Chapter 5: I Want to Try a Little Experiment

I handed the processed registration card back to the leader of “Sheep’s Fighting Spirit.”

It was almost time for the gates to close.

The day was coming to an end.

There were only a few people left inside the guild.

The members of “Sheep’s Fighting Spirit” were relaxing, since they were heading home for the day.

The only B-rank member in the party muttered, “I want more skills too…”

With the other members all being A-rank, he was probably feeling pressured.

However, everyone had at least one skill.

Adults usually possessed around three, and those registered with the Adventurers Guild typically had even more.

Common knowledge dictated that “Unless a skill is flashy, you won’t know you have it. There’s no way to confirm it.”

Because of that, people with subtle yet highly effective skills often carried unnecessary worries.

They either had to realize it themselves or encounter a perceptive companion capable of recognizing their potential.

Now then, when I [Appraised] that B-rank member, he had the skills [Swordsmanship], [Martial Arts], [Physical Enhancement], and [Convert Magic Power to Strength].

Indeed, none of them were flashy, but as a swordsman, they were more than sufficient, and having [Martial Arts] broadened his fighting style.

[Physical Enhancement] increased stamina—like HP—and endurance, meaning defense power.

For someone skilled in close combat, it was an excellent skill.

Still, in terms of sensation, he might only think, “My body feels warmed up!” or “I feel great today!”

The last one, however, was extremely rare.

After seeing that skill and his ability values, I decided to conduct a small experiment.

—Sorry for doing this without asking.

First, I did not say, “You have a skill called [Convert Magic Power to Strength], don’t you?”

Instead, I asked, “Didn’t you mention recently that you came up with a new technique?”

He was the youngest in the party, talkative and eager to stand out.

I was certain he had bragged about something like that recently.

“Yeah… It makes me stronger, but I collapse almost immediately afterward.”

“That’s no good. If we can’t support you, you’ll die,” the party leader sharply dismissed.

He was likely using the [Convert Magic Power to Strength] skill to instantly convert all his magic power into strength.

Then he would run out of magic and faint.

That must have been the sequence.

“Magic power” was like MP, consumed when casting spells.

“Strength” referred to attack power.

When magic power was depleted to zero, one did not die but instead fainted.

“It sounds like a mage running out of magic. Almost like you’re converting your magic power into strength,” I said lightly, as if joking.

Perhaps that was a bit forceful.

“Oh? Charlotte thinks so too?”

“Ah, it’s just an amateur thought…”

The older male mage in the party seemed to have considered the same possibility.

“No, no. You might be quite right. There were once theories that such a skill could exist.”

“Really?”

The members of “Sheep’s Fighting Spirit” reacted with surprise.

They were surprised at the idea of such a skill.

I was surprised that it was recognized at all.

The B-rank member with the skill seemed to have some idea.

Skills tended to strongly reflect the will of their owner.

Perhaps at some point he had thought, ‘If only my excess magic power could turn into strength.’

Or maybe it was inherited, and he had heard about it from a relative.

His magic power value was 7,867.

His strength value was 23,801.

With my [Appraisal] skill, I could see abilities numerically.

For a close-combat type, his magic power was far too high.

Usually, it would be in the three digits at most, often two.

Perhaps he had a magic-specialized race in his lineage.

However, he could not become a mage.

There was a required parameter for casting magic, and his was fatally low.

Now then, if all his magic power were converted into strength, his strength would exceed thirty thousand.

In practical terms, something that would normally take three strikes to defeat—like an orc—could be defeated in a single blow.

If he could finish battles in one strike instead of three, combat would become much easier.

‘He probably can’t convert it in fine increments,’ I thought.

It was likely all or nothing—either converting all his magic power or none at all.

“If that’s the case, you’re converting all your magic power into strength, right? Isn’t that dangerous? Most mage deaths happen when they can’t move after running out of magic…”

The male mage nodded repeatedly.

But the B-rank member disagreed.

“No way! Then I just won’t convert it all! I’ll do ninety percent—no, even half is fine!”

It might have sounded reckless, but mages could sense their remaining magic intuitively, so he seemed confident he could manage it.

Even I could roughly tell, without checking numbers, that I had used about half my magic.

Otherwise, I would faint every time.

“Alright! I’ll do it!”

His companions seemed accustomed to his stubbornness and decided to let him try.

I felt slightly guilty, as though using him as a test subject, but I was also pleased that I had guided things this way.

If he learned to sense his magic and convert only half into strength, perhaps his other ability values would rise as well.

I wanted to confirm that.

I memorized several of his values.

Oh, right.

“In that case, would you like to buy some magic recovery potions while you’re at it? You can recover even just by sprinkling it on yourself.”

I managed to sell him a magic recovery potion, which the guild also stocked.

And that night.

I felt very sorry for him, but I attempted to manifest the [Convert Magic Power to Strength] skill myself through practice.

Upon reflection, I wondered if this might actually be a skill suited for mages.

If I encountered a monster immune to magic and vulnerable only to physical attacks, converting magic power into strength would immediately open a path to victory.

My magic power exceeded ten thousand, and I carried close-combat weapons as well.

I closed my eyes and concentrated.

Come forth!

My “magic power,” become “strength”!

……………………

Maybe that wasn’t right.

Let’s see, magic power… strength…

The amount used for magic… turn into strength…

…into…

……………………zzzz…

…………zzzzZZZZzzzzzz…………