Surprising weight

"Right, humans should be analyzable too, right?" Lucian asked.

"Of course they are," Lysera replied.

Lucian immediately cast Analyze on the woman.

[Elvira Sol: Sacred Rank combatant. Possesses overwhelming fire-elemental mana and an exceptionally powerful physique. Currently afflicted by mana erosion.]

"Sacred Rank? That sounds... intense," Lucian muttered.

"Of course it is. This world's power system ranges from Tier 1 to Tier 10. Anything above that is Sacred Rank."

"A Sacred Rank can level a city with a single blow. Every movement carries terrifying destructive force."

"And more than that, this woman's physical stats are abnormally high—she's not just a Sacred Rank mage. She's a Sacred Rank spellblade. Both martial and magical."

"A spellblade, huh? In fantasy novels, those types always punch above their tier," Lucian murmured with a hint of awe. Then something occurred to him. "Wait, Nobu's Unranked. So what level is that supposed to be?"

"Unranked doesn't indicate power level," Lysera explained. "It refers to a unique classification—something outside the standard system. An Unranked being can be incredibly weak… or absurdly powerful. But it must exist beyond conventional logic."

Lucian nodded in understanding.

Just like Nobu—right now it barely had any offensive ability, but if it kept consuming and evolving… it might become a global threat one day.

Still, at the moment, the same overpowered Nobu was cuddling in his arms like a spoiled kitten. Too damn cute.

While petting Nobu, Lucian mumbled to himself, "Originally I planned to head straight for a human settlement, but now I've got Elvira Sol to worry about. I can't just leave her here."

"But if I take her with me, I won't get far… Maybe I should just set up camp somewhere nearby and wait for her to wake up."

"She's a Sacred Ranker. Once she's up, she can probably get us out of the Savage Wilds no problem."

Decision made, Lucian nodded to himself.

First step: find shelter.

"She'll be fine lying here for now, right?" he asked.

Lysera nodded. "No problem. You can't sense it yet since you don't have mana, but her body's still radiating a powerful mana field—even while unconscious. Most monsters wouldn't dare come close."

Lucian relaxed a little. He'd been worried that he'd come back to find her half-eaten or dragged off by some beast.

If that wasn't an issue, then he could go.

He stood up, pulled on his now-dry pants, and started scouting the area for a suitable place to make camp.

After more than an hour of searching, he found it—about two hundred meters away, near the river, there was a rocky cliff with a cave tucked underneath. Inside, there was an old iron pot, remnants of a firepit… clearly a camp abandoned by adventurers. Just the kind of spot he could use.

He jogged back to the firepit, grabbed a few coals, and sprinted back to reignite the fire in the cave. Then, he returned again, ready to bring Elvira Sol over.

First, he awkwardly helped her back into her robe, then slung her onto his back.

"Jesus—she's heavy!" Lucian staggered. "She's gotta be heavier than me. At least… what, 100 kilos?!"

"Her muscle density is incredibly high," Lysera said calmly. "If she weren't instinctively using magic to reduce her weight, she'd probably be around 1,000 kilos. Maybe even several thousand."

Lucian's eyes bulged. "A thousand kilos?! Are all women in this world this heavy?!"

Lysera gave him a withering look. "Of course not. Normal people weigh like normal people. Even most Sacred Rank mages don't weigh that much. But she's a spellblade. In close combat, the heavier you are, the greater your kinetic force. Most melee fighters store a ridiculous amount of nutrients in their bodies to boost their power."

"I see... So I guess you really can't judge someone's weight just by their figure," Lucian said with a laugh, adjusting Elvira Sol on his back. Then, gritting his teeth, he began the slow march to the camp, one heavy step at a time.

Fifty meters in, he was already panting hard.

"Fuck… she's getting heavier…" Lucian muttered.

His leg suddenly dipped, almost buckling beneath the weight. He barely managed to steady himself.

Was she really getting heavier… or was it just his stamina running out?

"You could always drag her, you know," Lysera said, floating lazily nearby. "With a body that tough, there's no need to worry about her getting hurt."

Lucian gave her a side-eye. "See, that's where you don't understand. If I drag her, her surface area increases, which increases friction. That actually makes it harder."

"Really?" Lysera tilted her head, eyes drifting toward where Elvira's chest was being squished against his back.

"Of course! Besides, how could I let a beautiful woman come into intimate contact with the dirt?"

If anyone's getting intimate, it's gonna be with me, he added mentally.

And so, with heroic resolve, Lucian grit his teeth and pressed on.

After dragging himself another hundred meters, Lucian finally couldn't take it anymore. He collapsed forward, Elvira Sol's body flopping on top of him, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

He shoved her off to the side and lay flat on his back, gasping like he'd just finished a marathon.

