WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Irevi

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◈ Alone Against the Tower ◈

Chapter 78: World Tree

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The next day, I woke to Eleanor's presence approaching my door.

“Was your night peaceful, my dear?”

“Yeah, yeah. Slept fine.”

Eleanor greeted me with a smile, and I gave a vague answer. The truth was, I hadn't slept a wink.

That distinctive presence I sensed from Eleanor kept bothering me, so I stayed up all night trying to investigate it.

Of course, I hadn't found anything. To begin with, my basic understanding of mana was far too lacking.

I'd picked up some background knowledge while learning mana manipulation from Eleanor on the seventh floor, but that was all it was.

Most of the knowledge and tricks Eleanor taught me were too abstract.

So, for the first time in a while, I searched through the Open Community.

Mana Manipulation and Mana Detection skills were the sort of thing any Mage-type class had at least one of.

I thought I might find information or strategy posts that could answer my questions if I looked hard enough, but that wasn't the case at all.

[Author: Park Chan-yong#1442]

[Title: What Does Mana Attunement Even Do?]

People say it's good to raise it, but is it just a prerequisite for skill quests? How do you use it?

- Higher Mana Attunement improves skill efficiency. Essential skill.

- ↳ That isn't in the description. Are you sure?

- ↳ It isn't written there, but any mage nerd knows that.

- I'm a Lv. 60 pyromancer, and there's no downside to raising any skill with Mana in its name.

- ↳ What's the exact effect, then?

- ↳ Don't know, but it's good anyway.

- It is a prerequisite for Mage skill quests. You probably can't learn even half your skills without it.

Almost no Challengers properly understood mana-related passive skills, including Mana Attunement.

Not only did they not know the basic principles of controlling mana, most of them had acquired the skills without even knowing how to use them properly.

Even high-level clear-focused Challengers and Ranker-level Challengers recognized their importance, but few knew anything specific.

There were some Challengers calling themselves “Orthodox Mages” who seemed to understand mana to some extent.

But none of them agreed with each other, and the community treated them as complete crackpots, so they had no credibility.

In the end, I hadn't learned anything. I'd just lurked in the community all night.

“Did you really sleep well? You look a little tired.”

As I thought about yesterday's events, Eleanor suddenly leaned close and asked.

“I did. I just overdid it a little yesterday.”

As I said that, I took out the pendant Eleanor had given me.

“I used this.”

It was the final reward for a seventh-floor quest, allowing its user to use limited Mana Enhancement.

Its effect was undeniably incredible, but it came with an appropriate side effect. It put that much strain on the body.

If my face looked tired, it was entirely because of this pendant. Staying up for one night was nothing to me.

“Ah, I see now. Judging by the mana stored within it, you must have used it quite recently.”

With just a glance at the pendant, Eleanor accurately gauged the amount of mana stored inside.

Eleanor knew more about mana than anyone around me.

Did Eleanor know what this presence I sensed actually was?

* * *

After having a brief breakfast with Eleanor, I immediately asked what had been on my mind.

“A presence?”

Naturally, I didn't mention Non-Player Characters or anything like that. I only said that Eleanor's presence felt especially strong to me.

It was too intense to be explained merely by the difference in mana reserves.

“Hmm, I cannot say. If I were to guess, perhaps your sensing ability has developed in a biased direction?”

“What do you mean, biased?”

“It is rare, but sometimes an ability develops in a direction where it detects a particular sort of thing unusually well.”

Eleanor gave me several examples.

Someone might be especially good at detecting long-range projectiles, or especially sensitive to the presence of living creatures.

But Eleanor had never heard of anyone being especially sensitive to only one particular person.

Eleanor asked whether it might simply be because it was a familiar presence, but I naturally shook my head.

“Then I do not know either. Personally, I would like it to be because you think of me as special, but...?”

Eleanor's hand crept toward my thigh as that sticky voice came out.

Here we go again.

I brushed away the hand climbing somewhere it had no business going and continued thinking.

