Chapter 52. Special Discount Store (4)

Yuri ran around so frantically that her legs were barely visible.

She looked so urgent that anyone who saw her would have thought something terrible had happened in the dead of night.

However, despite her frantic movement, the search speed was not improving much.

“Damn, this is so frustrating!”

Her coarse curse echoed down the long corridor.

‘How many rooms are there?!’

Thud-thud.

While running down the corridor, Yuri checked each door.

One by one.

The process of opening each door and checking what was inside was repeated.

It was a tedious and repetitive task, and a frustrating one that consumed precious time.

The only fortunate thing was that the ceiling of the building was embedded with luminous stones, which greatly helped with the search.

Click-click-bang!

The doors opened and closed, and the search continued to repeat.

As time passed, Yuri's face gradually turned pale.

Finally,

“...Is this the end?”

Yuri reached the end of the first-floor corridor.

Fortunately, there was a staircase leading up, so she headed straight to the second floor.

Yuri sighed as she saw the endless corridor stretching before her.

“Phew...”

It was good that there was a staircase at the end of each corridor, so she didn't have to go back.

However, the difficulty of the task ahead was overwhelming.

‘How many were there?’

Just a rough count of the number of doors was in the dozens.

There were definitely more, but after passing the 30th door, she gave up counting.

‘From the midpoint, there were about 30, so let's assume there are at least 60 per floor.’

That meant Yuri had to check at least 60 rooms per floor.

Per floor, per floor!

The second-floor corridor and the other floors would likely be similar.

And the number of floors Yuri had to search was...

‘At least 10 floors, if not more.’

It could even be 20 floors.

At that point, Yuri gave up on calculating the time.

‘I can't check each one individually.’

If she did, it would be impossible to find the store on time.

So, Yuri changed her approach.

‘If it's a store... there must be someone selling things.’

What she needed to find was that person.

More precisely, the flow of mana emanating from that person.

[Once you reach a certain level, you can handle something called a 'zone.' There's some variation from person to person, but usually, around the 7th rank, you gain this zone.]

Johan had said that within the zone, you can detect everything in fine detail.

The wind blowing, the rain pouring down.

The stealthy approach of a killer.

Even the flow of mana in the world.

Within the zone, all of this is imprinted on the brain as a completely new form of sensory information.

Because of this, when strong fighters above the 7th rank fight, the outcome depends on how finely they can control their zone.

Johan had added,

[This zone can only be obtained through countless experiences and efforts, but... you're different. Even if you can't replicate it 100%, you can probably mimic something similar. Maybe about 40%? Hmm... to be honest, it might be around 30%...]

Yuri, who had mastered the manipulation of mana currents, could enjoy effects similar to the zone, according to Johan's explanation.

Indeed, Yuri had a kind of 'zone of mana currents.'

It was a sensory zone that detected all flows, but its range was only about 1 meter in diameter.

So now, Yuri was thinking about expanding this 'zone of mana currents.'

‘Even if I run right up to the doors, I need to expand the zone to at least a dozen meters to detect the flow inside.’

Expanding the range from 1 meter to over 10 meters.

To some, it would seem impossible to achieve immediately.

‘Nothing is impossible. I will make it happen.’

She had already spent nearly 20 minutes searching the first floor.

If she couldn't expand her sensory zone, it would be impossible to search all the floors in time.

‘That can't be the case!’

How did I get here in the first place!

Gritting her teeth, Yuri moved her mana according to the method of manipulating mana currents.

Then, the various flows around her began to be felt in detail.

The flow of mana from the luminous stones and the light they emitted.

The circulation of air in the corridor.

The vibrations felt inside the doors.

But the range was not very wide.

Only about 1 meter.

‘I can't expand this zone drastically right now.’

Without a significant breakthrough or profound insight, expanding the entire zone was impossible.

So...

‘I need to focus and concentrate!’

Yuri focused on the zone of mana currents.

If she could concentrate all the sensory awareness from her body into one area.

If she could focus on that area alone?

‘It might be possible.’

Yuri began to concentrate all the sensory awareness from her body into one arm.

Surprisingly, the zone of mana currents that had been spread throughout her body began to gather in her left arm.

The zone in other parts of her body gradually disappeared, and the zone in her left arm expanded, becoming larger and clearer.

Focusing the zone in one area.

If someone else had seen it, they would have been amazed and asked how it was possible.

But Yuri couldn't explain how it was possible.

She was just doing it because she could.

How it was possible, what the principle was, she didn't know.

After a short while,

The 'zone of mana currents' in Yuri's left arm coalesced into a solid mass.

Its radius was just over 2 meters.

Even though the plan had succeeded, Yuri's face was not particularly bright.

‘...It's not enough.’

Even after concentrating the zone of mana currents from her entire body into one area, the limit was clear.

This was because the total amount of the zone Yuri could handle was fixed.

She couldn't increase this total amount right now.

So, a change was needed.

Squish-squish.

The mass of the zone in Yuri's left arm began to wriggle.

Then,

Snap!

A thin strand was pulled out.

That was the beginning.

Snap-snap-snap.

