What Marcus was absorbing was the Mana Crystal that the system detected earlier on.

  Under his gaze, his mana reserves steadily climbed from 28 points to 35 before he began to feel some pain in his body.

  With needing to think too much, he understood why he was experiencing this pain. His body was too weak and malnourished to accommodate more than he had absorbed.

  And yet, there was still more energy to take from the crystal.

  Just as Marcus was wondering if he should continue absorbing mana from the crystal, a knock fell upon his door.

  Immediately, he looked at the door and began to whisper a defensive spell. In mere seconds, a weak sheen of light flashed upon his body.

  Marcus had successfully cast a defensive spell, albeit unstable. As the system said, it only granted understanding, but not mastery. He knew how to cast the spell, but it came with its imperfections.

  Once again, a knock fell on his door.

  Taking a deep breath in, he spoke. "Come in."

  The door opened slowly, revealing the unwelcome figure of Baron Reginald.

  Taking a peek at the dimly lit room, Reginald wore a cordial smile and stepped into the room. Unlike the first two times that Marcus met him today, Reginald took it upon himself to follow customs, bowing before greeting.

  "My apologies, my lord, for disturbing your night. I was on my way to Hesta, and then by chance, I heard the news that you had awakened. So I took a detour and came to see for myself. It has been quite a while since we last had a… cordial meeting, lord viscount."

  Marcus felt his hands tremble, and he subtly hid them under the blanket before clenching his fist. No matter what, he knew that he had to suppress his fears.

  "Baron Reginald, you were about to leave the city?"

  "A last-minute decision, my lord. My cousins in Hesta had requested my immediate appearance in the city. And since I have no idea how long I would be away, the moment I heard of your… miraculous recovery, I just had to be the first to come see for myself."

  Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

  Hearing all of this, Marcus was certain of one thing. Baron Reginald had spies within his mansion watching over him. However, he didn't rummage the thought now, only registering it mentally.

  Marcus forced a cordial smile onto his face before saying, "I appreciate your care and efforts, Baron Reginald. I also apologize for the hospitality. I have been asleep for quite a while and have become bedridden. If not, I would have at least gotten up for a handshake."

  "Don't pressure yourself, my lord. I was the one who insisted on coming here by this hour." Reginald smiled.

  A few seconds of silence went by.

  "How has Agard faired in my sickly absence?" Marcus broke the silence.

  Reginald seemed to take his time before giving a response. "To be honest, Agard is struggling. The city's starving, lacking resources, population, and wealth. The commoners are suffering, and many of them have migrated elsewhere. In fact, currently, five out of every bandit in the kingdom is from Agard. Even most of Agard nobles have left, only occasionally coming back to reminisce."

  Honestly, Marcus had no idea what had become of his territory. Whether Baron Reginald was lying or not, he had no idea. But one thing did stand true: he wanted Agard for himself.

  Suddenly, an armed guard of Reginald entered the room.

  His sudden appearance spiked Marcus's anxiety. But the man didn't seem to care about Marcus. He simply went to the baron and whispered in his ear.

  For a second there, Reginald's expression showed a hint of fright before it was masked. And then the man left the room.

  Even though the room wasn't properly lit, it was bright enough for Baron Reginald to see Marcus sweating and his breath changing. In a matter of seconds, the sickly young man looked even more sickly.

  Baron Reginald brows knitted. "You seem to be struggling, lord viscount. Forgive me, perhaps I have overstayed my welcome and disturbed your rest. I'll be taking my leave now and leaving for Hesta. I hope you will have recovered some more by the time I return, lord viscount."

  "Hmm, safe travels, Baron Reginald." Marcus nodded, masking his fear and confusion. He was still of the thought that the baron was planning something sinister.

  But much to his surprise and confusion, the plump man turned and quietly left his room.

  The door had already closed, but Marcus didn't let his guard down. Even after minutes had passed, he was still on guard. Until he couldn't hold on anymore.

  When his mana reserves ran out.

  …

  Within a speeding carriage that was quickly pulling away from Marcus's Mansion.

  "Are you sure that you sensed the movement of Mana?" Baron Reginald said, speaking to a cloaked individual who was seated opposite him and holding a walking cane.

  "Quite certain."

  "And it wasn't someone that you could have handled?" It took Reginald a lot of self-control to hold himself back from cursing out at the cloaked figure.

  "The waves of Mana that I felt coming from within the mansion were… different. A spell that I haven't come across before, yet it carried a very powerful vibe to it." The man began and crossed one leg over the other. "Usually, in my world—the world of Magicians, this would mean two things. Either you're dealing with a pioneer of magic, a very powerful Magus. Way above my pay grade. Or, we are dealing with a Magus's student, still above my pay grade. In this case, it's more likely to be latter."

  Baron Reginald remained silent. He, too, knew what a Magus was, and offending one would make things very difficult for him, if not cost him his life.

  With a snort, he looked outside the window of his carriage. "I have severely underestimated the Sirdis then. Perhaps one of his siblings sent the Mage here to keep an eye out."

  …

  [Threat Averted. Baron Reginald thinks you have a hidden Mage in your camp.]

  [+10 Achievement.]

  [Name: Marcus Sirdi.]

  [Age: 24.]

  [Race: Human.]

  [Mana: 0.]

  [Achievement Points: 10.]

  [Arcane Knowledge Learned (Lv1). Advance Technological Knowledge Available (Lv1). Body Modification Knowledge Locked. Futuristic technological Knowledge Locked.]

  [Redo: 0.]

  [Day Left: 6 months (183 days)]

  Marcus didn't even have the strength to take in all of these details before he passed out.