Who could it possibly be?

At that moment, a single person flashed through Chasey’s mind.

There was indeed someone who would pull a prank like this…

But she couldn’t be sure, as the woman’s appearance was entirely different from what she remembered.

“Ms. Pokoro…?”

Chasey asked hesitantly, hardly daring to believe it.

The answer she received was surprising.

“That’s correct!”

The woman smiled pleasantly, as if pleased by the correct guess.

With an excited tone, she asked after Chasey’s well-being.

“So you do remember me! How is your mother doing? It’s been such a long time since I last saw Rose.”

Pokoro was a friend of Chasey’s mother, Rose.

Chasey stared at Pokoro’s face in sheer astonishment.

“Is it really you, Ms. Pokoro?”

“Yes, it’s wonderful to see you after so long. And your beauty remains as ever, kkal-kkal-“

“How did you…”

“Becoming a 3-Cost champion just happened to restore my youthful appearance.”

“A 3-Cost champion?”

Chasey was genuinely shocked.

She had only known the woman as her mother’s friend; she had no idea she was such an exceptional individual.

To be perfectly honest, the Pokoro in Chasey’s memories had always seemed like an ordinary next-door auntie.

Given the nature of an alchemist’s work, which required standing in front of a fire for long hours, she had possessed dark, rough skin.

Since Chasey’s mother, Rose, looked incredibly youthful for her age, Pokoro had always appeared relatively older.

But things were different now.

Pokoro’s expression brimmed with confidence.

“I’ve been taking consistent care of my skin these days. You should start taking care of yours from a young age, too. Time is a woman’s greatest enemy, you know.”

She boasted a flawless, pale complexion that made her look like a peer to Chasey, and the wrinkles that once lined her face had vanished without a trace.

If not for her signature laugh, Chasey would never have recognized her.

It was truly a magical transformation.

“The elixir I developed has incredible effects on wrinkle reduction. Thanks to that, I was able to secure the position of branch manager at Alke.”

Alke was a renowned brand, counted among the most prestigious companies associated with alchemists.

To possess the capability to be entrusted with such a position meant that her mother’s friend had achieved considerable success.

Becoming a 3-Cost champion was impressive in its own right, but research and development was an entirely different field—making this a pure achievement of Pokoro’s own abilities.

‘It seems I came to the right place.’

Given my desperate need for a Mana Stabilizer, there seemed to be no better option than this.

“You mentioned you needed a Mana Stabilizer, right? You’ve come to the right place. There are only a handful of alchemists in Yukantar capable of crafting them.”

She was overflowing with confidence.

The name Alke itself served as a guarantee of an alchemist’s skill.

Moreover, since she was an acquaintance of Chasey’s, I could leverage a bit of goodwill to start the conversation.

I had been standing by idly while Chasey and Pokoro exchanged pleasantries, but I seized the moment and interjected.

After all, I couldn’t wait forever.

“Excuse me…”

“Right, so the customer is over here?”

Returning to her professional demeanor, Pokoro fixed me with a sharp gaze.

“So, why exactly do you need a Mana Stabilizer?”

Although she had acted rather giddy with Chasey, she was a 3-Cost champion, and I felt an undeniable sense of intimidation from her.

Still, it wasn’t quite on the level of Ariel, the Adjudicator, so I managed to answer calmly without letting my unease show.

“I was told that I need a Mana Stabilizer to improve my physical condition.”

“Hmm…”

Pokoro rose from her seat and approached me.

Circling around me, she meticulously examined my body with sharp eyes.

Perhaps because she was inspecting me from such a close distance, I felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment.

But there had to be a reason for this, so I simply stood still.

After scrutinizing every inch of my body, Pokoro offered a mischievous smile.

“So you’re the person Chasey likes? You certainly are quite unique.”

Chasey was startled by Pokoro’s remark and reacted instantly.

“W-what?”

“Kkal-kkal- Just a joke, a joke.”

