Awakening (??) (5)
In the middle of the lake, Zeke sat in a lotus position.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he opened the gate to his mana road.
Immediately, a wave of dense mana tried to force its way into his body.
If he let it in as it was, his mana road wouldn’t be able to handle the strain. It would be destroyed.
‘Which would make me a cripple for life.’
Zeke blocked the mana that was trying to enter through the open gate.
‘Right now, my priority isn't to heal my body or increase my mana.’
*Drip.*
A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, past his chin, and into the lake.
‘Ugh.’
It took all his strength to push back against the enormous pressure.
His face turned crimson, and veins bulged on his forehead.
Blood trickled down from his tightly shut teeth.
Normally, engraving the Mana Purification Method onto one's body was a simple task.
All you had to do was use your internal mana to control the external mana and guide it in the direction you wanted.
However, Zeke’s paltry amount of mana was the problem.
Compared to the dense and heavy external mana, the amount Zeke could use was insignificant.
It was barely enough to spread thinly over a loaf of bread or to spark a tiny flame.
Trying to control this enormous amount of external mana with his internal mana was like trying to tame a wild beast with a thin thread.
‘It’s just as ridiculous as it sounds.’
*Fuu*
Zeke exhaled deeply.
However, even with his physical limitations, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Zeke was once at the pinnacle of a world where martial arts reigned supreme.
He had the experience he'd gained from surviving in the dark fantasy world.
His mana control had reached a level where he could find possibilities even in seemingly impossible situations.
‘The important thing is not to go against the flow.’
He suppressed the impatience that arose from the frustration of things not going his way.
His mind sharpened like a blade, pushing his concentration to its limits.
Deep within his mind, the formless external mana transformed into a ferocious beast.
It glared at Zeke, drool dripping from its fangs.
"Grrrr."
The beast and Zeke were locked in a stalemate.
‘It's better to take the long way around than to rush down the wrong path. I only get one shot at this.’
*Swoosh.*
Zeke drew two strands of mana from his body.
One was as thin as a thread, but it was tightly packed and resilient.
The other strand was much thicker, large enough to catch the beast’s attention.
However, unlike the thin strand, the thick strand was completely hollow.
The thick strand of mana cautiously moved towards the beast.
It moved so slowly that it almost seemed stationary.
“Grrrrrrr!!!!!”
As the strand entered a certain range, the beast bared its teeth, as if annoyed.
Zeke cautiously pulled the thick strand back a little, and then slowly inched it forward again.
He continued to pull the beast’s attention, carefully tracing its boundary line.
The beast regarded the strand of mana before it like an annoying fly.
It wasn't substantial enough to be worth eating, but it was annoying enough that it couldn't be ignored.
Its hesitation bought Zeke some time.
‘Good… Just a little bit closer….’
While the beast was distracted by the thick strand, Zeke maneuvered the thin, durable strand of mana around it.
And finally, as the beast’s patience wore thin…
“Kheung!”
Just as it lunged toward the thick strand to devour it…
*Snap!*
It wasn’t enough to completely restrain it, but it was enough to startle the beast.
The thin strand was tied around the external mana.
And while the beast was momentarily stunned, Zeke connected the thick strand to the external mana as well.
“Kahaang!”
The beast thrashed wildly, trying to break free, but it was no use.
The thin strand of mana held it in place, while the thick strand began to graze against the areas where the impure energy was concentrated.
Of course, this was all happening within Zeke’s mindscape. The actual process was much more complex.
Zeke's thin strand of mana continuously absorbed the pure mana, while his thick strand stirred the external mana, expelling the impure energy.
This created a loop where absorption and expulsion occurred simultaneously without passing through Zeke’s body.
Gradually, the external mana, which had initially resisted so fiercely, began to yield to Zeke's control.
‘Now, let's gently guide it.’
Zeke pulled on the thin strand of mana, drawing it towards his body.
His destination was his back.
His back was less curved than his chest, making it a more suitable canvas for the complex inscription.
