Chapter 33: Mana Mastery

All of the remaining time was devoted entirely to training.

Though it was only a few days, it was enough time to focus on polishing my mana.

‘This is where it matters.’

The most crucial moment had arrived.

A moment that would only come a handful of times in one’s life.

“Huuuup.”

As I inhaled, I began spinning the circles located near my heart at full speed.

Uuuuuuuung-woong—

Like gears grinding and turning, the circles started spinning madly.

The two circles resonated and trembled violently.

I was the one who had changed what was once merely thick circles.

Hwaaak—

The first circle remained as it was.

I precisely split the second, which had grown thicker.

Kwaaang—

My body shuddered involuntarily.

Success.

‘Alright!’

Uuung-woong—

I’d succeeded in creating yet another circle. Now there were three.

The last circle I made was thinner compared to the others, but that didn’t matter.

I could nurture it over time.

The third was only just beginning.

‘The last-formed circle always grows the fastest. It’s fascinating.’

The newly created circle would grow as thick as the first two.

“Huuuu…”

The moment I realized I’d truly succeeded, I stopped the deep meditation I’d been immersed in.

“That should complete at least the minimum preparations.”

About forty years of internal energy.

A body trained with the remaining energy using the So Cheon Seong Yuk Rae Method.

And now, three circles.

I felt I’d reached a level where I could handle most threats that might appear while I was out traveling.

Whether it was martial arts or magic—even if each alone might not seem enough, combined they could easily topple most experts.

“I wonder if there’s anyone like Max around. Hmm… It’s a shame.”

There was a deep sense of regret within this newfound power.

If possible, I wanted to test myself against a strong opponent.

Someone like Max, the former leader of that organization, would have been perfect.

‘Stronger would be even better.’

The more I put my skills to the test, the more I’d improve.

Real combat against a formidable opponent could be the stepping stone to the next stage.

So I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

But—

“There’s still plenty of time.”

Sooner or later, I’d face real combat.

For example, I might encounter it during my upcoming journey.

No, if things went as planned, I certainly would.

“Let’s go.”

Swallowing my regret, I stepped outside the temporary training hall.

The meditation I’d started at night had lasted until morning.

The moment I went out, I was greeted by the blazing rays of the sun.

Beneath them stood five Knights and ten soldiers, unmoving and tireless in their postures.

These must be the people my father sent, waiting here in advance.

All the Knights were dressed in the garb of the Seodeo Knight Order, which was responsible for the east.

The moment they saw me, they drew their swords and shouted,

“Chung! We greet the Third Young Master! Congratulations on reaching a new realm.”

“Chung!”

With the central Knight as the focus, their ceremonial greeting was executed with perfect precision, as if measured by a ruler.

The pressure they radiated was proof that every one of them was at least an aura user.

The Seodeo Knight Order had built its strength using the wealth of the prosperous east.

They fit that reputation perfectly.

‘They noticed I broke through. Well, there’s no way they wouldn’t have felt the surge of mana.’

It was clear these people had arrived here even earlier than I’d thought.

Coming to make a report, they must have sensed my mana as I created the third circle.

I had no intention of keeping the fact that I’d reached three circles a secret.

But the fact that they realized before I could tell them did bother me a bit.

‘I’ll have to be more cautious.’

Always remember three out of ten.

If you were someone like Jegal Hyeon, a martial artist, you would never reveal your full strength at any time.

Three parts, always hidden.

Because you believed that hidden power could protect your life in moments of danger.

Thus, unless your life was truly at risk, you never revealed your full strength.

‘I should be the same.’

This applied to me as well.

Even if they weren’t enemies, it was right to keep my power hidden for the future.

Vowing to be even more cautious, I looked over the faces of the Knight Order.

I found the most familiar face among them—the Knight at the center.

“It’s been a while, Sir Gedren.”

“You remember me. It’s been a long time, Third Young Master… no, Inspector.”

“Call me whatever is comfortable.”

“Yes, sir!”

Gedren looked as tense as a new recruit, his serious nature showing on his face.

He looked a bit naive, but his swordsmanship was the family’s dual blade technique, passed down through generations.

‘No one foolish could master the dual blade technique.’

With a single sword, there are infinite trajectories to trace.

Thrusts, slashes, swings—each has endless variety.

That’s why the sword is terrifying; it allows for countless ways to attack.

Wielding two swords is something only an extraordinary mind could attempt.

It was the same even in the martial world.

There was once a sword master called the Hwarun Sword who roamed the martial world.

His mastery of the dual blade technique was so renowned that he was considered the greatest in Shanxi.

Before the Demonic Cult’s rise, he was one of the greatest sword masters—until he was killed by the Sword Demon of the cult.

The swordsmanship he displayed was so impressive that Jegal Hyeon still remembered it vividly.

As far as I recalled, Gedren’s swordplay was on par with the dual blade technique wielded by the Hwarun Sword.

“Your swordsmanship left quite an impression on me. There’s no way I could forget it.”

