Chapter 143 — Artifacts Are Amazing

1

Humans possess a fear that stems from uncertainty.

There’s a common saying that reflects this:

“I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m at a loss.”

It’s the fear of not knowing what to do, which direction to take, or how to handle the situation at hand.

Such emotions are deeper and darker than one might think, causing people to shrink back into the shadows.

Those who hide away in the darkness without taking any action often face the worst outcomes.

Manus had seen countless people like that, and he, too, had lived such a life.

“Don’t hold back your mana! Pour everything you have!”

Just as they passed through the stairs, roots began to grow, blocking their escape.

It was a mechanism designed to trap them.

As Manus punched forward, the roots twisted and crumpled.

The roots, which were tightly wedged in the narrow space, didn’t break easily.

“What are you waiting for? Start blasting it.”

“O-oh, yes, right away!”

Nia chided them, prompting the group to unleash their attacks on the roots.

Meanwhile, the group directly facing the boss decided to unleash all their power without hesitation.

The Wanderer’s desperation pattern—a mass destruction attack.

They had three turns.

Within that time, they had to pound the boss relentlessly and take its life, or they would be wiped out.

This was one of the most frustrating mechanics in the game, designed to force players to reach a certain level.

It required players to level up as much as possible before daring to challenge it, making it one of the few drawbacks that many players complained about.

‘I have to do this… I’m the one who has to do it.’

Kael closed her eyes.

Her dormant power awakened.

Her eyes turned crimson, and she could sense the flow of mana around her.

Roar—!

Alano and Melanie’s attacks.

The shockwaves from their strikes filled her mind with the entire scene.

‘Can I do it too?’

She reached out and gathered the scattered mana.

The fiercely swirling mana danced in the air, following her will.

After calming the mana, she used it to create a new spell.

[Double Spread]

[Parum] — [Ignio]

[Sanctifico]

An angel descended.

But it wasn’t the pure, white angel that Manus usually summoned.

It was a battle angel, clad in armor.

The angel, summoned for war, held a long flaming spear.

The radiant white flames shone as brightly as the sun.

Kael didn’t release the spell; she held it back.

“Ugh—.”

It wasn’t easy to restrain an angel eager to charge into battle.

On top of that, casting another spell?

To cast a new spell while holding an already completed one was as difficult as double casting.

Kael’s extraordinary talent allowed her to pull off this high-level maneuver.

Of course, it came with a price.

The food she had eaten today started to rise back up, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

But she gritted her teeth and completed the spell.

[Altus]

The light of the pure mana infused into the angel’s shoulders.

The empowered angel ignored its master’s will, charging forward and driving its holy spear into the Wanderer.

Boom—!

The flames were so intense they melted the ice magic that Anais had set up.

The Wanderer couldn’t even scream as it was roasted alive.

The fire, saturated with mana, wouldn’t extinguish until its target was completely incinerated.

“Phew… Ugh—.”

Kael’s knees buckled.

Now that she had tried it once, she knew.

Triple casting was still a far-off dream.

Even the 4th-Class Cadenza was beyond her reach.

How did Manus manage to pull off such feats?

Was it his blessed talent that made it possible?

Or had he worked tirelessly in secret?

She had thought she wasn’t far behind, but the world beyond her well was vast and towering.

“Kael, are you okay?”

“-Yeah, I can manage.”

As the heat and smoke cleared, the group, who had been feeling relieved, opened their eyes wide.

The Wanderer’s main body had nearly been incinerated, but its mask seemed to smirk at them.

With a chilling sense of dread, they looked up to see the unstable sun still hovering in the air.

Even Emerson, who had relaxed, thinking the enemy was dead, was caught off guard.

Crackle, crackle—!

An ominous sound echoed.

It was already too late to cast another spell.

“N-no—”

[Tempesto]

Boom—!

Just before the unstable sun could explode, a fierce gust of wind pierced through the Wanderer’s mask.

The rising sun gradually dissipated.

A magic stone fell, and the Wanderer was completely gone.

The sight of its body transforming into part of the dungeon wall was rather mystifying.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Had they been just a bit slower, they would have all died or been gravely injured.

Footsteps approached.

“Alano, you’re still not quite there yet.”

“-Thanks. You saved us.”

“Pushing that far with just the three of you was honestly impressive.”

It was a rare compliment.

Manus approached Kael and checked her condition.

The result of overusing her mana was quite grim.

The face that had once been full of vitality now looked pale and drained.

Manus took out a mana potion and handed it to her.

Kael quickly drank the potion, and her complexion improved a little.

Melanie, who was also battered, was treated with a recovery spell, restoring her to full health.

“Manus. I think… it’s time we arm ourselves properly.”

“I was about to suggest the same thing.”

The group gathered together and retrieved the spoils.

They found an artifact designed to be worn on the wrist.

An artifact that only reacted within the Erosion Zone.

It was more effective than most armor or robes.

The Chairman referred to it as [Panzer].

It was a word that meant “armor” in German, and it was also used in magical terminology.

“This is an artifact that will replace our armor from now on.”

“That bracelet?”

“Please appraise it.”

