A space that would not have been revealed under normal circumstances emerged amidst the scars of war. The inner space. Its interior was far larger than expected. To him, it seemed like a space built from the very beginning of Hellk Castle’s construction.
Thump, thump-
Inside, mana pulsed like a human heartbeat.
“Something’s strange…”
The ones that reacted to mana were monsters. Tens of thousands of those monsters swept through this place. That a monster that instinctively smells mana wouldn’t react to a place like this—Rayrn had every right to find it strange.
“Hmm…”
Ssshhh-
He raised his own mana and brought it close to the massive mana.
Swish-
The pulsating massive mana, as if waiting for that moment, greedily sucked in Rayrn’s mana.
“Oh..”
It was absorption. ‘It’s different from the Absorption Divine Art. There’s no way the Absorption Divine Art exists in this world.’ To think it could absorb mana like this. It was a method he had never seen. If he had to find something similar, there was one thing.
“I’d have to call it a drain-type magic.”
‘The difficulty itself is beyond ordinary.’ Just like the Absorption Divine Art, drain-type magic was not omnipotent. The moment the absorbed energy was injected into one’s own body, a backlash occurred because it wasn’t one’s own energy. Those who couldn’t withstand the backlash paid the price immediately. Their bodies would collapse, or in severe cases, instant death. They died in various ways—exploding or melting away.
‘If you can withstand it, there’s no better magic.’ The backlash was severe, but the reward was substantial—comparable to the Absorption Divine Art. The problem was that withstanding it was nearly impossible.
That’s why for drain magic, ‘it was common sense to expend the absorbed power in a single use.’ Rather than settling it, they used it immediately upon absorption.
But then why? ‘Why is something like this here?’ Was there a pulsating mana that was clearly absorbing the surrounding mana?
“What is this?”
Whether she came in after completing repairs, Ruan, who arrived belatedly, asked. Her eyes were shining for the first time in a while. Wasn’t she seeing something new, unlike before? ‘I made the right choice following him.’ This was magic. A type she had never experienced. It was only natural to be curious.
The other mages were the same. “Hoo…” Both who followed behind were shining their eyes with curiosity like Ruan. Rather, it was surprising that Rayrn among them remained calm.
She immediately began measuring the type of power.
“It’s not dark mana or demonic mana?”
“That’s right.” Rayrn nodded at her words.
“And yet it absorbs the surroundings. To be precise… Hmm…”
10,000. He read the surrounding mana. As if not to interfere, everyone silently watched Rayrn.
“It covers a wide range.”
“How far?”
“…Hellk Castle. Maybe even further.”
Nonsense. Her face filled with surprise. ‘It defies common sense!’ But then again, common sense had already been shattered long ago. Just looking at Rayrn before her was something outside her common sense. A teenage O-Class mage and a magic swordsman comparable to an Aura Master—that was Rayrn. ‘The important thing is that this power might be only part of it.’ If that were all his power, someone who relied solely on his own strength and acted arrogantly would be easier to deal with. Overconfidence leads to recklessness. There were many ways to exploit an opponent’s arrogance and bring them down. The weak had devised countless methods to defeat the strong since ancient times. But Rayrn… ‘He acts like the weak.’ He didn’t overestimate his own power. He didn’t pour out all his strength. Only as much as needed. If he could use others’ power, he drew as much as possible. He didn’t push himself. He could push himself whenever necessary, but he didn’t. More than an experienced, cunning archmage. As if he had lived a long life, he only expended as much power as needed. That was how Rayrn had always been, as far as Ruan had observed. And with someone like that here…
“Then how far beyond?”
“Just a moment.”
That a spell exceeding the scope of a castle was operating, and that someone could probe such a wide range—none of it was strange.
“Hmm.”
Rather than being surprised, Ruan signaled to her fellow mages.
Nod, nod.
The fellow mages nodded, indicating they understood Ruan’s intention. ‘Probe.’ They intended to conduct their own investigation without interfering with Rayrn. They were also mages exploring knowledge, seeking to understand the laws of the world, so curiosity was natural.
“Hoo.”
“An ancient method, huh… Hmm…”
“A secret art?”
The three of them had at least been recognized as prodigies at the Enchant Magic Tower. Though inferior to Rayrn, they were fully capable of examining their surroundings.
‘I need to remember this.’
‘It’s new like never before.’
How long did they probe? Having come down to the cavity early in the morning, they continued their indulgence, oblivious to the passage of time.
“Q.”
At some point.
“I’ve almost figured it out.”
Rayrn’s voice came. If not for his voice, all three would have continued indulging in the mana without stopping. Were they excited? The faces of all three mages, including Ruan, were flushed red.
“This… Clean!”
