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After the Balehorn incident, the truth about Renn’s heritage was unveiled—she was the last surviving member of the Veledot royal family, effectively dethroning Coby. His downfall was swift, as he was imprisoned within the palace dungeon for his role in creating Balehorn using the royal family’s resources and for orchestrating the assassination of the previous king, his own father.
Though Coby was guilty of many crimes, Renn didn’t place full blame on him. His father had nearly wiped out the royal family, and in a way, Coby’s actions were born of desperation and trauma. While this decision sparked mixed reactions among the people of Veledot, Renn remained firm. She believed the true mastermind behind everything was Theodore, and she vowed to bring him to justice when she found him.
Meanwhile, the Alchemist Corp was intrigued by Balehorn, recognizing its immense potential for study. After the Veledot workshop submitted its findings, the Corp’s headquarters expressed interest in the beast’s body. Since Renn, as the rightful princess of Veledot and the one responsible for Balehorn’s defeat, had the rights to its remains, she was offered a significant sum of money in exchange for its transportation to the headquarters.
Though the money could go a long way in repairing the damage to Veledot’s palace, Renn sought advice from Velle, contacting her through the telecommunication device located on the second floor of the alchemist workshop. Velle, ever the strategist, suggested negotiating for a higher price, a recommendation Renn gladly followed.
However, the aftermath of the battle wasn’t without its challenges. Esperanza, designed as a blunt weapon, was ill-suited for severing Balehorn’s Mana-infused body. Despite the damage Renn’s final attacks had inflicted, the creature was still alive. The thought of using the lightning core to fry its brain crossed her mind, but she ultimately decided against it, unwilling to end its life in such a manner.
In light of Balehorn’s ability to harness its Mana, Velle decided to travel to Veledot herself. She intended to investigate the underground laboratory beneath the palace, hoping to uncover valuable research that could aid her in devising a method to transfer heroes’ Mana into their descendants. Her journey would take several days, leaving Renn to remain in Veledot, assisting with the palace repairs and overseeing Balehorn’s containment in preparation for its transport via mana train.
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Four days later, Velle finally arrived in Veledot. The city had changed since the fall of Coby, with fewer hunters now roaming its streets.
Without Coby’s demand for monster corpses, the underground hunters had moved on to other cities in search of work. Veledot’s hunting grounds had been picked clean of monsters, and with no more shady deals for illegal mana weapons, many hunters shifted to more legitimate means, purchasing licensed, albeit more expensive, mana weapons. These choices allowed them to claim the official bounties for wanted monsters, having saved up enough to invest in proper gear.
Velle’s first stop was the alchemist workshop. Upon entering, she was met by Quin, Willo, and a few other hunters. Introductions were brief once they realized she was a close friend of Renn. The exchange was polite but to the point—Velle’s focus was elsewhere.
After catching up with the group, Velle made her way toward the palace, where Renn, Yufi, and Edward were waiting.
The repairs to the underground arena had been paused at Edward’s insistence, with all efforts being redirected to restoring the palace first. Edward had been weighed down by guilt for his involvement in the death matches, asking Renn for any punishment she deemed fit. But she’d reassured him, urging him not to shoulder too much blame.
“So, this is where you fought it?” Velle asked, surveying the damage around the palace. One side was still partially in ruins, a giant crater marking the ground nearby. Repair crews were busy, moving in and out of the area as they worked to restore the structure.
“Yeah,” Renn answered, standing beside her with Yufi and Edward close by. “It was... intense.”
Velle raised an eyebrow, a trace of curiosity in her normally stoic demeanor. “I would’ve liked to see that beast for myself, but I hear it’s already been shipped off to the headquarters,” she remarked, nonchalant after receiving the details from the workshop earlier.
“It was huge!” Yufi added enthusiastically. “Oh, and I’m Yufi, by the way.”
“Velle,” she replied in her usual reserved manner, her calm expression reminding Yufi of Quin.
Without wasting any time, Velle asked where the laboratory was, and Renn led her through a passageway beneath the palace, down into the remains of the underground facility. As they walked, Renn asked about Mint, to which Velle explained that Mint had stayed behind in Alma to manage her responsibilities, so she couldn’t make the trip.
When they reached the underground laboratory, they found part of the giant hall filled with dirt, likely from where Balehorn had dug its way out. Most of the machines and glass tubes were in ruins, except for one intact tube that sat farthest from the large mound of earth.
“We’ll have to figure out what to do with this place later,” Renn said, her voice echoing in the empty hall as they ventured deeper.
Velle quickened her pace, moving ahead to examine the remaining glass tube and the liquid it contained. She pulled out a device resembling a Mana scanner and began inspecting the contents of the tube.