Emerson cautiously took the bracelet.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, then opened her mouth in shock.

Why would such an artifact be found in the Tower?

It was something that couldn’t be created with the current magical technology.

She stammered as she explained.

“T-this… it’s incredible. It’s an artifact that operates on mana.”

“How good is it? What does it do? Huh?”

“It reads the essence of mana and alters its effects accordingly. For a swordsman using Aura, it increases defense and magic resistance, and for a mage, it boosts magic power and magic resistance.”

“Wow.”

It was truly an astounding ability.

And that wasn’t the end of it.

The options were just beginning.

“And, there’s more. It has a unique ability to reduce the defensive capabilities of enemies.”

“Wow… this is really amazing.”

“But the mana reaction is different, so it might not work outside of this place.”

Emerson’s appraisal was spot on.

It was a clear demonstration of why the Primary family was such a prestigious household.

With such talents passed down, they could certainly accumulate wealth.

Manus contemplated.

This artifact was powerful enough to be useful until they finished the second area.

Its potency would vary greatly depending on who used it.

But first, they needed to discuss the distribution of the magic stones.

“It’s a shame, Senior. They got the magic stones, so we’ll have to make do with others.”

“Aww—. Well, I guess that can’t be helped.”

Nia gave up without much fuss.

She hadn’t done much, so there was no helping it.

Though she expressed some regret, she didn’t push further.

Seeing her maintain a reasonable boundary, Manus felt a sense of relief.

Conflict wouldn’t be good.

Even small disputes could lead to significant cracks in their journey ahead.

Seeing her step back so cleanly, Manus felt he could still trust her for now.

Emerson handed the bracelet to Manus.

“Senior.”

“Yes?”

Kael spoke up.

She exchanged glances with Melanie.

Melanie seemed to understand immediately, nodding slightly.

Without hesitation, Kael expressed her willingness for Manus to use the artifact.

“Senior, please use it.”

“Me? Wouldn’t it be better for Melanie or you to use it?”

“You’re the leader of our party. I learned that the leader should wear something like this first.”

Where did she learn that?

Alano gave a wry smile.

Such commendable juniors—could it be that enduring life-and-death situations together deepened their bonds?

She accepted the bracelet from Manus without hesitation.

Then, she grabbed Melanie’s arm and gently fastened it onto her wrist.

Before Melanie could react, the bracelet was elegantly secured.

Alano smiled with utmost warmth.

“Thank you for always holding the frontline. This is an order from your leader, so make sure to wear it.”

“…Yes. Thank you, Senior.”

Melanie stared at the bracelet as if mesmerized.

The farming for the artifact, Panzer, was just beginning.

‘I’ll send the others back and let Nia explore a bit more.’

“Um… everyone?”

Trace raised his hand.

He had everyone’s attention, and his uneasy eyes darted around.

“I think something’s coming. Shouldn’t we get out of here quickly?”

“No way…”

“Let’s wrap it up here for today.”

At Manus’s words, everyone nodded in agreement.

Alano’s expression hardened at Trace’s warning.

They had spent too much time here.

Fortunately, the stairs to the 1st floor were right in front of them, so they could descend quickly.

Manus led everyone down to the 1st floor.

Back in the lobby, he checked the remaining time.

Six hours.

Quite a bit of time left.

“I’m going to continue exploring. The rest of you should head back.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes.”

Nia eagerly raised her hand upon hearing that.

“Then let’s take our party up once more. What do you say?”

“I agree.”

Guillermo also raised his hand, expressing his willingness to continue exploring.

They had secured a few magic stones, but it wasn’t enough.

To grow stronger, they needed to invest more time.

These students were still eager to pursue strength.

With the consensus reached, the first years and Alano decided to return quickly.

In exchange for giving up the bracelet, Alano absorbed a large magic stone in its entirety.

For a mage constantly struggling with mana deficiency, magic stones were a precious resource.

“Be careful on your way back. Trace, you should rest in a quiet place today.”

“-Yes.”

Now that they had recognized Trace’s presence, they would be able to acknowledge him in reality as well.

Manus believed this to be true.

If not, Trace would have to remain in the Erosion Zone indefinitely.

“Let’s go. Be careful heading back.”

“Yes.”

“Take care, Seniors.”

“We have Manus, so don’t worry about us.”

The seniors then headed back toward the garden.

Watching them disappear, Melanie suddenly remembered something and turned to Kael.

“Oh, Kael. We’ve got a mission.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Kael nodded.

Opportunities to earn money didn’t come often.

There were many things she needed to prepare for.

Expenses were an inevitable part of it, and Kael needed more funds.

Becoming stronger.

And protecting her companions.

For some reason, it felt like a weight had been added to her shoulders.

【Battle Over】

[Hidden Boss Defeated.]

[Wanderer 3: Eremus]

[Kael, Alano, and Melanie have leveled up.]

[Kael: 46 / Alano: 49 / Melanie: 46]

[Pearson’s condition?]

[Alano has learned an exclusive skill: Ice Boost.]

[Phoenix has leveled up.]

[Phoenix: 23]

–TL Notes–
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