Whoosh-
His hastily cast spell enveloped the three. Ssshhh From head to toe, the mana poured down like a waterfall, washing away the hidden mana that had crept in without their knowledge.
“Ugh!”
The mana cleansing their entire body was refreshing yet instantly created a thrill. The sensation of returning to a primordial state—‘It feels like I could get addicted.’ There was a strange pleasure that momentarily made them lose their senses. Ruan was no exception.
“…”
Rayrn, who had cast the spell, watched them silently, like a researcher awaiting results. ‘Thankfully… I washed it out quickly.’ The 1st Class spell Clean. Some thought it was simply a cleaning spell, but the essence of Clean lay in the concept of washing away. Using its property of removing impurities…
“I almost got into big trouble.”
“…Was it contaminated?”
“Yes.”
Rayrn had cleansed the three’s mana, which had nearly been contaminated.
Thump, thump, thump-
The culprit was obvious. The pulsating mana.
“It feels like… it was cursed.”
“Similar. I’ve figured out the range and nature.”
“How so?”
“First, you experienced it firsthand, right? Hehe, it taints the surroundings.”
It was clear that while they were indulging in the mana, unaware of the time, they had been dyed by it. ‘It’s not demonic mana, yet it’s peculiar.’ It absorbed surrounding mana and assimilated it into itself. At the same time, it had the property of dyeing the surroundings in its own color. ‘There are things with a similar nature.’ That was the conclusion Rayrn reached while examining the pulsating mana’s properties.
Rayrn knew how to quickly apply the conclusion he had drawn.
“I think I’ve found something quite interesting. Very much so.”
He didn’t hide his expression of considerable interest. ‘Maybe… there’s a hint to end the war here.’
The three, now washed clean of mana, simply stared blankly at him. Research had no end. It would take years to fully understand this mana. But…
‘I just need to know how to use it. I don’t need to know how to make it, right?’
The important thing was that knowing enough to use it was fine. He had no intention of creating or installing this pulsating mana. ‘Even if it looks impressive on the surface… in reality, it’s a method that sacrifices its surroundings.’ The pulsating mana absorbed the surroundings. It drained energy and even scraped off life force. The reason it was hidden deep in the underground cavity was not only for security but also due to the mana’s nature. ‘It’s useless. Because it’s inherently consumptive. Still, it’s similar to a Jinbeop.’ In Rayrn’s view, it was a lower-tier method than Jinbeop. But if one considered that this world’s magic had been studied to reach this level, it was worth researching.
Before that.
“Drain-type… I understand the absorption range and roughly how to use it.”
“This? How?”
“There will be some side effects, but it can be controlled. I can tell who used it.”
“…At that point, I understand too.”
“Because it’s simple.”
Who installed such a thing in this territory and used this immense power was obvious. No need to look far.
‘It’s Duke Gisert. So this was how the Ducal House passed down their power.’
It was the Ducal House. The masters of this land, called its guardians. Their power, which could share the territory’s strength, actually came from the land. The rumors were true. And the method was… ‘Guardian, my ass. They’re no different from leeches.’ It was by no means a method beneficial to this land. ‘I understand it all now.’ The House Gisert had been a powerful family for a long time. Their method of passing down power originated from this pulsating mana. The reason they could use this mana was ‘because they are half-bloods or possess a secret art.’ They used a method passed down through blood. Perhaps it was due to mixed blood or a secret art. Blood would gradually thin over time. The reason their power was limited to the territory and was absolute only within it was obvious. He understood. And as long as he understood…
“How are you going to use this now? Destroy it? It’s top-notch research value.”
“Of course not. Such a simple method is no good.”
As long as he could make it his own. ‘They must have made the Servant by basing it on this power and mixing in a few other forces. The essence is mana.’ He could now use it. The power of House Gisert could be used by House Ofern. However, there was one problem: ‘Side effects.’ But he already knew how to eliminate those side effects. A method to survive even after absorbing others’ mana and even memories was nothing special for Rayrn.
‘Should I plunder it? Hehe.’
It was a jackpot for the first time in a while. A jackpot that could plunder a house’s very essence! He had set out to help his father, and now he struck it rich like this. ‘This is why you should do good deeds.’ It was worth living well. Ahem. That was it.
“Hehehe…”
Just staying still, his belly was naturally filling up, and laughter slipped out!
Seeing his expression, Ruan said, “Ugh, that devilish look again! What are you thinking now?”
“Who knows?”
She made a fed-up expression, but what could she do?
“Hehe!”
An unexpected stroke of luck—shouldn’t he enjoy it this much?
“Let’s uproot it completely.”
Beyond the roots. The power accumulated by ancestors for generations. It seemed he could also take everything they had obtained.
Tremble-
Was it just his imagination that the pulsating mana seemed to shake?
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