ALL NOVEL Chapter 33
Chapter 33 – The Miracle of the Outskirts (3)
‘Come to think of it, can’t I just call her here?’
When I returned to the bomb shelter, I scratched my head looking at Shura on the desktop. Since she was outside, I intended to have the residents transfer the essence to her, but honestly, if I just slightly rearranged the residents and brought Shura here, that wouldn’t even be necessary.
“—?!”
Having thought that far, I approached Morin, who had been busy tidying up while glancing at me, and clicked the mouse to poke him on the arm.
He seemed quite startled, his eyes widening as he looked at me while rubbing his arm where I had poked him.
‘The one I gave you, give it back.’
I felt a bit sorry for being back and forth with them, but it couldn’t be helped. I kept poking him in the corner until he figured out what I meant and took out the essence from his pocket.
After I received it and placed it in my inventory, I immediately began changing the residents’ layout.
‘Send Morin out and bring Shura in.’
I booted Morin, one of the 16 players currently in the game, out and brought the clueless worker Shura from outside into this place.
“–?! —!”
Shura, who was doing her own thing, suddenly grabbed by the mouse pointer and lifted into the air, looked around in shock as she struggled.
While I didn’t particularly prefer this method since it often surprised the residents, at this moment, it was the best way to control them given our communication limits.
“—.”
“–, —.”
As Shura hung there like a doll from a claw machine, she flew into the game world. I could see Morin, who had suddenly vanished, explaining to her, making her feel at ease. Thankfully, she didn’t cry. She just looked a little surprised.
“—…”
Instead, she froze, staring at my character, who was standing still manipulating the desktop. Of course, anyone seeing someone for the first time would react similarly, even if they had heard about it beforehand. She was just a young girl after all.
I, myself, would likely fall over in shock if my character, which is the size of a real person, suddenly appeared before me.
“Please work.”
I chuckled softly and approached Shura with the essence of the monster. I needed to verify if this method would work, but I sincerely hoped for success on the first try.
Finding a new path while taking risks could lead to unwanted sacrifices.
‘Did it work?’
With a worried expression, I used the essence of the monster on the now tense Shura standing before me. This item was originally meant to imbue equipment with special powers using a tool called a synthesizer.
[Orphan Girl Shura]
[Trait: Dagger Skill (1%)]
[Placement: Sandbox Crafting]
[Total Fatigue: 18%]
[Mana: 100%]
[Emotion: Surprise, Tension]
‘Success.’
The moment the essence hit her, it shone and something activated. This was an outrageous event for an ordinary game.
I instantly captured her image to examine the information properly, and as expected, she had awakened her latent abilities.
Talent doesn’t simply flower by having it; it requires time, a mentor, or an event to trigger its awakening—certain conditions are necessary.
But right now, Shura had immediately awakened her abilities using the essence of the monster, ignoring all those conditions.
‘Is it really a combat-related talent? Did she truly awaken through the essence of a monster? Am I doing something foolish?’
Proud of the successful action I had taken and the achievement it brought, I paused momentarily as I observed Shura standing amidst a group of adults sharing something with them.
While she was the only one among the residents with a combat trait that I had so happily awakened, it also meant that, like Riena, she too would have to fight against enemies.
The thought of making someone who still seemed young to me fight monsters didn’t sit well.
‘Is it an unavoidable circumstance?’
As she approached my character with a nervous look and inclined her head with the others, I steeled my resolve.
That world was drastically different from this one. A place filled with marauders who recklessly kill terrible monsters and people alike.
The lives of those living there, including mine, depended on each other. To survive, they must fight.
She likely knew this fact too. Judging by how she couldn’t hide her joy in expressing gratitude towards me.
*
Mana, a mysterious force that exists in nature. A miracle that turns ordinary humans into superhumans.
This power is granted only to a select few. The way it’s utilized varies, regardless of status or origin.
Renowned emperors and heroes alike were all awakened ones who could handle mana, and mana awakeners were always well-treated in the factions they created.
However, even as various magical and swordplay techniques developed, artificially awakening mana remained nearly impossible.
Artificial mana awakening was nothing more than a miracle that appears in dreams.
‘Did I really awaken mana?!’