As Eleanor said, suppose I was sensing something specific with unusual strength. Something only Eleanor possessed.

What could Eleanor have that other Non-Player Characters did not?

It wasn't a special item, nor was it some special trait passed down through the Dark Elf royal family.

If it were, I would have felt the same thing when I saw the Queen of the Dark Elves on the seventh floor.

Or was it really because we had once shared senses through the Night Elf Secret Art?

But if that were the case, Eleanor couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

It also wouldn't explain why that presence had suddenly disappeared on the seventh floor.

No, wait. There was one thing.

Something only Eleanor had, unlike other Non-Player Characters. A sense of self as a top-tier Elite Non-Player Character.

If I was sensing that, it explained everything. Even why the presence had suddenly disappeared on the seventh floor.

But did it make sense to physically sense a self? What exactly was I sensing?

The thing that made a Non-Player Character unlike a Non-Player Character. The thing that gave a Non-Player Character a human-like sense of self.

And the thing that took that self away the moment it disappeared.

At that moment, one very abstract concept came to mind.

“Soul...?”

And a way to learn more about it.

* * *

The three major factions at the center of the Faction Quest continually clashed on the eighth floor.

It was an unstable situation, with local disputes continuing and war certain to break out one day.

As one of the Dark Elf faction's most important figures and combatants, Eleanor had no choice but to be busy with one thing after another.

“Ah... I wanted to talk with you longer, but I simply cannot find the time.”

Before long, Eleanor left my side after saying that. The quest still hadn't progressed.

I said goodbye to the disappointed Eleanor and headed out as well.

If what I sensed was another person's Soul, and Eleanor's intense self and presence originated from that Soul...

“If that's the case... I don't know.”

Come to think of it, learning that wouldn't really accomplish anything.

Honestly, I might have been better off using this time to make progress on the quest.

But my feet didn't stop. For some reason, I was too restless to endure it this time.

I had come to a place I had often visited on the seventh floor, the smithy of the Dark Elf Erwen.

Knock, knock.

When I knocked on the closed smithy door, a loud clatter, clatter! rang out from inside.

Soon after, the door opened, and a Dark Elf with a large bust and a petite frame appeared.

“Honestly, even if you're in a hurry, isn't this too much? How much do you intend to pester an old timer... Hm?”

Erwen came out carrying armor and a sword, then widened both eyes upon seeing me.

“What? What is this? Have I finally grown so old that I'm seeing things? Aren't you the human I know?”

“Yeah. You'll recognize me if you see this.”

“The one I made for you... No, why is it so spotless? Did you keep it on display and then take it out?”

Erwen let out an incredulous sigh upon seeing the bracer I held out.

Well, that was understandable.

From Erwen's perspective, I was still keeping equipment made twenty years ago in mint condition.

“I did nag you to take better care of your weapons, but you've taken that advice too much to heart. You don't look like the type.”

It wasn't because I treasured it. It was just actually new. Still, I had no reason to correct the misunderstanding.

Although Erwen sounded reproachful, Erwen also seemed secretly pleased.

“By the way, when did you come all the way back here? I heard you were busy.”

“Yesterday. Something came up. I plan to stay for a while.”

“Really? Have you greeted Eleanor? Eleanor will be delighted.”

Erwen asked me this and that like I was a grandchild returning home after a long time, then naturally led me inside.

The smithy had not changed much despite the passage of twenty years.

Considering the Dark Elf blacksmith's age, twenty years probably wasn't that long. It wasn't strange.

“I have nothing to offer but tea. If I'd known you were coming, I would have put out some snacks at least.”

“It's fine. I came because I have something to ask.”

“Hmm, I knew you hadn't come just to say hello. All right, then. Ask whatever you wish.”

Other than the queen, who was difficult to meet, Erwen was the oldest Dark Elf.

That made Erwen the best person to ask about this.

“Tell me about the World Tree.”

About the mysterious tree that granted elves eternal life by cycling their Souls.

Footnotes:

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