Chapter 48: Duo Element

Took a week off. I'm back to posting (:

Do you guys want me to start displaying Naoto's stats each chapter at the very end to show if any changes occur?

Don't forget those power stones!

*

[Harem Seeker Lv2 0/100]

Grants the following perks:

-Favorability Meter Lv1 (50/100) (+50)

-Friendship Up

-Bonus 10% experience gained for every girl currently in Party (Upgradable)] (New)

[Ding! Due to Title, Harem Seeker, reaching Lv2, a new function has been unlocked.]

[!Ding! The Party function has been unlocked. Player Naoto may now form a Party with others.]

[Ding! Party Settings has been unlocked. When forming a Party, Player Naoto is now able to set Party Parameters. Please review the Parameters for further information] (A/N like whether Naoto will receive all experience points, setting waypoints etc)

Just as Roselia was about to start her second spell, she suddenly came to a halt, just like I did. Seeing this notification in my mind caused me to blink.

"Say, before we start, can I quickly try something out?"

"Umu, it's probably related to that just now, right?", Roselia asked me.

"That's right. I didn't think [Party] would be unlocked for a good while...", I uttered inside my mind softly.

"Hmm, what is this [Party]?", Roselia decided to ask.

"You remember how Father and Miss Isola fought that wolf right? That could be considered a Party. But when one is formed by the system, you may be able to enter places that only I can.", I explained a bit. I mean, should I ever encounter instant dungeons or something along those lines, I could definitely invite people like Roselia to them. But doing that alone, even bosses would probably fear her, haha!

Jokes aside, I decided to give this new function a quick test run, allowing my command to prompt. Using [Party] was not difficult at all, and in the next moment, Roselia suddenly heard a chime.

[Ding! Player Naoto has created a party. You have sent a request to join to Roselia - lv??? to join.]

"So that is how this behaves. Do I receive any benefits?", Roselia asked in wonder?

"That I am not sure of. This function will need further testing.", I could only answer for now. Party systems definitely varied, and who knows, maybe there will be Party Quests and such down the line.

"I concur. For now, it does not look like it is having any effect. Can I conclude your test is over?", Roselia asked.

"It is. Thank you.", I said, inwardly smiling.

"I will start inscribing my two insignias then. Are you up for a challenge of doing both at the same time?", Roselia asked.

"Sure, why not. Aurelia could endure one, so let me challenge her and do both.", I said in confidence.

Moreover...If the soul is going to be involved, it's not like this is the first time I've felt pain in this aspect.

The first, and actually the only time I've felt pain in that high of an aspect was when I first crossed over into Zemuria, the reincarnation...

The thing that triggered the reincarnation was the Gamer System being bound to my soul, an excruciating pain felt like no other. I couldn't help but be curious to see if Roselia could match that power, for being a holy beast and all that.

Wait, that wouldn't make me a masochist now, would it...?

Shrugging that thought off, I steeled myself.

Aurelia and Prince Olivert saw we remained silent for a good moment, but before the two could say anything, they saw Roselia position her staff again, just like how she did when she chanted the first time.

Just as she chanted, her mana burst forth even more this time. The two even had to plug their ears a bit, as the chant sounded very weird to them, as if she had chanted it twice at the same time. Isn't this known as concurrent casting? You know, like layered spells.

Perhaps there was lot more unknown to magic than I had previously known in the Trailsverse.

That thought also lasted for a brief moment, as I suddenly felt two tingly sensations on my back. Two magic insignias slowly began to form.

"To think both would form at the same time...", Aurelia uttered softly in amazement.

"...Will Naoto be alright?", Prince Olivert asked with a hint of worry.

"He still might be very young, but I can tell he had already started his training, and has a strong will. Not the level of the iron-willed father of his though.", Aurelia explained "You saw how he didn't back away during our transit, right?"

"That is true. You endured this quite well, but with our budding friendship, worry is beginning to sprout."

