Dungeon Game Chapter 30

-30- Ice Break II 4

I consolidate my mind. I gather the intrinsic mana to the tip of my finger.

For instance, if a hole is made in a sack that is inflated until it's about to explode, the contents will gush out from there. Likewise, if a person's body is wounded, blood will come out from the torn blood vessel.

I don't know the feeling of releasing mana outside the body. But it's easy to understand in visible form as red body fluid that seeps out from a wound.

So I imagine collecting all the mana that dwells in my body. I wounded my fingertip with the edge of the naginata and let the blood drip down. Then mana left my body together with the blood.

While feeling a strange exhaustion, I know that I'm losing mana.

A feeling that I have never felt when I operate the mana inside my body. My body was pulled into a sudden sense of loss as if the world seemed to shrink.

Even though I'm feeling a strong discomfort, my goal was successful.

「Hibari-kun, are you all right?」

I smiled back to Hiiragi-san who was looking at my face anxiously.

「I'm all right. It's different from fatigue though, should I say that it's a strange feeling like losing strength?」

「It looks like you were able to release the mana outside your body, but can it really be shot?」

Heidi asked with great interest.

「I think it's useless if I don't practice. Because it's like making a hole at the bottom of a container that held water and is leaking right now. Besides, I have a feeling that I was able to vaguely grasp the sensation of releasing mana, so I think that wounding my finger is not needed next time.」

Completely losing my mana, I feel like strength was leaving from my body.

It was really strange. I remember the uncomfortable feeling like not being able to contain it despite putting my strength into it. Even if I move my body, I feel like it won't move according to my imagination.

Perhaps, mana might be having a strong effect within the body unconsciously.

If I think about it, is the fatigue that should have acc.u.mulated by walking as far as several kilometers, something that wears off just with a day's rest? Didn't my body move abnormally well in the fight with monsters? Above all, I can move at a speed that can't be produced by the human body and display impossible strength when I use mana, aren't those the evidence?

「Now that you mention it, that seems so. That being the case, is it better to prioritize developing MP in the future?」

「Well, Natsume had said it, but HP clearly sort of strengthens the body itself. He says that it's a small amount but there's no mistaking it.」

「Should I think that there is a function like HP is the foundation while MP is the amplification? If I improve the foundation itself, the effect at the time of amplification will likely increase as well, right?」

The points are limited for sure, so how I allocate it is very important.

If I increase my MP, I can extend the time that I can fight in a strengthened state with mana. There's no doubt that there are personal differences in strengthening using mana. But it is unclear at this moment whether there is a relation between the strengthening rate and mana quant.i.ty. If it happens that there's no difference or it's so small enough to be negligible, I think the risk is high to extremely swing towards MP.

If we can raise our basic abilities by increasing the value of HP, it might be better for us who are in the early stages of the dungeon to prioritize this.

「If magic similar to a firearm can be used, the strategic nature is widely extensive, but can we learn them?」

「Regarding that, I will integrate and verify it. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that I can compare with you and Hiiragi-san in fighting. If the ranged means can be guaranteed, wouldn't it be good enough if we can separate the roles?」

「Right. Even without a sort of magic gun, if we are able to hit the spot as planned even with the size of a pebble, fighting with monsters should become much easier.」

Although it sounds like a magician when you hear using mana from the distance and attacking, you can't expect its power so it feels like a combat support.

More and more, my role seems to be turning into something that looks like a supporter. Since even right now, I search for the enemy and guide using detection and I'm in charge of carrying the luggage with the tool bag.

Although I use a weapon, it should be possible to have an ability to attack from a distance by using mana. I want to plan something original.

With the used up mana restoring naturally, I recovered from the strange exhaustion and resumed the dungeon exploration.

◆

I gather the mana on the tip of my index finger.

I slowly release the mana dwelling inside my body outside. While feeling the strange discomfort, it spills outside my body.

The mana that leaked out dispersed in the air from that moment. To keep it from dissipating away, I must not disturb my concentration. I feel the invisible mana in my fingertip through intuition. Maintaining the size of a basketball.

The limit of my will resists the power that is about to disperse. The contents are hollow and do not have density. Reaching my limit of maintaining it, I wave my finger with the image of shooting it far away.

It disappeared without even reaching fifty centimeters at a speed that felt slow.

「Fuu.」

I let out a big sigh. Different from the first one, I shouldn't have lost all my mana so the sense of loss ends up small.

「It's little by little, but you're improving.」

「Yah, since you're practicing during our short breaks. If we compared it with I and Hiiragi who can't release our mana outside, it's an amazing accomplishment.」

While drinking water, I obediently accepted the compliment of the two.

I wasn't able to get circulation and they failed to grasp the feeling releasing it. Aside from the magic skill that shoots out mana and detection, I can get discharge if I use 4,000 points like with circulation.

Internal and external force. Circulation and discharge might be equivalent to those. A person has strong and weak points, does it also apply to the way mana is used? I can't jump to conclusions but I think there is enough possibility for that. Wazuka got both with his own effort according to the story so there might be also an exception though.

If I didn't cut my finger in the beginning, releasing mana outside won't be even possible. Even if I was able to release it outside, controlling the amount was impossible. Although I learned some control, mana had disappeared right after it was discharged. Even if I somehow maintain it, I can't shoot it far away.

There are a lot of points that should be improved. It's not impossible since the ideal image exists, so it's not necessary to give up. Because I'm feeling a definite response.

I increase the mana density, quicken the speed, give it impact strength, and add piercing ability. It should not be impossible. The magic gun implementing that with a mechanical structure exists.

Although I dare say, it's not possible for the mana to just fly like a bullet. When the demon (Streiya) killed Nantan-sensei, she definitely waved her finger. She also displayed movement while killing three people before that. The purpose of that is demonstration. It's conceivable that she conducted an example using the flashy killing.

She cut up people who were far away. Nothing was visible to the eye and I don't think that weapon had been used. I have no doubt she used supernatural strength. If I had detection at that time, I think I would be more concretely aware of it, but it's in the past so it's no use.

Anyway, I'm guessing whether it's possible if I change the shape of mana.

「The break is over. We'll soon arrive in less than two hours, but let's go without relaxing just in case.」

「Yes.」

「Yah.」

We stood up and head toward the exit.

We received a big change with today's exploration. Our fighting ability greatly improved and the method to use mana gave me frustration and challenge. Heidi joins the party and a certain promise is made.

I don't know what Hiiragi-san is thinking or expects from me.

I walk ahead of the path to guide the two on the back.