The unsuspecting pack of wolves did not take Aria's incoming charge with much seriousness. They had suppressed Jun-su and Seong-Jin with ease, they didn't believe that Aria could make a difference.
There was a silent agreement that passed through each creatures' head.
Born from instincts, not logical thinking.
The foolish human before them would be dominated as well.
Slash!
A wolf stepped up to block the strike, but did not expect Aria to not only slash through its steel claws, but also pierce through its jaw and slice off its head into two parts.
The wolf's body slumped down and fell to the ground, lifeless.
[Insufficient mana. You have depleted your mana.]
[New condition: Mana depletion.]
Aria clicked her tongue. The price of her exerting the ten points of mana came to bite her right away.
Again, she couldn't manage this mana consumption, but also couldn't fight the monsters without the enchantments.
She knew well her current limits and her maximum performance, and it was nowhere near enough to take on the numerous wolves that she was about to face. If only she had a little bit more time to recover her condition, it would be easy, but the monsters obviously wouldn't wait.
"Hand me some potions! Fast!" Aria thanked the Gods for not forsaking her.
The language changed, but the strangers seemed to understand what she was talking about, as proven with how she was able to talk with the kid.
"W-what? Potions??" Not only Jun-su, the other two were also puzzled. Aria's entrance was too sudden, and her state was even more... weird.
They've heard of items like potions in games, but it didn't exist in the real world, even after the monsters emerged.
Aria frowned. 'Did the production of potions stop?'
She cursed and quickly retreated. Winning this battle would be hard without mana. Not using enchantments would be risking herself getting hurt. Her current condition was far from optimal, and one wound could be all it takes to end her path.
Just as she was prepared to fight without strengthening her weapon, a System notification popped up.
[Level D Blue Wolf
[Experience points increased by 1500.]
[Level increased by 1.]
[Status points restored.]
"...?" Aria felt strength come back to her without the consumption of potions.
The thirst and hunger that had been plaguing her since earlier disappeared.
The numerical bar that stated her HP and MP, which she assumed to be representing health and mana also rose by itself, filled to the brim.
"Well..." Aria still felt a bit of remorse due to not having potions on hand, but there was no time to think about that. "That's even better than potions!" She celebrated.
As the wolves crept in closer and closer, now a bit careful after their comrade's death, Aria knew that she was in for a long ride.
A notification popped up, at that.
[
'Forty-nine?'
The notification served as a convenient monster counter for her, and also a grim reminder of the long fight she will be taking on.
'I'll make it out somehow.'
Aria was determined to overcome this predicament.
'Strengthen. 30 MP.' Aria channeled her mana to the sword, creating wisps of blue smoke around the blade.
With another high momentum strike, she took down a blue wolf with ease.
The enchantment she used right now cost more mana, but it wouldn't run out after one strike unlike before. The blue wisps were not as pronounced, but it stayed around her weapon after the wolf died.
[Level D Blue Wolf
[Experience points increased by 1521.]
[Level increased by 1.]
[Status points restored.]
The mana she spent returned back immediately, just like what would happen if she drunk potions.
'Just like this...'
The familiar sense of battle slowly began to return.
Her movements quickened, becoming more sharp and concise.
Her mobility. Dodging the monsters left and right as she hacked at them like an unhinged beast.
Aiming at the monsters' vulnerable parts, she fought off the wolves one by one.
Clang!
[Level D Blue Wolf
Another one.
Slash!
[Level D Blue Wolf
And another one.
[Level D Blue Wolf
Before long, the wolves no longer wanted to contest her one by one and thought to charge altogether.
The wolves had low intellect. They realized Aria's peculiarity too late.
Half of their pack had already been exterminated before they realized that their arrogance was uncalled for and started to exercise restraint.
'My mana is at 105.'
Her mana cap, which was originally at 50, had increased little by little. Her health bar did too.
Every time she leveled up, she could feel herself getting stronger.
Her level had increased by 7 just by killing a little more than 20 wolves.
The level up rate had slowed down. What used to take only a single wolf to level up had increased to 2, then 3, and later 4 above.
The 'strengthen' effect she cast on the sword no longer faded after one strike and could be maintained for as long as she wanted.
She noticed the rapid improvements on her skill and thought of it as a bad joke.
It was that easy to increase the levels and get a power up.
'105.. Can I cast an area skill?'
Stamina was a problem. Even though she could go on like this, she already began to feel exhausted. Not her physical body, but her internal circuits.
Mana worked in a wondrous way, it existed and thrived inside yourself. It was deeply tied with thinly strewn lines called 'circuits', which would in turn allow you to direct and manipulate your mana to your wishes.
If you are not correctly trained and tried to constantly use a lot of mana, these circuits would be strained. The result if the practice is continued could be fatal, as bad as no longer being able to use magic.
Aria thought up of the barrage of skills she had learned in the past, back to when she was still a budding rookie and not the demonic summoner she was.
'No, there's nothing efficient enough.'
'Summon..' Aria contemplated.
Her first spirit, Dianthe.