For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

Chapter 262: Good News (2)

Leaning comfortably against the sofa, I closed my eyes.

To others, it would look like I was entering a meditative state. And that’s indeed what I planned to do, but first, I had something else to check.

‘Status Window…!’

Time to catch up on all those notifications.

Ding!

【Absorbed Amplified Dragon Heart Fragment!】

You’ve consumed a well-refined Dragon Heart Fragment, amplified once more by the power of the Circulating Life!

The fully absorbed Dragon Heart Fragment has taken root in your body in the form of immense mana and a degraded trait.

Did you know? During the War of the Gods, there were warriors who, like you, shared Dragon Hearts and gained partial powers.

Well, they all died during the war, though.

Hopefully, you won’t end up like them.

Major increase in mana stat.

Trait: Gained Pressure Resistance (B).

What on earth is this?

Originally, the Dragon Heart Shard is just an elixir to increase mana.

Later on, there comes a point where you can obtain a complete Dragon Heart. If you use it as an elixir instead of something else, you could inherit one of a dragon’s traits at random.

Among the random traits you could gain, there was one called Mental Resistance (S). I guess Pressure Resistance is a lower version of that.

But even though it’s a lower trait, is it really okay to get something this good for free? Well, I’m not complaining!

…Wait, no. When I think about it, this is similar to when I took the Blessing of the Sea Elixir.

Originally, it was a potion that granted the ability to breathe and move freely underwater.

But thanks to my Potent Constitution amplifying the effect, I also gained a 10% reduction in water-based damage and a 10% increase in water-based damage. The trait rank even had a plus added to it.

It’s the same now. The fragment, originally ranked S, had been amplified to S+ rank, and it even came with a random additional trait.

Maybe Potent Constitution doesn’t just increase the effects by 10%, but actually raises the quality of the elixir itself by 10%.

If that’s the case, this trait would be best utilized when consuming top-tier elixirs rather than numerous mediocre ones.

Excited by this unexpected gain, I moved on to the next notification.

【Skill Proficiency Increased!】

You’ve awakened the true essence of the Lintblum Mana Core!

Behold, the Lintblum Core Origin!

...Oh? Not very impressive? But trust me, its performance is exceptional!

By the way, modifying your body into a mana engine? You’re out of your mind!

They say the line between genius and madness is thin, but this was pushing it! One small mistake, and your heart would’ve gone boom!

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But hey, you succeeded, so there’s no point dwelling on what could’ve happened.

Rejoice! No matter how vast your mana is, it won’t be free from your will!

You’ve become someone with a body to look forward to!

Trait: Lintblum Mana Core (B+) -> (A)

Trait: Gained Mana Affinity (A).

I had anticipated the growth of the Lintblum Mana Core. The plus sign indicated that its growth was approaching, and I’d just had a slight epiphany.

It grew as expected. Hmm, good.

Mana Affinity. It’s a trait opposite to the Mana Insensitivity I had before.

Though the rank is surprisingly high, I had known that I’d acquire a constitution trait sooner or later.

Even without the system confirming it, I had felt my body changing ever since my mana core fused with my heart.

And Iona had sensed something off, too.

Not that I had struggled with mana control before. I was already handling it smoothly enough.

But now, things are on a completely different level.

For starters, the amount of willpower required to move mana has decreased exponentially.

It’s like the system’s correction that aids in spellcasting now applies to basic mana control as well.

At this point, I can manipulate mana far more delicately, and the maximum output has increased significantly.

I was inwardly giggling in delight at my newfound magical prowess, but then I noticed there was still one more notification left.

What could it be?

I tilted my head in curiosity and opened the next notification.

Ding!

【Special Condition Fulfilled!】

Visit Fafnir’s Lair.

???

That’s it? Nothing else? Where’s the usual snarky tone?

Of course, I knew where Fafnir’s Lair was.

He was a Black Dragon infamous for his insatiable greed even before the War of the Gods.

Rumor has it that after he died during the war, all the treasures he hoarded in his lair were left abandoned.

And those who followed the rumors and sought his legacy ended their journey in Fafnir’s Lair. But…

When they arrived, they were greeted by an empty cave, long looted by cultists, with only traces of the dragon and his minions remaining. A disappointing quest, really.

