novelraw Chapter 122: Unfinished Business
Chapter 122: Unfinished Business
The ground trembled as the hyenas charged forward, their claws tearing into the dirt and kicking up clouds of dust. The divine warriors didn’t notice them until it was too late. The first line of attackers screamed as the enhanced hyenas tore into their formation, shredding through defenses with overwhelming force and speed that defied logic.
“What the hell—?! Where did these hyenas come from?!” one of the ambushers shouted, his voice cracking in panic.
“Aargh! It bit my arm! Damn it!” another cried, clutching his mangled limb as blood splattered across the dirt.
“Forget the prey! Kill these monsters first!” their leader barked, trying to rally his men as the beasts tore through their ranks.
“Hey, why are you attacking me?!” someone yelled, swinging wildly in confusion.
“You struck me first!” came the furious reply, followed by a desperate clash of blades.
“Die, traitor!” Another shout appeared before ending abruptly as a hyena lunged at his throat.
Chaos broke out instantly as the disciplined ambushers turned on one another in confusion, unable to distinguish friend from foe.
Standing from afar, I crossed my arms, satisfied. “Not bad. This pack of enhanced hyenas is far more ferocious than I expected. Can’t leave it to them alone to finish the job, though.”
I crouched low and cast {Gravity Launch}, propelling myself high before dropping straight into the center of the enemy line. As I raised my hand, mana surged through my body until the air around me began to distort. The gravity in the area thickened, pressing down like an invisible weight crushing everything beneath it.
The surviving ambushers were already in chaos, too occupied with fending off the rampaging beasts to notice me descending from the ridge. I could see their leader struggling to rally his forces, barking orders no one followed.
I landed smoothly amid the confusion and smiled faintly. “Your little hunt ends here.”
With a flick of my wrist, I invoked {Gravity Field}. The ground caved beneath the enemy’s feet, pulling them down as if the earth itself wanted to swallow them. Screams echoed through the clearing as the last remnants of their formation collapsed completely. Those caught near the center were pinned flat against the ground, their bones creaking under the crushing pressure.
“Why’s my body so heavy?!” one of them cried, struggling to lift his weapon.
“What, who is that?!” one of the divine warriors that were being hunted shouted in disbelief, staring at his enemies that were in total disarray, and finally at me, who was the perpetrator.
I stepped forward slowly toward their leader, letting the aura of compressed gravity expand outward.
“Y-You!” The man’s eyes widened as he tried to cast a spell, but his arms trembled uselessly under the crushing pressure.
I didn’t kill him. Instead, I focused and activated {Mass Alteration}, multiplying my right leg’s weight severalfold. Then I pressed my boot down on his arm, and a sickening crack appeared.
“Aaargh! It hurts!” he screamed, his voice cracking with pain. “Stop! Do you know who you’re messing with?!”
Ignoring him, I shifted my foot and stepped on his other arm. Another crack echoed across the silent battlefield.
“Stop, stop! I’ll give you anything—just please, stop!” he desperately pleaded, tears welling in the corners of his eyes.
“You chose the wrong prey,” I said coldly, my tone devoid of emotion.
One by one, I moved through the remaining attackers. Those who had survived the hyenas or the chaos I unleashed were dealt with methodically. I didn’t kill them, but I shattered their limbs, ensuring they would never wield a weapon again. Their cries of pain and desperation filled the clearing, mingling with the faint growls of the retreating hyenas.
“Pathetic,” I muttered, brushing the dust from my cloak. “And to think they called themselves divine warriors.”
Turning away, I approached the surviving divine warriors who had been hunted moments earlier. “What you do with them is up to you.”
Their expressions wavered between shock and gratitude as I dismissed {Gravity Field}. The air around us lightened, and I started toward the portal with all the enemies incapacitated.
“Wait, sir!” one of them called out. “Please, tell us your name! We owe you our lives.”
I paused, glancing back. “My name?” I shook my head. “I abandoned it long ago. Just call me Genesis… or the Creator.”
The divine warriors bowed deeply, awe filling their eyes.
“Once you’re done here,” I said as I turned away, “leave this place. The Great Wilderness isn’t meant for the weak.”
Without another word, I disappeared into the portal, leaving them behind.
***
It was already afternoon by the time I finished running several errands after returning to Fantasia.
First things first, I sold the loot obtained from killing the frogmen, along with half of the surplus weapons I had kept from the seventh scenario, since I was short on soul coins after buying Echo Construct. Once that was done, I stopped by the herb shop to purchase several magical plants and rare reagents—ingredients necessary to brew the new elixirs that required condensed mana. Finally, I returned to the inn to begin with my concoction.
Soul Coins: 1,075
Even after haggling for a better deal at the herb store, my savings had dropped lower than they’d been right after acquiring the skill book. It seemed that challenging the next scenario sooner rather than later was inevitable. Perhaps tomorrow would be the right time.
For now, I had another goal to accomplish.
I unpacked the reinforced glass and silver-etched brass alchemy set I had bought long ago, carefully arranging the equipment on my room’s study table. Other than using it once to concoct the Elixir of Harmonic Balance, it had mostly remained untouched. Still, I couldn’t say I regretted buying it. Its craftsmanship was exceptional—precise heat channels, reinforced tubing, and magic-conductive alloys designed to ensure stable reactions. It was the perfect equipment for handling condensed mana.