But that miracle was happening right here, in the farthest reaches of the outskirts, unrecorded on the map.
He had expelled Shura, who had finished her business, from the game, but she had no time for concerns like that now.
Strength surged through her white hands that touched the cold, hard ground. The power felt radiating from her body certainly wasn’t that of a frail, underfed girl.
“Can you tell us what happened there?”
“Chieftain…”
Approaching her were Balun and Riena, who seemed to have had some predictions about this.
“He wouldn’t call you there without reason.”
“Is that person really a god?”
With her strength dissipating, Shura looked up at them while sitting down and recounted what she had experienced.
Riena placed her hand on Shura’s body, pondering, and examined the mana within her. The pure mana reacted immediately to Riena’s own mana. Shura had indeed awakened her mana.
“Truly a miracle worker. He has many forms and various powers.”
Balun shared what he had concluded about that person based on his observations. Shura had no reason to doubt his guess since she herself was the proof.
“You were chosen by him. It may be harsh to tell such a thing to someone so young, but regardless, having been chosen, you must fulfill that duty.”
“It may be frightening, but you must become a warrior, Shura.”
They were unaware that Balun simply wished to use her as a warrior, having had to predict and awaken her hidden talent beforehand.
Riena, reflecting on her own past of awakening her mana to become a warrior as a child, smiled warmly but did not deny it.
“I’m actually happy.”
Hearing those words, Shura bit her lip as her eyes trembled.
Filled with hatred and resentment she had harbored all this time, this anger was undoubtedly directed toward the enemies who had killed her parents and destroyed her village, but it wasn’t the core issue.
‘Being weak is a crime. But now I can become strong.’
Above all, what she resented the most was herself for being powerless. How wonderful it would have been if she could wield a club like her father. At the very least, she would rather have a temperament that fought in anger than trembled in fear.
However, among the weak, she was the weakest and wasn’t even allowed to lash out.
So, when she was chosen by him, and when he awakened her, Shura felt more joy than fear.
“I understand how you feel. If you overcome the trials that lie ahead, you will surely receive rewards beyond that.”
Riena could empathize with her, having had a similar experience.
‘Did he recognize this child’s talent?’
Seeing Shura’s inclination to fight rather than escape, Riena sighed in relief but wondered if he had seen it all.
In fact, just as talent was important, so was one’s own mindset. That was the first lesson a warrior learned from their mentor.
“What is this?!”
“Riena!”
And almost simultaneously, Balun, Riena, and Shura were lifted and soared into the sky.
“You’ve experienced it already. Don’t worry. This is his will.”
While Shura was panicking, flailing her arms in the air, Balun was also at a loss for words, Riena, hanging effortlessly, calmed her down with a composed face, despite being in an embarrassing position, suspended like a claw machine prize.
She had experienced this often, but her trust had solidified through their shared battles against bosses, making her more composed compared to others.
“Ugh.”
“Where are we?”
They landed in a place completely different from the village. For Balun and Shura, it was their first time witnessing such a location. Riena, however, had seen it once before.
“Pick up a weapon, Father. Shura, you too. Doing that will let new power flow into your body from the weapon.”
As a senior, Riena pointed to the powerful weapons scattered among the lord’s treasures in the secret space.
Nearby, the one who had brought them here, holding the staff, was watching over them.
“Ahem, what do we need to do?”
Balun, unable to tear his eyes away from the precious gems, paintings, sculptures, and other valuable items lying around in the secret room, hesitantly reached out for a spear nearby.
“Whoa?!”
But at that moment, the lightning-fast figure intercepted him, stopping his movement. Balun staggered in shock.
‘Am I supposed to grab this?’
He handed Balun the staff through which he could change into a druid class. Gesturing to Shura, he kept kneeling and standing near the dagger to indicate it was for dagger use.
They had no reason or ability to oppose his intent, and thus Balun and Shura each picked up their weapons and naturally achieved their class change.
‘That went well.’
Watching them from outside the screen, he smiled faintly. Compared to the moment they initially appeared, things had changed dramatically. It hadn’t taken much time at all.
[Field Invasion Occurs]
“Uh?”
But in that moment, an alert sound echoed, and the game’s background darkened instantly.
It was something he hadn’t even thought to anticipate.