Seemingly satisfied with teasing Chasey, Pokoro burst into laughter before adopting a serious expression once more.

“Who was it that recommended the Mana Stabilizer to you?”

Her voice carried an interrogative edge. The atmosphere grew slightly heavier.

Was it alright to reveal the source of my information?

I glanced subtly at Chasey, and the answer came from her.

“It was my older sister, Ariel.”

“Ariel, you say…”

Pokoro searched her memories.

“The girl who became an Adjudicator.”

Pokoro furrowed her brow and muttered to herself.

“An Adjudicator, huh…”

What did she mean by that?

I wanted to ask for clarification, but Pokoro’s expression was so grave that it wasn’t the right atmosphere to press the issue.

Pokoro spoke again.

“They say a person knows their own body best. You must be aware of it too—that your body isn’t normal.”

“Yes, I am aware. I was told that two types of mana are clashing inside my body.”

“Right, then taking a Mana Stabilizer isn’t the wrong approach. It’s the most certain way to eliminate the source of your pain.”

However, looking somewhat dissatisfied, Pokoro wore a reluctant expression.

“Though it isn’t the best option.”

“Are you saying there’s another way?”

If I were an ordinary customer, she could have just sold me the requested Mana Stabilizer and called it a day. But since I was an acquaintance of Chasey’s, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

Especially since I seemed completely unaware of the Mana Stabilizer’s side effects.

Pokoro slowly opened her mouth.

“I noticed you have a Mana Circuit etched into your body. You must be participating in battlefields as a champion.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

It seemed she had identified the Mana Circuit of Solid Exoskeleton engraved within my body.

As expected of a 3-Cost champion, Pokoro possessed a discerning eye.

Then, she dropped a bombshell.

“If you take a Mana Stabilizer, all the Mana Circuits in your body will disappear.”

My Mana Circuits would disappear?

“Mana Circuits aren’t immune to the effects of a Mana Stabilizer, after all.”

Thinking about it, it was an obvious conclusion.

A Mana Stabilizer was designed to restore the mana inside the body to its original, stable state.

Heterogeneous mana.

Mana Circuits forcibly etched through a skill book were bound to be erased as well.

That meant my Solid Exoskeleton—the skill I had finally learned after investing three years—would vanish.

Ariel hadn’t mentioned this side effect…

Did she have a reason for keeping it from me?

I cautiously spoke up.

“Is there another solution?”

Pokoro hesitated.

“Hmm… I’m not sure if I should tell you this. If word of this reaches an Adjudicator’s ears, it could mean big trouble.”

Pokoro looked at Chasey.

Understanding her intent, Chasey spoke in a serious tone.

“Whatever you tell us, Ms. Pokoro, I will keep it a strict secret.”

Upon hearing Chasey’s assurance, Pokoro’s eyes turned to me.

I made the same promise.

“I will keep it a secret as well.”

Pokoro nodded, letting out a shallow sigh.

“Alright. I like Ariel well enough, but I have no desire to meet an Adjudicator on official business.”

Even for a 3-Cost champion like Pokoro, the title of Adjudicator carried a heavy burden.

Pokoro continued.

“In your current situation, the best method is to separate the mana. If two types of mana are clashing, you just need to isolate them from each other.”

Separate the mana…

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“Are you well-versed in Lineage synergy?”

“Please explain.”

The usual Pokoro wouldn’t have bothered with a detailed explanation, but she was being friendly solely because I was Chasey’s friend.

There was no need to spend this much time on a 1-Cost champion otherwise.

Chasey was well aware of this fact, so she conveyed her gratitude with a look.

Seeing this, Pokoro smiled warmly and resumed her explanation.

“From 2-Cost onward, champions possess a Lineage synergy separate from their Class synergy. The mana used for Lineage synergy and Class synergy are distinct, separate entities.”

Did that mean one could simultaneously use mana with different purposes?

It was a similar situation to mine. So why was I the only one experiencing a problem?

I was able to get the answer from Pokoro.

