Chapter 52: Frank's Plans
Chapter 52: Frank’s Plans
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After Frank showed off his capabilities to Reuberto, even with his low Cultivation Rank, he surprised the veteran Magus to greater extents, almost to the point where his complete faith was shifted from Abraddon to Frank.
However, Frank wondered how much of importance held the title of Champion of Abraddon. Yes, he had heard a lot from Reuberto, but there were many other things he wanted to learn… such as if he was going to end up joining wars against other Nations and… indiscriminately fighting and killing innocent people, he felt deep within his heart that there could be the possibility of him becoming a mere puppet for the aristocrats of this Nation, being sent to war, forced to slaughter many people only for the benefit of corrupted politicians.
This is why he wanted to grow strong enough to both protect himself and… the people he cared for such as Gwendolyn and pretty much everyone on this little farm. He wanted to become strong enough to protect them, to the point where others would not be capable of using them to extort him.
Indeed, he was thinking way ahead of time, but this is how Frank was, despite his young age, he was a man that liked to think a few steps ahead, and hopeful have various plans already prepared. Although he had none, for now, he was going to work forward into creating more.
Due to the various experiences in life that he had since very young, Frank was shaped to be a cautious man. Since he was a child that he was bullied, learning to avoid conflict and even several things that could trigger certain responses in people that would lead to conflicts.
His mental fortitude was also rather strong due to such experiences and a few of the traumas he had, which made his mind mature ahead of time, becoming a realistic person, but despite being realistic, he still liked to see things through a positive mindset, without becoming an idiot in the process.
“Just as Reuberto said, strength is everything in this world. As long as I become strong enough to not be trampled by others, and also strong enough to secure everyone’s safety, then I will finally be capable of doing as I please… There is also the task of saving my home planet, so impacting this world through my actions will help Gaia, but at the same time, I also want to change things for the better. If there is even war in the future, I want to be prepared to stop it before things become worse and thousands of innocents die. For this, I must study the structure of this nation, while also strengthening myself. I cannot spare a minute, even less a day…” thought Frank, his mind was filled with the determination to accomplish his goals, which were firmly leading him towards the path he was working towards.
His eyes determined, shined brightly with golden colors, as he rested atop the grasslands for a bit, resting after having conjured many spells to reaffirm his potential to Reuberto and Gwendolyn.
Reuberto had already left the farm, telling him that he would do the best of his capabilities to hide his identity for now, until he was to grow strong enough for its revelation, to the point that he would not be targeted by many.
His goal for Terra was to achieve Rank 3 on his Mana Core Cultivation, at the bare minimum.
Rank 3 Magus were often respected by the majority of the citizens, and also by many aristocrats, they were often acclaimed and famous adventurers, war veterans, or high priests such as Reuberto.
Being Rank 3 meant that he had a reputation in society and that no one could easily step over him, even aristocrats would have to pay mind to him and be cautious about their moves, if they even desired his demise in some way, shape, or form.
Frank clenched his fist as he glanced at the clear sky, his face was not smiling, he was rather serious. He was thinking about way too many things, too many possibilities, too many things that could go wrong, he had to think everything carefully. He was not being reckless at all, some could even say that he was rather cunning, despite his often ‘innocent’ personality, he was someone that was not innocent at all.
He was someone that should actually be incredibly asocial due to the circumstances he had in life.
He should be someone that should hate anyone except himself.
He should be someone that should not trust anyone ever.
But he desired to do the opposite.
He wanted to be social, to form bonds, and to forge alliances and friendships.
He wanted to have people he could trust that he could love and that he could make him happy.
Unlike many other people that had similar lives to Frank, he wanted to do the complete opposite of what would be expected of him. Not because he was stupid, but because he desired things to be good, to be better, and to not hold bitterness within his heart pointlessly.
He was simply a human being, a normal person, he wanted to live honestly, and to be as humane as possible. Because he knew that such humanity would hold up into his sanity.
He already predicted that traveling through worlds would change his life and his personality tremendously, the task given to him was simply overwhelming, this is why he needed something very important that could only be forged through such trials, through such bonds, through such connections.
A strong will.
Frank sighed, as he waved his head, moving away from his chaotic storm of thoughts. Since he leveled up that his mind had become sharper, he was constantly thinking more and more, to the point that sometimes, his thinking process would overwhelm him, as he had very little time to transition from his former thinking speed to the new one.
“Very well then, time to register into the Adventurers Guild. Reuberto has given me this artifact to hide my crest, so I should be capable of registering without causing much commotion… According to Gwendolyn, the Adventurers Guild is a very important place if I want to grow stronger, as it will give me tasks and quests to complete where I can gather money and resources for my cultivation to progress… Although I have not taken complete hold of the cultivation process, it is rather simpler than in other cultivation concepts…” thought Frank.
Indeed, Terra’s cultivation was fairly different than conventional fiction about cultivation. In Terra cultivation was done through the user’s Mana Core, and what was needed is the constant flow and increase of Mana through it. For that, one did not need to sit inside a room for a hundred years like a complete clown but needed to actually do action.
By constantly spending Mana and using several cultivation resources such as concoctions, pills, and elixirs, it was possible to increase one’s cultivation. The usual method was to simply hunt monsters while constantly spending Mana into conjuring all types of spells. Just like a muscle, the Mana Core would develop as more mana is constantly used and regenerated back.
The thing is if it were to be this simple, wouldn’t the world be flooded with countless Rank 3 or above Magus? Well, in fact, although they were not so many, they were still a rather sizable amount.
According to what Frank heard from Gwendolyn, the amount of Rank 3 Magus in Abraddon’s Nation was over five hundred, but that number, when compared to the over three million citizens, was extraordinarily little.
However, many circumstances in life could inhibit the normal folk to cultivate, such as a lack of a large Mana Pool, a bad talent in Mana Core quality, and a lack of magic affinity. This is why even if it seemed rather ‘simple’ to cultivate, it required a lot of things that people could not decide, as they depended on their upbringing and lineage.
A natural talent that could not be upgraded so easily, as it would often cost a fortune and 97% of the population was poor.
Although sometimes aristocrats would be born almost talentless, there was nothing that money could not do, buying the necessary materials and items would easily bring that untalented child to the highest talent, while those born talentless while being poor, would remain talentless for the rest of their lives.
The world was unjust, from the moment that people were born, they were already at a disadvantage. But Frank wanted to change this, he desired to change the structure of life… He knew that within the limitless potential of his Ability, there could be the power to strengthen others and to bring talent to them.
He didn’t want to use his powers completely for selfish purposes, but to bring prosperity to others to an extent, as this would also count as ‘echoes’ that will recover Earth’s wounds.
His first targets would be Annabelle, Hilvera, and Asterion, but first of all, he wanted to check many different things. And Ruby was also part of his plan, he wanted to find in these young and promising kids, trustful and strong allies, and he was willing to help them achieve that.
“I wonder if, just like Ruby, I can give the ‘gift’ of letting others increase their cultivation through the consumption or absorption of Mana Cores… And what if I could somehow let them benefit from leveling up? Or even let them learn Skills from Skill Books… I have to forge a strong party and these kids… Ah, well, I am already attached to them, so might as well… Gwendolyn and Cathyl could also be included. But the whole introduction to my System will be quite complicated, but I think I can mask it behind Abraddon’s Divine Protection and my Gray Magic…” thought Frank, as he went to the town accompanied by Gwendolyn.
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