After some time, I ask Sophia to tell me more about herself and her abilities. To my surprise, it turns out this woman is a true jack of all trades. She isn’t just a mage; she’s also a potion crafter, a spirit user, and an enchanter. While I have a decent idea of what mages and potion crafters do, the concept of an enchanter intrigues me.

“What exactly is an enchanter?” I ask, curious.

Sophia tilts her head, considering how to explain it. “Ah… I don’t know if this will make sense to you, but it’s essentially the art of imbuing magical properties into objects. For example, you can make a sword sharper by writing the ‘Sharpness’ enchantment onto it.”

As she speaks, her tone grows more animated, and she delves deeper into the intricacies of enchantment. She describes how enchantments can significantly enhance an item’s abilities, such as increasing its durability, strength, or even imbuing it with elemental powers. However, the process is far from simple. Enchanting requires specialized magical ink, intricate knowledge of the language of gods, and a precise understanding of the item being enchanted.

While I try to follow her explanation, the sheer complexity of the process leaves my head spinning. It’s fascinating but overwhelming. I realize that I’ll need to witness the process firsthand to fully grasp it.

As our conversation continues, Sophia suddenly shifts gears. “But, Master,” she says, her voice tinged with curiosity, “is your blood talent really Common Rank? I find that hard to believe. Carrying that girl while running at full speed for hours—your physical abilities—they’re unbelievable!”

“Haha, thank you,” I laugh. “However, the Grand Mage said that my talent is only at that rank, and I don’t have any elemental affinity either. You think she was wrong?”

“Well, I do not doubt her judgment, since she must have used a high-grade artifact to measure your talent rank. But, normally, Common Rank people cannot reach your level of physical capabilities. Your insane strength, ridiculous speed, and endless stamina… it’s like you are an Elite Warrior!”

“Elite Warrior?” I repeat, the unfamiliar term sparking my interest.

“Yes,” she says, nodding. “That’s also the rank of the two royal knights you killed.”

Her revelation takes me by surprise. My curiosity piqued, I press her for more details. She explains that aside from blood talent ranks, this world has two additional systems for measuring individuals’ abilities: one for magical prowess and another for physical strength.

“The one I mentioned earlier,” Sophia clarifies, “is the ranking for physical prowess.”

I lean in, intrigued, as she begins to outline the hierarchy:

Beginner Warrior: Can punch through brick walls easily and knock down small trees, capable of winning against an adult bear.

Master Warrior: Able to shatter boulders with a single punch and outrun a galloping horse over short distances. Their strength and speed are enough to take down multiple armed opponents effortlessly.

Elite Warrior: Can break through reinforced stone walls with their punches and move fast enough to dodge arrows at close range. Their stamina allows them to fight for extended periods without tiring.

Champion: Capable of pulverizing iron with their fists and moving with such swiftness that they appear as a blur to the naked eye. They can engage in prolonged battles against numerous elite opponents without breaking a sweat.

Destroyer: Their punches can create craters in the ground, and their speed can sometimes break the sound barrier. They possess immense endurance, able to fight for days without rest, and can take on entire armies single-handedly.

War Saint: Can obliterate entire sections of a castle with a single punch and move with such speed that they appear to teleport. Their resilience allows them to withstand attacks that would annihilate lesser beings, and they can sustain high-intensity combat for weeks on end.

War God: The impact force from a punch can smash a mountain to bits. They can move at speeds that are several times the speed of sound, and their stamina is virtually limitless, allowing them to fight for months without fatigue. Their very presence on the battlefield can turn the tide of wars.

——————————

This is quite eye-opening. If Sophia’s words hold true, even the lowest-ranking warriors in this world would be considered elite athletes back on Earth. As for the higher ranks? They’re utterly absurd.

“And beyond that, is there any other rank stronger than War God?”

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Sophia hesitates, her gaze drifting as if recalling something. “Ah… well… I’ve read about such ranks in ancient texts,” she finally says. “There are rumors of levels far beyond War God, but… people doubt their existence. After all, within all the kingdoms here, War God is considered the absolute limit for humans.”

“Hmm… I see.”

It’s humbling to realize just how lucky I’ve been so far. Catching those knights off guard was the only reason I managed to kill them. Without the element of surprise, I doubt I could have even injured them. Still, the idea that my personal strength is comparable to that of an Elite Warrior surprises me. Not bad, I guess. But the real challenge lies ahead—getting stronger. And that might be a problem.

“So, if you don’t mind, may I use a simple spell to measure your actual magical power? While I’m not as knowledgeable and powerful as Seraphina, I refuse to believe that you’re just Common Rank. There must be some mistake here.” Sophia suddenly suggests.

“Oh, sure,” I reply casually. “Go ahead.”

A few moments pass as she focuses on her spell.