The mass of the zone was continuously pulled out in the form of thin strands.

The strands of the zone extended in all directions like a spider web.

Their length was an impressive 20 meters.

Even though it was a fake zone, not a real one.

Yuri, who had never been taught, had somehow figured out how to manipulate the zone.

And she had succeeded in doing so without any practice, thanks to her innate talent.

Yuri smiled slightly as the zone extended in all directions.

‘This... if I study it a bit more, it could yield some pretty good results, right?’

The urgent and difficult situation and the idea to overcome it.

Through this process, Yuri grew and gained a clue for further growth.

Wobble-wobble.

Yuri leaned against the wall and climbed to the next floor.

At the end of the 10th-floor corridor.

Pant-pant.

Yuri staggered, breathing heavily.

Her state looked far from normal.

Finally, blood began to drip from her nose.

Drip.

Seeing the drops of blood on the floor, Yuri pinched her nose.

“...Damn, just to buy something, it's so damn hard.”

To buy a single item, she had swum across a vast lake for hours.

She had run through a territory the size of a fiefdom all night.

And now, she was bleeding from the nose due to the strain on her brain.

“...If the items in the special discount store are no good, I'll have a word with Senior Jerry.”

Although she had achieved some growth in handling the zone of mana currents through this experience,

That was one thing.

If the items in the special discount store were not worth the effort, she would find Senior Jerry and have a serious talk.

Yuri resolved firmly.

Wobble-wobble.

Yuri leaned against the wall and climbed to the next floor.

At the end of the 11th-floor corridor.

Somehow, she had made it to the 11th floor, but her head was throbbing, and her stomach was churning.

She wanted to rest, but she couldn't.

Her speed had already slowed down.

If she decided to rest, she might collapse right there.

“Phew... Let's go.”

Taking a deep breath, Yuri extended the spider web zone again and moved forward.

Her speed was noticeably slower than before.

But Yuri didn't give up.

She continued methodically, eventually reaching the middle of the 11th floor.

‘Damn, another dead end on this floor.’

Just as she thought this floor would be no different from the previous 10 floors,

“...?!”

Something caught the spider web.

It was a completely different feeling from before.

Stopping right there, Yuri focused on the specific room.

‘This is...’

Not an ordinary object, but a warm presence and the flow of mana.

She was certain.

‘It's a person!’

Yuri's face lit up.

Snap!

Wiping the blood from her nose, she pushed the door open slowly.

Click-swoosh.

The well-maintained door opened silently.

The moment the door opened, Yuri saw deep darkness.

She was taken aback.

‘Wh... What?’

The interior, illuminated by the luminous stones in the corridor, looked like a bar that had closed for the night.

Chairs were placed upside down on the tables, as if for cleaning.

There was a bar and a display case.

The faint light revealed the shape of the room.

But what confused Yuri was something else.

‘What... There's definitely a person here, so why can't I see them?’

She could feel the presence of a person in the darkness.

The flow of mana from the person was caught in her mana currents, so she was sure.

But she couldn't see anything.

‘Did I feel it wrong?’

Just as Yuri was confused,

“Who's there?”

A voice came from a corner.

At the same time, she saw white teeth floating in the darkness.

“...?!”

Startled, Yuri took a step back.

Squeak.

A small match was struck, and a red spark appeared.

Hiss.

With a sound like a breath being exhaled, the room was lit.

Only then did Yuri understand why she couldn't see the person.

Looking at the figure revealed in the light, she muttered softly.

“...A black person?”

The figure that appeared from the darkness was a middle-aged black woman.

Her dark, night-colored skin and tightly curled, thick hair.

Her thick lips and narrow eyes.

Her plump figure, even under the loose black robe.

And the burning cigarette in her mouth.

Hiss.

Exhaling a puff of smoke, the woman spoke.

“Hmm, I've never seen you before... What about your badge?”

“I haven't received it yet.”

“Haven't received it? What kind of joke is this... Oh?”

She seemed to realize something and continued urgently.

“Could it be... you're a first-year? From the 50th batch?”

“Well, not yet, but I will be a first-year soon.”

“My goodness!”

She was so surprised that the burning cigarette fell from her mouth.

But before it hit the floor, she quickly caught it in mid-air.

Putting it back in her mouth, she examined Yuri as if she were a strange creature.

“Goodness... a mere probationary batch member made it here? How did you manage that?”

“I just figured it out. Who are you, ma'am?”

“Me?”

Yuri's bold question made her chuckle.

Then, she walked to the neatly arranged display case.

A display case with bottles and glasses.

Next to it, a single luxurious golden rope hung.

The black woman, holding the rope, turned to Yuri.

“If you must know...”

She pulled the rope, and

Creak.

The display case in front of her made a strange sound and moved backward.

Then, a new display case appeared with a dr-r-r sound, taking its place.

The woman, placing her hand on the new display case, smiled.

“I'm the owner of the kiosk, I guess.”

Hearing her introduction, Yuri examined the newly appeared display case.

Dozens of square spaces separated by transparent glass.

And various colorful items inside.

Seeing this, a thrill of excitement spread across Yuri's face.

“I found it.”