“Haha, to have caught your eye, Young Master, it’s an honor. Thank you.”

When I was ten years old, he’d fought another Knight in front of me and my father—a scene I remembered vividly.

He had carried on the family’s dual blade technique, helping the family prosper.

He was still a Knight, but one day, he’d surely become a Viscount as a merit noble.

Even if it was a merit title, in effect it was no different from a hereditary one.

That was how it worked in the House of Counts.

A Count couldn’t increase the number of Barons or Viscounts infinitely, so this was a sort of expedient.

Other Count or Marquis families also used such methods to pass on titles to their retainers.

‘I heard Gedren’s younger brother is also quite skilled. I’d like to see for myself one day.’

This time, both Gedren and Edren, who stood beside him, might be granted titles.

Both were excellent with the dual blade technique.

The combination technique they performed together was said to be enough to defeat most Knight Order commanders.

“Young Master, as for these others…”

Gedren introduced the remaining Knights one by one, each radiating more than ordinary strength.

Erlen, Sipri, Belsen, and Bashimer were all from the Seodeo Knight Order as well.

The ten soldiers behind them were all elites.

‘Father really put some thought into this. Which makes things a bit more complicated for me.’

He’d sent some highly capable people.

With them around, it would be hard to carry out my plan to reveal my power.

The secret had to be kept, after all.

For me, these men were unexpected variables in my plan.

There was no need to show my thoughts on my face, so I swallowed my unease and spoke.

“It’s reassuring to see you all here.”

“We’ll protect you anywhere you wish to go. Where would you like to inspect first?”

Inspection was my exclusive right as the Inspector.

Gedren’s question was reasonable.

Without hesitation, I named the place I’d already decided on.

“The last Direct Dominion in the north. The Village of Villad.”

“That’s quite a distance. Fortunately, I’ve visited once during my Knight training. Leave it to me.”

“Good. Then let’s go at once.”

“Understood!”

Chuk—

With Gedren’s grand ceremonial salute, my inspection journey began.

Our journey was made using a two-horse carriage.

‘I can afford to take it easy for now.’

There was no need to refuse unnecessary comfort.

I moved under their escort inside the carriage they’d prepared.

Inside, I immersed myself in the magic book my master had given me.

‘As expected, the difficulty spikes here.’

Though I’d studied before reaching three circles, the third was much more challenging than the previous two.

First-Class Magic was the beginning of basic magic application.

Creating mana arrows, spreading mana wide to form armor, flipping earth with dig—these were all First-Class Magic.

Of all the classes, First-Class Magic had the most room for creativity.

‘It’s the foundation, after all.’

From this circle onward, the use of mana included new formulas called attributes.

Even the Magic Missile, the basic mana arrow, didn’t end there.

From this class onward—

“Fire Arrow…”

Uuuuuung—

To maximize destructive power, you’d craft a mana arrow using the fire attribute.

By adding an attribute that suited the spell’s purpose, this class became harder than First-Class Magic.

But it wasn’t impossible.

‘As long as you master the trick.’

Water, wind, earth, fire, metal—the five elements.

If you knew how to use the five elements, this class was easy.

From Third-Class Magic onward, you also needed to consider shape.

For example—

“Shield.”

Hwaaak—

Magic Shield was made by layering about four magic armors.

It created a hemispherical barrier around the body—a basic Third-Circle spell.

‘They call it a hemisphere, but the formula is a lot more complicated than it sounds.’

With First-Circle Armor, you just made a flat, square shield like an iron plate and you were done.

But with Shield, the basic form was a hemisphere.

Eventually, you’d need to make all sorts of shapes.

Obviously, creating a shape that enveloped your whole body was much harder than making a simple square with mana.

That’s why the difficulty spiked from Third-Class Magic onward.

But so did the power.

There was a reason real mages were only recognized from Third-Class and up, and why some spent their whole lives just at this level.

Many mages began to agonize from this point.

But—

“This is interesting. Shield. Shield. Hmm… If I link them, it’s multiple layers.”

Kadeuk-kwang! Bang!

I started to combine what I’d learned in formulas, making shields, and also tried applying some tricks from First-Class Magic.

“I’m almost there. About fifty percent success… One out of two times I fail, huh…”

The difficulty was several times higher than before, but when I succeeded, the power was much greater.

It felt like I’d gotten a fun new toy.

“There’s so much to research. Third-Class Magic is so much richer than First-Class… Hmm. Who laid the theoretical foundation for this again… hmm?”

“Young Master! Are you alright?”

“Ah, don’t worry. Just a minor accident again.”

“…Please, be careful. I’m begging you.”

“I know.”

The more fun I had, the more Gedren, in charge of my protection, seemed to suffer inside.

He must have been afraid I’d get hurt.

But that didn’t mean I was going to stop experimenting.

Euddeudeuk—

Kwaaang— Bang!

“Young Master!”

“Haha, I get it.”

With my experiments continuing, our journey to the Village of Villad went on.