After a steady two-hour engagement with his magic, Thorian finally started understanding the subtleties of wielding mana, unaided by the system's intervention. As he slowly opened his eyes, he could sense the accumulation of mana on his palm. It felt like he was clutching an enormous weight, an invisible force that cloaked his fist.
It shouldn’t be stronger than Combustion Touch or Dark Flame Palm, but this is still some good progress.
As Thorian attempted to translocate the amassed mana from his left hand to his right, it dissipated midway, reverting back to the gaseous cluster that encased his heart. "Seems like my previous life’s skills and techniques haven't reincarnated with me," Thorian murmured with a sigh of resignation. "No matter, I've mastered mana once, I can surely do so again."
Having reached a significant milestone in his journey of mana manipulation, Thorian turned to his side to find Harald, too, opening his eyes, concluding his meditation. Suddenly, the alpha direwolf leaped toward Thorian's house in a single bound, his speed and reach surpassing even the capabilities of Wind Leap.
Upon reaching Thorian's house, Harald paused, looked back, and promptly raced back to his side. The tremendous velocity of the giant direwolf whipped up a gust of wind so powerful, it nearly toppled Thorian.
It seems that he has a knack for it.
"I think I've gotten the hang of this mana," Harald declared, surveying his body with a grin of accomplishment. "It feels like I can amplify any part of my physique. It's an extraordinary enhancement to both my strength and my speed."
"That's indeed one way to harness mana; arguably, the simplest yet most effective," Thorian confirmed. "In due course, you'll be able to manifest it externally."
"Similar to how you conjure your fireballs and tornadoes?" Harald inquired with a spark of curiosity.
"Indeed, somewhat akin to that," Thorian replied, a wistful smile on his lips. "However, to achieve that, you'll need to bind an element to the mana you're invoking. That might be a challenging feat to accomplish initially. It's probably best to concentrate on mastering body fortification and the arcane arts first."
"Arcane arts?" Harald's eyebrows knitted together. "What are those?"
"Spells devoid of elements," Thorian elucidated. "I wish I could demonstrate to give you a better understanding, but I've yet to master them myself. In a nutshell, they are long-range attacks devoid of any elements. Generally, they're weaker and less versatile than their elemental counterparts, but they offer excellent mana efficiency. You'd be hard-pressed to exhaust your mana by using them."
"Interesting, they seem ideal for me," Harald reflected. "My mana reserves pale in comparison to yours, Magi. Utilizing these spells could mitigate that deficiency."
"Indeed, they very well could," Thorian agreed, nodding earnestly. "However, I believe you should focus on perfecting body reinforcement for now. We can delve into the arcane arts tomorrow."
With the training session with Harald concluded, Thorian made his way to the Village Hall. Even as he sauntered along, he continued his practice, transferring minuscule amounts of mana between his hands to familiarize his body with its flow.
Upon entering the Village Hall, Thorian found Melina alone at her desk. As for the kobolds and kobloids, many were en route to the Verdant Labyrinth to complete their daily dungeon quests.
I might need to build a proper warehouse soon. Items will accumulate very fast and become unmanagable if I don’t do so.
With these thoughts lingering in his mind, Thorian greeted the elven lady. "Greetings, Melina. I trust your day was fruitful."
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"Thank you for your concern, my lord. My day was indeed delightful," Melina responded, bowing lightly before raising her gaze to meet Thorian's. "However, there's a matter I must bring to your attention."
Thorian's brow furrowed at Melina's unexpected words. "What might that news be?"
"The gods are set to enforce some alterations to the territory system from tomorrow," Melina began. "The changes are as follows: only citizens of the territory will be allowed to choose a class. Furthermore, the number of citizens permitted to choose a class will be limited. Statues will have a cap of fifty, and first-level guilds will be restricted to a hundred."
Upon hearing these words, Thorian raised an eyebrow before nodding. I nearly overlooked that requirement change. If memory serves, it did occur early on in my past life as well.
