Chapter 20 - The answer is obvious.

I've discovered something rather obvious.

I DON'T NEED TO USE DP TO MAKE EVERYTHING!!!

You see, Edit allows me to well, edit things in my territory, that means moving stuff around and the ability to change some stuff about non-living things.

In fact, if I use Edit to dig a room, it'll cost less mana than it would've if I used DP. However, the catch is that the room is subpar compared to the one created using DP. A room made with DP won't suffer something like a cave in and the walls are extremely hard to break. If I were to just dig a room with Edit, it'll be like just digging a hole. The walls would be made of whatever material the ground is made of and if I'm unlucky it would cave in without proper support.

So if I do create a room using just Edit, the mana cost would be lower than DP, but if I were to raise the quality to a DP created room, then the mana cost of using Edit becomes several times higher than using DP and looks a lot worse too. But since I'm bored as hell and I am sitting on over 3000 mana I might as well just find some uses for my mana.

I start digging a cave from the right side of my core room, about 50 meters in I stop and started expanding the area into another room. I'll make this into my new experiment room.

First I want to experiment with runes. I got a rune book from the Lottery but I have yet to use it for anything. But I want to test it out first before implementing it into anything.

The basis for all runes in this book is first off a mana-gathering rune. These runes absorb mana from the air and power up any other runes they are connected with. There are many different types and variants of this rune but I'll start with the simplest one.

I use Edit and begin drawing on the walls of the experiment room. After a few minutes, I have successfully drawn the rune. Now I just have to activate it. I pour mana into the rune in the way the book instructed. The rune began glowing an ethereal blue, I can feel mana being absorbed into the rune. It was a suc---

BOOM

"What the hell was that?!" (Goblin)

"Nothing! Carry on." (MC)

Ok so the first one was a failure, however, I have tons of mana! I can experiment all day!

BOOM

Alright take two didn't work, but third times the charm!

BOOM

Alright, take three didn't work either, but I think I know the problem! It's exploding because there is no place to direct it's mana into! This time I'll draw a heat emitting rune first, then connect it to another mana absorption rune. The heat rune glows orange, this time it's working! Wait, why the hell are flames coming out of a heat emitti---

BOOOM!

"Alright what the f*ck are you doing!!" (Goblin)

He ran through my core room, and into the experiment room, which now looked more like a former minefield than a room.

"Umm... I was just trying to experiment with some runes." (MC)

"Goddamit don't INTERRUPT WITH MY POTION BREWING!! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD BREWING A POTION IS!! I REQUIRE THE UTMOST CONCENTRATION TO EVEN MAKE THE SIMPLEST POTION!!" (Goblin)

This guy has been shouting a lot recently, is his blood pressure ok?

"But can't you only make basic and simple potions?" (MC)

I never knew a goblin could go through so many different shades. Before he showed me a lot of pale white but now this guy is looking like some rich colors of red.

He stomped off, going to the room where there are a bunch of herbs and he stubbornly began brewing again.

This guy is actually pretty easy to deal with. You just need to hit him where it hurts.

It seems like the runes are absorbing too much mana to be stable. I guess I should just add more extra runes to siphon off the excess mana.

Let's try adding two runes to the mana gathering rune.

BOOOOM!

Three runes?

BOOOOOM!

Four!?

BOOOOOOM!

FIVE!?

KABOOOOOOM!!!!!

--~=~--

For continuously failing the most simple of mathematical expression you have obtained the title:

This kid definitely failed Math

This title increases the chance of you encountering a mathematical error in everything.

For accidentally discovering something useful through repeated failures, you have obtained the title:

80% of the time, it works 100% of the time

This title does not make any sense and has confused the arcane intelligence of the system which dispenses titles, multiple mathematical errors have occurred and you have obtained an 80% increase in your Luck stat. (Note: The Luck stat currently does not exist within the system, since it is the filler stat to end all filler stats.)

--~=~--

(Vice Guild Masters POV)

I sprint through the jungle. Heading to the last reported location of the Silver Ranked party Mithril Arrow's communication crystal.

Then I hear a strange buzzing and ringing, it came from the same direction as Mithril Arrow's last signal.

I hurry there, praying that I wasn't too late. But I was.

This place is beaut---

I bit my tongue. Hard.

I tried to walk towards the center of the noise, every step seems to throw another mountain of pressure onto my back. But I continued. Towards the centerpiece of the 'artwork' a mutilated hobgoblin chief. With a quick swipe, I removed its head.

The ringing and buzzing stopped.

I spat out the piece of my tongue before drinking a weak healing potion.

Whatever that sound was, it was too low or high for normal humans to hear, heck even most beastmen won't be able to hear it. I couldn't be bothered learning whatever dark magics built this trap, but that noise seems to drive the sanity out of you.

I look around and saw the remains of Mithril Arrow along with the bodies of four other parties. I created a simple mass grave for their bodies. I wish I could've done more.

However, there is a strange metallic scent here, something that seemed to be fading by the moment, it was all over the hobgoblin chief and the goblin circle. I didn't have enough time. The scent leads eastward. Whoever, whatever caused this, will not escape unscathed.

I feel sudden fluctuations of mana in the west.

"This much mana... What the hell is it?"

It felt like a small explosion just happened. Wait, scratch that. It felt like a bunch of small explosions are currently happening. I just felt three happen. There was a slight pause and more mana fluctuations are happening with growing intensity.

I didn't have time to check, I pull out my communication crystal.

"Diana, I've found the bodies and I have also found a scent possibly connected to these deaths. I have also felt a large amount of mana fluctuating in the west, please send someone to check it out."

"What's the status of the bodies? Where are you?" (Guildmaster Diana)

"I'm at the goblin village where the parties died, they all died in some kind of trap. I'll explain to you the details later since I need to save the charge of the crystal until I need you again. Send someone to check the mana fluctuations."

"Hey, Wang Yue! stop WAIT---" (Guildmaster Diana)

I turned off the crystal, right now it was obvious what I needed to do.

I run towards the east.