"Fair enough," Alistair nodded. He had sensed her mana; it was barely above a normal human's. If she stayed, she'd be a liability.
"How long are you staying?" Chitose asked.
"About eight days. I have to leave next Friday."
"That's a long time. You won't be able to fully absorb the flame in that time, but you could clear out the beasts. If you can handle them, a week should be enough to prune the mountain," she said, surprised by his long vacation.
"I can't make any promises. I need to see one of those monkeys first to gauge them," Alistair said.
"I'll take you this afternoon."
"Is this the place?" Alistair asked, looking around. The vegetation here was unnaturally lush, and the concentration of mana in the air was palpable.
"Yes. This is as far as I go. The flame is somewhere on this mountain, and the beasts likely guard it. Be careful. I'm heading back," Chitose said, wiping sweat from her brow before retreating.
Alistair looked toward the summit. Why is it always at the top? Feels like a manufactured trial.
The climb was relatively smooth. Thanks to his constitution, insects didn't bother him. Halfway up, he spotted them: Blaze Simians. There were three of them, wreathed in pale blue flames that acted like fur. The fire was ethereal; it didn't ignite the dry leaves they stood on.
Alistair tested them by releasing a pulse of mana. Instantly, the monkeys shrieked, their heads snapping toward his position.
Shit! Alistair summoned [The World].
The golden, muscular stand materialized. To Alistair's surprise, the monkeys seemed to see it. Even more surprising, Alistair felt a shift in his perception—[The World] could reach them. Its range was supposed to be ten feet, but the monkeys were thirty feet away. Why is my range expanding?
He didn't have time to ponder. The monkeys lunged.
"ZA WARUDO!"
DOOM!
Time ground to a halt. In the frozen grey world, Alistair commanded [The World] to unleash a barrage of punches.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!"
Time resumed.
Splat! Bang! Pop!
The three Blaze Simians detonated. Pale blue blood and scorched meat sprayed across the trees, becoming fertilizer.
"Ha... ha... that's it? Wait... where did my mana go?!" Alistair gasped. He checked his internal state and realized he had less than 10% of his mana left.
The monkeys were physically fragile, but their flame was a nightmare. It had burned through his mana even during the Time Stop. [The World] was partially sustained by mana; if he ran out, he wouldn't be able to maintain the Stand. The Horse Talisman kept his body healthy, but it couldn't fix spiritual exhaustion. He had to retreat.
"You look exhausted. You fought them, didn't you?" Chitose asked when he returned. She saw his pale face—the classic sign of mana depletion.
"Yeah. That fire is no joke. It doesn't just burn mana; it suppresses regeneration," Alistair muttered. "I killed three, but I'm beat. I'm going to lie down."
He trudged up to his room, ignoring her response. He collapsed onto the tatami mats, waiting for the sluggish recovery of his energy. The "Mana-Burn" effect was treacherous; it felt like a spiritual poison.
Thud. Alistair tried to roll over, but his hand clumsily struck a shelf.
Clatter...
"Ow!"
Something fell from the top shelf, landing squarely on his face. It was a mask.
Instantly, a cold, dark current of energy flooded his brain. It was a chilling, negative power that would have driven a normal person insane, but to Alistair, it was a gourmet meal. It didn't just refill his mana; it poured 'Mystery' into his progression bar, instantly bumping him to 50% completion.
The mask began to mold itself to his features, melting into his skin.
Vrummm!
Alistair's eyes snapped open. Dark energy swirled around him, and his amber pupils were now etched with black, vein-like patterns.
"What... is this?"
Information flooded his mind. The mask had a name: Ninja.
He recognized it instantly. This was one of the nine Shadow Khan Masks. This specific one allowed him to summon the Ninja-type Shadowfolk.
"Shadow Khan Shinobi!" Alistair whispered.
Swish!
From the shadows on the floor, several black-clad ninjas rose, kneeling silently before him, awaiting orders.
Alistair touched his face. He felt only skin. The mask merged with me?
The benefits were obvious. These Shadowfolk didn't run on this world's mana system, meaning the Blaze Simians' mana-burn would be useless against them.
But why was this here? He looked at the shelf. It was filled with old anime figurines and toys. The mask had been sitting at the very top, hidden by dust.
Was this Grandfather's doing? No, his things fit this world's logic. This mask is from a completely different universe. Did I leave this here?
Alistair's brow furrowed. First, the room layout identical to his previous life, and now an artifact from a different world's lore. The mystery of his own identity was becoming far more complex than a simple reincarnation.