"If something happens to him, it's your butt which will be at risk here. Are you able to shoulder what would happen a prince of a neighboring kingdom falls here?"

"That is very true, haha! Let us pray to Aidios this goes well."

"Indeed. Though I wonder...", Aurelia began to say in wonder.

"Hmm?", Prince Olivert responded, looking at her. He raised his eyebrows, only to see Aurelia release a bit of her purple aura. At first, he quickly realized the lightning from earlier, but his eyes flickered only to see a calmness this time, so he kept watching.

Aurelia gently blew some of her mana, letting it streak across the room. She aimed it right at my back, to where the spell was currently happening.

A glint of light streaked across Roselia's eyes as she saw this, but she didn't stop Aurelia. Meanwhile, inside my mind to where my eyes were closed, I heard more notifications sound off inside my mind. A couple more than I was originally anticipating.

[Ding! Construction of Player Naoto's Mana Core has begun. Now at 10%...]

[Ding! Favorability with Aurelia Le Guin has reached 75%. She now sees you in a favorable light, and sings praise for shouldering your fate as a prince and duke]

[Ding! Player Naoto has received a new skill, Aurelia's Blessing!]

[Aurelia's Blessing Lv--

You have received the blessing of the future Golden Rakshasa. Grants the following perks:

Willpower Up

Mind Up

Grants the following skill:

Chivalry Lv1]

[Ding! Mana Core has reached 30%...]

Hearing these few notifications in my mind, I inwardly came to a half in my thoughts. Inwardly blinking, I couldn't help but smile. I guess revealing some to Aurelia did ay off, didn't it? I wasn't expecting to receive such a benefit.

I know a lot of Gamer systems grant the Gamer's Mind as a starting perk, along with the Gamer's Body.

However, I personally did not receive these two skills. One essentially turned pain into a numerical value and while I did have stats, I bet real world situations could still strike against me. If I lost a limb, it would stay lost and not recovered with the Gamer's Body by recovering my HP, and so on.

Same for the Gamer's Mind. It essentially stripped one's emotions, turning one into a systematic robot. They could still feel and such, but they would only come about things logically, about every single damn thing. If I wanted my instincts to develop and flow on the battlefield as a Jaeger, having a Gamer's Mind would be one of the last things I need.

Sure, that would mean I'm still susceptible to mind control and such, and well, I'll slowly develop a counter to that. I could make barrier magic one of my priorities before I enter the DG Cult. And well, Roselia is my Master, I mustn't forget that too, haha!

Aurelia's new skill she gave me will also help with that Mind Up.

Thinking that, I received a couple more notifications.

[Ding! Mana Core has reached 50%...]

[Ding! Mana Core has reached 70%...]

Looks like Roselia's spell is going quite smoothly. However, I felt pangs start striking my mind, causing me to let out a low groan. As such, I could only grit my teeth.

The incoming pain was much more bearable than unlocking the Gamer System was. The next ten percent grew slightly, but little did I know, Roselia's aura already converged over my body. Aurelia and Prince Olivert had surprise in their eyes.

The color over my body began to flicker. It changed blue to a fiery red.

"A fiery red. It's almost crimson...", Aurelia uttered softly. However their surprise continued on. The aura changed from crimson back to an azure blue! However, that didn't last a single time.

Once I saw the status reach 90%, Aurelia and Prince Olivert saw my aura swap more frequently between crimson and azure colors.

"Well is rather interesting. Yours stayed violet but Naoto's is changing between a crimson and azure color...", Prince Olivert uttered softly in amazement.

"That could only mean one thing. Naoto has an affinity for two elements!", Aurelia responded happily, causing him to nod in agreement.

And at the same time, I heard a thunderous boom crash deep inside my mind, and the growing pains came to a halt.

[Ding! Mana Core formation has reached 100%. Player Naoto has successfully formed a Mana Core!]

*

I don't have a level system for the Mana Core yet, but if I do give one, it will probably be Circle.