The Beggar King

The Deep Blue Forest.

Its other name was the Suicide Spot.

It was a place sought by those who left even the Final Destination Village, claiming they would hang themselves.

Thanks to that, aside from those truly intending to die, no one dared to set foot there out of fear.

Still, just in case, I ventured as deep as possible to secure a spot.

Sunlight peeked through the slightly exposed sky, and below it, a rock suitable for sitting jutted out.

"Hoo…"

Sitting cross-legged on the rock, I closed my eyes and slightly parted my lips.

A minuscule amount of Mana flowed in with my breath.

Mana was like unrefined fuel.

I had to filter out the impurities mixed in the air and store only pure Mana in my heart.

With each inhalation, I absorbed Mana, and with each exhalation, I expelled impurities.

For someone without talent, it could take years just to sense Mana, but I was brimming with talent.

This was the third Mana Heart I was forming with that overflowing talent.

'More pure.'

Like sifting stones from sand, I filtered the impurities clinging to the Mana.

My senses grew increasingly sharp.

I succeeded in perfectly filtering out even the tiniest impurities that I wouldn't have noticed in my previous life.

The Mana accumulating in my heart was utterly free of impurities.

'What is this…?'

The more Mana I gathered, the more bewildered I became.

Even though it was just a Mana Heart, it felt comparable to the 2nd Circle, or perhaps even the 3rd Circle, from my previous life.

'I've been shortchanged twice in life.'

To think there were still realms I hadn't reached.

It was baffling.

'Was it thanks to that power back then?'

Suddenly, the moment I swung my sword at the Demon God came to mind.

Thanatos had been overwhelmingly strong.

It was a strength of a completely different class.

Just as no matter how strong an ant is, it cannot contend with a human, the difference between me and Thanatos was the same.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have been able to so much as scratch him, let alone sever his neck.

But I was given an opportunity.

[It's a service.]

[Accept/Accept]

Enchanted by the strange text, I reached out my hand.

It was the moment an ant became a human.

Mana, Aura, Spirits, and so on…

Everything that humans had classified separately surged as if they were one.

The sensation from that time was still vivid, and it felt like the quality of my skills had risen because of it.

How much time had passed like that?

"…It's done."

A perfect Mana Heart had been formed.

That wasn't all.

Black impurities were expelled from my body, and my previously delicate frame had thickened.

"No wonder I felt so stiff."

I had thought it was just growing pains, but now it made sense.

"How much time has passed?"

The moment I asked the air for the time.

"Three hours have passed."

A deep voice came from behind me.

I hastily picked up a tree branch.

"Reveal yourself."

"There's no need to be so wary."

A burly man stepped out from behind the giant tree right in front of me.

"Impressive, kid."

"Get lost."

"You may have talent, but you clearly lack manners."

His presence was no ordinary one. He was one of the strongest I had encountered across all my lives.

I drew Mana and enveloped my body with it.

Even so, it was like a mouse before a cat, but I had no other choice.

"There's no need to be so hostile."

He raised both hands and withdrew his energy.

Then, he smiled warmly.

"Shall we introduce ourselves? I am Ananta."

"Ananta…?"

"You look like you've heard of me."

Of course I had.

The Beggar King, Ananta.

He was the king of all beggars on the continent and ranked 4th among the World's Top 10 Strongest.

In my first life, I heard rumors that he hunted down Demon God's Cultists.

In my second life, I heard he perished while stopping the Cursed Poison Dragon awakened by the Demon God.

He didn't seem to be a villain, but he was someone I had no reason to meet.

I had heard he was secluded in the Final Destination Village, but I never expected to meet him like this.

For now, I revealed my name as well.

"Yuri. I'm from the streets, so I don't have a last name."

"That much is obvious just by looking at you."

He laughed heartily.

In the end, I withdrew my Mana. There was no benefit in provoking him unnecessarily.

He plopped down in front of me.

"I didn't mean to spy on you, but you're remarkable. A Mana Heart already, huh?"

"You're not so ordinary yourself, judging by your energy."

"Extraordinary? A beggar's extraordinary is still just a beggar."

Ananta tossed me a piece of bread.

"Hungry?"

Only then did I realize my hunger.

I took the bread and nodded slightly.

"Thanks."

It was hardened barley bread, but hunger made it the best seasoning, and I devoured it in no time.

As I picked my teeth unnecessarily, I asked.

"So, why were you spying on me?"

"Hey, I told you, I wasn't spying."

He scratched his head.

When I didn't drop my suspicion, he let out a sigh.

"It's true. A young kid fearlessly entered the Deep Blue Forest, so I followed out of concern."

"Isn't there no need to worry anymore?"

"Ugh, disgusting. Fine, I'm leaving. Oh, right."

Ting!

The Beggar King flicked a silver coin toward me.

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"So you don't go starving. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's seeing kids go hungry."

"You're more sentimental than I thought."

"Believe it or not, I'm a father."

At that moment, it came to mind.

The Beggar King Ananta. He had lost his only daughter to the Demon God's Cultists.

Afterward, he fully revealed himself and, along with the Full Moon, became known as the Demon God's Cultist Slayer.

That was right after I entered the Academy….

Fiddling with the silver coin I had received, I called out to him.