The waiter was taken aback by the sudden yelling and stuttering in response.
"I- I am sorry, sir. I- I will replace it with the new one right away."
Looking at the frightened waiter, Jack realized his mistake.
'Sh*t! I blurt it out loud!'
He cleared his throat to compose himself before responding in a calm tone. "It's okay. I am in the wrong here. It's just that I don't usually drink this kind of coffee."
"D- Did you want to add some sugar to it, sir?" The waiter looked a little relieved, but her eyes told him that the shock had yet to disappear. So Jack put up his best smile and answered politely.
"No. It's okay. Thank you, and… sorry."
The female waiter made a slight bow before hurriedly left the place.
"Huff… that was close. I don't want to leave a negative impression if I want to do business in this city.
"But this is a disaster! How could people in this world stand drinking something like this? It is no better than charcoal crumbs brewed in hot water, only this one's smell resembles a real coffee. Even instant coffee would taste better than this sh*t.
"This can't be tolerated anymore. I must bring justice to this world and free those who have been poisoned by this false doctrine by giving them a real coffee."
And with this, Jack adds another troublesome task to his already tight schedule.
After stuffing all the food he had ordered in his stomach, Jack was ready to continue reading how to awaken his mana. Until he realized that his stomach was swollen so much that it was difficult for him to sit up straight.
"I need to grow some weight and muscle, but it seems that this is a little bit too much. I should reduce the quantity and raise the intensity to keep a healthy diet.
"Let's go back to the book."
The awakening method mentioned is so simple. For the first step, someone only needed to hold a mana stone and attempt to feel the dormant mana inside it.
You can either close your eyes and meditate or carry it everywhere until your body could sense it naturally. Every people have their
'So this is the reason why I can't feel anything when I try to perceive mana inside my dantian like in cultivation.
'Make sense. One must know about the item one is looking for to be able to find it.
'Sh*t! I feel so stupid when imitating a novel without trying to understand the underlying principle beforehand.'
For talented people, this process will take approximately two to six months. When ordinary people usually spend about a year to five to feel the energy emanated by the mana stone.
'What! Damn! That's too long. I only have seven years to find my way back to Earth.'
Jack was upset, but he knew that he didn't have any choice, and lamenting about it only made things even worse. So he chose to accept it and move on.
The next step is to feel mana inside the Mana Central and circulate it throughout the body using a particular pathway. You need to forcefully open the path manually for the first time.
This process usually takes about twice the time of completing the first step.
The comparison is like practicing to shoot arrows correctly with practicing to hit the bullseye. Patience and perseverance are the keys, and knowing the pathway beforehand will significantly accelerate the process.
"F*ck me sideways! Mother f*cker son of a b*tch!..."
After a series of cursing (in a low voice) followed by the longest sigh of his life, he felt a little better. The next part is about the method. So Jack puts aside the problems for later and focuses his attention on the book again.
At the bottom of Mana Central, you will notice two pathways. Move the mana through both of them at the same time all the way to your feet.
After that, move the mana up toward the head using two different routes past both hands before directing it into the left ventricle of the heart. Using the cardiovascular system, mana will be spread evenly throughout the body.
The mana returns to the right atrium of the heart before going straight back to Mana Central.
Maintain this state until it becomes your second nature. When the Mana Central works just as a heart would, you are entering the state of 'Awakened'.
You will feel your body get stronger, faster, and brimming with energy. In this state, you could chop an arm-sized tree with bare hands or punch through walls made of wood in a single strike. The increase in power for each person is different, depending on their body compatibility with mana.
For example, Elf has a far higher affinity with mana than Barbarians. So when they Awakened, more mana will reinforce their muscle, and the increase in power will also be much higher. But, Elf's body is the weakest among all races. In the end, their difference in strength is not too far apart.
In a way, this trait is how the world maintains its balance.
Oh! Acquiring this state is the minimum requirement to become an E-rank adventurer.
In an 'Awakened' state, a thin layer of mana will surround your body. Injecting them into a magic circle will allow you to cast a spell. But remember, you need to keep the mana connected with Mana Central, or the spell will be broken.
Jack stopped reading and pondering about the content for a few minutes before arriving at a conclusion.
'I think this Mana Central thing should be called as a Mana Engine instead. It is the one who powers the magic circle and gives life to it. The function is closer to that of an engine than just a central.
'In my point of view, Mana Engine adds consciousness to the mana itself, so mana that is detached from it will become dormant or dispersed into the air. That's why the magic circle and Mana Engine had to stay connected when casting a spell.
'So real magic is a process of converting the mana energy into a different matter, then using them to cast a spell. I need to see what a magic circle to be able to determine how the magic works. But this book didn't mention any.
'I need to ask old man Izack when I see him tomorrow. This Awakened thing is a delicate process that needs a lot of time. I better start practicing.'