The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 58

After that, we safely arrived at Baengnyeong Island and immediately moved to our lodgings.

“Okay, let’s start by assigning rooms. First, Jin Hee-yoon and Adela, room 201. And then…”

After assigning rooms and unpacking, we ate in the dining hall.

After a light meal to aid digestion, we immediately began adaptation training to adjust to the mana concentration of Baengnyeong Island.

“As the mana concentration is high, there will be a significant sense of discomfort when absorbing mana through your circles. Before starting full-scale training, you must resolve this issue.”

I observed the seniors, Soon-chan, and Adela, who were all sitting in various postures, circulating their mana.

I used my divine eyes to directly perceive the essence of mana.

“Kang Shin-woo and Adela, I don’t have any advice for you. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Understood.”

“Yes.”

Kang Shin-woo and Adela.

Both of them, as expected from their families, seemed accustomed to circulating mana in such high-density mana zones.

There’s really no need to give them any advice.

At that rate, they’ll be done adapting within 30 minutes.

“Ma Jin-seok, you might need to lower the output of your circle by about 20%.”

“…Okay, I’ll try.”

Ma Jin-seok started to reduce the output of his mana circle with a groan.

“Jin Hee-yoon, it’s the opposite for you. You’ve lowered the output of your circle too much. Increase it by 15% from your current state. Try adjusting the output of your circle to about 30% lower than your usual state.”

“…I always feel this, but our leader Shin makes things sound so easy.”

Injecting more fuel than necessary into an engine will only cause it to break down.

As the mana concentration has increased, you need to adjust the output of your mana circle to match the amount of mana absorbed.

Otherwise, not only will the power of your magic decrease, but your mental energy consumption will also increase.

Especially in such a high-density mana zone, using magic as usual could, in the worst case, lead to a mana runaway [a dangerous uncontrolled surge of magical energy].

“Kang Hyung-man, you need to increase the number of mana circulations. There are many areas where you seem lacking.”

“Uh…”

“Min Tae-shik, you’re doing well as always. Please continue as you are.”

“Okay.”

Just as everyone has different habits, mana circles are also different.

I gave only the necessary advice, tailored to each situation.

“Good. Try lowering the output by about 5% from now. It will be much more comfortable.”

“You’re taking a posture that doesn’t suit your body type. Your efficiency will drop in that state. Like this… Yes. It feels more comfortable, right? Try doing it like that from now on.”

There was a lot of advice that could be considered somewhat blunt, but the seniors didn’t seem to mind.

It must be because they’ve built up quite a bit of trust in me over time.

“I’ll try.”

“This posture is definitely more comfortable.”

The seniors actively accepted my advice and continued their mana circulation.

“Good. Then, let’s end the first adaptation training here.”

About an hour passed like that.

The first mana adaptation training was over.

“…Ugh. I’m going to die.”

Jin Hee-yoon immediately collapsed backward.

“Leader Shin… isn’t the training too… hardcore? How can we do mana… circulation for an hour…”

She was breathing heavily, glaring at me with resentment.

She had sweated so much that sweat was pouring down her forehead like rain, and her training clothes were soaked, making her look like a drowned rat.

It was as if she had exhausted all her stamina from a long sprint.

The other seniors were the same.

They were all groaning as if they were exhausted.

“Adela, please bring some water to the seniors.”

“Yes.”

Adela was perfectly fine.

As if to prove she was a genius, Adela finished adapting in just 20 minutes.

She had stopped mana circulation and rested midway, so there was no reason for her to be tired.

“Sister, here’s water.”

“Feed me…”

Jin Hee-yoon whined, gasping for breath.

“Yes, yes?”

Adela was flustered.

Looking at Adela, Jin Hee-yoon laughed as if she was having fun.

“Just kidding. You’re so flustered. Cute.”

Jin Hee-yoon lifted her upper body and sat down, taking the water bottle from Adela.

And she drank it all in one go.

It was a refreshing one-shot.

“Phew. I feel alive now.”

She exclaimed with a look of pure relief.

“Here. Have some water.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks.”