“I see...” she murmured to herself as she studied the readings on her device.
“Did you find anything?” Renn asked, leaning forward slightly to see.
“This is Mana liquid,” Velle responded over her shoulder. “It’s similar to the water element in mana cores, but here it’s in a much larger volume. Essentially, it’s pure Mana, but in liquid form.”
“Is that so...?” Renn muttered, scratching her head.
Velle continued her assessment. “If we replace the liquid with air, this would basically mimic the process we use to infuse Mana into weapons. Maybe this method is quicker...?”
Although Renn didn’t want to interrupt her friend’s analysis, a question was burning in her mind. “You’re not here just for this, right? I mean, I know getting the heroes’ Mana is important, but Veledot is pretty far from Alma.”
Velle tucked the device back into her pocket. “I plan to stay at Veledot’s workshop for a few days before heading back.”
Then, without missing a beat, she walked past Renn toward the entrance. “I think I’ve figured out how we can transfer the heroes’ Mana into our bodies.”
Renn’s eyes widened in surprise and excitement. “Really?!”
Velle nodded. “Thanks to this experiment here in Veledot, all the doubts I’ve had these past few days have been cleared up. But we’ll need specialized equipment to do it. Veledot’s workshop should have everything we need, since it’s larger than the Alma branch.”
With a new sense of purpose, the two made their way back up to the surface. Renn tasked Edward with overseeing the palace repairs and ensuring Coby remained secure in the dungeon, while she and Velle prepared for their next steps at the alchemist workshop, along with Yufi who wanted to go to the workshop as well.
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After reaching the workshop, Velle began outlining her plan as they made their way up to the second floor, leaving Yufi with the other hunters.
Before coming to Veledot, Velle had been uncertain if transferring the heroes’ Mana into their bodies—similar to how Mana is infused into weapons—would actually grant them the heroes’ abilities. Fortunately, Balehorn’s creation, which involved the infusion of Mana from multiple monsters, confirmed her theory. Since Balehorn was able to manifest fire using the Mana infused into its body, it proved that they too could harness the heroes’ powers through a similar process.
Velle explained how Mana infusion worked: when Mana from two different sources came into contact, the compatibility of their waves determined whether they would fuse. However, it was impossible to achieve a perfect 100% match. If the compatibility was less than 50%, the Mana would not fuse and would repel each other.
This mismatch in Mana created “bad” Mana, which took up space in the vessel but offered no benefits. This bad Mana was also responsible for transforming animals into monsters. When a creature consumed something incompatible and accumulated too much bad Mana, it would undergo a transformation. In Balehorn’s case, the sheer volume of Mana caused it to turn into a massive monster, though it was still able to use the Mana it absorbed.
Based on these findings, Velle believed that transferring the heroes’ Mana into their bodies wouldn’t produce enough bad Mana to cause severe harm. However, some side effects were likely, depending on how compatible their own Mana was with that of their heroic ancestors.
Extracting all of the heroes’ Mana would take far too long due to its immense volume. But Velle had devised a faster method. She knew that highly compatible Mana naturally attract and fuse with each other, accelerating the process. Her plan was to extract only a small portion of the heroes’ Mana and allow their own Mana to draw the rest into their bodies over time, speeding up what would otherwise be a long and tedious process of extraction from the burial site.
“So, the next question is,” Velle began, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “How do we get our bodies to absorb the heroes’ Mana?”
Renn blinked, caught off guard by the question. “I thought you said you already figured it out.”
“I did,” Velle replied with a smirk. “But I want you to take a guess.”
Renn frowned. “I don’t know! Just tell me already.”
Pushing up her glasses, Velle answered, “We use Mana potions.”
“Mana potions?” Renn repeated, confused.
“You’ve noticed how they make you feel like you’re overflowing with Mana, right?” Velle asked.
Renn paused, thinking. “Now that you mention it… yeah, I guess.”
Velle nodded, satisfied. “The truth is, that overwhelming Mana feeling isn’t coming from the potion itself, but from your own Mana.”
“Huh? My Mana?” Renn said, puzzled.
Velle nodded again. “Yes, the Mana potion works by supercharging your own Mana waves. It’s made from extremely condensed Mana—far more concentrated than the liquid we found in the underground lab. Its effect is to temporarily boost your Mana production, causing your body to generate and release Mana at a much faster rate. It creates this cycle where your Mana spills out, then flows back into you, continuously replenishing itself.”
She raised a finger for emphasis. “During this process, if any other Mana—like the heroes’ Mana—gets attracted to your own, it can be absorbed along with it.”