‘You’re the first to see my bare back.’
The external mana reached Zeke’s back.
It tried to force its way through a narrow opening, but Zeke pulled back with a subtle but firm hand.
‘That’s not where you’re supposed to go.’
The beast grumbled in protest.
It was as if it couldn't understand why it was being led in circles when the path ahead was clear.
But Zeke persisted, sometimes firmly, sometimes with gentle coaxing.
*Tsss!*
The mana made contact with his skin.
The scent of burning flesh filled the air.
‘Focus!’
Now, he had to carefully inscribe the pattern, avoiding the numerous openings on his body.
The final destination was the acupoint connected to the center of his mana road, but managing the beast’s volatile nature was the key.
‘Hey, I know, I know. Just hold on a little longer. I've been there. You have no idea how much I’ve craved this.’
*Crackle!*
The external mana surged across the surface of his skin, leaving scorching trails.
The pain was akin to having his flesh carved away with a chisel, but Zeke's expression remained unchanged.
The inscription of the Mana Purification Method, taught to him by the Saintess, appeared vividly in his mind.
And slowly, a blue, glowing inscription began to form on his back.
The inscription was a complex pattern of various geometric shapes and supporting characters, all contained within a large circle.
The Mana Purification Method, designed to filter out impurities and leave behind only the purest essence, was divided into four stages.
‘Erosion.’
The first stage was the triangular inscription, responsible for breaking down the external mana into smaller pieces.
‘Sedimentation.’
The second stage was the square inscription, which preserved any part of the impure mana that could be purified.
‘Fusion.’
The third stage was the circular inscription, which blended the pure essence extracted by the triangular inscription with the salvageable parts from the square inscription.
‘Pathway.’
Finally, the dot inscription purified the combined mana and created a pathway to the mana road.
‘Haa!’
Zeke’s eyes flew open.
*Woooong*
The Mana Purification Method engraved on his back activated.
It began to draw in the dense mana from the lake.
The overwhelming pressure of mana threatened to crush him.
Then, a bright light emanated from his back, illuminating the entire cave.
And a thin, translucent membrane enveloped his body.
“Huff. Did… Did it work…?”
Zeke finally spoke, his voice hoarse with exhaustion.
Still seated, he tried to draw in the surrounding mana.
All the acupoints on his mana road were now closed, and the inscription on his back was the only way for external mana to enter.
‘The inscription absorbed most of it, so there’s not much mana left.’
Nevertheless, he could feel that the Mana Purification Method had been successfully engraved.
A small amount of mana, about a tenth of what he’d drawn in, seeped into his body.
“Hmm. It's a pretty good filter. I'll give it an extra point. 998 out of 1000.”
Given his physical limitations, this was the most efficient and ideal outcome.
Unlike before, drawing in mana no longer left him feeling drained.
‘I guess I won’t be collapsing anymore.’
Zeke stood up and stretched.
*Crack, crack.*
His joints popped as the tension eased from his muscles.
He held out his hand and willed a flame into existence.
What used to be a flicker the size of a kitten had now grown into a roaring flame the size of his fist.
“From a lighter to a blowtorch.”
Zeke pulled Yutra’s magic stone from his discarded clothes.
As soon as it touched his hand, the magic stone transformed into a small ring, automatically processed by the Mana Purification Method.
‘Let’s use this to engrave the Transformation Inscription.’
He could only have a maximum of three inscriptions on his body at any given time.
No, even three was pushing it. Two was the most stable number.
Any more than that, and the inscriptions would interfere with each other, turning him into a ticking time bomb.
His options were limited, but Zeke chose the Transformation Inscription without hesitation.
Unlike the arduous process of engraving the Mana Purification Method, Yutra’s magic stone liquefied in an instant, smoothly inscribing the pattern onto the back of Zeke’s hand.
Having direct control over external mana was efficient, to say the least.
‘Nothing beats it in terms of utility.’