Adela politely handed each of the seniors a water bottle.

I also handed out water bottles one by one from the other side.

When everyone had replenished their fluids and regained their breath to some extent.

I clapped my hands to focus everyone’s attention.

“Did everyone get the hang of it?”

“Yeah, mostly.”

Jin Hee-yoon answered on behalf of everyone.

The other seniors nodded in agreement.

“Do you have any more questions?”

“I don’t.”

“Me neither.”

It seems they don’t have anything else to ask.

“Then, from now on, please proceed with adaptation training at your own pace.”

“Train autonomously?”

“Yes.”

I’ve already given all the advice I could.

There’s nothing more I can do to help with this training.

Whether they train autonomously or I supervise them, nothing will change.

“What will you do while we’re training autonomously?”

“What do you think I’ll do?”

I chuckled and sat down.

“I need to do adaptation training too.”

Before taking the elixir, I need to be fully accustomed to this concentration. That way, I can maximize the elixir’s absorption efficiency.

“…Ah.”

Jin Hee-yoon nodded with a look that said, ‘I didn’t know that.’

“I forgot. Our leader Shin said it was his first time on Baengnyeong Island too…”

“Yes. It’s my first time.”

The seniors’ murmuring grew louder.

“His advice was so perfect, I thought he was a local instructor who had already adapted.”

“I agree. He was like a ghost. I didn’t even know I had such bad habits.”

“I know, right? I’ve never heard such perfect advice before.”

The seniors praised me one by one.

It was a bit embarrassing.

But those words also meant that they had built up trust in me.

Thinking that made me feel good for no reason.

‘The mana concentration is much higher than I thought.’

The mana concentration on Baengnyeong Island was denser than I had expected.

I had heard that the mana concentration had started to increase recently, but I didn’t know it would be this dense.

‘This is too good?’

It’s like a feeling of being full inside.

The feeling is very good.

‘I wonder what it would feel like to wear Master’s robe here and drink the Blessing of Mana.’

Would it be intense? Or would it feel fulfilling?

‘I’m excited, but also anxious…’

I closed my eyes slowly, thinking such thoughts.

“…He’s really amazing.”

“Can you see that the air around him is different?”

“Wow…”

The seniors’ voices gradually faded away.

Complete silence.

In a world where nothing was felt, I only felt mana.

‘Nice to meet you.’

‘Let’s play!’

Feeling the will of the mana speaking to me, I rotated the Infinity Circle.

The Ring of the Mind.

The Ring of Resonance.

The Ring of Interference.

Mana rotated to encompass the three rings.

As if pioneering a new path in the untamed wilderness.

Leisurely yet passionately.

The mana within my body followed a new path.

‘With this level of mana density, I can definitely weave the Ring of Expansion within 5 nights and 6 days.’

The mana density of Baengnyeong Island was very satisfactory.

* * *

That night.

After completing all the training schedules.

I was searching the vicinity of the lodgings.

‘There should be one around here.’

The goal was to find a ley line [a naturally occurring line of concentrated mana].

In natural mana-dense areas like Baengnyeong Island, there are places where mana is concentrated, and these places are called ‘ley lines.’

The characteristic of these ley lines is that the mana concentration is about 5% higher than other places.

To maximize the effect of the elixir, you need to find this ley line and sit on it to circulate mana.

“Found it.”

After about an hour of searching, I succeeded in finding a ley line.

A patch of land where subtle mana was rippling. A space less than half a pyeong [a traditional Korean unit of area, roughly 3.3 square meters].

This is the ley line.

‘Let’s see.’

I touched the ley line and properly felt the mana. It was definitely about 5.3% denser than other places.

‘It’s not too far from the lodgings. The concentration is good. Everything’s good.’

It’s a pass.

I immediately took out Master’s robe, put it on, and sat on the ley line.

And from my side bag, I took out a bottle of ‘Blessing of Mana’ and drank it straight down.

“…Ugh.”

I can’t say the taste is good, even as a polite lie. It’s fishy, bitter, and disgusting.

It’s the worst thing I’ve ever tasted.

The worst.

