In a three-story hospital building, ward 505 was a perfectly sealed room. The rhythmic beeping of magical machines, made to monitor the vitals of a man suffering from [Mana Comatose], was the only indication he was still alive. On the right side of the bed, a strange liquid hung from his IV with a mana stone attached. Entombed in a white room smelling of lemon disinfectant, the man lay unconscious, as if dead.

“Father, I’m back. I hope you weren’t lonely for too long,” Jenna said softly. She pulled aside the curtain around the bed and sat on the makeshift chair beside it. She glanced at her comatose father and reached into her pocket, grabbing the remaining crystal fragments. She took them out and counted. There were ten fragments left.

“It really is [Mana Comatose],” she muttered.

At first, it was just an assumption based on what the doctors said and what was commonly called similar incidents. But now, recalling all her past life’s memories as Dylan, the Great Magic Swordsman, she knew for sure that her father’s illness was truly what the doctors thought it was.

Even in this world, doctors proved their worth, being competent professionals. In her past life, incompetent doctors were either thrown into prison or killed by her.

[Mana Comatose] occurs when an ordinary person absorbs or breathes in more mana than their body can handle. Eventually, this dense and uncontrollable mana cannot be extracted, leading to the body breaking down, and the person falling into unconsciousness.

Though it's not difficult to cure this illness, it requires forcibly extracting the excess mana from the patient’s body. This procedure is simple in theory but difficult to execute correctly. If done incorrectly, the patient might end up crippled and helpless.

A high-level magician could do it, but hiring one is expensive. As the reincarnation of a Magic Swordsman, Jenna could do it too, but she needed to be at least a Fourth Stage Magic Swordsman. She gritted her teeth in disappointment, hating to admit it.

Letting out a deep breath, she listened to the beeping of the magical machines filling the silent room.

This leaves the method of adapting to that excess mana and forcibly causing awakening, she thought. However, this method also required extremely expensive suppressing pills and narcotics.

“But… the 'bloodied elixir' could help in this case,” Jenna muttered with certainty.

The bloodied elixir, a potion made from the blood of a southern phoenix, cost five hundred gold coins. Drinking its red liquid would not only extract the excess mana from her father’s body but also block his mana hair follicles from absorbing more mana, suppressing his nerves' mana sensitivity to the bare minimum.

“Father…”

She gently grabbed her father’s stiff yet strangely smooth, fairly brown hand. It was warm but slightly cold. In her past life as Dylan, she had a mother who became a widow at a young age. Living in the slums, where the hypnotic aura of flickering neon signs never reached, Jenna and her mother worked as housekeepers for an auction house.

Though the auction house owners were cruel, they provided shelter from the chaotic world of unchecked activities embraced by diverse industries, capital, and gangs. They were like family.

Danger loomed for those who let their guard down. One day, a gang raided the auction house, and her mother died a tragic death. Her body parts were ripped apart and sold to a prosthetic agency in the black market for a large price.

The despair, terror, and rage of witnessing her mother being torn apart were carved into her mind. Dylan vowed to avenge her death at all costs.

He struggled for a long time, working hard, enduring pain, regret, and disappointment. In the end, he became known as the greatest magic swordsman in the futuristic world, fighting through all odds, scheming in the shadows, outsmarting his enemies, and eventually avenging his mother’s death.

Though he took revenge, he became lonely, as revenge was his sole driving force. He had no family, relatives, or friends. He delved into all kinds of experimentation, studying magic and sword techniques, wandering the gritty, mysterious world of Perlisum seeking something more.

Loneliness was a boring and depressing life he never wanted. He fought against Donatella, the archangel, and died. Yet in this life, it was still the same with a different twist.

After Jenna lost her mother while studying at the Academy to become a professional author, she lost all her friends that day. No one helped her, and she struggled alongside her father.

Apart from Ciel, the receptionist who motivated her daily at the Headquarters after work if she wasn’t too injured, literally no one else cared.

Then, another mishap struck.

