Since the day I started practicing the skill that manipulates Mana to enhance the body, I have gotten a new skill named “Body Enhancement” in the Active Skill list. Using that, my quest of gathering herbs could be completed faster.

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The first time I used Body Enhancement it could only last for five minutes. It becomes longer every day along with my MP increasing. The increase in MP also has something to do with the increase of my Magic stat.

The way of using Body Enhancement is through Mana circulation inside your body. It’s as if your inner energy was creating a layer of Mana around your body. While maintaining the effect, I started my herb gathering routine. Usually I would do it until the evening. But now, it was finished in the early afternoon. Because of that, I now had the time to do some muscle training. While using Body Enhancement, I could feel that there was no strain on my muscles, so I could train them after herbs gathering.

I reported the quest to the fat uncle. “You should be able to gather twice the amount! Hump!” – maybe his att.i.tude towards me has changed, because now I earn 6 copper moon coins.

When I exited the Guild Hall, I saw Hage. I need to run away before he does something to me. I have met some villagers on the way, but their att.i.tude towards me isn’t any better than Hage’s.

“Black eyes and hair, as if possessed by a demon.”

“Go away from our village.”

This was nothing new. They even threw some rocks towards me. I can only dodge some of them and the rest naturally hit me. This was still something that I could handle. This kind of pain…

In my line of sight I saw a girl. She is the only one that didn’t throw rocks at me and didn’t look at me with the same eyes as the villagers. She is 15 to 17 years old. She wears leather pants and armor. Her weapon is a dagger resided at her waist. She is this village last adventurer. This village has five in total. Hage, with the other three in his party, and she is the last one.

When I got back, Grandma Stella was sewing.

“Welcome back, Yu.”

“I’m home.”

“Did you have a hard time at the village?”

“No, I’m fine.”

When she had seen me coming back injured for the first time, she cried all night long. So, it was good that we lived far from the village, if not, the villagers might have harmed her too.

I’m grateful to her for taking me in and teaching me a lot of things. A couple of days ago she taught me how to make dried fruits. Telling me about heroic tales from history. Today, she taught me how to sew. Maybe these things I learn will benefit me in the future. I know that she’s teaching me earnestly without any ill will.

……….

A couple of days later, after having finished my task of herbs gathering and reported it, Hage was standing at the entrance. I had a bad feeling about this, so I have tried to slip past him.

“Ugh..”

I felt a shock coming from my stomach. I fell down to the floor and Hage was standing there. Looking down on me with his usual bad smile.