Chapter 49
The next day, the opportunity to check in on his progress arose.
"From now on, each person will begin their training in the mana room. The minimum output is level three, and in the words of my sister: don't throw away a golden opportunity in vain. Commoners do not have the chance to enter the Mana Room in a lifetime, but you have been granted the privilege to use it to further your growth. I sincerely hope that you will enhance your magical development by actively taking advantage of the mana room."
Beep.
The door to the training room opened. It was a room that Kang Min-hyuk had grown familiar with. When he first stepped into it, everything was strange, but recently, it had become a daily exercise. Kang Min-hyuk immediately sat cross-legged in the center of the magic circle - a spot where high-purity mana is concentrated. He tapped into the mental method in earnest to send mana to and through the magic circle.
Hwaak.
A bright light arose.
Through acute sprouting of sensation, he felt the fullness of mana.
"Hey."
His oxygen intake became excessive, and the intolerable pressure turned his face red as his muscles twitched uneasily. During his first visit to Klinssman's world, Kang Min-hyuk could not bear the mana room's pressure, and Klinssman's fragile circle spat out all of the mana it absorbed. Kang Min-hyuk had decided that he could not proceed with the training. But now it was different. Kang Min-hyuk concentrated the power of mana in the Danjeon, not the circle. As he opened the way for the mana to go to Danjeon, the tension that pushed against his lungs began to stabilize gradually.
"Hoo, hoo."
He breathed out evenly. Mana had regained some stability, but it couldn't yet be called safe...it was a full-fledged start, though.
'Danjeon is the center of power. If Danjeon does not accept mana, the interior collapses due to an overflow of mana.'
It was risky, but he had to check. If Klinssman is truly as talented as Min-hyuk suspected, he will surely be able to withstand it.
'Once, slowly.'
Mana moved to Danjeon. It (the mana) was used to remove impurities from blood vessels, and excess mana was pushed out through the skin in much the same way as impurities are released. The mana that Danjeon can accept is limited. In order to harmonize with the current mana, it is necessary to filter only pure mana.
"Ugh."
Steam rose from Kang Min-hyuk's body. Mana mixed with impurities turned into gas, and dirty air tickled the tip of his nose as black water dripped from his skin. Many external factors could have distracted him, but Kang Min-hyuk entered a trance-like-state.
'Open the danjeon so that mana comes in.'
Danjeon opened. The pure mana that had been filtered while moving through the blood vessels began to fill the danjeon quickly like a cascading waterfall.
"Wow."
Kang Min-hyuk's entire body tensed in response to intense pain, and his face burned red. He'd attempted, in his own world, to accept external manner previously. The power of assimilation inherent in psychic law sometimes made such a thing possible, but all who attempted it died. External mana was different from the mana of refined fortification. Sometimes it's rough; sometimes it's soft, sometimes it's cold, sometimes it's hot. Normal danjeon could never handle external mana, so accepting it was virtually prohibited.
So, the reinforcement warriors set up rules.
Strengthening proceeds through a refined strengthening solution.
For strengthening, inject an appropriate amount (as much as you can handle) regularly.
If you are not born with a special talent, it is impossible to accept uncontrolled mana. The circumstances were the same for Kang Min-hyuk. If he induces mana through Kang Min-hyuk's danjeon, like a tattered rag, his internal organs would have been torn to shreds. In short: it was impossible. Klinss's body was different.
Hwaak.
Gulp.
His body shook. A bright shining light was sucked into Klinssman's body, proving that his talent was real. Despite the strong waves of mana, Klinssman's Danjeon boasted unbreakable endurance.
How much time has passed? Kang Min-hyuk wasn't sure. When all of the mana receded, his eyes flashed. From that moment on, he was convinced,
"Klinssman, you were born into a world that you could never fit."
When all of the mana went down, Kang Min-hyuk's eyes flashed.
The amount of mana obtained could only normally be done through injecting reinforcement liquid dozens of times.
The two were born with the talents they needed in each other's world.
* * *
For a few days, Kang Min-hyuk devoted himself to training as Klinssman. By using the guardian gate's deep method, mana in the body was stabilized, and the strengthened body was tamed through physical training.
In the process, Kang Min-hyuk learned an interesting fact.
Klinssman was an assassin. His sword wasn't small, either, but a large, two-handled one. His body was muscular, and his hands were calloused. Kang Min-hyuk got to know Klinssman's body through direct experience. Klinssman had a weak circle, but surprisingly, moving his body wasn't awkward at all.