Yet, at the same time, the most precious thing in her life remained. Jenna had regained something from her past life.

Gripping her father’s hand tightly, she teared up.

“Dad… I will definitely wake you up at all costs. And I will do it sooner than anyone thinks. We will definitely take a hike together.”

As the beeping from the magical machines continued, her words and emotions etched themselves in her father’s heart. Even though he couldn’t understand her, the tension in her mind began to unclench one by one, and her determination burned fiercely in her heart.

– — — — — 

If one has memories of a past life as a different gender, what should one do first?

Jenna donned a pair of grey shorts, showcasing her elegant curves, and a pink T-shirt that covered her peaks quite well. Lying comfortably on a white bed large enough to fit two people, she stared at what she held in her hands. It sparkled with tendrils of currents around it.

In her previous life memories, this crystal fragment was called an "Energy Core" or "Power Source." Gripping it tightly, power flowed through her palm. Her blood pulsed with mana.

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

As the messages appeared, indicating her mana stat had increased, the fragment’s bright light dimmed and it broke apart into particles. The particles disappeared like dust. Jenna's hypothesis about the time needed to extract mana from lower-level crystals was practically successful.

Four times. That was the number of times needed to extract mana from this low-level fragment before it broke, increasing her mana each time by 0.5. In total, she could raise her mana pool by 2.0. Sighing, Jenna deemed this method wasteful of resources that could be exchanged for cash, but it was more efficient.

Jenna picked another fragment and tightened her grip. The veins in her hand bulged as mana began to flow. And…

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

At the euphoria-like messages popping up in front of Jenna, another fragment dimmed and became particles. Without delay, she grabbed another and repeated the process.

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

Taking out another fragment and extracting its mana…

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

Again, her hand grasped the low-level fragment. Mana surged, and immediately:

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

Wide awake within a 1000-square-foot room filled with soft pastels and plush furnishings, Jenna continued her training. Mana pulsed and flowed through her every nook and cranny. Each time, she could feel her body gradually overflowing with mana.

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

After an hour of repetitive training, her stat grew by about 12. Including the consumed crystals from the battlefield the other day, her overall mana stat had increased by 12.54.

Although she only extracted mana from five fragments, Jenna clearly felt the increase. Within just one hour, her mana had increased from 0.54 to 12.54, which was four times more. Jenna nodded proudly. Soon, she pulled out the remaining cores and spread them on her palm. Absorbing three more fragments…

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased by 0.5]

[Mana has permanently increased…]

[Mana has permanently…]

[Mana has…]

[Mana…]

Tendrils of mana flowed through her veins, and another fragment dimmed and became particles. With the buzzing sounds from outside the window near her bed, the trees fluttered, and the breeze blew the particles away.

Letting out a deep breath, her mana increased by 6.0. Subconsciously, she called out the status window, specifically the “Mana stat.” Almost immediately, the “Mana Stat” screen appeared.

[Intelligence: 18.54]

In her previous life, each low-level core had only 0.5 on average. But in this world, for some reason, the mana from this core was 2.0, divided into four extractions before extinguishing. If it was her previous life, all the seven cores she absorbed would only be 3.5 of mana.

Could it be that the job she acquired increased her efficiency in absorbing mana from low-level fragments? She couldn't be sure. In her past life, she disregarded low-level cores for being weak in gaining mana, using the Mana Breathing Technique instead while hunting high-level monsters.

“If this efficiency continues while I’m an apprentice magic swordsman, then just one hour of low-level fragment extraction would get me pulsing with mana,” Jenna calculated.

If this continues, wouldn’t it be better to exchange money for cores? Jenna’s eyes sparkled greedily at the thought of quickly increasing her mana pool. But she soon shook her head in disapproval. Though this mana training was unusual, without her past life's memories and awakening, she wouldn’t have gained such a rush of mana. It was not typical for a beginner magic swordsman to accumulate mana so quickly, especially from a low-level crystal fragment.

[You have acquired the Skill “Low-level Mana Extraction Technique.”]

