Chapter-21 Mana Crystals

"Tell me about these Mana crystals; they have Mana in their name, so I'm sure they're important in this world."

[Mana crystals are a rare materialised form of mana that take years to form in areas where high densities of mana is present.

[The purity of Mana crystal is divided into three grades: low, medium, and pure. The fewer impure substances are present in the Mana inside the crystal, the better, and the more it is useful.]

"Hmm, what are their uses in this world?" Karna asked; wanting to know more about the magical side of this world.

[Mana crystals are the most sought after materialized form of mana due to their high uses in the community of humans.

They are the main resource of energy in this world, so are used in many different things according to their purity grade.

For example, most low-grade mana crystals are used by beings of this world who can afford them to power their household spells.]

"Wait! System!" "What's a household spell?" "I though spell could only be used by magician's"

[Just as humans utilised household appliances powered by electricity to make their daily lives easier in the Host's home world, beings of this world employ such spells invented by magicians and powered by mana crystals to make their daily lives simpler.

One such enchantment is the temperature control spell, capable of modulating the ambient temperature within a room. With a mere touch of a rune, the spell can summon a cool breeze on a scorching day or infuse warmth into a chilly abode.

Another common enchantment is the fire spell, which conjures a small, controlled flame. Designed for practicality, it provides a convenient means to cook meals with ease.

These spells are woven into the very fabric of daily life, exemplify the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the beings in this world.]

[The owner of the location merely needs to set a single low-grade mana crystal at the main power chamber, and all the spells linked by artificial mana circuits can be used for an entire month in normal size household.]

"Oh," Karna pondered, "So in this world, magic has evolved much like science, to the point where even those without innate magic abilities can harness its power."

"That's good to know." Karna was ecstatic knowing more about the magical stuff of this world; every bit of information was going to be helpful to him in adjusting himself to the new environment.

[Also, host, magicians use low-grade and medium-grade Mana crystals to create magical artifacts; these artifacts use Mana crystals as power cells to work.

And then there are also blacksmiths who use Mana crystals to temper their creations, like weapons and tools.]

[Beings of this world also use medium-grade and pure-grade mana crystals to temper their bodies.]

"Temper?" Confused by the words spoken by the system, Karna asked. 

[The body-tempering realm is the first entry-level realm that a mortal has to cross to go through what the humans of this world refer to as "Awakening."

It is divided into five small levels in an ascending numerical order.

With each passing level, the body of a individual goes through a process to become stronger enough to bear the process of awakening, which is said to be a painful process.]

"Hmm, so low grades are used by anyone who can afford them; medium grades are used by Magicians and Blacksmiths; and medium and pure grades are used by Warriors and Magicians alike to become stronger."

"So they must be pricey in this world," Karna commented as he emphatically struck his palm with a vertical fist.

[Yes, Host]

The system provided Karna with valuable information about the currency system in the four kingdoms.

It explained that the Humans' currency consisted of three types of coins: bronze, silver, and gold.

The conversion rate was 1000 bronze coins for a single silver coin, and 1000 silver coins for a single gold coin.

Furthermore, the system informed Karna about the pricing of mana crystals in the market.

Low-grade Mana crystals were relatively affordable, ranging from 1 to 5 silver coins, depending on their availability.

Most of the household spells were run on low-grade Mana crystals.

Medium-grade Mana crystal, on the other hand, were more valuable, priced at 0.9 to 5 gold coins.

However, pure-grade mana crystals, known for their rarity, were not sold on the market and were typically held exclusively by the royals and nobles.

Armed with this knowledge, Karna had a better understanding of the currency and Mana crystal pricing within the kingdoms.

It would prove useful as he ventured into human territory, allowing him to make informed decisions and transactions.

Hearing the system's explanation, Karna thought inside his head for a little while before starting to murmur to something under his breath.

"Hmm, I really want to take those three, but i can't even touch them. Sigh.... I neither have the time nor the tools to do so, and I can't absorb them right now because it will only harm me." 

"And their sizes are just above the level where I need to directly touch the items or things to store them in it,"

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Karna spoke again. "Well, let's just leave them and gather the other ones."

"Okay, System, open the inorganic material storage space." saying that Karna took off his wet T-shirt, that still had not dried up. 

Following Karna's command, the system opened the inorganic material storage space.

A black box materialized in front of him, representing the storage area dedicated to storing inorganic items.

The system boasted a three-space storage function, with each space serving a different purpose.

The organic materials storage space was designed to keep items stored within it fresh for a duration 50 times longer than usual.

The inorganic materials storage space, which Karna had just accessed, was specifically meant for storing non-organic objects such as ores, materials and other stuff like weapons, clothes and artifacts of any kind. 

With the availability of these storage spaces, Karna had the convenience of carrying essential items and preserving perishable resources.

It provided him with a means to manage and organize his belongings effectively, ensuring that he could access them whenever needed.

Without waiting, Karna started to pick up the crystals of lower and medium grade level from the ground.

He used his t-shirt to pick them up without directly touching them, he also used another feature of the storage function to store more crystals that he couldn't pick because of their size. 

*****

After 20 minutes of time, Karna had gathered a lot of mana crystals from the surroundings area of the cave, and was now standing on the other side of the cave in front of a seemingly endless descending stone tunnel.

Despite the opportunity to collect additional mana crystals for storage, Karna chose not to prolong his stay within the mountain cave.

He weighed the value of acquiring more resources against the desire to expedite his journey and decided that it was best to move forward.

Seeing the straight path that didn't have a visible exit, Karna gulped filling fear of the unknown things that he might meet in the dark.

However, even with the feeling of uncertainty Karna still moved forward, entering the tunnel.

Currently, Karna walked with his upper body naked while holding a wrapped mana crystal in his right hand.

The light coming out of the crystal helped a lot in this dark tunnel; He was able to walk faster due to the visibility provided by light. 

Karna walked and walked in the endless tunnel for an unknown amount of time.

He was tired of walking, but more then tiredness he was feeling happier about the fact that he had not encountered any monsters on his way till now.

After some time, Karna's speed slowed down a lot; even stopping sometimes to take rests.

He didn't want to, but Karna just could not force his body any more than he already had.

Hunger and tiredness were slowly devouring Karna's consciousness, but he still held on with the help of the system, which would start talking about new topics related to this world every time Karna felt like not moving.

The system's words would make me more focused and attentive.

Just as Karna was taking a rest, he suddenly heard the rustling sound of leaves, which he shouldn't have heard because, according to the system he still needed to cover a lot of distance to reach the end of the tunnel.

Slowly getting up from the ground using the support of the damp wall of the tunnel, Karna asked the system in his mind, thinking that he might be hallucinating. 

'Did you hear that?'

[Yes, Host.]

'Where did the sound come from?' Karna thought.