Everyone’s mana had a unique signature, which made it difficult and inefficient for one person’s mana to interact with another’s.
‘But the Transformation Inscription allows me to assimilate other types of mana.’
This would be helpful in training Soi Spoon’s Berserker and in teaching Selena the Heavenly Dance of a Thousand Swords, a rapier technique designed for women.
It could also be used to erase his traces or to disguise his mana signature as an enemy’s to create confusion.
As a test, Zeke tried altering the mana signature of the cave.
The cave, drained of all its mana by Zeke, was now as ordinary as any other.
A blue light pulsed from the back of his hand, transforming the remaining traces of mana.
‘But would anyone really go as far as to analyze the mana signature at a crime scene?’
It was better to be safe than sorry, so Zeke brushed the thought aside.
‘The remaining magic stones… I could use them as batteries, but that seems like a waste.’
Engraving more than two inscriptions on his body was too risky, so Zeke pondered his options.
‘Should I use them to teach the kids mana cultivation techniques once their stamina improves a bit?’
Seven tiny magic stones were hardly enough for mana cultivation, but with the Mana Purification Method, Zeke could now replenish them much more efficiently.
He started to consider which mana cultivation techniques would be suitable for each of his students.
‘I need to check their mana patterns first. Let’s start with Selena.’
They lived in the same mansion, and he needed to place his hand on her bare back to check her mana pattern, so she was the obvious first choice.
‘Selena, time to show me your back.’
* * *
*Fwoosh!*
“About three hours left, huh?”
Zeke let the wind whip through his hair as he gauged the distance back to the mansion.
He was making his way back to the capital city at breakneck speed.
Every time his foot touched the ground, he shot forward with incredible force.
*Fwoosh!*
“What was that?!”
“Is that a new type of monster?!”
One adventurer’s startled cry had the others scrambling for their weapons.
“Did something just go past?”
“I-I don’t know… Maybe it was a bird…”
“What if it’s dangerous?!”
“I think it’s gone. We’re fine.”
The adventurers, unable to even register Zeke’s movements, looked around in bewilderment.
“By the way, I heard the Guild Master was seriously injured this time.”
“Yeah, what bastard would do such a thing?!”
“He was attacked? Why didn't he say anything? We, the adventurers, should be protecting the Guild Master.”
“Well, he seemed terrified. I bet it was someone we couldn't handle.”
“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it then. Let’s just drop it.”
Zeke, his senses now heightened, overheard their conversation.
‘That bastard. Guess I’ll have to pay him another visit.’
The adventurers’ concern for their Guild Master was only going to prolong his hospital stay.
**
The Adventurers’ Guild Master lay in a private room in a luxurious medical facility, his head swathed in bandages.
“Damn it. Damn it. What am I going to do?!”
That lunatic had taken the recording crystal.
Its monetary value was one thing, but the person he received it from was the real problem.
The documents he’d been keeping as evidence were one thing, but the recording crystal was on a whole other level.
‘If that person finds out, I’m dead.’
The mere thought of him sent shivers down his spine.
The moment that monster left, the Guild Master had sent his most skilled assassin, one he’d been secretly grooming for years, to kill him and retrieve the crystal.
But less than an hour later, the assassin’s head was delivered back to him, along with a chilling message.
“What kind of monster is he…? To think that such a monster was hiding in the academy.”
“A monster, you say? You’re talking about me?”
“That voice! That eerie voice…”
Huh?
The Guild Master slowly opened his eyes and looked up.
“!”
*Thump.*
He found himself staring up at a loaf of bread, lodged firmly in his throat.
‘Guards!!!!!!!!!’
He tried to scream, but his windpipe was constricted, preventing any sound from escaping.
“Gurk…”
All that came out was a faint wheezing sound.
“I did say there would be consequences, but I’m a firm believer in follow-through. You understand.”
*Smirk.*
The Guild Master could only tremble in fear as Zeke’s lips curled into a sinister smile.
“And since I’m here, I might as well listen to the recording crystal with you.”
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