NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17 : Contract ?
The next day, Sora unlocked [Mana Shield], a defensive skill that gave him his first layer of protection in battle.
[Mana Shield (Level 1)]
Type: Defensive
Description: Creates a barrier of mana that absorbs incoming damage. The strength of the shield increases with mana input. The shield can be maintained as long as mana is available and can be deactivated at any time. Maintaining the shield consumes mana.
Sora activated it, feeling the surge of mana spread throughout his body, forming a light, almost weightless barrier. He could tell that unless someone directly attacked him, the mana drain was minimal.
"I could keep this up forever as long as no one touches me."
With [Mana Shield], Sora had a new layer of defense, allowing him to protect himself or others from substantial damage while still focusing on his offensive capabilities. The synergy between Amplify, Echo Strike, and [Mana Shield] was beginning to show: amplify his attacks, gain bonus damage, and protect against incoming strikes, all while burning through his vast mana reserves.
"Self-sufficient combat," he thought with a smirk. "I'm inching closer to becoming a walking fortress."
Days passed, and as Sora's class level rose, he unlocked Speed Surge, a short-term buff that greatly enhanced movement and attack speed for a brief period.
Speed Surge (Level 1)
Type: Buff
Description: Temporarily increases movement and attack speed for one minute.
Sora activated it immediately. His body surged with speed, every movement turning into a blur as he zipped forward, faster than ever before. Every strike came quicker, sharper, more precise. But after a few moments, he felt something unexpected. The skill was draining his mana, but more surprisingly, it was also exhausting his stamina.
The rapid flurry of attacks wore him down faster than he had anticipated. Striking twice as often, moving at twice the speed—it wasn't something he could maintain for long without burning himself out.
"It's not my mana that'll give out... it's my stamina," Sora realized, panting as the buff ended. "Even if I can keep the skill active for a minute, using it recklessly will wear me out before I know it."
"To make better use of this, I'll need to improve my endurance."
By the time his class hit level 25, Sora unlocked one of the most important skills for a Mana Amplifier: Mana Cascade.
Mana Cascade (Level 1)
Type: Buff
Description: Increases the target's mana regeneration rate for a short period. Mana Cascade can be applied to allies or to oneself.
For most Mana Amplifiers, Mana Cascade was a lifesaver. Buffing allies took a toll on mana reserves, and without proper regeneration, most Amplifiers would burn out quickly. Mana Cascade allowed them to extend the duration of their buffs without worrying about running dry.
But for Sora, the skill was overkill.
With his incredible mana regeneration, thanks to the Loved by Mana effect, Mana Cascade pushed him into near-limitless territory. He could buff himself and his allies indefinitely without fear of depletion.
Out of curiosity, Sora activated it to see how insane his mana regen could get.
But after a few minutes, he frowned. The increase was barely noticeable—almost nonexistent.
"Maybe I'm just imagining it?" he muttered, deactivating the skill.
"It makes no difference," he said after a moment of thought. "I guess 'Loved by Mana' can't be affected by lower-tier skills."
Sora speculated that Mana Cascade simply couldn't stack with the effects of his Supreme skill. The power of Loved by Mana from Mana Evolution was far beyond what a basic buff like this could achieve.
"Well, that's a shame," he shrugged, "but it doesn't really matter. I have more than enough mana for now."
For most players, Mana Cascade would be a game-changer, essential for long-term buffing and endurance in battle. But for Sora, it was just another tool in his ever-expanding arsenal. Useful in groups, but unnecessary for solo play.
By the end of the week, Sora had reached level 34, and his [Mana Amplifier] class was now at level 29. He had spent the past several days honing each ability, experimenting with different combinations, and testing the limits of his new class. Through constant use, his skills had leveled up rapidly, becoming more efficient and powerful:
Amplify (Level 8): Sora had nearly mastered this skill, reducing its mana cost significantly while boosting his or his allies' abilities with greater efficiency. The potential for mana manipulation and efficiency was becoming clearer to him as he studied how the skill interacted with raw mana.
Echo Strike (Level 5): The more allies Sora buffed, the deadlier this skill became. At level 5, it gave a 30% boost per buffed ally, making it one of his most potent tools in group fights. The potential of the skill seemed to be uncapped, opening the door for massive damage multipliers in future battles.
Mana Shield (Level 10): His shield had become a formidable defense, capable of absorbing considerable amounts of damage. At level 10, the mana cost to maintain it was negligible, allowing him to keep the barrier active almost indefinitely.
Speed Surge (Level 6): The speed buff had grown stronger and more refined, but stamina remained the limiting factor. The skill now allowed him to buff up to 12 people simultaneously, a massive boon for group fights but still exhausting when used on himself.
Mana Cascade (Level 3): Though its effects were minimal on Sora, [Mana Cascade] had grown in range, allowing him to assist allies with low mana regeneration over a wider area. This skill would prove more valuable in group settings than solo combat.
The synergy between [Amplify], [Mana Shield], and [Speed Surge] had turned Sora into a near-unstoppable force. Though part of the potential of the class was wasted in solo play, the buffs gave him impressive combat capability.
