget even now.
He locked himself in his room, thinking it was a recurrence of a nightmare, and held his head in his hands.
Then, he considered why this had happened, pondering the cause.
If Mika were in the Limiter On state, there would have been no problem.
The accident occurred because he had switched to Limiter Off.
So, why does it manifest on its own when set to Limiter Off?
This is related to the specifications, or performance, or characteristics of Mika Noisheim.
Mika noticed that during the incantation, the mana inside him was moving on its own, but first of all, this is not normal.
Normally, one does not notice.
Only because Mika is extremely sensitive to mana was he able to notice.
And Mika felt that this mana, which had started moving on its own, had been "pulled."
Probably, that spell originally had such an effect.
Whether it was due to the spell or some god or other, he did not know.
Normally, nothing happens even then.
Because mana has not been "offered."
If one can retain mana by their own will, unless they intentionally try to "offer" it, it will not be taken away on its own.
That is why everyone does nothing just by chanting such a spell.
Even Mika did nothing without particularly conscious effort while in the Limiter On state.
However, Mika in the Limiter Off state cannot "retain mana" to an extreme degree.
Probably, people who can retain mana by their own will can also control that amount of mana even when "offering" it.
But Mika in the Limiter Off state cannot do such a thing.
No matter how much he resists, the movement to take his mana passes right through due to his specifications.
That is why it is all taken away.
Normally, even if one tries to take 100% of the possessed mana, they can "offer" only 10% by saying, "No, stop here."
Most of all, normally one doesn't even notice the movement to be taken, and it hardly moves at all, so unless one tries to "offer" it themselves, the mana remains retained.
But in Mika's case in the Limiter Off state, even though he was about to lose 100% and resisted, saying, "No, no, I won't give it," he still lost a whopping 100%.
Mika predicted this was the mechanism by which God's Miracle manifested on its own.
Extremely sensitive to mana, extremely easy for mana to move, and extremely unable to retain mana.
It was an accident that happened because of such Mika.
So, how should Mika, who is like this, master God's Miracle?
After all, if his mana is taken away in bulk, he will faint from mana deficiency.
With this, he cannot even test it properly.
Mika solved this with Absorb.
If he is robbed and becomes mana deficient, he should recover the missing amount.
It is simple, or rather, quite a brute-force method.
Before manifesting Physical Enhancement, he first activates Absorb.
Then he manifests Physical Enhancement.
For a moment, his mana becomes almost empty, but since Absorb is moving at full power, his mana recovers immediately.
If his mana recovers beyond the limit line before fainting, he won't faint.
That is how it is.
He doesn't think it's too forceful, even by his own standards, but he couldn't think of any other method.
There was only one concern in trying this.
That was, "What if what is recovered is also taken away...?"
But this was a needless worry.
It seems that the portion taken first is the "mana required at activation," and afterwards, it is only the portion of "mana consumed constantly."
Since the "mana consumed constantly" can be controlled by one's own will, if he controls it to the minimum, he can fully recover his mana in no time.
This made the use of Physical Enhancement possible, but two problems remain.
1. Since the mana becomes empty, for a moment he feels a very heartburn-like, disgusting sensation. It goes away quickly, but for this, he must either get used to it or endure it.
2. This is a significant problem, but the "mana required at activation" is in a forced all-in state, so the basic output is extremely high. The basic state is full throttle. It feels like controlling the speed by adjusting the clutch = "mana consumed constantly," which is currently Mika's Physical Enhancement.
It is too peaky and makes his head feel like it might go crazy, but the benefits he can receive are quite large.
Leg strength, stamina, and explosive power all skyrocket.
It is unimaginable not to use this in battles with magic beasts.
Thus, after several days of endlessly getting used to controlling the "output," today was the actual combat deployment.
He was surprised to end up in a battle with six Sou-Labis immediately, but what surprised him even more was the usefulness of Physical Enhancement in actual combat.
The stability in combat was on a completely different level.
"I didn't think I could use it this much."
Mika glanced at the dead Sou-Labi placed a little distance away.
The six Sou-Labi were hanging by ropes on two sticks.
Including the sticks, the total weight would be close to 80 kilograms.
In the past, he absolutely could not have lifted it.
But if Mika had boosted his "strength" about three times with Physical Enhancement, he could carry it.
It is by no means easy, though.
Naporo said that there is a limit to raising abilities with Physical Enhancement.
It is not that the effects obtained have a limit, but that the body itself has a limit.
If raised endlessly, eventually the "enhanced durability" itself will surely be exceeded somewhere.
