By evening, the trio had returned to the surface.
After receiving his share of magic stones from the cat girl support from Loki familia.
Ronen waved goodbye to Riveria and the others, saying, "I'm staying at the church on Northwest Street. If you need me, you can find me there."
"Loki Familia welcomes you as well. Just mention my name when you arrive," Riveria replied with a nod.
They hadn't ventured too deep into the dungeon—no further than the 18th floor. Riveria had taken the support team into the dungeon not only to earn some extra income but also to help train the new members of her Familia.
However, their plans had shifted when they met Ronen. What was supposed to be a training session had turned into an opportunity for them to exchange magical knowledge.
Riveria had learned several things she had never considered before, greatly benefiting from their discussions.
Ronen, on the other hand, had gained insights into conventional magic and the world's understanding of magic, expanding his own perspective.
The two had become fast friends, able to converse effortlessly, which was rare in a city like Orario, often considered the center of the world.
Even in a place known for magic, such as the magical kingdom of Altina, it wasn't easy to find someone to talk to on the same level.
Though a professional mage, Riveria's magic skills were still among the best.
But Ronen, with his exceptional comprehension of magic, could easily outpace her understanding.
He often found himself able to grasp things she hadn't yet realized, leaving Riveria somewhat self-conscious about her ability to keep up.
It was clear that the general understanding of magic in this world was somewhat limited.
In simple terms, as Ronen's control over mana improved, magic became far simpler for him to manipulate.
Ronen had started his work and research after entering university, while professional mages began their training almost as early as elementary school.
This was like comparing mages to those studying ancient texts, while Ronen was translating those texts into modern language and advancing his research.
It wasn't surprising that Ronen was able to surpass the professional mages of this world in such a short period, even though most people here couldn't understand how.
---
"Huh? The lights are on. Is Meteria back?" Ronen muttered as he arrived back at Northwest Street. He paused for a moment and then used his Detection Wave.
Detection Wave was a subtle spell, and while Alfia could detect Meteria's magic due to her lack of experience with it, Ronen's mana manipulation was much finer.
When using Detection Wave, even Riveria couldn't sense it when he cast it up close.
At this distance, unless someone had a similar sensory ability, it would be impossible to detect Ronen's magic.
"Meteria... and another strong life force similar to hers... Could it be... Alfia?" Ronen whispered to himself.
His Detection Wave was quite powerful and could be used in various ways: sound waves, light waves, ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, quantum observation, etc.
Not only could he sense life energy, but he could expand his range and monitor a person's physical condition.
He could even use Detection Wave to create a 3D model in his mind, giving him a god-like view of the world.
(T/N: How in the hell did his brain not blow up??? 🤯)
It covered everything from the macro to the microscopic level.
Though still not perfect, his ability had surpassed most sensory-based magic.
---
"I'm back," Ronen said casually as he opened the door, walking in. He looked toward Alfia and introduced himself. "Hello, I'm Ronen, Meteria's boyfriend."
Alfia was dressed in a black lolita dress, her delicate features framed by pale yet strikingly beautiful hair.
Her heterochromatic eyes—one golden, the other blue—added to her exotic appearance.
With her haughty demeanor, Ronen immediately thought
She look like a proud cat with heterochromatic eyes.
"Welcome back," Meteria greeted with a smile, then turned to Alfia. "Sister?"
"I know," Alfia sighed, coldly nodding. "I'm Alfia, Meteria's older sister."
Ronen quickly understood Alfia's aloof nature and didn't mind, instead turning to Meteria. "So, why are you back? Didn't you go to the Familia celebration?"
"Well…" Meteria looked worried. "Because sister's condition has gotten worse."
She turned to Ronen with concern. "I was hoping you could help suppress her negative skill effects and adjust her condition."
Ronen nodded and looked toward Alfia.
"..."
Alfia felt a sense of helplessness but still nodded. "Go ahead and try."
After receiving Alfia's approval, Ronen activated a Detection Wave to check her physical state. The results made him grimace.
He had one question in mind: how was this person still alive?
"Can it be treated?" Alfia asked, her gaze steady.
Although she didn't want to owe any favors to the man who had taken her sister away, if he could help her live a little longer, that would be a relief.
"For now, the suppression magic can only reduce the effect of the skill by about 30%. It may even be lower... The suppression spell needs to be redesigned."
Ronen already had some ideas but needed a substantial amount of mana and precise conditions for casting.
He had been putting off improving it, but the strength of Alfia's negative skill effects was beyond his expectations.
It was clear now that, like many maladies from other worlds, her condition had worsened with prolonged battle.
"The best option right now is to set up a seal to stabilize her body."
Ronen looked at Meteria.
"Show it to her."
Meteria lifted her shirt slightly to reveal a white lotus-shaped seal etched into her chest, over her heart.
The mark had already formed a stable mana transfer effect, consuming 9/10 of Ronen's mana.
The seal would last for about a week, after which it would disappear and require reapplication.
The reason it was placed near the heart wasn't purely for aesthetic reasons; the heart was central to the circulatory system, and magical effects needed to be carried through the blood to reach the entire body.
"It's just a treatment," Alfia warned with a pointed look at Ronen, clearly hinting that he'd better keep his hands to himself or there would be consequences.
Ronen wasn't fazed and simply nodded. "I understand. In that case, I'll need to recover my mana first."
His mana reserves were low, and he was also hungry.
"Well, let's eat first then."
Meteria opened a lunchbox and pulled out some food. It had already cooled down, but Ronen wasn't bothered.
With a snap of his fingers, he used magic to release steam and heated the food back up.
Before long, the food was steaming hot once more.
After finishing the meal, Ronen sat down in a chair and closed his eyes.
This was his way of recovering mana through meditation.
Although this method wasn't unusual, Ronen's control over mana and his deep understanding of it had significantly increased his efficiency—about five times that of standard meditation techniques.
In just half an hour, he had fully restored his mana.
---