After cleaning the apparatus, I poured a small amount of the liquid mana I’d collected from the Forgotten Vault into the primary flask. It shimmered faintly, thicker than water yet flowing smoothly as it settled at the bottom. Then I began adding the ingredients one by one—crushed frostleaf, powdered moonroot, and a pinch of golden thistle pollen. Each addition caused the liquid to change color, turning from pale blue to a deep azure glow.
As the mixture stabilized, I adjusted the flame of the alcohol burner beneath the base of the flask, keeping the temperature steady and controlled. A faint hiss filled the room as mana vapors rose and condensed against the reinforced glass.
Minutes passed in silence, broken only by the occasional flick of the stirring rod and the gentle bubbling of gas escaping through the solution.
“Good… It’s stable,” I murmured.
I retrieved a vial and carefully drew a small sample of the vibrant liquid. The mana density was perfectly balanced—neither volatile nor diluted. If everything went according to plan, this would mark the first successful batch of the Elixir of Mana Concentrate—a stronger formula for training than even the Elixir of Harmonic Balance. Among elixirs made with condensed mana, this was one of the simplest to concoct, provided one knew the recipe, proper ratios, and reaction timing.
It didn’t take long for the elixir to be ready.
You have successfully concocted a rare-grade elixir: the Elixir of Mana Concentrate.
Basic Alchemy has leveled up.
Elixir of Mana Concentrate
Grade: Rare
Type: Elixir
A concentrated alchemical mixture infused with stabilized condensed mana. This elixir amplifies the efficiency of training by enhancing mana circulation and nerve synchronization.
Temporarily amplifies stat growth during training, allowing the user to gain up to 175% increased effectiveness in all physical, mental, and magical stats for six hours.It was a success on the first attempt. I quickly sealed the vial and set it aside before preparing the next batch, repeating the process seven more times until the ingredients were completely used up.
Basic Alchemy has leveled up.
I still had about three and a half bottles of condensed mana left, but the other magical plants had run out first. Eight vials of the elixir were more than enough for now, so there was no reason to head out and restock. After cleaning the equipment, I arranged the finished elixirs neatly on the table, admiring them.
“Hrm, if I were to sell this elixir on the market, each one would fetch at least five hundred soul coins,” I mused aloud. “That’s a total of four thousand or more.”
Four thousand soul coins meant at least double my initial investment. And that was the baseline value, without factoring in negotiation. If I played my cards right, I could easily sell them for well over five, six thousand. Still, collecting condensed mana was a troublesome process. If not for the difficulty of acquiring it, I might’ve considered selling these regularly to fund my future ventures.
For now, however, it would serve as a useful backup source of income should I ever run short on soul coins again.
Storing the elixirs carefully into my inventory, I turned my focus to yesterday’s unfinished business. I had only managed to combine one skill before, but now that I’d accumulated more, I intended to attempt a few more skill combinations.
“Let’s see…” I opened my status screen, more specifically, at my skills.
Skill(s): [Assassination Arts Lv.1], [Basic Alchemy Lv.7], [Basic Cryo Magic Lv.6], [Basic Dagger/Knife Mastery Lv.1], [Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv.7], [Basic Neutral Magic Lv.9], [Basic Shield Mastery Lv.8], [Back Stab Lv.4], [Berserk Lv.3], [Calm Mind], [Chantless Casting Lv.3], [Desperate Willpower Lv.8], [Divine Sermon Lv.1], [Echo Construct Lv.2], [Extraordinary Agility], [Extraordinary Endurance], [Extraordinary Fortune], [Extraordinary Magic Power], [Extraordinary Memory], [Extraordinary Power], [Fast Equip], [Heavy Slash Lv.7], [Heavy Stab Lv.6], [Inspect Eye Lv.4], [Intermediate Spearmanship Lv.2], [Intermediate Swordsmanship Lv.4], [Inventory], [Mana Manipulation Lv.7], [Mana Sense Lv.8], [Mental Tolerance Lv.5], [Negotiation Lv.7], [Night Vision], [Pain Tolerance Lv.6], [Phantom Blade Lv.2], [Poison-Paralysis Resistance Lv.3], [Projectile Defense Lv.3], [Predator’s Step Lv.4], [Shield Bash Lv.1], [Stealth Movements Lv.4], [Weapon Manifestation Lv.3], [Wind Rush Lv.6]
First on the list was the combination I’d failed to complete yesterday, which was merging the properties of Phantom Blade with Heavy Slash. The last attempt had collapsed midway due to insufficient plausibility, but this time, I was fully prepared.
Threads of golden code began to form in the air before me as I activated God!$# Creation, twisting and weaving into a radiant circle of light that pulsed gently, almost like a heartbeat.
You have activated God!$# Creation: Conceptual Integration.
Select compatible skills to combine.
You have selected [Heavy Slash Lv.7] as the target while incorporating the essence of [Phantom Blade Lv.2].
Conceptual compatibility at 86%.
Proceed with enhancement?
[Yes/No]
When I selected “[Yes],” the circle of light flared, and the air vibrated as if struck by an unseen hammer. Energy surged through the formation, and the two skill cores twisted together, fusing in a cascade of shimmering sparks. Unlike yesterday—when the fusion collapsed and shattered into fragments of light—this time the process was a success.
It merged before bursting into motes of golden dust. In its place, a new icon appeared before me, shaped like a slashing blade that was fading in and out of existence.
You have successfully incorporated the essence of [Phantom Blade Lv.2] into [Heavy Slash Lv.7].
You have created [Phantom Slash Lv.5].
A total of 201 Plausibility has been consumed.
“Great! A success!” I exclaimed, raising both of my hands triumphantly.