Normally, obtaining such enhancement would deplete mana in an instant, but Mika is not subject to this.
The basic output is almost full open, and the consumed mana can be kept recovering.
If he wanted to, he could probably do 10 times or 20 times.
He certainly wouldn't think of trying it, though.
Therefore, Mika is trying to keep the "mana consumed constantly" to the minimum, making the output smaller, that is, suppressing the enhancement ratio.
For now, the lower limit he can control is a 2 to 3 times enhancement.
A lower limit of 2 to 3 times? That's way too big, you idiot! He wants to mutter curses.
Various abilities are too peaky, to the point where he amazes himself, but he has no choice but to play the hand he was dealt.
If mastered, this Physical Enhancement can become Mika's second trump card, a Joker.
It holds that much power.
By the way, he failed to suppress the "output" and broke his fingers and arm about three times in the last few days.
He healed them immediately with Heal magic, though.
(These bones are surprisingly fragile...)
Is it a lack of calcium?
Can you understand how difficult controlling this God's Miracle is?
Yunressa was staring at the paper she held in both hands as if her face would stick to it.
For some reason, her hands were trembling slightly.
"......Six Sou-Labis...?"
It seems she is looking at the evaluation results Mika brought today.
"Yes, that is correct. How much did it come to? I'd be happy if it exceeds twenty thousand Rats."
Mika answered with a smile.
Yunressa raised her face with a demon-like expression in an instant.
"Hey, Mika-kun!"
"Eh!?"
Mika shrank his body in a startle.
"They are magic beasts, you know!? You faced six of them! It's not something that ends with a major injury!?"
Yunressa scolded him, gesturing wildly and slamming the counter.
"Even if you say that, whether we encounter them or not is a matter of luck. If we do encounter them, there is only fighting or running away. Running away is not easy either, so it's better to defeat them..."
When Mika said that, Yunressa made a twisted face, let out a big sigh, "Haa...", and held her head.
Seeing Yunressa like that, Mika also felt like letting out a sigh.
Honestly, he didn't think she wasn't a bit annoying.
But he shouldn't think of it as troublesome or a nuisance.
It is normal to think, "It's dangerous. You'd better stop," when a child plays at being an adventurer.
Children who encounter magic beasts and think, "Alright, let's defeat them. How should we defeat them?" are the ones who are strange.
It is Mika who is abnormal.
He must not forget that.
He must cherish the people who worry about Mika.
He must not forget that it is precisely because such people exist that Mika exists now.
He must never think that "now" exists only by his own power.
He must not be arrogant.
"......Yunressa-san."
When Mika called out, Yunressa slowly raised her face.
Yunressa had a somewhat sulky expression.
This person truly worries about Mika.
He must be grateful for that.
"I'm sorry for worrying you. And thank you for worrying about me. But I will just do my best to do what I can."
"Mika-kun..."
Mika conveyed his thoughts directly and straight.
Yunressa showed an expression as if she was enduring pain for a moment, then let out a light sigh as if giving up.
Yunressa made a slightly stiff smile.
"Really, you're hopeless... But, please be careful, okay? I'm asking you, please?"
"Yes."
When Mika nodded with a serious face, Yunressa patted her own cheeks.
Okay, she gathered her spirits and reached for the evaluation paper.
"Um... the evaluation amount this time is twenty-two thousand seven hundred Rats. Is it okay to pool it into the card as usual?"
Mika nodded and handed his Guild Card to Yunressa.
Yunressa took the card and did something on top of the counter.
It is usual, but since Mika cannot see the top of the counter, he does not know what she is doing.
"Yes, thank you. Your balance is seventy-six thousand eight hundred thirty Rats."
Yunressa told him the balance.
It seems he will soon exceed one hundred thousand Rats.
Mika is currently thinking of buying a steel knife.
He has finished gathering a leather chest guard, gauntlets, and boots, and is now thinking about what to buy next.
Iron chest guards and gauntlets are extremely expensive.
They all exceed one hundred thousand Rats.
He thinks safety cannot be traded, but Mika has another risk.
The risk of growth.
No matter how expensive the equipment is, it is meaningless if he cannot wear it.
His height does not grow easily, but he is still growing.
The leather gauntlets he bought first are still usable, but their size will not fit him eventually.
The same goes for the leather chest guard and boots.
Considering this, he thought it was not a good strategy to prepare expensive equipment now.
If it is a knife, he can buy a standard size of a ready-made one, and if he gets used to that size even if it is a little large, he can use it for a long time.