“The reason the mana is clashing in your body is because you are a 1-Cost champion.”

“Is it because my Mana Efficiency is insufficient?”

“Right, because you lack the ability to separate the mana. Therefore, the easiest solution is for you to advance to 2-cost.”

Hearing this, I felt I understood why Ariel had recommended a Mana Stabilizer to me.

I knew better than anyone that I lacked the power to solve the problem myself.

“A Mana Efficiency of 20 is the minimum threshold required to separate different types of mana.”

The condition for becoming a 2-Cost champion: Mana Efficiency 20.

Now I finally understood where that number came from.

“But what if there was an elixir that could temporarily separate your mana, regardless of your Mana Efficiency?”

An elixir that separates mana?

In other words…

“You mean I could separate my mana without becoming a 2-Cost champion?”

“Yes. You’re quite quick on the uptake.”

She hadn’t expected me to grasp the core of the matter so quickly.

Pokoro looked at me with a hint of surprise in her eyes.

“Well, if there’s one small catch, it’s that the distribution of this elixir is strictly prohibited. How about that?”

Upon hearing Pokoro’s words, Chasey and I exchanged glances.

‘Is this okay?’

‘I’m not sure…’

“Mana Booster. That’s the name of the elixir that will solve the problem you’re currently facing.”

I figured I should at least listen to everything Pokoro had to say.

There had to be a reason why an Alke alchemist was recommending it.

“There are very few people capable of crafting a Mana Booster. An alchemist of that caliber can make a comfortable living without it, so they have no need to take on the risk.”

“Then does that mean you, Ms. Pokoro…”

“I don’t know how to make it either. But I do know a way to get my hands on it.”

Pokoro’s eyes grew distant, as if recalling someone.

“There’s an alchemist in the Western Region who knows how to make Mana Boosters. If you mention my name, he won’t turn you away as a customer. He’s tight-lipped, so you don’t need to worry.”

Was she saying it was fine as long as I didn’t get caught doing something illegal?

It was the typical mindset of a Trivik native.

Pokoro flashed a confident grin.

“Of course, I won’t take responsibility for what happens afterward.”

How irresponsible.

There was no way I wouldn’t get caught by an Adjudicator for taking a Mana Booster.

Had Ariel truly been unaware of the existence of Mana Boosters?

‘Should I just use the Mana Stabilizer?’

As if reading my mind, Pokoro added.

“A Mana Stabilizer isn’t a bad choice either. Even if your Mana Circuits disappear, you can just engrave them again.”

“Is it possible to re-engrave vanished Mana Circuits?”

“Traces of mana remain where the Mana Circuits used to be. Should I call them pathways? Anyway, as long as you can manipulate mana, you should be able to restore them easily.”

However, there was a massive problem with that.

I could only manipulate mana through a skill book.

Which meant that if my Mana Circuits vanished, I wouldn’t be able to restore them.

Of course, 100 gold was an easily manageable amount for me right now.

But if the same problem occurred every time I underwent Body Enhancement, it would put a brake on my growth.

I needed a fundamental solution to the problem.

After all, the most important element on my battlefield right now was none other than the 1-Cost champion, ‘Shieldbearer Lee Shin’.

In the end, the best option I could choose was to use a Mana Booster…

To make a firm decision, I asked Pokoro a question.

“What exactly does a Mana Booster do?”

“I said it separates the mana, but the actual principle is a bit different.”

Perhaps sensing my feelings, Pokoro answered seriously.

“A Mana Booster is an elixir that forcibly burns the mana inside your body. It produces the exact same effect as if you had used the mana yourself.”

“Burns the mana…”

“Once you burn the targeted mana, the remaining mana naturally separates. It doesn’t affect mana of a different nature.”

A question arose in my mind.

Currently, the battlefield Mana and the Body Enhancement mana were clashing inside my body.

But what if, in this scenario…

…I burned the battlefield Mana, which shouldn’t exist in reality? What would happen?

I found myself curious about the outcome.