"Will these changes have any implications for our current structure?" Thorian inquired. Despite being as closely connected with his army as possible, he didn't have an explicit rundown of all the numbers.
"At present, there's no issue. The warrior class could potentially face a challenge since we have eighty-nine of them currently active. The other classes don't even reach the fifty-member mark."
Relieved by Melina's comforting words, Thorian exhaled slowly. "That's heartening to hear. It would have deeply troubled me if many warriors were forced to change their classes, losing their hard-earned progress."
The decision to refrain from rapid expansion had its merits, it seems.
Contemplating further growth, Thorian found his thoughts drifting to a certain slender, green-skinned creature. I should seek him out and remind him of his earlier promise.
With that course of action in mind, Thorian turned to Melina, delivering his final instruction. "Melina, could you arrange for a daily document outlining the village's structure? I'd like a comprehensive overview, covering everything from the status of the buildings to the evolutions and levels of all combatants and citizens."
Just as Thorian prepared to depart, Melina voiced her concern. "My apologies, my lord, but I'm unable to venture far from the Village Hall. Gathering such extensive information would prove challenging."
Acknowledging the elven lady's predicament, Thorian proposed a solution. "I'll instruct the leaders of all military units to provide you with the necessary information at the end of each day. Your role would be to compile it effectively and filter it, so I can review it each morning."
Hearing Thorian’s proposed solution, Melina bowed slightly. “Thank you for your understanding, my lord. I shall execute as per your directive.”
Having concluded his task at the Village Hall, Thorian made his exit. As he cast a backward glance at the village, a smile crept onto his face, reflecting his inner musings. Isn't this structure turning Melina into a sort of Minister for Internal Affairs? Perhaps her responsibilities are too narrow to warrant that title just yet. Nevertheless, it brings to mind the potential need for external affairs and intelligence gathering structures.
Such considerations flitted across Thorian's mind, yet he knew it was premature for such plans. He was still navigating an uncertain territory, unsure of what the future held. Would he form alliances with humans? Or would he concentrate on befriending monster kings? Could he potentially rule over both as a heavenly emperor? These weighty questions preoccupied him, and clear answers remained elusive. The next few months and years would inevitably shape the outcomes.
Musing about months and years, when merely a few days have passed since my reincarnation. I'm truly getting ahead of myself.
Thus, Thorian set about his duties around the village gates, instructing each unit leader to report back to Melina by day's end. As Nox was in a comatose state and recuperating within Whisperwind's guild, Ifrit assumed his duties as the head of his unit.
After addressing all the gates and finally arriving at the southern one, Thorian relayed the same instructions to Zogthar that he had given to the other leaders. Once finished, he scanned the area for the diminutive goblin.
However, rather than the timid figure he anticipated, Thorian was taken aback by the sight of Brix's evolved form. He had grown taller, resembling the hobgoblin warriors. Yet, unlike the half-naked, robust warriors, Brix remained somewhat frail, swathed in a lengthy, grubby yellow robe.
"Where did you get that robe?" Thorian asked, intrigued.
"Oh, this?" Brix glanced at his robe with a proud grin. "It appeared during my evolution, master. I woke up to find myself clothed in it."
Is that so? Even evolution can equip clothing? I guess the saying stands true; the more you live, the more you learn.
After listening to Brix's unexpected response, Thorian cleared his throat and complimented the goblin. "You look impressive. Have you finally come to resemble the shaman elder you aspired to be?"
"I'm not there yet, but I'm getting close, master!" Brix replied cheerfully. "I'm currently an apprentice shaman. I'll become a true goblin shaman with my next evolution!"
"That's excellent news," Thorian nodded, sharing in Brix's enthusiasm. "Now, as to why I sought you out. Are you still willing to uphold the promise you made to me at the beginning?"
Brix looked puzzled for a moment before a spark of realization illuminated his eyes. "Ah, you're referring to introducing you to my tribe? Absolutely, master. We can visit them whenever you wish!"