The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 157

The Rebirth of the Mythical Archmage-158

The next day.

I was engaged in mana core generation training as usual.

I had been continuously practicing the dantian circulation breathing method [a breathing technique focused on the lower abdomen, believed to cultivate internal energy] without a single break since right after lunch at 11 AM.

I couldn’t even tell how much time had passed.

I was in a trance.

It felt as if I had become one with mana, like I was floating in the sky.

Perhaps it was because the sensation was a bit more comfortable than circulating the Infinity Circle [a specific mana circulation technique].

Or maybe it was because my mana core had grown a bit more than yesterday.

I felt like I could continue the dantian circulation for 24 hours, 48 hours, or even longer.

I felt great.

Is this what it feels like to enter a state of ecstasy?

If possible, I wanted to stay like this forever.

“Stop.”

But my wish was mercilessly shattered.

“That’s too dangerous. Stop it.”

Aslan placed his hand on my back, forcibly restricting the circulation, and stopped it.

All my concentration broke, and my mind slowly returned.

My head was spinning.

It was hard to breathe.

It wasn’t that I was having trouble breathing.

It felt like all the blood vessels in my body were swollen, and oxygen wasn’t being properly supplied.

It was a feeling like the blood vessels were creaking under extreme load.

“…How long was I doing that?”

How long had I been at it for my body to be screaming like this?

“Seven and a half hours.”

“Seven hours… No wonder my body is screaming.”

Aslan looked at me with an expression as if he were looking at a rare animal.

“If it was just about maintaining it for a long time, it wouldn’t have been like this.”

He had an expression that showed he found this situation very amusing.

“I didn’t expect the blood vessel cleaning to start so soon. Usually, it starts gradually after the 10th session.”

When maintaining the dantian circulation breathing method, in the process of 100% activating the blood vessels throughout the body, which serve as pathways, impurities are removed.

This is called blood vessel cleaning.

“So that’s why you felt like you were floating.”

The impurities blocking the blood vessels are like the residue of mana.

It’s the mana that flowed through the body, gradually accumulating in the blood vessels.

When these residues are removed, neurotransmitters like ‘dopamine,’ which make people feel good, are released.

The reason I felt like I was floating during the dantian circulation was because of that.

“That was a very dangerous situation.”

“It was dangerous. That’s why I forcibly intervened and stopped you.”

The substance emitted when mana residue disappears is a type of poison.

It doesn’t directly have a bad effect on the body, but it makes people feel good, blocking pain, and causing them to overtrain.

If such overtraining continues, the body will gradually break down. In the worst case, the mana blood vessels could rupture.

“I’m sorry. I should have been more careful myself.”

I knew from prior research that this could happen when practicing the dantian circulation breathing method.

Even though I knew that, I didn’t deal with it properly.

I was so caught up in the feeling of flying that I almost went to heaven.

It was truly pathetic.

“It’s not your fault. If that much mana residue was disappearing, even I wouldn’t have been able to keep my wits about me.”

Aslan chuckled.

He looked like he was in the best mood I had ever seen him in.

Aslan moved behind me, knelt on one knee, and placed his hand on my back.

“Then, I’ll check something for a moment.”

“Yes? Yes.”

Was he going to check the growth of my mana core?

Aslan infused mana into my body and began internal observation.

“…The efficiency of your mana core is really about twice the average.”

“The efficiency of my mana core is high?”

“Yes. Your mana core is about twice as efficient as a normal mana core.”

“Is that even possible?”

As I said before, creating a mana core is quite simple, and there’s hardly any room for talent to intervene.

Whether you’re a genius or an ordinary person, the time it takes to create a mana core is not much different.

This is the main reason why mana cores are called a product of effort.

“I know that mana cores all have the same efficiency regardless of who creates them. Am I mistaken?”

And another reason.

That’s because all mana cores have the same effect.

Whether a genius makes a mana core, an average person makes one, or a dullard makes one, they’re all the same.

Regardless of who makes it, mana cores of the same size and density all have the same efficiency.

Neither the process nor the result allows for any intervention of talent.

That’s why mana cores are called a product of effort.

…Or so I know.

‘Am I mistaken?’

Or perhaps mana cores from my past master’s era were different?