Or, a knife of a slightly small size would be fine.
He thought he could use it much longer than equipment that must be worn on his body.
The target steel knife costs one hundred thousand Rats. One gold coin.
The knife he first saw for thirty thousand Rats seems to be made of iron and is not a very good knife for a knife.
Well, it is the cheapest knife.
When Mika went to the store to reconsider buying a knife, there were adventurers talking about such things.
One seemed to be a beginner, and a senior adventurer was explaining such things, which Mika overheard.
Mika left the store with a feigned ignorance and quietly removed it from his candidates.
(I can probably buy it by next month. It's not essential for now, but going to the forest all the time...)
Mika had gone to the forest considering battles with Sou-Labis, but he also thought it might be time to graduate from the forest.
There are other things with high purchase prices for gathering, and he should experience battles with other magic beasts soon.
The main magic beasts in the forest are Sou-Labis, and occasionally Koot Vipers, but Koot Vipers are currently hibernating.
There are not many other magic beasts, so he thinks he should consider the next gathering place soon.
Before deciding on the next gathering place, he would like to have at least a knife as part of a full set of equipment if possible.
(The biggest factor is that movement became easier with Physical Enhancement.)
It can be used for both movement and combat.
He really thinks Physical Enhancement is convenient.
Mika, who had received his Guild Card back from Yunressa, left the Guild.
■■■■■■
The sixth day of the fifth week of the third month of Wind.
Simply put, it is New Year's Eve.
Even on such a day, the academy is open, and after morning lectures, today was also Rimliche's special training in the forest.
At first, he encountered Rimliche crying, and for some reason, special training here became the plan, but it is already a known fact.
There is no meaning in doing it in the forest.
Yet, for some reason, special training in the forest continues.
Honestly, he thinks the dormitory or school building would be fine, but Rimliche seems to not want to be seen by others.
He understands that Rimliche, who has been greatly surpassed by other children in mana control, does not want to do it in places where people can see, so Mika goes along with it.
Even though it is extremely cold.
He arrived at the forest at the usual time, but Rimliche was not in the usual place.
Thinking so, he saw her squatting a little distance away, doing something.
"What are you doing?" Mika peeked from behind, and Rimliche was fiddling with some weeds.
"What's wrong, Rimliche?"
"Wah!?"
When Mika called out, Rimliche was startled as if she was about to jump.
"Sorry, sorry, I called out suddenly. I thought something was wrong since you weren't in your usual place."
"U-um, it's fine. You came too early. I was playing."
Saying that, Rimliche showed the weeds in her hand.
"Playing?"
Mika looked at Rimliche's hand, but to anyone's eyes, it was just weeds.
It was fresh, green grass.
Even on this New Year's Eve where the temperature had plummeted.
"This grass has strong vitality, so it doesn't wither even in winter. It's said to be a medicinal herb... grass that can be used as medicine material."
"Oh..."
Mika stared closely at the grass in Rimliche's hand.
From any angle, it looked like just ordinary grass that could be found anywhere.
"It grows everywhere, so it's not very valued."
Indeed, it looked like grass found everywhere.
He thought he had seen it in Rish Village too.
He didn't remember well, though.
"Watch."
Rimliche said that and made Mika squat down.
The ground was covered with fallen leaves, and from the gaps, a single stem of grass cut in the middle stood straight up.
Probably the main part of the grass in Rimliche's hand.
Rimliche attached the grass in her hand to the cut part of the grass growing from the ground.
Then, she just stood still.
(......Hmm?)
For some reason, he felt a sense of deja vu.
Had he seen such a scene before?
Rimliche stood still for about a minute, then gently let go of the grass she was pinching.
The grass did not break or fall; it was attached.
"See? It's amazing. Because it has strong vitality, it sticks together in an instant."
Rimliche smiled proudly, but seeing that scene, Mika could not stop the cold sweat.
(......Could this grass be that grass from that time?)
Mika had a memory of exactly the same scene.
The grass he used to try if he could heal with mana when he burned his right hand.
(That grass stuck together because of the original grass's healing power? Could it be... I had nothing to do with my mana?)
Mika had mistakenly thought the grass sticking together was due to the effect of his mana and proceeded with the human experiment of healing the burn.
"......Mika-kun?"
Rimliche tilted her head and called out to the frozen Mika.
"U-um, it's nothing. It's an amazing grass..."
"Yes."
At the end of the year, he had dug up his past terrible "mistake."
(I should be moderate with reckless acts, yeah. ......This year.)
Even so, Mika was still not learning his lesson.