"It's alright. I'm happy enough with what I've got," he thought, reflecting on the progress he'd made.
His journey as a [Mana Amplifier] had only just begun, but the possibilities were already evident. He wanted to max out his primary skills and unlock the higher-level abilities, but a week had already passed.
It was time to return to Córdoba.
Turning his gaze back toward the city, Sora made plans to earn some quick money and think about his next move. Should he return to France, where he lived in his previous life? He felt strong enough now, and he was curious to see how his Prestige ability would interact with his progress.
"If I die far from where I respawned last time, would I still appear in that same cavern?" Sora wondered. There were many unanswered questions about his ability, but those could wait.
Dismissing those thoughts for now, he sprinted toward Córdoba. His current speed allowed him to cross 100 kilometers in about six minutes. The city would come into view in no time.
"Status"
[Status Update]
Profile: Ralph Eden (Sora Hoshino)
Status: Alive (Prestige 1)
Class: Mana Amplifier (Class Level 29, Player Level 34)
Title: Humble (Level 30 Title)
Power Level: 800 000
Body Level: B
Energy Level: B
Skills: (...)
Mana Skills (Supreme Skill: Mana Evolution)
Mana Eyes, Loved by Mana, Mana Growth, Mana Customization
Class Skills:
Amplify (Level 8), Echo Strike (Level 5),Mana Shield (Level 10), Speed Surge (Level 6), Mana Cascade (Level 3)
Job: Human Resource Assistant (Level 17)
Sora glanced at his growing list of skills and sighed. Many of them were self-made and didn't have levels, while the rest had become progressively useless.
Looking at his power level, which sat significantly higher than a typical level 40 player, he couldn't help but smirk. Most players at that level had a power of around 780,000, but Sora was already ahead. He wasn't sure how the system calculated power, but he knew the average for each level. A level 34 player should be around 104,000 in power. His supreme skill—Mana Evolution—likely played a role, constantly refining and evolving his mana to increase his power. The stronger his energy and body levels grew, the more his power level rose.
"Eight times stronger than someone at my level," he mused, grinning. "It's absurd."
But then, he shrugged it off. Obsessing over the numbers was pointless. Power level wasn't necessarily an indicator of combat ability—it was a raw measurement of energy, body level, and skills, but true strength was more than just numbers.
"Enough of that," he muttered. "It's time to make use of all this power."
Sora headed toward the auction house, ready to offload some high-level items he had collected. Once inside, he opened his inventory and started sorting through the loot. Among the items were several valuable epic pieces, perfect for auctioning. He estimated their worth at around 100,000 gold. With items in the level 30 to 40 range in high demand, he knew he could get a good price.
He auctioned the epic gear and sold the rest to clerks, netting 50,000 gold from the auction and another 40,000 from the less valuable loot. On top of that, he had earned about 25,000 gold from monsters during his week of grinding.
With 115,000 gold in his pockets, Sora was back in business. He quickly left the auction house, eager to tackle his weekly quests at the Job Hall.
When he arrived, he saw 20 familiar job tokens ready for him to pick up, but this time, there were 10 new requests for Human Resource Assistants as well. His reputation was clearly growing.
He accepted all 30 jobs and set off to get started. It wasn't long before he met Aria again, her face lighting up the moment she saw him.
"Sora!" she called out, hurrying over. "You've been the talk of the town all week."
"Really?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.
Aria nodded, her excitement barely contained. "Companies that were struggling to keep up with contract work have suddenly turned things around. All because they heard about you. Even some of the businesses that were about to fold are back on track now. Everyone's eager to get a piece of you."
Sora chuckled, shaking his head. "I didn't expect to cause such a stir."
"Honestly, neither did we," Aria admitted. "But your efficiency is just... unmatched."
Sora was relieved that the system allowed him to change names and appearances. Fame was not part of his plan. If word spread too much, he could lose the low profile he preferred to keep.
Aria led him into the office, where Sora was taken aback by the sheer volume of contracts waiting for him.
"Five hundred?" he exclaimed, half-jokingly. "Aria, are you trying to work me to death?"
Aria blushed, flustered by his teasing. "It's not my fault! Everyone heard you'd be coming back this week, and they've been saving contracts for you. No one wants to sign them—they'd rather let you handle it."
Sora grinned. "Well, at least I get paid."
And he did. With his job level now at 17, his work speed had doubled, allowing him to blaze through contracts even faster. He worked through the five hundred contracts in an hour, and after finishing at Aria's office, he moved on to the next.
By the end of the day, Sora had signed a staggering 7,500 contracts, earning around 750,000 gold in total. His job level shot up to 25. At level 10, his work speed had already doubled, but at level 20, his signature's quality had improved, adding extra binding power to the contracts.
"It feels like the contracts have a stronger grip now," he thought, intrigued by the new development.
As he worked, he became more aware of the threads of mana used to bind contracts. With this newfound insight, he began experimenting, trying to manipulate those threads, but it was difficult to use them effectively. Still, he had a feeling that mastering this could unlock new possibilities for him.
Once finished with his work, Sora made a few quick purchases and deposited his gold at the bank. His next destination was clear—he was heading east, toward Barcelona.