“What you know is correct. Mana cores have the same efficiency regardless of who makes them.”

It seems I’m not mistaken.

Then why is my mana core’s efficiency different?

“Is it perhaps because of the Infinity Circle?”

“Good approach, but wrong. The Infinity Circle doesn’t affect the efficiency of the mana core. Even the Lord’s mana core was not much different from mine.”

“My master’s mana core too… I see.”

The moment I mentioned my master, I immediately understood.

“Then why is my mana core’s efficiency different?”

Mana cores are not affected by talent.

They are not affected by the Infinity Circle either.

Then why is my mana core so efficient?

“The efficiency of a mana core varies depending on the achievement of the caster at the time of creation… or so they say.”

Efficiency changes depending on the caster’s achievement?

“Are you saying that a mana core woven by a 2nd Circle user is more efficient than one woven by a 1st Circle user?”

“So it is said.”

“There’s such a rule for mana cores…”

I’m hearing this for the first time.

‘I’ve looked into it separately since then, but there was no such information?’

I’ve looked through information from 100 years ago when mana cores were still in use, but there was no such information.

“It’s natural that you don’t know.”

Aslan smiled proudly. He looked like a father happy about his daughter’s growth.

Who is he thinking of?

“Because I didn’t know either.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I heard this information from Mimir for the first time.”

“Information from Mimir?”

My head tilted involuntarily at the sudden mention of Mimir’s name.

* * *

After that, I left the fifth trial page and headed straight to the shower room.

I washed away the sweat from training and the sweet smell from the mana residue disappearing with soap.

The sensation of moderately hot water flowing over my body made my body and mind feel relaxed at the same time.

‘By the way, the increase in mana core efficiency according to the mana circle…’

As I was enjoying the relaxation from the hot water, I suddenly remembered what Aslan had said earlier.

‘The correlation between mana circles and mana cores is a conclusion that Mimir independently researched and obtained.’

‘She said she started researching after feeling puzzled by a lazy genius who only started weaving mana cores after becoming a 2nd Circle user.’

I wasn’t particularly surprised.

Mimir is more knowledgeable than anyone I know.

If Mimir had questions, it was only natural that she would come up with such research results.

‘Now the question is solved.’

Ever since I heard about mana cores from Aslan, there was something that had been bothering me.

Why didn’t Mimir advise me to weave a mana core?

There’s no way Mimir wouldn’t have noticed that I didn’t have a mana core, so why didn’t she advise me to weave this efficient mana core?

I had been wondering about that. Now that question was solved.

‘It was just because there was no need to say it.’

The later you create a mana core, the more beneficial it is.

In other words, there was no point in telling me about mana cores in the beginning.

No, far from being pointless, it would have had a negative impact.

There was a way to get stronger even a little bit right now, but I couldn’t do it.

My head would have become very complicated.

‘Until two months ago, I was obsessed with getting stronger as quickly as possible.’

I also had a promise with my father.

If Mimir had talked about mana cores, I would have only thought about creating one.

‘Of course, I wouldn’t have actually created one… but I would have worried a lot.’

Knowing my personality, I wouldn’t have done anything that would sacrifice the future.

But I would have definitely had distracting thoughts.

And if distracting thoughts arise, it always has a negative impact on training.

Mimir must have thought about that and didn’t mention mana cores to me at all.

To consider the efficiency of training.

‘In the end, Mimir’s choice was right.’

Even if it’s a slight difference, whether or not there are distracting thoughts has a significant impact on training efficiency.

For mages who need to break down the ‘wall of enlightenment,’ the presence or absence of a single distracting thought has a profound impact.

Whatever it was, it wouldn’t have had a good impact on me.

Therefore, Mimir’s choice not to tell me about mana cores was correct.

I have no complaints about Mimir not telling me about mana cores.

Rather, I’m grateful.

‘Even now it’s like this, how much more efficient will it be when the mana core is fully completed?’

The mana core, which is not even 10% complete, is already showing an efficiency increase of about 2-3%.

How much greater will the efficiency increase be when it’s 100% complete?

I’m really looking forward to it.

However, as much as I was looking forward to it, I was also a bit disappointed.

‘If I could have woven the mana core after becoming a 6th or 7th Circle user, it would have been even more efficient, right?’

