10 - Knight realms, Time Skip, Grand Theft

I tried getting Tom to teach me some spells now that I had mana, but he didn't know any (and he said he wouldn't have been bothered to teach me if he did know any, but I think he's just shy).

So, I'd have to look for a book of spells of something, listing a bunch of em, like the book of demons I had.

I could, however, continue my progress in the knight breathing technique.

Overall, knight breathing techniques all had the same stages, unless it was some unusual and bizarre technique.

These were: Mana sensing, Explosive heart, and the legendary 3rd stage: Plasmic mana.

Getting to the 2nd stage was a matter of course. Although many didn't make it there, many also did. Mana sensing was merely considered an apprentice stage, and almost all actuve knights and practitioners were in the explosive heart stage.

The explosive heart stage was further subdivided into 3 substages. Namely, gaseous, liquid, and solid crystal mana.

Like the names implied, as a knight increased the density of the mana within their blood, it would become liquid, and then finally a solid crystal. This mana was stored in a separate plane of existence from the physical one, and only showed when using aura and similar techniques.

When enough density was accumulated, the conversion process of solid crystal mana to the mana used in aura, casting spells, and so on, called aureous mana, would cause too much mana to be converted at once, since the density was too high.

This caused a rapid chain reaction in the crystal structure leading to more energy let out than mana particles are normally meant to withstand, creating a unique plasma state in the resultant mana gas cloud.

The result was that the mana would flow as fast as electricity, be converted in an instant, and the potency and efficiency of all spells would shoot through the roof.

This was the Plasmic Mana stage.

I had already experienced the strength of the start of the explosive heart stage, and from the start to the end of the explosive heart stage, I would grow to be able to shatter entire mansions by the end.

This was also the limit of my bloodline's potential, according to Tom.

Entering the plasmic mana stage was no longer just a matter of accumulation over time.

There were fundamental limits to the mana someone's blood could store, but it could be increased with practice.

It was just the amount of practice needed to do so was different for different levels of talent, and more talented bloodlines could do so faster, whereas slower ones would take longer than a mortal lifetime. In other words, it would be impossible for a normal human.

In this sense, it could also be seen that longer lived species had an unfair advantage over humans.

However, for plasmic mana, the level of mana density required was abnormal. It wasn't something that could be achieved without extraordinary means.

A mix of bloodline talent, comprehensive ability, determination, daily practice, a certain degree of risk and being pushed to the edge of a fight, and finally a tinge of luck, were all required to achieve plasmic mana.

In the land the book was written in, all the great masters who achieved plasmic mana cut off their ties and spent all their time studying high magics.

The highest tier of magic known could only be cast by plasmic mana, due to the mana circuit breaking apart if not channeled quickly enough. Plasmic mana's high conductivity speed was required for casting.

It was said that the way one saw the world changed upon obtaining plasmic mana, but there were no more details in the book since plasmic mana users were just too rare.

In the history of the Lavencia family, where the book originated, only the founder had had plasmic mana.

'Hmmm'

It seemed to me like after entering the plasmic mana stage, a practitioner would "see" something in the world, and whatever they "saw" would make them search for something, something amongst the higher magics.

It couldn't be wealth, fame, sex, or other mortal things. They would have enough of those already.

Whatever it was they were looking for, I was determined to reach that stage and see for myself one day.

Although Tom said my bloodline didn't have the potential to obtain plasmic mana, he and I also both knew that the world wasn't that simple.

With that, I journeyed with the coachman, who thought I was a demon is disguise at this point, and a month and a bit later, we finally reached the border town of Damerel.

Although Tom said my bloodline potential was limited to the peak of the explosive heart stage, that also wasn't bad by any means.

Even in the land where the Lavencia family existed, it was essentially the peak power, since plasmic mana users were not only exceedingly rare but also tended to cut themselves off from broader society.

Moreover, my talent was only slightly below the founders. This meant I was only barely unable to step into the plasmic mana stage.

It could also be seen that when founding and growing the Lavencia family, the founder had only just entered the plasmic mana stage.

That made sense, since later on when he was even stronger, he probably wouldn't have been bothered with having children.

I suspected most major families in that kind of world were like that.

Well, this wasn't that kind of world.

Currently, I suspected if I might be the strongest person on the continent.

After the time spent traveling, I still didn't have liquid mana, despite the talent right below the Lavencia founder and over a whole passing.

It went to show how hard it was to progress in this stage.

However, don't think this meant I only marginally grew stronger.

Tom kept seemingly slipping up and calling my stage that I was at my "cultivation realm", even though the book never mentioned such a term, and even he didn't know why he called it that.