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“Ohhh!” Renn exclaimed, finally grasping the importance of the Mana potion, even though the technical explanation was a bit beyond her.
“I wouldn’t have thought of this if you hadn’t used that second potion and charged it to my salary,” Velle added with a hint of sarcasm. “Lucky for us, since this workshop is located in the capital, we have a decent stock of Mana potions.”
Renn’s face brightened at the possibility of finally obtaining Garland’s Mana, but a sudden thought dampened her excitement.
“But that means... another 20,000 gold, right?” Renn asked, her voice edged with concern.
“We’ve got three descendants on our team, so yes, 60,000 gold,” Velle replied casually, as if it were no big deal.
“P-plus the two potions I already used...” Renn stammered, guilt creeping into her voice. “That’s 100,000 gold in total, isn’t it?!”
Nearby alchemists turned their heads at her sudden outburst, while Velle remained unfazed.
“Those first two were used before we knew they could help absorb the heroes’ Mana,” Velle said calmly. “If this plan works, and we successfully tap into their powers, I’ll negotiate with the higher-ups to keep the cost of the potions off my salary.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Renn sighed in relief. “So, are we starting with Garland’s Mana first?”
Velle nodded. “That’s the plan. I’ll bring the portable Mana extractor, and we’ll head to his burial site.”
“It’s not here?” Renn asked, surprised. She had assumed Garland, being the king of Veledot, would be buried somewhere in the city.
“No,” Velle explained. “He grew up in a church where his mother worked before he became a knight. In his final letter, he asked to be buried there, alongside her.”
Renn’s expression turned serious, reflecting on her ancestor’s story. “I see.”
“So, we’ll head there today,” Velle said, turning to go and prepare the equipment.
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Once Velle was ready, she and Renn boarded the mana train bound for a city several hours away from Veledot. They would need to spend the night there before returning the next day.
Inside the train carriage, the two chatted about Renn’s developing long-range combat skills, with Velle offering a few tips and tricks. Their conversation soon shifted to history, as Renn curiously asked why churches existed before Neona became the goddess everyone worshiped.
Velle explained, “Back then, people believed that natural disasters and other phenomena were controlled by an unseen, omnipotent force—a god. To appease this deity and prevent disasters, they built churches and performed rituals, even though this god’s existence was never proven.”
She continued, “When the ancient beasts were still rampaging across the lands, some people thought those monsters were the gods they’d been worshiping. There were even cults dedicated to them, but that didn’t last long once Neona and the seven heroes defeated the beasts.”
After that, Velle explained, churches began to honor Neona for centuries. But as alchemists rose in prominence, their scientific understanding of Mana—how it explained both the heroes’ powers and the ancient beasts—caused the number of churches to decline.
“Garland’s burial site isn’t a church anymore, though,” Velle added. “It’s just an empty hill now, near the next city we’re stopping at.”
Renn nodded, leaning back with Esperanza resting against her shoulder. “Got it.”
Before long, Velle asked, “By the way, did you manage to learn anything about those hunters searching for the heroes’ Mana?”
“I didn’t see anyone using lightning powers in Veledot,” Renn responded.
“Hm. Then maybe their base is somewhere else in the region.” Velle mused.
As their journey continued, they finally arrived at the next mana rail station, in a peaceful city called Lumio. Families, children, and hunters roamed the streets, giving the place a lively atmosphere. A large, flat hill stood nearby, along with a small forest bordering its edge—the location of Garland’s resting place.
“We’ll visit the workshop first, then head to the hill,” Velle said as they left the station.
“Alright,” Renn agreed, her eyes falling on the large rectangular box Velle was carrying. “You know, when you said ‘portable,’ I imagined something like the Mana scanner.”
“This is portable for a Mana extractor,” Velle replied without missing a step. “Extractors are normally bigger and fixed in place. Usually, people bring the items to the workshop for extraction. Only larger workshops have portable versions like this.”
“Huh, good to know,” Renn murmured, following closely behind Velle as they entered the workshop.
Inside, Velle quickly explained to the alchemists that they were there to extract Garland’s Mana. It was a significant task, but she handled it casually.
Although guarding the heroes’ Mana was crucial, there were no obvious security measures at the burial sites to avoid drawing attention. Instead, the alchemists from nearby workshops kept watch by pretending to collect samples. Hunters were also stationed nearby, blending in with the city’s regular activity.
After informing the workshop, Velle and Renn made their way to the hill. The burial site was unassuming—a patch of grass and flowers with no gravestone or marker.