“Wha—!? It—it’s true! You… you don’t have any mana!” Sophia suddenly exclaims, her voice rising with disbelief. “Unbelievable… To think that you’re this strong without absorbing any mana at all…” she murmurs, her eyes wide as she continues to stare at me.

Her reaction is almost amusing, her astonished expression a stark contrast to her usual composure.

Her words just now confirm what I already suspected: my strength comes purely from relentless physical training and advanced body enhancements using Earth’s technology. But therein lies the problem—my body is already at its peak. I’ve pushed human potential as far as it can go.

I want to get stronger, but without mana, I’m stuck.

“So, is there any way for someone with a Common Rank talent like me to start using mana?” I ask.

Sophia furrows her brow, deep in thought. “Hmmm… that’s supposed to be impossible,” she admits hesitantly. “But now, seeing you, perhaps there’s something out there. If I have the chance, I can look for information in the Grand Library. Maybe there’s a forgotten method we can uncover…”

“I see,” I reply, my mind already turning to other matters. There’s no point dwelling on this now—it’s something to revisit once we have access to better resources.

Shifting gears, I focus on what’s been troubling me most. “By the way, Sophia, have you ever come across a summoned individual who looks like me? A young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her name is Anna.”

Sophia shakes her head, her expression apologetic. “No… I haven’t seen anyone like that in Valeria…”

Her answer stings more than I’d like to admit, but it’s fine.

Deep down, I knew it was a long shot. If Anna isn’t here, it only means I need to broaden my search. Somewhere in this world, there must be a record of summoned individuals—a database or a list I can access. Until then, I’ll just have to keep looking.

For now, we turn our attention to immediate concerns: planning our next steps. Sophia looks utterly exhausted, her movements sluggish and her voice faint.

“You look like you’re about to collapse,” I say, nodding toward the bed where Yumi is peacefully sleeping. “Why don’t you rest there with her?”

Sophia hesitates, her eyes widening slightly. “But… I’m a slave. Is that really okay?”

Her tone carries both surprise and confusion, as if she can’t quite comprehend the kindness I’m offering. The weight of our master-slave relationship clearly still weighs heavily on her mind.

“Yes, it’s fine,” I assure her gently. “Sleep here, so I can keep an eye on both of you.”

The bed Yumi is sleeping on is fairly large—large enough to comfortably fit two people. It’s also the cleanest and most comfortable one we’ve found in this underground hideout.

“But then… where will you sleep?” Sophia asks, her voice hesitant, her gaze flickering with uncertainty.

“On the floor, of course. I’ll pull a mattress from another room,” I reply casually.

“Huh?” Her eyes widen in disbelief. “Are you sure about this? Is this… a test or something?”

“What? Do I look like I’m testing you?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

We lock eyes for a moment.

For a second, she seems uncertain, her expression caught between suspicion and confusion, as though she’s bracing for some hidden motive to reveal itself. But after a few seconds, she exhales softly and nods, murmuring her thanks. With a sigh, she carefully settles onto the bed beside Yumi.

“Just so you know,” I say after a moment, “I don’t plan on keeping you as my slave forever.”

“Heh?” Sophia suddenly bolts upright, her expression a mixture of alarm and confusion.“What do you mean?! Y-you… will discard me? But I’m useful! I can do anything! Please! Dont —”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” I interject quickly, cutting her off. “I mean, I’ll give you back your freedom once we’re out of this mess. So don’t worry too much, okay?”

Hearing that, Sophia freezes. For a moment, she simply stares at me, her lips parting slightly as though she’s struggling to process my words.

“You’re saying… you’ll release me?” she whispers, her voice trembling. “Why?”

“What? You have a problem with that?”

“N-no!” she stammers. “But… I’m just surprised. You’re very kind… master… In this world, you know, as soon as you become a slave, you cannot be treated as human anymore…” her voice trails off

“Ha,” I chuckle softly, leaning back against the wall. “As long as you’re with me, there’s no need to think like that.”

After all, while I pride myself on being a cold and calculated individual when necessary, I’m not heartless. I too have a conscience. In my mind, no one deserves to be a slave. As long as someone is human, they deserve basic dignity and rights.

If it weren’t for the risks associated with releasing Sophia right now, I’d have done it already.

“Thank you…” Sophia murmurs.

And eventually, her exhaustion overtakes her, and she settles down beside Yumi. Within moments, her breathing evens out.

Meanwhile, I open my backpack, taking out a bunch of pills—sleeping drugs. They are the same ones I gave Yumi earlier today, but the real reason I carry them is for myself. Insomnia has been hitting me hard, especially in the past few days as I prepared for this trip to another world. Without a dose enough to knock an elephant down, I simply can’t sleep.

Pop.

I open my water bottle, drink some water, and swallow the pills.

As I close my eyes, memories flood back to my childhood. I remember purchasing a Snow White storybook for Anna, and for the subsequent five months, I became the protective dwarf to my little sister princess.

Those were simpler times…

But the memory clings to me like a soft light in the darkness.