Deklan doesn't know exactly what Mana Vein looked like.
But he reckoned it could be felt and maybe flexed like a muscle group.
Since he couldn't feel anything in him and the mana was spread throughout his body instead, he began to suspect that he wasn't going through the path a normal Exorcist would take. Rather, he was growing in the path of Ghosts.
"Is it because of my Dual Existence skill?" Deklan folded his arms, contemplating.
He remembered the skill stated that he can be both a Ghost and a Human.
So, it has to be because of that skill.
Not to mention, his stats weirdly changed depending on the progress of the day.
During nighttime, his physique and perception became stronger, while during the day, his mana seemed to expand. "The Dual Existence felt like a passive ability, but the system placed it in the skill section along with the other active skills. Maybe if I try, I can control when my stats change."
Deklan nodded his head repeatedly, finding this worth a try.
But regardless, he put those thoughts at the back of his mind.
Everything will become clearer later as he can ask Marsha about those things.
Not his Dual Existence skill, but his path.
Deklan focused on the Lv. 1 Mana Apple in his hand and took a big bite of it.
Unlike the Breezing Green Pumpkin—or the Basic Mana Candy, the Lv. 1 Mana Apple was refreshing and watery. Biting into it was akin to biting through tender meat—and the juice immediately burst inside his mouth with a rich and sweet flavor.
And following that taste was the surge of mana.
Deklan's spine shivered as a cooling sensation spread throughout his insides.
It seeped into every organ and bone, strengthening them.
"Phew… Just as I expected—the Lv. 1 Mana Apple is a lot more potent than the candies," Deklan licked his lips in delight, savoring the sweet taste and the sensational sensation of growing stronger. "This felt like a pump after going to the gym. Man, if only I could watch tv shows while eating this."
As he ate more, Deklan swirled the mana he obtained inside him.
He allowed it to settle in his heart, and then spread towards his brain, back down to his torso, then to his legs, before ending back in the heart again. Deklan did this exact sequence repeatedly, and each time he did it, his body gradually absorbed the mana.
It was a self-taught sequence.
Letting the mana absorb on its own would take longer, like it did earlier.
Now, one Lv. 1 Mana Apple took a bit more than half an hour.
Once he was done, several holographic boxes appeared to notify his success.
[Notice: the host's rank has increased!]
[2-star Iron → 3-star Iron]
[All stats have increased slightly!]
…
Name: Deklan Tiernan
Persona: Agna the Red Scarecrow (Inactive)]
Rank: 3-star Iron
——
STAT(S)
Strength: E+ → D-
Agility: D
Endurance: E- → E+
Intelligence: F → E-
Perception: D
Mental: C
Sanity: 100%
——
SKILL(S)
[Ghost Conqueror] [Dual Existence] [Eerie Smile]
——
TRAIT(S)
[Iron Spine] [Breeze Affinity] [Mini Ghost]
…
Deklan spent his remaining 50 SD earlier before fighting Rock to obtain the Mini Ghost trait, 40 SD to lock the Small Prankster, and 10 SD to use the random devour skill function. It gave him a slight increase in agility and also suppressed his aura slightly.
It was the reason he was able to be mistaken for a Ghost by the lackeys.
"Reaching D- in strength should be noticeable," Deklan clenched his fists a couple of times, feeling the strength his muscles could produce right now. "I wonder how I will fare against Rock right now. Can I beat him with ease? Probably not."
Rock is a bronze-rank Exorcist, one major rank higher, so it wouldn't be that simple.
Not to mention, his spell was devastating.
"I need to get more offensive skills. All of my skills are useless in direct confrontation."
Deklan decided that his next captured Ghost should be one that has good offensive capabilities.
And for that, he'll need to get out of here first and roam the woods.
"By the way," Deklan looked out the window, staring at the starry sky. "Where's Marsha?"
…
Half a mile away from the small hut.
"Granny…"
"Good evening, granny…"
Marsha was following an elderly lady along the main road in a humble hamlet—that led straight to a single timber house. People that they passed by who were clearly malnourished and skinny greeted the elderly lady with uneasy politeness.
For the longest time, the elderly lady, Granny Linsa, has been the backbone of the hamlet.
Now, she was much more than that.
But what caught the people's attention the most was the sack filled with pumpkins.
It was Marsha who was carrying them, and she was hopeful.
At least with the number of pumpkins she brought, the hamlet could make pumpkin pottage that would last them a few more days with a full belly. As long as the people rationed properly, there will be plenty of time for them to take more risks to find food.
Granny Linsa glanced at Marsha, smiling at the people, and quickly said, "Let's move faster."
"Yes, granny…" Marsha nodded.
Inside the timber house that was barely standing, Granny Linsa sat down on a wooden chair, with two men standing guard beside her.
Marsha stood tensely in front of her with the sack beside her.