“This is really it?” Renn asked, glancing around. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”
“And that’s the point,” Velle replied, setting down the rectangular box and pulling out a small scanning device. “I half-expected those hunters might’ve already taken Garland’s Mana, given the state of the region and the fact that Axel’s Mana was already stolen.”
Renn’s eyes widened. “Wait, Axel’s burial site is in the west too?”
“Yep,” Velle responded, focused on the scanner. “But Garland’s Mana is still intact, thankfully.”
After confirming the Mana was safe, Velle tucked the scanner away and began setting up the extractor. Renn watched curiously from the side.
Soon, Velle held out a gray hose attached to the extractor. The tip resembled a half-sphere. “We normally use this one to test the extraction—just to see if we can pull the Mana out. Afterward, we’d take the item back to the workshop for full extraction.”
She pressed the hose’s tip to the ground, and the machine whirred to life. The hose twitched slightly, and a moment later, Velle lifted the tip to reveal a small, light blue cloud swirling within. The cloud danced in mesmerizing patterns, though it stayed in place.
“Whoa…” Renn murmured, captivated by the sight. “Is that—”
“Mana,” Velle finished for her. “It looks like a cloud or smoke, but it has weight and can be poured like a liquid. Obviously, we can’t just carry it around in our hands or on fabric. It needs to be contained on solid surfaces like glass or metal.”
Renn barely processed Velle’s words, her eyes still fixed on the tiny Mana cloud swirling at her feet.
“A few minutes of extraction gives us this small amount,” Velle continued, gesturing to the faint blue Mana cloud. “And even this isn’t a drop of water if we compare the heroes’ Mana to a lake.”
“Can I touch it?” Renn asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
“Before you do,” Velle said, pulling out a Mana potion from her pocket, “drink this first.”
Without hesitation, Renn drank the entire potion. Almost immediately, she felt the familiar rush of recovery—the overwhelming surge of Mana flowing through her, heightening her senses and awareness.
As Renn looked down at herself, marveling at the sensation, Velle instructed, “Now, go ahead. Try touching Garland’s Mana.”
Renn nodded eagerly. Crouching, she placed her hand over the tiny amount of Mana. The sensation was strange but fascinating. She couldn’t quite feel it physically, but she knew it was there, hovering just beneath her palm.
Then, to her surprise, the Mana began to move—slithering up her arm and rapidly spreading throughout her body. The sensation followed the pulse of the Mana potion’s effects, circulating faster and faster.
“It’s working,” Velle said with satisfaction. “How do you feel?”
But Renn didn’t respond. Her body was still, save for her increasingly heavy breathing. Within moments, she was panting.
“Renn?” Velle asked, her voice edged with concern. She crouched down to get a better look, and when she saw Renn’s face, she froze in shock.
Renn’s dark blue eyes were glowing—brilliantly. They were fixed on her hand and the ground below, glowing the same light blue as Garland’s Mana.
Velle had never seen anything like this before. Was it a side effect of the infusion process? “Renn, are you alright?”
“I... I’m fine,” Renn stammered, though her glowing eyes remained locked on the ground.
To Velle, there was nothing but the small, fading amount of Mana still seeping into Renn’s hand. But to Renn, the ground was overflowing with an enormous reservoir of Mana, and it was pouring into her body at a dizzying speed.
For the entire duration of the Mana potion’s effect, Renn remained frozen, eyes wide in shock and awe. Even after several minutes passed, she told Velle that not all of Garland’s Mana had transferred into her yet.
However, she no longer needed the potion’s boost—part of Garland’s Mana, now inside her, acted as the host. The remaining Mana in the ground continued to enter her body slowly, through her feet, without the need for another potion.
While waiting for the process to complete, Velle used the scanner to check the ground’s Mana levels and confirmed that the amount had indeed decreased. She noted that the speed at which Garland’s Mana was entering Renn’s body was comparable to the rate at which Mana from weapons returned to their cores after being used.
After about an hour, the process was complete—Renn had successfully absorbed all of Garland’s Mana, marking the descendant team’s greatest achievement to date.
“So, how do you feel?” Velle asked, observing Renn as she stretched and moved her limbs.
“Well... not much?” Renn admitted. “I mean, I definitely felt and even saw the Mana, but once I absorbed it all, it’s like it disappeared.”
Velle pulled out her scanner to double-check. “It’s there, all of it. You now have Garland’s Mana inside you.”
“Hmm…” Renn muttered, still looking at her body, trying to sense something new.
“Well, we’ve accomplished what we came here to do,” Velle said, glancing at the fading sunlight. “And it’s getting late. Let’s head back for now.”