Nonetheless, despite the lack of increase in my cultivation realm at those major levels, there was still a sublimation in the current stage. I must have grown several times stronger in the past month.

I could already chop down a thick tree with a single cleave when holding a large axe.

I suspected I'd reach liquid mana in at most half a year at this rate.

I had also tried to get a grasp on aura, which was a separate ability one had to learn on their own, but only had preliminary success.

This wasn't because of a lack of talent or comprehension, but simply and merely a raw lack of mana.

It took a lot of mana to condense aura, even for just a second.

By the end of the month, I could almost do it, but not quite.

Getting off the carriage in Damerel, the coachman didn't stay and hurriedly left to go somewhere, presumably, as far away from me as he could. His name had been Vince.

I wonder if we'll ever meet again.

Well, that was a silly thought. What were the odds of meeting again a person who was actively avoiding you, in this broad world?

Surely, it would never happen.

Finding myself a place to stay, I happened to be turning 21 in a few days.

I decided to stay in Damerel for a while until that passed.

Looking at the compass for treasures, which had become a habit, there was nothing on it but a little icon for my position.

Closing it, I continued diligently practicing mana breathing.

Of course, I wasn't just meditating. Meditiation would work, but it was too slow. I needed to move and exert myself to really improve quickly.

In the carriage, I had been doing this in the treasury.

Here, I would make a ruckus if I practiced out in the open, so I also practiced in the treasury.

I had gotten decent at swinging a sword in this time as well.

I was using one of the treasures, I had 3 sword treasures now, and besides being sharp and able to emit blade beams, it could also improve my agility.

I wasn't exactly sure how it worked, but when I held it, I suddenly felt like I was going much faster. There was also a little marking on it that Tom called a "rune".

It had grown on me to use.

The treasury walls, as always, stood steadfast and took every attack without any damage, not so much as getting scraped.

I had tried to go deeper into the warehouse in the treasury before and there was a wall a out 1 kilometer down. The size could be a problem one day but I'd get to that when I had to.

I had 4 book treasures at this point, which had been placed in the library section, alongside the original nameless book with Adriel's message that had been there at the start.

I had the option to prop the items in the warehouse up on stands, automatically created by the treasury if I willed it.

I could also put Tom on a stand, much to his disgruntlement, and when he activated the defensive barrier treasure, and I then placed him and the treasure on two opposing stands distant from one another, I could kick him out of the protected radius of the barrier.

This was very interesting. Although to drag someone in here who wasn't regarded as a "treasure", they'd have to be unconscious or willing, so long as I could bring someone into the treasury, they'd essentially be at my mercy.

Well, for now, they could still straight up walk off the stands, but I suspected later there would be more secure forms of containment.

Surely such a grand treasury wluld have methods to contain more dangerous treasures, right?

And surely I could abuse that.

Well, it was all just theory for now, but I was expectant.

A few days passed and my birthday passed as well.

I decided to take a break from training and treat myself, so I stuffed myself silly at the fanciest restaurant I could find in the tiny little border town, Damerel, also getting some food for Tom, who didn't need to eat but appreciated the notion, before finally setting off the next day.

The destination? The neighbouring Birian Empire, to the west.

***

The plan, of course, if it wasn't obvious by now, would be to travel to each imperial capital and major city and steal all the treasures from right under their noses.

I could hardly stop myself from giggling like a little boy when I thought of how full the treasury would look.

I won't go into all the details from here on out, since nothing special really happened.

In each empire, I obtained a part of a dragon's remains. By the end of the journey, I had a dragons full skeleton, a dragon's eyes, dozens of dragon scales, a vial of preserved dragon blood, and a frozen dragon heart.

In Suiris, I had also gotten a dragon egg.

Besides this, I obtained 40 weapons, 20 rings, 13 articles of clothing or armor, 9 pieces of jewelry (besides rings), 17 books, 7 holy hand grenades, and 11 misc. items across all the empires.

I rotated around the map in a counterclockwise fashion.

In the Birian Empire, I obtained an instrument, Tom called it a sitar, which when played would trap the souls of those who listened in its melodies. It was more effective if I imbued mana into it as I played it.

In the empire to the left, Niria, I obtained an odd stone with what Tom recognized as a fire rune on it. He said it was for "class advancement", but that I couldn't use it as I was.

At the left edge of the map was the Empire of Laragreia, where I obtained a broken "magicore" of a "golem".

Going down the map to the empire of Xaya, I actually found a piece of mythril. I used it to summon a demon without a blood sacrifice, but I'll tell that story later.

In the empire of Drinaria, I got a bottle with a fire constantly swirling around inside it. Tom said it was literally just fire in a bottle, nothing more. Still, the treasury considered it a treasure. Maybe it was the bottle more than the fire.

