Chapter 71: The Proper Way to Use the Secret Treasure

When Andy and Catherine emerged from the forest, Andy was still savoring the sensation he’d felt in his palm when Catherine had grasped his hand. Warm and soft… As he lingered on the memory, he fiddled with Catherine’s little paw, unable to resist pressing his fingers into the tender pads beneath, testing their feel.

His actions quickly irked Catherine, who, in a huff, bit his hand. However, having recently advanced to a Great Knight, Andy’s skin had grown so tough that she nearly hurt her own teeth.

Seeing Catherine’s annoyance, Andy stopped teasing her and took out a map from his spatial pouch to study their next path. By now, they were not far from the royal capital—at most, half a day’s walk remained.

Andy was just about to lead Catherine onward when someone called out to him from behind. Turning, Andy saw a man emerging from the woods. This man was even taller than Andy, and far more powerfully built, with bulging muscles that could rival those of a world heavyweight boxing champion. If he were on Earth, his physique alone would guarantee him a lucrative job as a bodyguard.

As the burly man approached, Andy saw that he wasn’t much older than himself—just better developed. The man quickly explained that he’d gotten lost in the forest they’d just left, wandering for half a day before finally finding his way out. Upon seeing Andy, he’d called out to ask directions to the capital.

His name was Kane, and from his first words, he was as friendly as an old acquaintance. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed to slits, reminding Andy of a high school friend he’d once been close with. Before Andy’s journey to this world, he’d kept in touch with that friend, who had given up on further studies after failing his college entrance exams and was working as an insurance salesman. By the sound of it, he was doing quite well.

The road was dull, and Kane’s enthusiasm was contagious, so after Andy gave him directions, and Kane showed no inclination to leave, Andy struck up a conversation. He learned that Kane was also going to study at Grim Academy in the capital. Once Andy revealed his own intentions, their camaraderie grew; both agreed to look out for each other at the academy.

Yet Kane was almost too enthusiastic, slapping Andy on the shoulder, acting as if they were sworn brothers. Andy found it a bit much and, the next time Kane tried, subtly sidestepped him.

What Andy didn’t know was that when Kane first patted his shoulder, a strange aura passed from Andy to Kane, slowly gathering in the book Kane carried at his chest. Gradually, a name appeared on the book’s cover—Andy Charles.

Two hours later, Andy and Kane caught sight of the capital’s towering silhouette. Kane told Andy he had relatives in the suburbs he needed to visit and would not enter the city with him. Andy thought nothing of it, bid him farewell with a smile, and suggested they meet up once inside the academy.

As Andy walked toward Prondela City, Kane waved energetically behind him. When Andy vanished from sight, Kane lowered his hand, took out the book, turned to the latest page, and softly read the name aloud, “Andy Charles.”

“Not bad, not bad. To pass through that strange brat’s ambush unscathed—seems he has some real ability. It wasn’t a waste gathering his information, then.”

With that, Kane tucked the book under his arm and left the main road, heading into ever more remote surroundings.

Finally, he came to a clearing. After scanning his surroundings to ensure no one else was near, he sighed softly, “What a perfect spot.”

He flipped a few pages forward in his book until a vivid red name appeared.

Looking at the name, Kane sneered, muttering, “To be buried here is no disgrace for a baron like you!”

With that, Kane took a deep breath—gathering energy! As he inhaled, his body swelled like a balloon, soon towering three stories high. His belly rounded and distended like an inflated sphere.

Then—ascension! As his belly swelled, Kane floated upward like a hot-air balloon, adjusting his position until his now-massive backside was aimed squarely at the ground, glowing slightly yellow. His two buttocks cast a broad shadow like twin gates over the earth.

Using a finger, Kane tapped the crimson name in the book, beckoning as he chanted, “Come… come… come…”

The moment he finished, his body dropped like a colossal battering ram.

At that instant, a nobleman in fine attire appeared below him, utterly bewildered.

Flesh Bomb, Iron Butt Style!

Boom!

The earth erupted, a wave of dirt surging into the air, mingled with blood and shattered bone. When Kane shrank back to his normal size and dusted his hands, only a massive crater and a flattened corpse remained.

He searched the remains, pocketed some valuables, and left. With a stomp, he summoned earth magic; the ground around the pit surged inward, quickly burying all traces. Soon, the place was as flat and clean as if nothing had ever happened.

But Kane knew another who had wronged him had vanished from the world.

Kane hailed from a declining line of sorcerers in the northern city of Monrico. Of his so-called sorcerous family, only his grandfather and he still possessed any talent for the craft. Even with only middling spiritual talent, he was his family’s hope, and the clan’s treasured heirloom had been given to him early.

His grandfather had taught him from childhood that their meditation techniques were earth-aligned, granting formidable defenses among all magical disciplines. In adventuring parties, their kind typically absorbed damage and protected their companions. In addition, their family’s heirloom, the Book of Gathering, could summon any teammate whose aura was recorded in its pages to their side at any time. Thus, their ancestors had always been welcome in adventuring parties or military units.

Kane, however, had no interest in protecting others—especially after discovering his soul talent: Airflow Manipulation.

Though his spiritual gift was mediocre, he possessed extraordinary imagination and insight for magical learning. He combined his talents, innate physical strength, and mastery of earth magic into something unique—what he called “Flesh Bombs.” With his massive frame, the destructive power was extraordinary!

He soon realized a flaw: he was slow—painfully so. His mightiest spells required gathering energy in advance, so against strong foes, he was often suppressed before he could act. Against weaker opponents, if they tried to flee, he could not stop them.

Even with his defenses, spells that couldn’t help him win were of little use.

One day, he was inspired by a tale his grandfather told of his adventuring youth. Once, the party was assembling, but one member was missing—off dallying with a woman and losing track of time. The group had his grandfather summon him. The result: the fellow was yanked in, naked as the day he was born.

Hearing this, a spark lit in Kane’s mind. If someone’s aura was recorded in the Book of Gathering, they could be summoned whether they wished it or not.

Kane had found his perfect combat style—using the family treasure to set traps.

All he needed was to collect the target’s aura, find a secluded spot, prepare his spell, then summon his enemy and—boom!—the problem vanished.

From then on, Kane grew ever more gregarious, making friends far and wide—often collecting a bit of aura through casual contact. Now, those who crossed him tended to disappear without a trace.

As Kane’s mastery of the treasure deepened, the book revealed new features. Friends and family he recognized appeared in green; strangers were white; those he disliked, yellow; and when he harbored true enmity or murderous intent, the name glowed crimson.

Now an advanced apprentice, Kane’s family had little knowledge of higher-level magic, so he was eager to attend Grim Academy in the capital. He’d planned to try his luck, but a neighbor’s uncle, a merchant in the capital, offered to help. With some magical stones to grease the wheels, Kane soon received a letter of admission from Steward Spick at the academy.

Thus, Kane packed and set out for the capital—not just to study, but to see a greater world and collect more names for his precious book. Friend or foe, it was best to be prepared.

He’d long heard that Grim Academy was filled with hidden talents, and meeting Andy only confirmed it. The thought of recording a host of extraordinary people in his book—holding their fates in his hands—made him positively giddy.

Lost in these pleasant thoughts, Kane found himself at the city gates. The crowd was thick, and he had to queue to enter. Ahead of him stood a shifty figure, hunched and small, wrapped in a black cloak. Kane couldn’t help but peer down at him.

The figure noticed Kane’s attention, adjusted his cloak, and revealed a pale, corpse-like face: Arvis, the “Death Whisperer.”

Unsettled by Kane’s scrutiny, Arvis rasped in a chilling tone, “What are you looking at?”