“O-okay…”
They returned to the city, where they decided to spend the night at an inn since Velle didn’t work at Lumio’s workshop.
That evening, after showering, Renn asked Velle about Garland’s powers. The legends about Neona and the legendary heroes didn’t reveal much about what each hero could actually do.
Velle explained that even the Alchemist Corp’s database lacked detailed records of the heroes’ powers, given how much time had passed. Some heroes, like Axel, whose powers were more straightforward, were easier to document. However, each hero had a codename that provided clues about their abilities.
“In Axel’s case, his codename was ‘Lightning,’ which pretty much sums up his power,” Velle said, sitting in a nearby chair and cleaning her glasses. “But because the heroes’ abilities were manifestations of their own Mana, they could use their powers in more than one way—unlike today’s mana cores in weapons, which are more limited.”
“Like how Esperanza has multiple mana cores?” Renn asked from her seat on the bed.
“Exactly. In that sense, your Esperanza could be considered a ‘legendary hero’ of sorts—though with much less power,” Velle added with a small smile.
“So… what was Garland’s codename?” Renn asked, her curiosity piqued.
Velle looked up from her glasses and answered, “Beastknight.”
Renn blinked, a bit confused. “Beast… knight?”
Velle nodded. “Yep, his abilities apparently revolved around monsters. We’re not sure exactly how it worked, but it gives us a hint.”
“Huh…” Renn crossed her arms, pondering the meaning.
Velle suggested, “Why don’t you try hunting some wanted monsters around here tomorrow? Then we can head back to Veledot.”
“Alright, sounds good to me.”
The rest of the night passed quietly, with Velle inquiring about Renn’s quest to find her real parents. When she heard about the tragedy that had befallen Renn’s family, Velle offered her sincere condolences.
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The next morning, Renn and Velle set out to hunt a wanted monster near Lumio. In the woods beside a mountain, they tracked down their target: a large wolf with spiky gray fur, hardened like armor—its codename given by the workshop was Spike Wolf.
There were no other hunters around, just Renn and Velle, facing the beast alone.
“Perfect. Go on, fight it,” Velle ordered nonchalantly from behind Renn.
“Yes, ma’am...” Renn muttered, her tone laced with sarcasm.
Before Renn could make the first move, the wolf charged, roaring in fury, its red eyes locked onto them.
But Renn met its charge head-on, stopping it with a single strike. Her lightning-infused Esperanza coursed with energy, and with the enhancement core boosting her strength, she delivered a powerful blow.
Looking at her own arms, Renn seemed surprised. “I feel like I hit harder than usual.”
“Probably Garland’s Mana,” Velle replied, observing her closely. “But did you notice anything else?”
Renn approached the fallen wolf, its limbs paralyzed from the electricity. She crouched down to inspect it. “Not really...”
Suddenly, she felt a surge of Mana inside her. “Wait! I’m feeling it now!”
Velle, quick to react, pulled out her scanner to check the Mana’s activity. What she discovered was unexpected—Garland’s Mana, now inside Renn, was absorbing the wolf’s Mana. But strangely, the absorbed Mana didn’t increase Renn’s overall Mana reserves; it seemed to simply vanish.
As Velle explained what was happening, Renn’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I did that?!”
“Yeah. But why? Absorbing the beast’s Mana is useful—it drains the creature’s strength and stamina—but your own Mana hasn’t increased. What’s the purpose of absorbing it if it just disappears?” Velle wondered aloud, narrowing her eyes in thought.
Renn stood up, crossing her arms in contemplation. “Maybe it’s just to make sure the beasts can’t come back for another round?”
“There’s no way that’s all Garland’s powers entail,” Velle responded, shaking her head. “With that much Mana, there’s got to be something more. We just haven’t figured it out yet.”
“Right…” Renn muttered, still deep in thought.
“For now, let’s haul this thing back to the workshop for the bounty,” Velle suggested, already turning to leave.
Seeing no other options, Renn activated the hammer core of Esperanza, using its large surface to carry the wolf’s body as they made their way back to the city.
As they left the woods, Renn remained lost in thought, pondering the strange sensation of Mana earlier, as well as the wolf’s mysterious connection to Garland’s powers.
Then suddenly, the sensation returned—Mana leaving her body, though it was subtler this time. It took her a moment to notice it.
“Wait, I think it’s happening again—”
She turned, only to be met with a shocking sight: another Spike Wolf, standing a few feet behind her. But this one was different—its entire form was translucent and bathed in a light blue glow.
Both Renn and Velle froze in place, with Renn’s eyes widening in disbelief, her heart pounding as she stared at the ethereal creature.
“Huh?” was all she could manage.
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