"Holy… shit… I think I'm dying…" he wheezed. "Why does it feel like she keeps getting heavier?"

"Probably because her mana reserves are almost depleted," Lysera replied. "You need to hurry. Once her mana runs out entirely, she'll be even heavier."

Lucian paled. After a few deep breaths and about a minute of rest, he forced himself to stand.

"Alright… one last push… CHARGE!"

He let out a battle cry and launched into what he thought was a sprint.

In reality, it was slower than his usual jog.

Elvira Sol was simply too heavy—and she was still getting heavier.

By the time he hit the 150-meter mark, it felt like she weighed over 150 kilos.

If he hadn't been training regularly and built up some stamina, he would've crumpled long ago.

"Almost there…" Lucian's sweat dripped off his forehead like rain. His entire shirt was soaked through.

Carrying Elvira Sol these two hundred meters felt harder than running ten kilometers at full speed.

In the final twenty meters, she passed 200 kilos. Every step made his legs tremble.

But he didn't dare stop.

If he stopped now, he might not be able to lift her again. And there was no way in hell he was leaving her in the middle of the forest.

Finally—finally—they reached the cave.

Lucian dropped her onto the ground like a sack of bricks, then collapsed beside her, wheezing like a fish out of water.

"...Holy… shit…"

"No strength left…" he groaned.

Lysera floated beside him, arms crossed. "You could've just not saved her. Would've been a lot easier."

"Are you kidding?" Lucian forced a grin through the exhaustion. "She's the first person I've met since coming to this world. And she's gorgeous. Of course I had to save her."

"Heh. And once she wakes up, she can teach me magic. That's the plan."

Lysera looked down at him with a soft, amused smile.

But deep down, she knew… Lucian didn't save the woman because she was beautiful. And it wasn't because he wanted magic lessons, either.

He saved her because that's just the kind of person he was.

Just like when he decided to raise Nobu—it wasn't strategy. It wasn't gain.

He just wanted to.

"I'm starving..." Lucian muttered. The Riverclaws he'd eaten earlier had already been digested—he was hungry again.

So, he decided to head out and look for more food.

First, he waded into the river and caught a few Riverclaws. Then, he wandered through the forest, using Analyze on the fruits around him.

[Greenleaf Fruit: Crisp texture, mildly sweet, rich in vitamins. Edible.]

[Redleaf Fruit: Soft and juicy, sweet and sour, rich in vitamins. Edible.]

[Rockcap Mushroom: Tender and springy, savory and slightly sweet, rich in minerals and amino acids. Edible.]

Of course, not everything was edible.

[Greenberry: Unripe redberry. Slightly toxic. Not recommended for consumption.]

[Poison Date: Soft and sticky texture, overly sweet. Highly toxic. Do not consume.]

[Rockbear Dung: Gritty texture, bitter taste. Inedible.]

"!!!"

Lucian immediately threw whatever was in his hand and recoiled in horror.

"Fuck, that was poop?! I thought it was some kind of mushroom!"

Lysera burst out laughing nearby, clearly enjoying the scene.

Lucian hurried back to the river to wash his hands, then made his way back toward the cave.

He'd gathered a decent variety of fruits—should be enough for a meal.

"Heh, thank you, Mother Nature."

"Here, Nobu—have a mushroom." Lucian handed a Rockcap to the blob on his shoulder. Nobu quickly engulfed it and began digesting it, its little eyes squinting in satisfaction.

Back at the cave, the abandoned bronze pot left behind by the adventurers finally came in handy.

Lucian scrubbed it clean, washed the Riverclaws and mushrooms a few more times, then tossed everything into the pot to boil into a soup.

Dinner time!

While the crab-mushroom soup was still cooking, Lucian snacked on some fruit, occasionally feeding bites to Nobu as he chatted with Lysera.

"By the way, Elvira Sol—she's being consumed by magic, right? What's that about?" Lucian asked.

"Magic erosion comes in all types—fire, ice, and so on. Each has its own subtypes, and from what I can see, her symptoms don't clearly show which kind she's suffering from," Lysera explained. She paused briefly, then added,

"Not that it matters much—you couldn't help her even if you knew. Your best move is to take advantage of the time she has left before her magic runs out. As long as her aura is active, she can ward off monsters just by being here."

"But once her magic fades... then things will get ugly."

She didn't finish the thought, but Lucian got the picture.

Still, he asked, "So, is she in danger?"

"For now? Not really," Lysera replied. "But the longer this drags on, the more uncertain things become."

Lucian let out a soft sigh, his mood dimming.

"Man... I really hope she'll be okay."