It’s a place I had planned to take my party to one day.

But now, out of nowhere, I’m being told to go there?

It’s absurd, but I can’t ignore the fact that “Special Condition Fulfilled” notifications aren’t common.

Usually, they only appear when you break a high-level penalty trait, combine two lower traits into a higher one, or discover a hidden piece.

Whichever it is, going to Fafnir’s Lair will surely benefit me greatly.

With that, the notifications were over. Now, it’s time to check the details more thoroughly.

【Pressure Resistance (B)】

From deep within your heart, an inexplicable confidence wells up.

You’ll no longer be easily intimidated by most opponents.

Sometimes, unfounded confidence can be helpful, right?

Status Effect: 30% bonus resistance to Pressure Checks.

Status Effect: 50% reduction in the duration of Pressure effects.

This isn’t something I’d use often, but it’ll come in handy when facing large monsters or boss-level enemies.

Of course, it’s not on the same level as Mental Resistance, which nullifies all mental attacks and status effects, but still.

Next is…

【Mana Affinity (A)】

You are loved by mana.

Technically, mana has no will or emotions, so calling it love isn’t quite right, but…

Your affinity with mana is so strong that it feels like that’s the only way to describe it!

Of course, how you utilize this is up to you!

20% bonus to all activities involving mana.

As expected of a constitution-based trait, it’s simple but touches on the fundamentals.

Up until now, the system only provided corrections when using magic, but now it applies to all actions involving mana, so it’ll be useful no matter how I apply it.

‘Let’s check the status window one last time.’

Name: Yandel

Title: Great Nemesis

Basic Stats

Strength: 18

Endurance: 17

Agility: 18

Skill: 18

Magic: 24 -> 26

Traits

Endless Mana (A)

Elemental Affinity (B)

Excellent Memory (B)

Ordinary Weapon Skill (B)

Lintblum Mana Core (B+) -> (A)

Intermediate Magician (B)

Blessing of the Sun God (A+)

Cult Abhorrence (A)

Weak Constitution (C)

Elemental Combination (A)

Blessing of the Sea (B+)

Pressure Resistance (B) NEW!

Mana Affinity (A) NEW!

Mana stat at 26 already. This means my mana capacity is practically at the level of an entry-level high magician.

Rebecca must have had this in mind when she gave me the Dragon Heart Fragment.

However, even though I’ve taken a small step into the realm of high magicians, the difference between one stat point from here on will be monumental.

It’s almost impossible to increase stats through training at this point. More precisely, it’s possible, but going from 26 to 27 would take years.

By that time, either I or the Evil Gods would be dead.

Still, considering the upcoming cultist-related events and the hidden pieces I haven’t had the chance to seek out yet, this growth is incredibly fast.

The trait list has gotten quite long too, something you’d only see in the later stages of H&A.

But the real problem is that the cultists have stopped merely reacting to plans and have started accelerating their own timeline.

This isn’t a small-scale attack like the raid on the training dungeon, nor an accidental clash like with Ayla.

They’ve gone all-in, even bringing a monster army to wage war, and they’ve gained the upper hand against the Church of Righteous Radiance, which is considered the strongest among the Divine Orders.

This means they’ve started revealing the cards they’ve kept hidden until now.

The cultists will likely begin rampaging across the continent soon. The siege of Solaris is just the beginning.

But as always, the first step is crucial.

Thanks to Rebecca, I’ve achieved significant power growth before the big battle. Now, it’s just a matter of showing results.

I closed the status window that was flickering in my mind and slowly focused inward.

We have two days before we depart for Solaris. It’s a short time, but delaying any further could put Helena in danger.

So, in the next two days, I need to fully adjust to my new body.

With that resolve, I began testing things one by one. First, I should refine the elemental combinations I’m familiar with.

If I can control mana more delicately now, the combinations that were previously too difficult might be achievable.

---

Two days later.

Both I and the women had finished all the preparations we could.

“It’s time to go.”

With a slightly more serious tone, Iona’s voice echoed, and a dark red light shimmered.

It was the magical light of teleportation to Solaris.