Chapter 98 98: Mana Trait & Seeing Artoria Pendragon

— — — — — — Three days later— Feeling refreshed and in high spirits, Veyron put on his clothes and tagged Merlin in the chat. She replied with a playful sticker that basically said, "No problem." And just like that, Veyron accepted her mission and teleported to her world. The destination Merlin had set was a tall tower standing alone in a sea of flowers. At the edge of its platform stood the Succubi (dream demon), her white hair flowing gently in the breeze. One hand gripped a staff while the other reached out lazily, letting soft pink petals brush against her fingertips with the warmth of spring. A faint floral fragrance lingered in the air. "So this is Avalon?" Veyron came up beside her, looking down at the paradise of flowers so vivid it seemed like it could melt even the iciest oceans. "It's 'The Ideal Land That Beckons,'" Merlin said with a smile. "What do you think? Not bad, right?" "It's nice," Veyron nodded. "But... probably a little too dreamlike for a normal human." "That's exactly why it works," she chuckled. "An ending point that carries all the beauty and longing people dream of—that's what keeps us moving toward hope." She turned to face him fully, her vivid violet eyes flickering with a strange glint. "As I thought... you've changed a lot since last time." That was over a month ago, back on the island of Ruskaine in One Piece World. Back then, when she used her clairvoyance, she could still get a decent read on him. But now, even in her own world—where her clairvoyance had the full mystic boost of "seeing all that is"—all she could perceive was a chaotic, shifting mass of energy more mysterious than anything she'd seen in even the highest gods. No wonder he could casually drop lines in the chat like, "At this point, the one who should be worried is the Counter Forces." "Well then," Merlin leaned in, her body practically brushing against his. "Would you like to try some authentic royal black tea of Britannia first... or maybe experience our world's unique magical energy..." She tilted her head slightly, her voice turning soft and breathy as she gazed into his eyes. "...Or would you rather start with me☆?" "Try that line again and I just might take it seriously," Veyron said flatly, raising a finger and pressing it against her forehead to push her back a little. "And don't try to trick me with that royal tea nonsense. This is 5th-century Britain—there's no such thing as authentic royal black tea yet." "Oh come on," Merlin pouted. "Arthur grew up drinking it! That's royal enough, isn't it?" With a flick of her hand, she conjured an illusion of a blonde, blue-eyed little girl delicately holding a teacup. "...Fine. I'll take a cup." Veyron knew full well she was twisting the narrative a bit, but he wasn't here to argue about trivial details. Today wasn't about historical accuracy—it was about something far more important: Magic. The unique energy system of the Type-Moon world. "I already explained the basics of magical energy to you back in Hancock's world." Merlin said as she returned with a freshly brewed pot of tea, settling into her usual flower-viewing spot—the same one she used before the chat group's 'buggy' mission system let her fast-track dimensional travel. "So I probably don't need to repeat myself, right?" Veyron nodded. "No need." "Figured," she continued, pouring him a cup. "Considering how ridiculously much you've changed in just over a month... I'm thinking all you really need now is a sample—and you'll figure out how to convert life energy into magical energy or Mana in no time." As she spoke, she reached up to her temple and plucked out a single silver-white strand of hair. Normally, mana can only be contained inside a magus' body. Once it's released, it immediately disperses back into life energy and vanishes into the world's magical source. To keep that from happening, you need a vessel—something to hold the energy. For example, bodily fluids are commonly used to transfer magic to others. (Yeah, don't think too hard about that.) Or, some magi store the mana they've built up over time in their hair. When needed, they can use that hair like a "magic battery" or even as a medium for spellcasting. Taking the strand of silver hair from Merlin, Veyron began analyzing the energy inside it with his own Ki. Seeing how quickly he slipped into focus, Merlin tilted her head and poured herself a cup of tea as well, settling in across from him. . . . . . [You have acquired a new Trait — "Mana (Lv.1)"] Thanks to the combination of Veyron's unique, transmigrator perspective, Merlin's near-Grand Caster level knowledge, and that strand of hair filled with her mana as a reference point—along with the ultra-fine perception granted by his Fourth-Stage Gene Lock—unlocking the Type-Moon-style Mana Trait was no big deal for him. Next up: He needed to fuse his Ki with this world's mana and reflect that fusion on his system panel. Basically, combine the "Mana" Trait with his core "Divine Ki" Trait under a unified framework. That was a walk in the park for Veyron. The [Mana (Lv. 1)] Trait, which had just appeared on the panel, was quickly absorbed by [Divine Ki (Lv. 49)]. And immediately, he felt a wave of power surge through him. His Ki's strength skyrocketed—multiplying over a thousandfold. [Divine Ki (Lv. 49)] Lv.10: +4 Divine Ki Power Lv.20: +8 Divine Ki Power Lv.30: +12 Divine Ki Power Lv.40: +16 Divine Ki Power As he stared at the updated Trait panel and felt the sheer, overwhelming power coursing through his body—a power that didn't rely on any technique, a simple outburst of raw force strong enough to erase a planet beneath his feet—Veyron couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh. This pure, untainted power... The kind of joy it brought... was intoxicating. He was already getting excited, wondering what kind of rush he'd feel when he finally hit Level 50. Just thinking about what kind of bonus that massive 40-million XP milestone might unlock was enough to make his heart race. Standing up from his seat, Veyron strolled down the viewing platform to the other side of the tower. "Judging by that look on your face... I take it it worked?" Merlin, lounging on a bench and reading a book aloud to the little blonde girl beside her, looked up at the sound of his footsteps. "Yeah. Success." As Veyron opened his hand, the strand of hair Merlin had given him to help him understand mana transformed into a silver butterfly. It fluttered gracefully through the air before landing lightly on Merlin's outstretched finger. "Then congrats," she smiled. Sensing that the mana in the hair had been fully replaced by Veyron's transformed Ki, she nodded in approval and gestured toward the girl next to her. "Give me about fifteen minutes to finish this lesson, alright?" "Take your time." Veyron waved casually, letting them be. But less than a minute later, his brow began to furrow. The identity of the girl sitting next to Merlin wasn't exactly a mystery. Between his own higher-dimensional "transmigrator perspective," the endless stickers and emojis Merlin spammed in the chat group, and the projection she'd shown earlier while arguing about the authenticity of "royal British tea," the pieces were easy to put together. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl was none other than the future legendary King Arthur— Artoria Pendragon. Merlin, apparently serving as something like her half-mentor, had brought her into this dreamlike realm to teach her via magic. That wasn't an issue in itself. But... the content of the lesson... Something about what he was overhearing felt... off. Very off. . . .