The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

When Ghislain last ventured into the Beast Forest, he had told Jerome about an ancient spellbook he had once discovered.

Before his regression, Ghislain had taken inspiration from a fragment of that very book to perfect his Mana Cultivation Technique.

At the time, that spellbook had been nothing short of a miracle for him. Without it, he would never have been able to rise to the ranks of the Seven Strongest on the Continent as quickly as he had.

Even after his return, that technique had allowed him to tap into explosive bursts of power whenever he faced a crisis.

In a way, that spellbook had been the foundation of everything he had accomplished.

However, since he had already perfected his Mana Cultivation Technique in this lifetime, there was no longer any need for him to acquire the book.

Instead, he had passed it on to Jerome.

Ghislain himself had never been skilled in magic, so he had only drawn inspiration from the text. But Jerome—an accomplished mage—might gain even more from studying it.

“Hmm… so this is the place.”

Jerome had arrived in a small kingdom far from Ruthania.

He had been meaning to visit for some time, but various obligations had forced him to postpone the trip. Now, he was finally here to retrieve the ancient spellbook.

The local nobles were thrown into a panic when Jerome arrived with a small entourage.

“Wh-what brings you here so suddenly?”

“Has some problem arisen?”

“We’ve been keeping watch over the Rifts, just as ordered!”@@novelbin@@

Jerome was now quite famous. His achievements in the Allied Forces had spread far and wide, making his name known across the continent.

So for these minor nobles, having a major figure like Jerome suddenly appear at their doorstep was enough to put them on edge.

“Haha, no need to worry. I’m just here to investigate something.”

That word—investigate—carried a heavy weight depending on how one interpreted it.

The nobles immediately grew more nervous.

But Jerome paid them no mind. He went straight to the location Ghislain had mentioned.

At first, he had planned to hire a few workers to assist in the excavation.

But upon realizing that currying favor with Jerome could be advantageous, the local lord eagerly provided him with a workforce free of charge.

Not long after they began digging, the remains of an ancient structure emerged from the ground.

Jerome’s eyes widened slightly.

1. • This was necessary to maintain stable spell fusion.
2. • Anything lower, and the technique would be too difficult to execute.
3. • The technique required rapid and precise mana control, similar to multi-casting.