Chapter 89: Feeling a little hot

Lucien immediately began plucking the bean-sized red-orange fruits from the tree, not stopping for even a second.

These fruits were called Red Mana Berries.

They could awaken and grant mana to those who had none and increase the mana rank of those who already possessed it.

Although each Red Mana Berry only had a weak effect due to its small size, there were so many of them. If he ate them all, his body could gain mana and reach at least C-Rank in mana, even as a Guide!

With that thought in mind, Lucien became even more enthusiastic.

He quickly plucked every last berry from the tree, gathering the tiny fruits against the front of his shirt until he could barely hold any more. He glanced at the now-bare tree with a satisfied smirk, clearly pleased with his harvest.

Unable to resist, Lucien tossed a handful of Red Mana Berries into his mouth. Almost immediately, a faint, fresh surge of energy spread through his body, warm and invigorating like gentle rain soaking into dry earth. Feeling the pleasant flow of mana through his body, Lucien sighed happily and slowly turned around. Only then did he remember that he wasn’t alone.

Zephyr was standing nearby, quietly waiting for him.

Lucien’s ears immediately flushed.

He had gotten so excited over the berries that he had completely forgotten Zephyr was watching him.

He quickly cleared his throat and tried to act as though nothing unusual had happened.

"I found some fruits."

He hesitated for a moment.

Although he felt reluctant to share, and even a little jealous when he remembered that Zephyr, this side character, possessed SSS-Rank mana, he still couldn’t bring himself to keep all the berries for himself.

After all, Zephyr was the one who had brought him here.

Lucien glanced down at the berries gathered in his shirt before looking back at Zephyr.

"Do you want some?"

Zephyr was amused by the hesitation and unwillingness in Lucien’s voice, almost as if giving away even one of those tiny fruits pained him. He suppressed a smile and shook his head.

"I ate earlier, so I’m not hungry. You eat them."

Lucien’s eyes immediately lit up.

He didn’t hesitate for even a second. He simply nodded eagerly, as though he had been waiting for Zephyr to say those exact words.

"Okay. Then I won’t stand on ceremony."

Zephyr gave a low hum and pointed toward the berries.

"I don’t think I can carry you on my back with all those. Do you want me to carry you in my arms instead? Or should we stay here for a while and continue moving later?"

Lucien was silent after hearing how casually Zephyr said he could carry him in his arms. Carrying him in his arms wasn’t exactly feasible. He would probably die of embarrassment.

Still, he knew he couldn’t possibly eat all the berries anytime soon. After all, he had picked so many of them.

After a moment, he simply started walking.

"No need to stop. Let’s continue moving."

He thought for a moment before casually asking.

"Also, I have noticed that you can sense everything around you. Is that a skill?"

Zephyr didn’t bother hiding it.

"Yes. Psychokinesis. From what I’ve learned so far, it works similarly to Telekinesis. It allows me to sense everything around me."

Lucien blinked.

"Everything?"

Zephyr gave a small nod.

"To a certain extent. I can sense movements, changes in mana, and the presence of everything within the skill’s range. It’s not exactly the same as seeing, but it’s enough for me to know what’s around me."

Lucien’s eyes narrowed slightly as he processed this.

That explained a lot.

Zephyr was blind, yet after arriving at the Association, he had never once acted as though his lack of sight was a disadvantage. He always seemed to know where everyone was, where the monsters were coming from, and even when something had changed around him.

Lucien glanced at Zephyr thoughtfully before popping another handful of berries into his mouth.

"So that’s how you’ve been moving around this whole time."

"Yes."

Zephyr’s answer was as calm as ever, as though there were nothing particularly impressive about it.

Lucien couldn’t help but feel a little speechless.

He rolled his eyes, thinking that the world of an SSS-Rank Esper was probably just different from his own.

Tsk.

Still, at least this side character wasn’t as narcissistic, conceited, and two-faced as Erick, the protagonist.

The two continued walking side by side. ℯℯ𝘭.