This could be understood through Klinss's own message.
[...... I used to think that magic is all about the power of this world. In those days when I was fighting monsters with swords, the image
of magicians flapping, their robes were shocking to me.]
Klinssman had said that he'd fought a monster with his sword. Now, the mana filled the danjeon by the guardian gate's deep law, but Klinssman's body was very clean even at the beginning. His fragile face and weak physical condition raised doubts as to whether he had mastered swordsmanship. He thought that Klinssman's body, which quickly adapted to strengthening, may have been in a weakened state compared to how it was.
It was complicated. The more he knew about Klinssman's past, the more confusing it became. Klinssman was unaware of his true talent.
When he arrived back at the hostel, Kang Min-hyuk wrote a message for Klinssman.
[There are three things I will teach you from now on.
1) How to efficiently train the body with the deep method of the guardian gate.
2) Guardian swordsmanship to protect the body, not to slaughter.
3) The guardian walk, which can be used in all movements.
Once you learn these three things consistently, your efforts will be rewarded.]
What Kang Min-hyuk had written encompassed the basic principles of the guardian gate. There are secrets that only the successors know, but it might have been too early to teach them. Klinssman, who has just stepped out as a reinforced warrior, needed skills tailored to his eye-level. Min-hyuk laughed suddenly; he saw himself in Klinssman, and Klinssman in himself:
"Is this how it was for Klinssman!?"
He asked himself aloud. Klinssman had systematically taught magic tailored to Kang Min-hyuk's eye level. Without such help, Kang Min-hyuk would never have grown so rapidly in a short time. Therefore, Kang Min-hyuk wanted to give Klinssman the same help.
After he'd finished writing his piece, Kang Min-hyuk put down his pen and moved his gaze to the side of the desk.
"Is it my turn now?"
Without fail, this time, Klinssman had prepared the necessary knowledge for Kang Min-hyuk.
* * *
There were two forms of knowledge prepared by Klinssman.
First: Superior fourth circle magic.
Kang Min-hyuk had only just formed the third circle...however, Klinssman has already been prepared to teach him the fourth circle's magic. Certainly, it was a good time to begin. Fourth circle magic was much more complex than the third, so that the sooner teaching could commence, the better. There was nothing wrong with investing time and energy into personal development.
The second form was Illusion.
Illusion was not a branch of commonly known elemental magic; as its name suggests, it had the power to transplant one's fantasies into reality.
[Illusions are not limited by circles. Circle 1 wizards can create their fantasy, but the fantasy begins to exercise 'power' in earnest from Circle 3. The Illusion of the 3rd circle wizard can cast magic individually. It is about 25% of the original magic power, and the power increases by 25% as the circle rises. From Circle 4, you can change the shape of Illusion, from Circle 5 to Double Casting of Illusion, and from Circle 6, you can use magic at full power, and it is possible to increase the rate of Illusion step by step from Circle 7 or more.]
In receiving this information, Kang Min-hyuk doubted his eyes that such magic could exist in the world.
Yes, the magical civilization consisted of 2000+ inhabitants, but it was still baffling to think that magic with such incredible effects could be used. The possibilities of Illusion are endless, as endless as the imagination. Fantasy and magic combined could be a tremendous force. It offered the ability to solve any problems that came with being a wizard.
Further facts popped up concerning Illusion the more that he researched. Kang Min-hyuk checked the Illusion information at the Academy Magic Library to find additional explanations to help his learning. Surprisingly, there was no knowledge related to Illusion. Among various books about top-class magic practices, he could find nothing on the subject. It couldn't have been simply due to rarity, as the library was the finest of its kind, and it would surely be discoverable there. It appeared to be entirely unknown. He did unearth a kind of fantasy-magic under the same name, but the outlined effects were completely different to those Klinssman had recorded.
People began to wonder about Klinssman's peculiar behavior; fellow students were curious and asked why he spent so much time searching and studying. He could offer no suitable response that wouldn't create more impossible questions, so he stuck to communicating things he knew to be certain. He stuck to reality but sought the Illusion.
Kang Min-hyuk devoted himself to training as Klinssman, and after that, he fell into his life of learning magical knowledge. It was a constant and intensive cycle of Becoming, and time passed quickly; hours melted into days and days to weeks, until one day, a change took place in his life as Klinssman.
[Emergency! Emergency!]
[Code Red activated! Code Red activation!]
[A gate has been created near the Royal Magic Academy! We hope that students will be armed and have a response system for operation 'Green Dragon' quickly.]
Well...that was unexpected.