[Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]

    Chapter 48

    At Eldir’s cryptic remark about the mana suit stealing someone’s future, Irene sharply rebuked him.

    “Brother! I told you to stop saying weird things!”

    “What? About it stealing the future?”

    “Yes! What kind of nonsense is that? How could an A-Rank Mana Suit, the Guardian, steal someone’s future?”

    “Heh. Isn’t it obvious? Once you’re part of the Fairy Tower, your future is tied to it. You’ve mortgaged your freedom to the tower, haven’t you?”

    Eldir staggered, slurring as he continued.

    “Think about it. This guy’s already entangled in the Fairy Tower. His fate is clear as day. Hah! Female elves from all over will swarm him. He’ll pick one, end up married, and once that happens, kids will start piling onto his back. And to feed them all, he’ll spend his days grinding dungeons endlessly. Hahaha... the start of a hellish life as a family man.”

    “Brother... Are you ranting against marriage again? Seriously, stop belittling happy family life like that! Do you know you’re the number one guy single Meisters avoid? They all say you ruin their dating lives!”

    “Heh. I’m just stating the truth, but fools blind to reality keep pretending otherwise.”

    The Mana Suit That Steals the Future.

    What began as a simple remark by Eldir spiraled into a drunken rant against marriage.

    Was his comment about the mana suit just drunken nonsense, then?

    No... It doesn’t seem that way.

    As a Swordmaster, Eldir might appear drunk, but the Sword Area surrounding his body was perfectly stable, showing no signs of disruption.

    That meant his words weren’t mere drunken ramblings.

    There had to be something about the A-Rank Mana Suit, Guardian.

    Why does he keep saying such ominous things, though?

    Kaylen couldn’t understand why Eldir, one of the leaders of the Fairy Tower, was making such remarks, but he decided to approach Guardian anyway.

    “Can the suit be loaned to me immediately?”

    “Have you made up your mind?”

    “Yes.”

    “Even after all my warnings, you still insist on borrowing it... Hmph.”

    Eldir glanced at Kaylen for a moment before reaching toward Guardian’s boots.

    The boots, which had been floating midair, were pulled into Eldir’s hand as though being absorbed.

    “With my master-level authority, I designate Kaylen as the temporary master of Guardian.”

    Whiiiir.

    The boots flared with blue light, releasing a surge of mana toward Kaylen.

    The mana connected with him for a brief moment before fading away entirely.

    Eldir handed the boots to Kaylen.

    “Here you go. Guardian.”

    Was that it? Was the process this simple?

    As Kaylen took hold of the boots, a soft female voice echoed in his ears.

    [Temporary Master. Would you like to equip Guardian?]

    “Yes.”

    The boots dissolved into water, their form breaking apart into droplets that hovered midair. Alongside the water was a single gemstone that moved toward Kaylen’s foot.

    Tap.

    The gemstone embedded itself on the inside of his right ankle.

    When it began to glow, the water droplets reassembled, forming the shape of the boots once again.

    The boots materialized on his right foot first, followed quickly by the left.

    [Guardian has been equipped by Temporary Master Kaylen.]

    [Current mana reserves: 78%.]

    As Kaylen listened to Guardian’s voice, he lifted his foot to examine the boots.

    Though they appeared to be made of metal, wearing them imposed no restrictions on movement. Every motion, down to the smallest twitch of his toes, felt completely natural, as if the boots were an extension of his own body.

    “Did you hear what it said about the remaining mana reserves?”

    “Yes, it said 78%.”

    “I don’t know what you plan to do with that mana suit, my human friend, but keep this in mind: when the mana drops to 20%, the suit will automatically shut down. You’ll have to return it here to recharge.”

    “I’m not sure yet.”

    Kaylen glanced down at the boots.

    “I tested water magic earlier before coming here. It was useful, certainly, but the power didn’t seem drastically different from the mana suit you gave me before.”

    He was referring to the mana suit Myorn had provided during his duel with the princess. Hearing that, her tail swayed side to side.

    “Well, that’s because that suit sacrificed everything else for pure power. The Guardian, in its normal state, won’t exceed B-rank output. Spirit Assimilation is what matters.”

    “I haven’t tried Spirit Assimilation yet.”

    “Hm. Did you notice anything strange while using it in its regular state?”

    “No, aside from the amplification of my strength.”

    “Then activate the Spirit Assimilation mode.”

    Spirit Assimilation—a hallmark feature of high-grade mana suits. In the case of the Guardian boots, activating it involved pressing the mana stone embedded in the inner ankle.

    [Activate Spirit Assimilation mode?]

    “Yes.”

    The Guardian boots shimmered before transforming into water, flowing outward to envelop Kaylen’s body.

    [Body transformation in progress... 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%...]

    Starting from his toes, his body began to merge with the water, the transformation spreading rapidly. Simultaneously, an immense surge of water mana from the Guardian coursed through his entire being.

    [70%. 80%... 100%. Body transformation complete.]

    So this is Spirit Assimilation.

    Kaylen marveled at the sensation. His body no longer felt like flesh and bone but a fluid entity teeming with water mana. The strength and responsiveness were unparalleled, a perfect synergy between himself and the suit.

    Kaylen''s body, now fully transformed into water, felt surprisingly normal. Despite the radical change in composition, he moved just as he would in his human form. Walking felt effortless, and he could maintain his shape without difficulty.

    “So far, it doesn’t feel much different from usual,” Kaylen remarked.

    “That’s because you’re still keeping your human form,” Myorn replied. “As you get used to Spirit Assimilation, you’ll realize you can freely change your shape. You could turn into something like a slime, shift into a jelly-like form, or even seep through walls as water and emerge on the other side.”

    “Even if my original form completely collapses, will it be fine?”

    “Yes. However, if the mana in the suit runs out, you’ll automatically return to your human form. And if you remain in a non-human shape, it’ll be harder to exert your full power. For example, in a slime state, you won’t be able to produce even half the strength you would in human form.”

    Humans were naturally most comfortable in their original shape, and the Guardian was primarily designed for destroying dungeon cores. Thus, its Spirit Assimilation function was optimized for the human form, where its full power could be utilized.

    “Still, practicing different forms can help you escape dangerous situations,” Myorn added.

    “That makes sense,” Kaylen agreed.

    “Does your body feel strange at all?”

    “No, everything seems fine.”

    “Good. Now try using magic—go outside.”

    Stepping out of the workshop, Kaylen decided to start with something simple: Ice Arrow.

    “Ice Arrow,” he intoned.

    Effortlessly, an arrow of ice materialized.

    So this is the efficiency of Spirit Assimilation.

    Determined to test his limits, Kaylen began casting continuously.

    “Ice Arrow.”

    This time, he summoned not one but several. Soon, dozens of ice arrows floated around him, then hundreds.

    When the number of arrows surpassed 500, Kaylen finally felt a slight drain on his mana.

    “It takes 500 arrows just to feel any mana consumption?”

    To his surprise, even that expended mana was rapidly replenished through his spiritified body. As mana flowed back into his body, a peculiar expression crossed Kaylen’s face.

    This mana—something about it felt... different.

    “Myorn.”

    “Hmm?”

    “That thing you mentioned earlier—I think I understand now.”

    “Oh? I figured you’d catch on quickly,” she said with a sly grin.

    “As expected, they wouldn’t lend out an A-rank mana suit without a catch.”

    The mana flowing back into his body via the Guardian wasn’t quite the same.

    There was something off. Something subtly... foreign.

    [Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]