The Evolution of a Dungeon Master

Drip.

The cheap roof leaked with raindrops, and Leonhardt closed his eyes while sitting on the rough hay bed. In the village, an elderly couple accepted him and gave him their son's old room and a bowl of hot soup.

『To think humans could also be so warm.』

[Not all humans... Master]

『I understood too little after being born...』

He could only feel hostile towards other races as if this were his natural state.

But after devouring more memories, emotions and powers, he started to change.

[Well, that bit... woman is just a crazy witch, don't believe her biased information]

"..."

Leonhardt suddenly opened his eyes, the light flickering from a dull, used candle in the room's corner as his lashes flickered to adjust to the dusty room.

[Yuris might have been a talented archmage... but when it came to human relations and emotions, that girl lacked everything.]

"So the one who made me is called Yuris?"

He was able to put a name to his creator.

Would she be his mother in this case?

The strange knowledge, which wouldn't seem important, created a chain reaction as his two hearts began to beat harder, pumping his blood and mana faster, causing a slight ache. 

[Don't worry about her for now...]

[I promise to let you meet her one day, then we can rub it in her face for dumping you like garbage!]

Since he came to this world, only three people—no, now it might technically be five people—have shown him something new and made him feel comfortable.

Because Ifrit went to the trouble of saying those words, his body calmed. He could not help but smirk, and instead of lingering his thoughts on improving himself.

『Let's start meditation. I want to improve myself... spend 100 DP to buy the incense...』

——

[Item Purchased]

Mana Gathering Incense - Intermediate

● Improve the gathering rate of magic and mana for ten hours.

• Maintains focus and improves cultivation speed by two.

∟ 100 DP Each. 

——

Suddenly, small black apparatuses with a lavender and sweet cinnamon scent appeared on the desk beside him. Leonhardt noticed the dripping water, and with a bitter smile, he shifted to the edge of the bed and took the lotus position.

He wondered if he could repay the old couple for helping him, a stranger. 

『Oh... can you not fix up their house?』

Thanks to Zafira's hard work, the dungeon grew several squares and could cover the entire village. 

[I can repair this room alone... or the entire house for 200 DP.]

『Fix the entire thing』

The two elderly people not only helped him find a place to rest but also taught him about the Crimson Hawks lingering in the village so he could find and kill them. 

Leonhardt wasn't innately evil or kind, but since meeting Zafira and Gobbolas, he would give back to others what they gave him.

Then, with a deep breath, he placed both hands on his abdomen, fingers and thumbs pressed together, and he started to let out low breaths.

Deep in his body, his magic formed in a small swirl of red mana before becoming a ball of flames. The flames churned as the tiny crystals of mana in the atmosphere illuminated his body before his body sucked them inside and absorbed them into his sphere.

"Phew... draw magic from the outside, towards my body, give them form before takin them into my body."

—Flicker!

The incense lit up, creating a mist of fumes that, like the swirl of mana, formed a vortex that wrapped around Leonhardt... 

It started as mana crystals... small beads that floated through the air, unseen by others, in various elemental colours.

Then, as a mage meditated, those crystals would be sucked towards the mage, who turned their body into a small vacuum. Most could only attract a single element at a time because converting other elements took too much effort.

"Haa.... I can feel the crystals becoming energy... and seeping into my body, absorbed into my blood and becoming bound to me..."

[Good... for a beginner, you are skilled, is it because of your heritage?]

Leonhardt could only smile bitterly, wondering what Ifrit hid from him.

The hours slowly passed while Leonhardt continued to suck the air and mana crystals of all elements into his body. His special hearts could easily turn mana crystals into the fire and wind element with a 7:3 ratio.

Thus, all that mattered to Leonhardt was to focus on his meditation. 

[Though... he already knows his body would gather them naturally without this effort]

——-

Monsters and humans gathered and used magic in different ways. 

Humans couldn't store magic inside their hearts like monsters. Thus, they used special techniques to form cores in their abdomens, a pseudo-mana heart that could store mana and allow them to cast magic. 

Though this meant humans could only absorb and store a limit which only grew slightly no matter how strong a human mage, their limit existed.

Monsters could store magic in their organs and even their flesh, blood, or bodies. 

Because of this nature, monsters could use magic instinctively, but due to not studying and learning like humans, their magic usually materialised in a brutal and primitive fashion, while humans created innovative and refined to the limits. 

Normally, this edge shows the difference between the two styles of magic.

However, monsters could almost limitlessly increase the maximum amount of mana stored inside their magic-absorbing organs.

The elves are close to a hybrid, allowing for refined magic and larger mana pools... their hearts store most of their magic, increasing their lifespan—the more mana an elf or monster had, the longer they lived.

This effect did not occur for humans who only lived slightly longer than normal, except in a few specific situations.

——

—Tweet!

Morning arrived quickly... a layer of sticky grime seeped from Leonhardt's body, and they began stretching with a loud crack of his bones and muscles. 

"It hurts... my body feels so stiff.... damn."

The sunlight flickering from the horizon lit the fiery forest in the north, causing a beautiful red hue to bathe the village. 

—Knock-Knock!

"G...good morning, young man. Are you feeling better?" A lovely yet slow elderly voice came from the door after a gentle knock echoed through the room.

His eyebrows lifted, shocked by the woman who had already woken up.

The sun barely lifted into the sky!

"Please give me a moment, Lady Grey." 

Although the knowledge he held seemed too high-brow and noble for this small village, when he spoke to the lady with such a polite tone, she showed a lovely smile.

Leonhardt didn't know if it was his hidden desire for a parent or mother figure. But when he entered this house, he felt comfortable, like sitting on his throne while watching Zafira with the rabbits.

『It feels strange, but... it's not bad.』

"Huhuhu, don't rush, don't rush... I have prepared some breakfast. It's only porridge, but thanks to your fruit it's rather sweet and delicious." 

"I'll be down after a quick wash!" 

The slight chuckle from the lady's lips made Leonhardt's chest feel light. The night of meditation and his heavy body were no longer on his mind. 

He knew it was hypocritical of him to enjoy this while being the monster slowly conquering the northern forest, and soon, Zafira would request to move south, but Leonhardt wouldn't stop her.

Leon wondered what the future would hold.

Would he have to become a heartless monster, or was there a path for him and the others to coexist?

[Live how you like, Leonhardt.]

[I will burn the fools who stand in your way!]

Like this, Leonhardt enjoyed a delicious fruit porridge and coffee with the elderly couple, who seemed amazed that their home suddenly no longer leaked water and wind last night.

The idea of how to conquer this village without bringing harm to this elderly couple lingered in his mind.