Sighing, Jenna realized it wasn’t perfect. There was no way she could acquire the “Advanced Mana Technique” from low-level crystal fragments, despite having the great Dylan’s knowledge of profound extraction techniques.

Getting out of bed as the restlessness of sitting in a single spot for two hours dawned on her, Jenna noted the sun was at its highest. She lazily made her way to the refrigerator. Despite having mana sparkling all over her, she was mentally exhausted.

The small room, though cozy and comfortable, felt tight for a lady. It had soft pastels, plush furnishings, a comfortable bed, a stylish vanity, and personal touches like floral arrangements and framed photos of her parents. It was easy to recover mentally and refresh her mood after a long, stressful day. Despite its tightness, the room’s charm was its economical and logical design, with community water supply, mana-induced electricity, and free gas for cooking. Plus, it was stationed beside a food stall, perfect for rice and ramen purchases with coupon installments.

Yanking open the refrigerator door, she took out a can of beer. She opened the lid with a hiss and brought it to her mouth. She began to drink.

“Ha… this hits the spot,” Jenna exclaimed with ecstasy as the refreshment slid down her parched throat. Sipping the soda, she fell back into bed. She ignored the beer in her refrigerator because it could dull a swordsman’s senses. But she longed for it.

Anyways, a magic swordsman is always ready and alert. No one knows when danger might loom at one’s blind spot. In that case, one must create a plan before it happens.

After all, prevention is better than cure. Jenna already had one in mind—the plan to cure her comatose father in no time.

“So, just a little more,” she remarked. There was still more training she needed to do.

After resting for a while, Jenna focused on her next training. Sitting in a lotus position, she applied the [Art of Vagrant Interstellar], a special runic breathing technique. This method converted the essence of blood into energy, creating a powerful runic force to circulate the mana she had acquired from the low-level fragment through her body.

Using this foreign technique for the first time, Jenna felt a thrilling, combustive energy surge within her. Waves of force emanated from her body, causing it to ache from their intensity. Though only hours passed, it felt like days.

After about ten hours, it was late at night. The moon hung in the sky, surrounded by cirrus clouds. Its gentle emerald glow streamed through the window.

A frosty breath escaped Jenna’s lips as she opened her golden eyes. A faint glow overlapped her pupils but soon faded, indicating how much mana she had accumulated, regulated, and circulated during her hours of concentration.

She decided to check her status window.

[Name: Jenna Dwayne Higgins 

Race: Human.

Job: Apprentice Magic Swordsman 

Level: 1 

Strength: 15      Stamina: 22

Agility: 24       Perception: 19

Fate: 20          Intelligence: 22.54

Points: 0

Specialty: None. 

Skill proficiency: 3

Note: Permanently increased and regulated mana by 2.0 per hour.]

“Finally, 22,” Jenna exclaimed, oozing with sweat. She had accumulated mana much faster than planned, and there was one reason for this—

Skill proficiency.

By using the [low-level Mana extraction technique] together with the [Art of Vagrant Interstellar] continuously for ten hours, she increased the skill level of the [low-level Mana extraction technique]. Now her proficiency level was three. Thanks to this, she could accumulate and regulate 22.54 units of mana for ten hours. The [Art of Vagrant Interstellar], which increased her mana pool using her blood, had previously been at 0.01. Now, it has accelerated fourfold.

Mana coursed through her veins, organs, muscles, nervous system, eyes, and ears, increasing her other stats as well. This wasn't strength given to her by The Whispering Star, Monstrille’s system like other adventurers received. Rather, it was her own bodily strength.

She didn't need to use the power of The Whispering Star, Monstrille’s system, whose stats could only be obtained from leveling up or exercising beyond a certain threshold. The [Art of Vagrant Interstellar] was a special runic breathing technique she acquired by analyzing Archangel Donatella's runic energy during their last battle. She adapted it to bypass the incompatibility with humans.