"You've done well, young Marsha—the people will eat because of you." Granny Linsa smiled a little.
She then waved her hand, signaling the man beside him to take the sack.
Marsha held the sack when the man tried to take it.
"Granny Linsa…?"
"What's wrong, young Marsha? I'll be taking these to distribute properly. We can't have everyone fight over food, can we? For the good of the people, I'll be keeping them."
Hearing this, Marsha hesitated for a second before finally letting go of the sack.
Granny Linsa took a look inside the sack and inspected the pumpkins, finding that they were all fresh, certainly because of Marsha's powers. But even so, for her to find pumpkins, there should only be one method. "Where did you get these?"
"I… I found them accidentally."
"Accidentally? Don't you mean you took them from Deklan?"
Marsha didn't answer.
As always, Granny Linsa was so sharp that she knew instantly where Marsha got the pumpkins.
"And where are the rest of them?"
"Rest of them…?"
"If you take these pumpkins from Deklan's pumpkin patch, then there should be a lot more than one sack. So, where's the rest?"
"How can I take more when the young master is kind enough to give us some? I wouldn't dare."
Granny Linsa reclined on the chair, staring at Marsha in amusement.
"You're a good girl, Marsha. Always eager to please," She said, clasping her hands above her thighs with her chin held high. "If only you were a little less soft-hearted, maybe we wouldn't be starving. Maybe people wouldn't be dying left and right."
Hearing this, Marsha looked down at the floor—her hands gripping her skirt tightly.
"Are you really going to side with him when the people are relying on you?"
"But I can't possibly take more…"
"So, you would rather see us die?"
Marsha bit her lower lip as she dreaded the thought of taking more, especially after Deklan forgave her for stealing a few pumpkins out of desperation. Demanding more would only make her ungrateful—for the young master's kindness, and she didn't want Deklan to view her badly like that.
Seeing her hesitation, Granny Linsa stood up and approached her.
She held Marsha's shoulders gently and put on a bright smile.
"Don't feel bad about stealing from him. After all, he owes it to us for doing nothing ever since he was appointed as our lord," Granny Linsa stared into Marsha's eyes, almost as if she was convincing Marsha with her eyes alone. "This is all for the greater good of our people."
Even so, Marsha was still hesitant.
Regardless of the rumors surrounding Deklan, he didn't seem like a cowardly person.
'He even dealt with those people without dragging us. I can't… I can't steal more from him.'
Just then, Granny Linsa pulled Marsha into her embrace.
It caught Marsha completely off guard.
"Help me help the people, Marsha…" Granny Linsa whispered into her ear. "Didn't I help you when you had nothing? When no one else would, I took you in and helped you survive. And now, when the people needed you… when I needed you… You're going to side with him?"
"Marsha, you're breaking my heart." She added sadly.
"Okay…" Marsha eventually buckled under the guilt. "I'll go back and take some more."
Granny Linsa cupped Marsha's cheeks when she said that, happy to hear that.
But her hands embraced Marsha's cheeks too tightly.
It took an uncomfortable amount of time until she finally let go of Marsha and nudged her chin.
"Then off you go," She said encouragingly. "I'll be waiting here."
Once that was settled, Marsha bowed a little and stepped out of the house, heading back to Deklan.
Granny Linsa watched Marsha's back with a satisfied smile.
"Are you sure it's fine pushing her like this?" A man asked from behind her.
"Of course, that girl will never break free from me," Granny Linsa—smirked. "Her heart is too soft to bear the guilt of leaving the people behind. And that Marquis' bastard son is not much different. I don't know how he survived, but it doesn't matter. What can he even do? Even if he somehow grows a backbone, we can always sacrifice that girl."
Moments later.
Deklan was rummaging through the entire hut in search of the necklace Callen was talking about.
It was supposed to be a gift from his mother, who passed away.
Of course, sentiment had nothing to do with his search.
For Cellan, a young master with a high status, to want the necklace, it must be something good.
Come on, where is it…?
Deklan already flipped the entire hut in search of the necklace, but he couldn't find anything. In fact, he couldn't find anything that belonged to the previous Deklan other than a few sets of clothes and a training sword.
Seems like the previous Deklan learned the way of the sword—boring.
Eventually, he sat down and wiped the sweat on his brow.
"Forget it, I'm sure I'll find it somehow."
Ding…
Just then, a chime of a bell rang inside Deklan's mind.
Someone had entered his turf again, and naturally, he assumed that it was Marsha.
Deklan sprinted downstairs and headed to the backyard.
As expected, the moment he stepped out, he found Marsha was approaching the door.
His eyes narrowed sharply when he noticed something wrong with her.
Unlike earlier, she wasn't cheerful anymore.
In fact, she was far from being cheerful.
Realizing that Marsha was crying, Deklan's brows dipped into a sharp frown.
Who did this? Who made my cutie pie cry?