CHAPTER 91: BAD NEWS

Not that he needed the boost now, but the taste alone justified the expense.

Peach-flavoured iced-tea is like liquid magic. Still the best product the system has given me by far. I can’t wait for the next products in Level 2.

The day had passed in bliss. His shelves stood nearly empty.

Only three glasses of iced tea remained—reserved for more important purposes than profit.

Moon and Star need their daily doses.

Noah smiled as he recalled Vex’s expression when he spotted the third Demonica Moonburgh in his shop.

The viscount’s shock had been so complete that his flower companion Precious had actually stopped clicking her teeth in sympathy.

"Another gift from a passerby," Noah told him.

The poor man looked like he was going to have an aneurysm.

The excuse had been paper-thin, but Vex couldn’t call him out for his lies.

Noah approached his Demonica plants.

Moon and the two Stars pulsed gently making his shop feel like an enchanted garden.

Time for their feeding.

The first bottle’s cork released.

Pop!

The aroma of the iced tea began filling the shop with its intoxicating peach-scent.

Moon’s leaves began vibrating before the liquid even reached her soil, anticipation radiating through its branches.

The iced tea disappeared into rich earth, and transformation began instantly.

Moon erupted into brilliant luminescence, her silvery leaves cycling through spectrums of color that had no names in human language.

Beautiful. Never gets old watching that.

Star received its dose next, matching Moon’s enthusiastic response with equal fervor.

Its branches swayed in rhythms that seemed to harmonize with her companion’s energy patterns.

Three Demonica Moonburghs working in perfect synchronization, their combined output creating mana density that peopled dreamed of having.

The air itself feels alive.

Noah settled into his meditation position between the glowing plants, feeling their enhanced emanations wash over him like warm sunlight. If elemental affinity was going to reveal itself anywhere, this would be the optimal environment.

One hour. Give it everything I’ve got.

He closed his eyes and began the visualization exercises Lola had taught him.

Fire first.

Dancing flames, crackling wood, heat that could melt steel. His mana reached toward the mental imagery with careful attention.

Nothing.

Water next.

Flowing rivers, crashing waves, gentle rain feeding thirsty earth. The same careful extension of magical senses, seeking resonance with aquatic forces.

Empty response.

Earth.

Solid stone, fertile soil, mountains that had stood for millennia. His enhanced mana sensitivity probed for connection with geological power.

Still nothing.

Minutes stretched into an hour of constant failure. Every element remained stubbornly unresponsive to his magical overtures, as if his mana existed in a different world entirely.

Maybe I’m thinking too narrow. What if i’m super talented?

What if my affinity is something like Lightning? Ice? Light? Darkness?

The expanded search yielded identical results. Whatever his elemental affinity might be, it wasn’t revealing itself through meditation alone.

An hour wasted. Time for Plan B.

Noah opened his eyes, sighing with frustration that made the glowing plants seem to pulse sympathetically.

The enhanced mana environment had accelerated his magical development, but discovering his elemental nature remained frustratingly difficult.

Lola said traveling to elemental regions was an option. Maybe direct exposure will trigger something meditation can’t.

He stood and gathered his equipment, checking that the Zealous Quickblade hung properly at his hip.

Back to the Crimson Mountains. If I can’t figure out my element, at least I can improve my combat skills.

Time to see if beetle combat provides better results than meditation.

Sin City’s streets buzzed with afternoon activity as Noah made his way toward the city gates. Demons went about their daily business while merchants hawked everything from weapons to questionable street food.

The Crimson Mountains appeared ahead, their rust-colored peaks standing strong

Here he might have combat opportunities that might unlock whatever magical potential his meditation couldn’t access.

Beetles don’t care what element I resonate with. They just care about being defeated quickly and efficiently.

Other adventurers dotted the landscape in various stages of monster hunting preparation.

Some sat in strategy circles while others engaged creatures in active combat.

Noah drew the Zealous Quickblade as the Beetle’s shapes came into view.

The hunt began with a purpose beyond simple monster slaying.

...

After hunting for a while, Noah improved at a rapid rate.

His body was finally syncing with his new attributes. What had started as awkward adjustments to his powerful capabilities became some good combat prowess.

Getting used to twenty strength and agility. Finally feels somewhat natural instead of overwhelming.

The training against the beetles was, of course, not the only factor in play, but the sparring with Master Tanaka and his training.

He was able to face five beetles simultaneously after half an hour of intensive battles. The creatures’ coordinated attacks became easy puzzles rather than threats.

You have killed a Tier 0 monster, Grass Beetle

The notification marked the end of his latest group encounter. Noah wiped beetle ichor from his blade, already scanning the area for his next set of opponents.

His attention was caught by familiar figures approaching across the crimson grass.

That’s Kelyss’s group...

Three demons he recognised from his beetle hunting partnership days earlier. But something was wrong with the way they were moving.

Their posture and the way they moved toward him with a grim expression.

I don’t see her. Where’s Kelyss? Would they think I’m weird for asking about their friend?

Wait, why are they all looking at me like that?

"Hello."

The man at the front spoke first.

"Hi. How may I help you?" Noah responded with a puzzled look.

The man’s expression didn’t change. But his next words struck Noah so deeply that his eyes dilated.

"Our friend Kelyss... she was killed yesterday in an attack by extremists while she was out with us. We saw her speaking with you a few days ago, and the two of you hunted together for a while, so we assumed you knew each other. Are we perhaps wrong?"