Chapter 7: Mana Core
"Okay, first let's collect all the mana cores from the monster corpses," Evan said with a smile.
"What is a mana core?" Ash asked with widening eyebrows.
"It is used to grow our level and fuel special buildings and altars and other things, but the most important thing is that it is useful for everyone, and it is also used as currency for trading all over Eldros," Evan said with a normal voice.
And every mana core has a level. If a mana core is obtained from a level 0 monster, it's a level 0 mana core. Level 1 monster, then it's a level 1 mana core.
Ash: "Okay Evan, how do I grow my level?"
Evan: "You have to use mana cores or mana stones in an altar and absorb the following mana mist to grow levels fast. Otherwise, you can just sit on the city altar—it will release some mana mist to absorb very slowly that is obtained or absorbed from the outside environment of the city altar."
Ash: "So the city altar is the only source of crossing levels and it absorbs mana from outside the city and releases it for refining mana mist."
Evan: "Yes. A higher level of altar provides lots of mana mist in the city for the average person or warrior to grow."
Ash: "Okay, let's loot the spoil and go to the city."
After 5 minutes,
In Nexus City...
Ash: "Status window..."
...
City: Nexus City
Ability: Territory Defense Double
Description: In the event of city defense, all the attack power and defense power of people and buildings becomes double.
Altar Level: 0
Upgrade Requirement: (wood *1000, stone 250, 50 mana core (level 0))
Production: Mist mana level 0 * 10 per day
Area: 625 square meters
Status: Very small village
Building: Guide mark *1 (active)
Warehouse: wood *34, mana core level 1 *1, mana core level 0 *11, rabbit monster hide level 0 *11, rabbit monster hide level 1 *1
Population: 2
Specialty: none
Attack Power Level: 0 (80/1000)
Description: City's power level to attack enemies
Defense Power Level: 0 (20/10000)
Description: City's defense power level against enemies
Ash thinks in his mind "Now, the crack in golden light is recovered. We can finally focus on another thing.
The golden light saves us for at most 14 more days. Afterward, how do we utilize the days for the growth of the territory?
First, I'll grow my level today. After tomorrow, I will focus on resource gathering and other things for growth of the city."
My status window...
...
Name: Ash (Altar Owner)
Age: 24
Status: Healthy
Abilities: none
Level: 0 (0/100 mana mist level 0)
Weapon: Low-grade gun, 14 bullets
Ash to Evan: "Take some rest and eat some food. After that, manage our food this Responsibility is given to you. And remember, tomorrow maybe one new friend of ours will come, so manage food and beware of wastage.
I'm going to increase my mana mist refining, so relax for some time. Bye."
In Nexus City Altar,
Ash thinks: I should use level 1 mana core so I can save level 0 mana cores for altar upgradation.
...
Mana Core Level 0
Description: It can provide 1 mana mist of level 0
Mana Core Level 1
Description: It can provide 1 mana mist of level 1 or 10 mana mist of level 0
Ash puts mana core level 1 in the center of the altar.
Window pops up...
...
Use mana core level 1 *1: mist core level 1 *1 (Option 1)
Use mana core level 1 *1: mist core level 0 *10 (Option 2)
Ash selects option 2.
After that,
Blue mist is clearly visible, emerging very slowly in the altar.
Again,
Ash sat in the altar and began absorbing mist slowly and steadily and started simple meditation.
After 1 hour
Ash: "My status window..."
...
Name: Ash (Altar Owner)
Age: 24
Status: Healthy
Abilities: none
Level: 0 (20/100 mana mist level 0)
Weapon: Low-grade gun, 14 bullets
After 4 hours, 10 minutes
Ash: "My status window..."
...
Name: Ash (Altar Owner)
Age: 24
Status: Healthy
Abilities: none
Level: 1 (00/100 mana mist level 1)
Weapon: Low-grade gun, 14 bullets
Ash is shocked because he was level 1 after the mana-refining section. Then he gets information in his mind which tells him that Eldros world gave him a level boost as a beginner altar owner.
