Mineral Quarry

Several months after leaving the caravan, I still have no idea how to return to my original world, but I'm managing to live a decent life.

I was near a low-grade mineral quarry in a village slightly away from the empire.

The quarry and its surrounding areas are relatively safe.

Beasts known as sub-beasts sometimes appear around the quarry.

Sub-beasts are creatures on the verge of becoming demonic beasts.

Guard the mining site from these creatures, and subsequently collect low-grade magic stones from the fallen monsters.

That's been their main source of income lately.

After leaving the merchant group, I immediately registered as an adventurer at the guild, but my rank was only 1.

Ranks range from the lowest level 1 to the highest level 5.

Lower ranks mean more simple and inexpensive jobs, while higher ranks bring more difficult and expensive tasks.

I thought I'd start at a high rank since I have magic, but apparently I have to begin from the lowest rank due to lacking combat experience.

It's a bit of a letdown, but for someone weak like me, simple jobs are just fine.

Besides, I was looking forward to immediately putting into practice something I've just developed. I mean, magic users are particularly vulnerable to surprise attacks and tend to have slow execution of techniques.

Because we can handle unusual phenomena, we need more preparation, leaving us with more openings.

But if you know about it, you can prepare for it.

That's how I came up with a system using lightning magic and magical stone lamps to detect opponents.

Since we can use lightning magic by employing light stones, it means light stones can manipulate electricity.

Electricity can generate electromagnetic waves.

Light is also a type of electromagnetic wave.

I hypothesized that light stones are influenced by electromagnetic waves.

I projected the image of waves propagating into the light stone.

As expected, though invisible to the eye, it was confirmed that electromagnetic waves were indeed emitted. I believe light stones are indeed influenced by electromagnetic waves.

Effective range is approximately 100 meters.

Nearby, several wild deer were grazing on weeds. Pointing the reception magic stone lamp toward the deer, I imagined channeling magical essence while receiving electromagnetic waves. Gradually, the lamp's glow began to change.

This is a radio radar utilizing lightning magic.

Using a light gemstone for transmission, electromagnetic waves are emitted, and a receiving gemstone lamp captures these waves. When an object is present, the waves bounce back upon hitting it.

To make this work, we had to be able to select only the waves that bounce back—otherwise, the gemstone lamp would constantly glow, picking up every electromagnetic wave indiscriminately.

Thus, figuring out which electromagnetic waves were most effectively reflected by living things proved extremely difficult.

I've been completely absorbed in this research lately, but thanks to that effort, I can now distinguish them fairly well.

Plus, it causes less fatigue than firing lightning bolts, allowing for repeated use.

After finishing morning security duties, I arrived near the mining site. I came to a small village.

More like a cluster of tents, but there I sought out a makeshift blacksmith.

"Old man. Is the thing I asked for ready?"

"Ah! It's ready! But tell me, what on earth are you going to use something like this for? Are you really scared of dark places?"

"Sorry, that's corporate secret!"

"What's a 'corporation'?"

A few seconds of silence

"Well, uh... that's what I mean by 'secret'."

I forced my way through, paid the fee, and left the blacksmith behind.

The item I had made was a staff slightly shorter than my height, with tiny magic lamps arranged all around it, forming a 360-degree glow.

This allows me to observe a fairly wide area all at once.

It looks exactly like a magical staff....Mmfh, I must say, quite a good job myself.

I'll be on guard duty for the rest of the afternoon.

After using the radar a few times, I detected a large response. This signal comes from a sub-beast.

Carefully approaching the direction of the signal, I found a deer repeatedly charging into nearby trees for no apparent reason.

Quietly setting up something resembling a crossbow.

I've been working on this recently as well.

Back when I was in university, a senior in the lab was a military enthusiast.

Without me even asking, he taught me about the mechanisms and structures of various weapons. I don't remember most of it, but I do recall that crossbows have a simple structure.

Since I had to make things using only materials available in this world, the power isn't exceptional, but it's more than enough for me.

The arrow is made of iron, connected to wet hemp.

Wet hemp conducts electricity.

I aimed carefully at the raging deer and shot the arrow. It struck perfectly, embedding itself in the deer.

The deer didn't react to the arrow piercing it, instead turning its eyes toward me. Drool dripped from its mouth, and it charged forward.

Indeed, it's a sub-beast.

I use a low-power lightning spell.

The electricity surged through the deer's body, paralyzing it.

This was exactly what I had been developing, taking just as long as the radar.

A compact method of attack.

Lightning magic was powerful and had a wide area of effect, but using it once left me exhausted. That made continuous casting difficult.

I was satisfied with the completion of my creation.

It had finally taken shape.

I managed to obtain a magic stone after processing the deer. I'd gathered quite a few now. It's about time I headed back to the capital to exchange them for money.

Just as I was about to board the regular carriage to the capital, I was approached by a group of obvious thugs. There was a well-dressed young boy among them.

"Hey, kid, you're a magic tool user, right? Thinking of becoming an adventurer? Join our party. Now hand over everything you've got."

How transparent. And the boy himself also...

"No, I'm a researcher from the capital... I must have taken a wrong turn and ended up here..."

Another言行 that would easily attract attention.

I felt in a good mood and had extra energy, so I decided to stir things up. Slowly approaching a group of rowdy men from behind, I pulled out a low-grade light crystal.

You can't do that. Brothers. Bullying the weak isn't right.

Saying that, I pressed the light crystal against the rowdy men's bodies and activated the lightning magic. With low output, it could now be cast instantly—another result of my training.

"Gah," "Ow!"

The thugs fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

The further you are from a large city, the worse the safety becomes.

I don't know why I keep getting targeted by these thugs, but I've never managed to resolve anything through calm conversation. This fake stun gun move is just something I practiced to escape them peacefully.

My attention snapped to my left cheek, where I'd been punched unexpectedly before.

I'll never forgive that guy if I ever meet him again.

"Wait, that was magic... and I've never seen anything like it."

"Ah, for now, help me carry these guys over to the rock shade. They're just sleeping."

"Y-yes, I understand."

The boy's eyes gleamed as he looked here.