There’s nothing urgent right now.

If possible, it would have been better to weave the mana core as slowly as possible.

That’s what I thought.

‘Well, what can I do? They say a mana core is essential to use mythical magic.’

No matter how good a hand you have, it’s meaningless if you don’t use it in the right place.

It would be foolish to wait forever just to increase the efficiency of the mana core a little more.

Objectively speaking, there is no better time to acquire a mana core than now.

‘Still, it’s a bit disappointing. Even now the efficiency increase is this much, if I had made it later…’

Even though it can’t be helped, it’s still disappointing.

I smacked my lips and soothed my disappointment.

Swoosh-!

The sound of water flowing from the showerhead echoed.

And then.

Bzzzz!

The phone I had left in the changing room vibrated.

The phone I had prepared right next to me in case of an emergency call.

I immediately turned off the water and went to the changing room to answer the phone.

“Hello?”

—Your voice is echoing. Are you in the shower room?

It was a call from Uncle Seokhyun.

“Yes. I was in the shower.”

—The reason I’m calling you now is because…

Dinner starts in 10 minutes.

In 10 minutes, we can meet, but he called now?

That means there’s a very important matter.

And in this situation, an important matter would be one of two things.

Either they caught Shin Jihan, or Sister Se-ah woke up.

And if it was the former, his voice wouldn’t be so calm.

So, by the process of elimination…

“Did Sister Se-ah wake up?”

That means Sister Se-ah woke up.

—Yes. She just opened her eyes.

It was as expected.

* * *

After that, I skipped dinner and headed to the hospital.

Uncle Seokhyun quickly completed the procedures, and we headed straight to the intensive care unit where Sister Se-ah was being treated.

“Then, I’ll wait here.”

Uncle Seokhyun said that in front of the intensive care unit.

“You’re not coming in with me?”

“Yes. Miss Se-ah said she wanted to talk to you alone, young master.”

“My sister… I understand.”

I left Uncle Seokhyun behind and entered the intensive care unit.

In the center of the intensive care unit, Sister Se-ah was lying down.

She was looking at me with all sorts of advanced medical equipment attached to her and an oxygen supply mask on her mouth.

“…Welcome.”

I slowly approached my sister.

“I heard. That I survived thanks to you. Thank you.”

A faint voice.

A voice like a sick baby bird.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because of the anesthesia… I don’t feel any pain.”

Her facial expressions were very awkward, as if the anesthesia was indeed in effect.

“My body won’t move either…”

Indeed, except for her eyes and mouth, there was no movement in her body.

Her pronunciation was also quite clumsy, as if her mouth wasn’t moving properly.

Perhaps because of that, she felt completely different from my usual sister.

‘…Didn’t they say the surgery went well?’

For the anesthesia to be maintained to this extent.

What’s wrong with her?

‘Divine Eye.’

I opened my Divine Eye to check my sister’s condition.

There were no noticeable abnormalities at first glance.

“Sit down.”

“Yes.”

I sat down, focusing on observing my sister’s body.

I still couldn’t tell just by looking.

I reached out and held Sister Se-ah’s hand.

“The reason I called you here separately is…”

However, perhaps because of the anesthesia, Sister Se-ah didn’t notice that I was holding her hand.

At this level, she wouldn’t notice even if I infused mana.

I listened to my sister’s words and collected and synchronized her mana properties, flowing them into her body.

It was an imitation of the ‘internal observation’ that Aslan often did to me.

“…Jihan oppa is not normal.”

“Yes. I know.”

My mana circulated through Sister Se-ah’s body.

It seemed that the surgery had indeed gone well, and her physical condition was not bad for a patient.

It just seemed that the anesthesia was lasting a long time.

‘I don’t need to worry about anything…’

That’s what I was about to conclude.

When something was detected.

‘This…’

Deep within Sister Se-ah’s body.

A strange energy was felt in a place that could be called the abyss.

A subtle but definite sense of incongruity.

It was eerie, gloomy, and unpleasant.

This is…

‘Corrupted mana.’

The mana of black mages.

‘Why is this in Sister Se-ah’s body…’

“There are only about three places where Jihan oppa could hide in the US.”

As I listened to Sister Se-ah’s trembling voice, which didn’t seem like acting, I frowned.