Jenna rolled her eyes as the lingering soul of Donatella yelled about a human stealing her technique. She pushed the soul by the neck into the underworld. "Why are archangels so narcissistic?" she muttered, clicking her tongue.

Despite its low level, this mana accumulation training was certainly beneficial. She had already surpassed the mana accumulation rate she had as a Magic Swordsman Apprentice in her previous life. She calculated that with five more years of training, she could surpass the mana level she had before.

If she continued to accumulate mana at this rate, it would help speed up the execution of her plan.

“Nice… shall I begin the next stage?” she pondered.

There was no longer a need to waste time dwelling any longer.

— — — — —

With the cirrus clouds covering the moon's emerald rays, Jenna waved away the status window, took a light shower, cleaned up, and dressed in casual clothes. She walked to the shelves on the opposite wall and pulled out a thin-translucent glove. Finding the other glove proved cumbersome. With the single glove in hand, she moved to the wide center table in her room and sat down.

She pushed aside everything on the table, laid a cardboard sheet down, and placed two fragments on it. She also pulled out a chisel cutter from the drawer.

Her mana, a measure of her intelligence and magical power, was at 22.54. She coated the chisel cutter with mana and used the [Voiceless Chant] skill she had acquired. She also infused her muscles with mana to increase her strength by +10 and strengthened the chisel cutter to withstand the pressure she was about to apply. System messages appeared at the side of her vision.

[You have acquired the skill “Sharpening.”]

[You have acquired the skill “Material Enhancement.”]

The chisel cutter flashed with mana and then settled. The cutter's toughness and sharpness improved, and her hands gained the strength needed to use it.

“Nice,” she murmured, her eyes narrowing as she prepared to begin. Cutting her finger with a magically enhanced blade could mean losing it.

In this world, this type of skill was called a “Buff.” Holding the cutter in her hand, she began to carefully cut the fragments into tiny pieces. With a metal-on-metal shrieking sound, Jenna meticulously cut the edges of the fragments. Crumbs scattered on the table, but she ignored them.

Soon, the two fragments turned into pieces and eventually into dust, which piled together. She pulled out an adhesive that wasn’t instant glue, mixed in some of the powder, and retrieved a ruler from the drawer. She combined the two substances into a murky mixture.

Next, she shifted her attention to the thin-translucent glove and applied the rubellite-like substance both externally and internally. Using her hairpin, she traced a schematic diagram—a circuit—accurately on the adhesive, connecting each particle together as she used mana to zoom in on the tiny details.

The final result was a magical, traced rubellite-like glove.

As the cirrus clouds drifted away, revealing the moon's emerald rays, Jenna’s hand grew tired. “Finished.” She fell onto the rugged floor. “Ahaha, this kind of detailed work isn’t really for me… How tiring.”

While lying down, her eyes shifted to the wall clock. It was 11 p.m. “Ah, time flew by quickly.”

She had started in the late evening, but now four hours had passed.

“Let's finish up,” she said as she pushed herself back to a seated position. She still had to have dinner and rest. Tomorrow, she had to register as an adventurer at the [Adventurers’ Bureau]. Even if Flame Tornado hadn’t suggested it, she would have done it anyway; it was the right thing to do.

With the adhesive hardening, Jenna drew mana and channeled it into the glove. Following the schematic structure, mana began to flow according to the circuit, connecting the particles.

PHAA!

The glove glowed dazzlingly, filling every nook and cranny. Shielding her face from the bright light, Jenna's excitement grew. As the light dissipated, the glove gleamed gently with tiny scattered rubellites. It now looked more like a fabric glove than a steel one. The glove floated slightly in mid-air, radiating bluish-green mana.

“Good! Looks good!” Jenna nodded proudly. To the naked eye, it was an ordinary glove since the material was just normal translucent fabric with no special patterns.

RUSTLE!

It had a strange feel to it. Despite appearing like rough fabric, the sensation at her fingertips was somewhere between metal and fabric. The final result was hardened beyond belief by mana heat.