Every now and then, Zephyr would suddenly stop Lucien whenever he sensed monsters nearby. He would then deal with them quickly and continue on as though nothing had happened.

This time, however, something felt different.

Zephyr didn’t seem to experience the same discomfort in his mana as before. His Corrosion skill no longer felt as difficult to control, and that strange sensation of his mana becoming corrupted hadn’t returned.

It seemed that his tolerance had increased.

Perhaps after pushing himself so hard in the previous battles, his body had gradually adapted to the strain.

Whatever the reason, Zephyr could now fight for much longer without becoming as exhausted or losing control like he had before.

Lucien watched him quietly while eating the berries.

The change was subtle, but it was definitely there.

If Zephyr continued improving at this rate, just how powerful would he become?

This guy could already kill S-Rank monsters as if they were nothing. If he continued growing stronger like this, perhaps the tragic story of this world could actually change after all...?

Suddenly, Lucien tugged at his collar, feeling a little hot for some reason. He didn’t think much of it and continued walking with Zephyr toward the next place where he remembered a treasure could be found.

Just thinking about what awaited them made Lucien’s excitement return.

Soon, he, Lucien, would have a powerful A-Rank skill as a Guide!

His physical strength was already at least B-Rank after eating the three Golden Might Fruits. He even had mana now, thanks to the Red Mana Berries. The only thing he was missing was a proper skill!

Once he obtained that skill, he could confidently say that he would at least be capable of fighting and killing a B-Rank monster on his own.

Hehe!

Lucien was so excited that he quickened his pace, walking faster while continuing to eat the berries.

As they walked, however, the strange heat he had been feeling became increasingly noticeable.

Still, Lucien simply assumed it was because of the crimson sun hanging overhead, radiating an intense heat that seemed to grow stronger with every passing moment.

After walking for a while longer, the two finally came to a stop before a narrow, dark burrow, its entrance just wide enough for a single person to squeeze through.

The opening was almost completely concealed beneath thick grass, tangled vines, and twisted green branches from the surrounding trees.

Beyond the narrow entrance, a dark passage descended deep into the earth, vanishing into the shadows.

As Lucien pushed back the grass and branches, a powerful, oppressive coldness seemed to seep from within, making the air around the burrow feel strangely chilling.

He paused for a moment before looking back at Zephyr.

"Let’s go in!"

Zephyr didn’t understand at first. It was only after he sensed the burrow with his skill that he realized what Lucien meant. Still, he frowned slightly.

"What if it’s a monster’s den?"

Lucien instinctively rejected the idea.

"No, it’s not! I know. Trust me!"

He didn’t seem to realize that his words contained far more information than he should have had.

Zephyr raised an eyebrow. He crouched down beside Lucien and asked another question.

"You ate those berries without hesitation. I didn’t say anything earlier, but what if they weren’t safe to eat?"

Lucien was already clearing away the grass and vines around the burrow, preparing to crawl inside. He answered instinctively.

"No, they don’t have any side effects."

Zephyr didn’t ask anything more.

He narrowed his eyes slightly before following Lucien into the burrow. Although he had a feeling that Lucien knew exactly what he was doing, he still couldn’t completely let his guard down.

He immediately spread his Psychokinesis skill throughout the burrow, carefully sensing everything within its range. That way, if Lucien encountered any danger, Zephyr could react immediately.

To his surprise, the narrow passage only extended a short distance before suddenly opening into a vast, naturally formed chamber.

The space revealed by his skill was far larger than Zephyr had expected, almost like a massive underground room. There was nothing inside except the enormous skeletal remains of what appeared to have once been a colossal monster.

Within the remains of the massive skeleton were two small, spherical cores, each floating in the air and radiating an astonishing amount of dense mana.

Even from a distance, Zephyr could feel the sheer concentration of energy emanating from them.

He couldn’t help but wonder.

’What are those things?’

Before he could examine the strange cores any further, a soft, uncomfortable groan came from Lucien, who was ahead of him.

Zephyr’s attention immediately shifted toward him.

"What happened?"