“Ugh…”

I desperately tried to forget the remnants of the strange taste still lingering in my mouth and closed my eyes.

I cleared my mind and focused my spirit.

Thump!

My heart was pounding.

The Blessing of Mana had begun to take effect.

Whoooom-!

Following that, the three Infinity Circles reacted simultaneously.

Perhaps because I had consumed the Blessing of Mana, they were rotating at an incredible speed.

‘…Oh.’

As expected, good medicine is bitter.

The effect is tremendous, as bad as the taste is.

The amount of mana being absorbed into my body is incomparable to before.

If before it was like sucking mana through a straw, now it feels like sucking mana with a vacuum cleaner.

The difference is that severe.

Whirrrrr-!

It sounded like a motor was spinning intensely.

It was the sound of my circles rotating at an indescribable speed, causing friction between the mana.

“…Kuh!”

For a moment, I felt a pain as if my whole body was being crushed.

A surprisingly intense pain.

I almost lost consciousness for a moment.

‘…Let’s focus.’

Absorbing a lot of mana isn’t necessarily good.

As the saying goes, too much is as bad as too little, and absorbing too much mana can become poison.

If I absorb this much mana, there is a very high possibility of overload and side effects.

If I don’t keep my mind straight and control the mana properly, there is also a possibility of a mana runaway.

I can’t let my guard down for even a second.

A moment of carelessness could lead to death.

I have to concentrate to avoid that.

‘One hour from now.’

The Blessing of Mana’s effect lasts for one hour.

During that time, I must absorb and control as much mana as possible to create a path for the Ring of Expansion to rotate.

‘I need to complete at least 20%.’

The elixir I made with Mimir’s help this time, the ‘Blessing of Mana,’ is a total of 5 bottles.

I need to complete 20% per bottle to be able to weave the Ring of Expansion for sure.

“Hoo…”

I took a deep breath and rotated the mana.

Tens of times more mana than I usually absorb crashed into my body like a raging wave.

‘Good. I’m getting used to it.’

Just like you can surf a raging wave once you get used to it.

My body was also gradually getting used to the massive absorption of mana.

‘Now, all I have to do is maintain this state…’

Just when the mana circulation had entered a completely stable zone.

An anomaly occurred.

“…!”

Suddenly, the amount of mana absorbed into my body increased dramatically.

I was dazed by the unexpected torrent of mana.

‘Why, why is there a sudden mana flood…!’

An indescribable amount of mana is flooding from the ley line.

If it felt like I was sucking mana with a vacuum cleaner a moment ago, now it feels like each of my pores has become a small black hole, sucking in mana.

“Gasp!”

This is not just a raging wave.

A tsunami. No, a mega-tsunami.

A disaster that humans cannot conquer pressed down on my body.

An indescribable pain pressed down on my entire body.

‘Even if it’s a ley line, there’s no way it could emit this much mana…!’

It was an incomprehensible amount of mana.

I even had the illusion that all the mana in the world was pouring into me.

“Kuh!”

It was as if mana was directly grabbing and shaking my brain.

I was dazed for a moment.

“Ugh!”

I almost lost consciousness, but the excruciating pain awakened my spirit.

Thank goodness. If I had lost consciousness, I would have most likely caused a mana runaway and died.

I never thought I would be grateful for this excruciating pain.

‘Let’s get a grip. I have to concentrate. If I make even a small mistake, I’ll go straight to the afterlife!’

I wanted to take off Master’s robe or get out of this area, but I can’t even move a finger right now.

All I can do is endure.

Whoooom-!

I desperately circulated the mana.

I endured, endured, and endured again, struggling to control the mana.

‘Hold on, hold on somehow…!’

I couldn’t think of anything other than the thought that I had to get through this situation safely.

I didn’t have the luxury to do so.

Whirr, whirr, whoooom-!

Amidst the friction of mana filling the surroundings, I heard the sound of the Infinity Circle resonating.

Whooom-!

A slightly different sound from the resonance of the three rings I had heard so many times before.

A clear, unified resonance, as if something was enveloping them and making them one, rang out.