In the empire of Melen, I got a runic stone inscribed with a rune of agility.

In Zarus, a "health potion" and a vial, specifically a "soul vial". I could store souls in it. Well, soul. Precisely a singular soul, no more. And it was already filled at the time with a little tiny girl with wings that called herself a "pixie".

The body wasn't needed to store a soul but it turned out the pixie was small enough to jave had her body fit in there too.

In Zuvel, I got a "mana potion", which was too concentrated so one couldn't drink it without imploding before reaching liquid mana. Thankfully, by then, I had.

Liquid mana was no different from gaseous mana, except it required to be converted to a gas to use in most cases (but not always). Besides that, it just mrant I had a boatload of mana at hand.

The mana potion would restore my mana to full once, so I decided to save it for now.

Finally, Evadon. Directly south of Suiris, I had traveled around the whole map, the entire perimeter and every empire therein, going in a counterclockwise manner until reaching this place.

I found something called "ethric" here, which was this powder like substance that was apparently used as currency in many places. Well, places outside this continent, of course.

It was a powder, so one had to weight it to judge the price everytime. There was no standardized token made of it, or anything of the sort. With magic at hand, this was less inconvenient than you'd think.

Finally, I was done my little crusade of thef- ahem. Safekeeping, around the continent.

It had taken 3 years.

I was 24 now.

It was a good thing the fruit's changes ro my body included a strong control of my libido, or else I would've gone around making a lot of "mistakes" while traveling, I was sure.

Now, it was finally time to go to the theocracy, but before that, let's recount my status at this point.

Remember the mythril? So, there were some demons in the first book of demon summoning I had read who only wanted mythril to be summoned. However, turns out it was a big scam, since mythril was more rare than that book gave it credit.

Even greater demons desired mythril, which I now knew because of the 17 new books I had obtained, there was one on greater demon summoning.

Since it required no sacrifice, I used the mythril to summon what I thought would be useful, a long term servant rather than a one time summon with a short duration.

In the end, I chose a lesser demon, one called "Ixtra", who was this little impish guy with horns. He was pretty cute.

To be clear, he was humanoid. It was a cute, humanoid imp boy.

He seemed weak if going off of common human criteria, but of course, a lesser demon is still a lesser demon. He was actually much stronger than me at the time I summoned him, which had me distressed, but thankfully demons don't betray their contracts.

It was long term, so the contract end date was 100 years, with a renewal every 100 years with a new piece of mythril or something equivalent. Well, that was good enough.

I couldn't use the dragon parts for anything yet. On the pixie's side, she ran off somewhere the moment I set her free, and I hadn't seen her since.

I could use aura now, and I could launch blade beams on my own without a treasure.

My current goto treasures were:

-a sword that could emit flames if willed upon

-a cowl with a number of stat bonuses and a stealth effect

-a single ring with a massive mana boost, since goodness, the feeling of being filled to the brim with mana was just too good to pass up, even if I already had a large mana pool.

-a second ring that gives night vision

-a cloth armor set for a rogue that was easy to move in and comfortable, and gave a number of stat boosts and, again, an extra stealth effect.

-earrings that were like a passive defensive artifact, but were much more flexible than the first defense artifact I came across back in Suiris.

-because it was just too nice to always be liked by people, I wore a little bangle that gave a decent charm buff.

As anyone can tell, it was a mix of all aroumd stat bonuses, a few quality of life things, and stealth, stealth, and more stealth.

If there was one thing I was making sure would never happen, it was me getting caught.

Word had already spread halfway through my journey that there was a master thief going around robbing imperial vaults, and I was not about to let people find out who siad master thief was.

Also in the journey, I had grown much more knowledgeable about the world outside the continent, due to all the books.

'Still no spell book though', I thought exasperatedly.

Ixtra, the cute imp demon, could use some magic, but it was all instinct amd he couldn't teach me it.

The compass had also gotten its 3rd upgrade. It was now at [148/1000], and the change log had looked like this:

[Upgrade 3 (100 treasures):

-Can now view previously traveled to areas, regardless of map range restrictions. Can not check for the existence of treasures outside of range, even in previously traveled to areas.

-Effective range increased from 50KM -->100KM]

And with that, I finally didn't have to keep using a separate physical map for palces I had visited beyond the compass' range. Took long enough.

The next upgrade was at 1000. It was a dreadfully exponential progression.

Alright, that's all for the recount.

It was finally time to go, to the Eyne theocracy.

I would have to be more careful there, since by stealing from the theocracy, I was essentially stealing directly from the Goddess Eyja.

And I wasn't quite ready to upset a Goddess yet.