After that, Ash thinks in his mind: "Let's go meet Evan."
Ash wanders in the city and finally finds Evan, resting in a corner of space.
Ash says to Evan: "Are you rested enough, Evan?"
Evan says to Ash: "Yes, my lord."
"Then let's go to explore outside the city. After all, there are 5 hours before sunset. What do you think?"
Evan: "That is good, my lord."
Ash: "Okay, let's go with full preparation."
Evan: "Okay, my lord."
After 10 minutes,
Ash and Evan depart from the city.
After 10 minutes, they come to a forest where they find one bronze treasure and start cutting trees.
Ash thinks: I should open this treasure in the city. It will be safer and more convenient for transportation.
Ash gives Evan the task to cut the trees,
And he starts to explore the forest.
5 minutes later, he turns toward the deeper forest where he sees towering trees, standing like ancient buildings with branches almost blocking the sunlight. Most of the branches of trees are tangled like they are fighting each other for growth, and rustling fallen leaves are on the ground, carrying the scent of damp earth and decaying foliage.
Somewhere in the distance, beasts are trying to find prey to eat, and some beasts are gawking toward Ash. He tightly grips his gun and explores confidently into the forest, without a trace of fear on his face, but in his heart, he is cursing the world for not giving him a cheat to become overpowered instantly.
Somewhere in the distance, ash sees people are chasing someone, and then he hears a fighting sound starts instantly in the area. Ash explores confidently. Then he hears loud fighting sounds—lightning strikes and fire blasts. Ash cautiously hides in a cave and feels a kind of oppression from their aura, as if these people are very powerful compared to a single him—their last finger would be enough to kill him a hundred times without a doubt.
In the cave, he can see from afar there is a spider of level 1 with lots of its infants—maybe 100 spiders of level 0 and one spider of level 1 in the same cave.
Ash is silently watching. In front, powerful people are fighting. Behind him, spider monsters are sleeping soundly. As if any wrong movement, his life will be lost.
Ash is silently watching the fight of powerful people. He sees people using all types of lightning attacks, speed that makes their movement invisible for him, and he sees various kinds of attacks happening. At last, the one who is defending himself uses equipment to escape from the area. Now the attacker is trying to find him everywhere.
Ash thinks maybe the attacker also got track of that person.
After a moment, they also leave this area.
3 hours later,
Ash chooses to exit the cave and very carefully starts to flee in the forest direction where Evan would be cutting woods.
30 minutes later,
Ash finds Evan. Evan is cutting wood—at least Evan cut 50 woods, because that much woods is in front of Ash.
Ash says: "Evan, get ready. We are getting back to the city fast."
So, they start going toward the city.
15 minutes later, they are in the city.
After, Ash opens the bronze treasure, where he finds a low-grade axe and knife, sword, hard bread *12 and drinking *5, low-grade shield *1.
Ash gives food items to Evan and says:
"Status window..."
...
City: Nexus City
Ability: Territory Defense Double
Description: In the event of city defense, all the attack power and defense power of people and buildings becomes double.
Altar Level: 0
Upgrade Requirement: (wood *1000, stone 250, 50 mana core (level 0))
Production: Mist mana level 0 *10 per day
Area: 625 square meters
Status: Very small village
Building: Guide mark *1 (active)
Warehouse: wood *84, mana core level 0 *11, rabbit monster hide level 0 *11, rabbit monster hide level 1 *1, low-grade axe *1, low-grade knife *1, low-grade shield *1: Market (unique) (Blueprint-resource) (stones *200, wood *50), low-grade house blueprint (stones *100, wood *25)
Population: 2
Specialty: none
Attack Power Level: 0 (80/1000)
Description: City's power level to attack enemies
Defense Power Level: 0 (20/10000)
Description: City's defense power level against enemies
Now,
In Nexus City,
Ash is seeing the dark sky with the red moon. Ash thinks in his mind:
"My first night in Eldros under the sky without a house and roof. I hope we can find stone for house building."
Ash is thinking: At least there is golden light protecting the city for 14 remaining days.
I hope our morning will be good.