Jenna had never felt anything like it. Its texture wasn’t the only bizarre aspect. The once weightless glove was now hefty. In her previous life, even advanced materials like Adamantium wouldn’t weigh this much. Even a fully steel gauntlet wouldn’t be this heavy.

Surprisingly, it was thin, to the point that no one would believe it was homemade. Jenna looked at the magical glove with eyes full of surprise and pride.

“Next.” Jenna proceeded to the next stage. With her enhanced strength, she laid her hand according to her right fingers and pressed the glove with considerable force.

She then channeled mana into it, which shone brightly, hardening it even more. The glove became at best only one millimeter thick, and it wasn’t particularly big, so anyone who saw it would assume Jenna had ordered it from an excellent blacksmith. But if they were told it was homemade, its weight and unpolished appearance would make them believe it.

With the amount of mana channeled into the glove, Jenna could decrease its volume. She could make it lighter or heavier depending on the situation. She proudly gazed at the magical glove on her hand. There was a slight feel here and there, but overall, it felt pretty good, and its soft texture made it easy to forget it was even there.

In her previous life, this was an item that symbolized Dylan, the Great Swordsman. Jenna tightened her fist.

“Magical Glove…”

It was an item that acted as a power source, separate from her mana. Who would have thought such a thing could be homemade with just a few materials? Jenna removed the glove again and made a groove on its back by burning out a slot with a lighter so any fragment of considerable size could be embedded in it. This was to make it easy for Jenna to carry a hidden power source. A balance was still needed since the glove's material and adhesive couldn’t handle too much mana.

Equipping the glove again, Jenna found the groove unusual and weird, but not too out of place.

“Haaaa…” Frost escaped her lips as she let out a deep breath. The cool breeze tickled her skin. Something amazing happened when she drew mana from the glove.

Light emanated from the schematic trace between the tiny fragments, merging into a single point. At first, not all fragments released mana, but soon they obeyed and flickered with power, eventually supplying a considerable amount of mana.

With mana running through the circuit, the appearance took on a gently gleaming complex pattern. Now she was ready. In her hand was a magical glove with bluish-red metaphysical patterns.

Jenna's lips opened, and she chanted out loud without the [Voiceless Chant].

“As the Knight of Mana, I declare this power source to be a Permanent Second Retainer of Mana.”

“As the Knight of Mana, I declare this power source to have Permanent Mana Regeneration.”

“As the Knight of Mana, I declare this power source to have Permanent Mana Amplification.”

After Jenna’s chants, two skills were acquired simultaneously. The geometric patterns on the magical glove began to glow.

[You have acquired the skill “Second Retainer.”]

[You have gained the skill “Mana Amplification.”]

Moments later, more messages appeared on the side of her retina.

[The skill “Magic” has been used without system support.]

[The skill proficiency rises rapidly.]

[The proficiency level of the “Magic” skill has increased by 1 rank.]

Chanting without system support—[Voiceless Chant]—caused the skill proficiency to rise rapidly. Another message appeared.

[The “Mana Usage” skill proficiency level has increased by 2 ranks.]

Jenna chuckled proudly at the sudden alerts. It was an unexpected, euphoric sensation.

[You have acquired “Artifact Maker.”]

“Oh?” Stunned, Jenna's smile broadened. She raised her hand and walked to the window. The moon’s rays reflected on the glove. “The most basic weapon among Magic swordsmen, and the most efficient in the futuristic world of Perlisum, was the Hidden Power Source—Second Magical Retainer.”

Having made a magical glove, the next plan was already forming in Jenna’s mind. She remembered the balance of gold coins she had after paying for her father’s recent bills. His hospital bills were prohibitively high. If she had time, she could take a normal adventurers’ quest in the Monster’s Expanse. But not right now.

Currently, she had to showcase her abilities to [Jubilee City]’s guilds by taking a quest within their radar. This would undoubtedly stun them and make them want to monopolize her with generous offers.

This way was the fastest and only way to acquire the large amount needed to cure her father.