"Bone Marrow Cleansing?"
[T/L: Bone Marrow cleansing technique is used metaphorically to describe a process of extreme self-discipline or cultivation, often referring to rigorous training or purification of the body and mind to achieve a higher level of enlightenment or skill. It can imply undergoing intense hardships or challenges in pursuit of self-improvement or mastery in a particular field.]
In an instant, Augustine's jaw dropped as he stared in awe.
Though he had been eagerly anticipating Elric to demonstrate proper art of alchemy all this time, the effect was far more impressive than he had imagined!
"Huh? Bone Marrow Cleansing, isn't that the method of artificially purging impurities and toxins from the mana pathway?"
Thanks to Augustine, Gility had some knowledge about the Eastern practices. Among them, the Bone Marrow Cleansing was known to require either a highly skilled master or an extreme efficiency in alchemical processes.
However, Elric was achieving it solely using the basic materials provided.
"This old man... doesn't seem to understand much. Hehe! I thought he might have some basic knowledge of alchemy, but at this rate, I might not have fully guided that kid to his potential after all."
How much more surprised do we have to be because of that kid?
'If this continues, it wouldn't be surprising if I had a heart attack. Hehe!'
Even someone who prided themselves on having seen almost all kinds of miracles in the world found Elric to be an enigma.
Augustine inwardly vowed not to be further surprised by him.
Though how well that would hold up remained to be seen.
"I suppose I need to correct something I said to you earlier."
"What is it?"
"You asked how far he could reach among the 5 levels, didn't you?"
"You didn't say it was Level 3, did you? Surely..."
"That's right. But wouldn't that kid be capable of reaching even level 5?"
"Heh!"
While Gility let out a hollow laugh, feeling amazed, he couldn't shake the feeling that Augustine's speculation might not be entirely off base.
If Elric could correct his mana pathway here, awaken his demonic energy, and fully grasp breathing method...?
It wouldn't be entirely impossible, as Augustine said.
'He even demonstrated strange techniques resembling Body Strengthening Art. What on earth is this little guy's identity?'
Gility shook his head vigorously.
Meanwhile,
Augustine, with intense eyes, continued to observe Elric's actions.
Within the crystal, Elric continued to expel impurities.
And after several hours passed and he opened his eyes again,
Elric's eyes were filled with an indescribable strength.
Moreover,
His previously broken arm and exhausted body were almost completely recovered.
* * *
After that,
Elric's activities in the canyon followed a consistent routine.
At 7 a.m. sharp, he would rise and fuel himself with smoked dire wolf meat prepared the night before, then immerse himself in Body Strengthening Art training for about three hours.
He would focus on his breathing, loosen his body, and circulate mana while observing the changes in his body as much as possible.
Then, until 4pm, he would concentrate on exploring the labyrinth.
To escape from this place, he needed to understand the layout as quickly as possible.
But there was another reason.
'The structure of this place... If it's similar to the True Palace, the mana circulation routes must be clear.'
Since starting to ingest the pills, Elric had been gradually recovering his mana.
Of course, compared to the dissolution rate he had before falling into the labyrinth, it was still minuscule.
Nevertheless, the difference between being able to use mana and not was significant.
And depending on how he utilized it and extracted efficiency from it, the difference would be even more pronounced.
This was precisely what caught Elric's attention.
The circulation routes.
Hadn't he greatly improved the efficiency of mana with the idea he obtained in the True Palace of Blue Fog?
But if he could incorporate the higher-level concepts of the Labyrinth of Blue Fog, it would undoubtedly be a significant help.
And Elric firmly believed that discovering this was a crucial key to passing the trial.
'If Mephistopheles' words are true, then Night's Chronicle's magic martial arts must be based on mana circulation. If the purpose of the trial is to teach and test skills of newcomers in Night's Chronicle, then this makes sense.'
So, his focus was on exploring the labyrinth.
The problem was that exploration was by no means an easy task.
Dire wolves appeared everywhere.
And naturally, every single one of them had been starving for days.
'At first, there were only one or two, but as I ventured deeper into the labyrinth, the number of dire wolves continued to increase.'
And every time he encountered them, Elric always ended up severely injured.
No matter how steadily his mana returned, facing dire wolves all at once was no easy feat.
Moreover, wolves naturally formed packs.
Two were more dangerous than one, and three more dangerous than two. As the number of individuals increased, so did the difficulty for Elric to handle them, as they could employ a variety of tactics.
But thanks to them, his progress in Body Strengthening Art was much faster than before.
Through trial and error, he was also becoming more accustomed to the mana circulation of magic martial arts.
'Indeed, only real battles seem to be the answer.'
Enduring such hardships really wasn't his cup of tea, Elric often found himself chuckling bitterly after rough fights.
Anyway,
Once he finished exploring the designated area he set out to in the morning, he would head straight back to the base before sunset.
Nighttime became too dangerous, and he needed to rest his body to some extent.
Moreover, it was also a time for him to reorganize his body.
It was like checking for any damage occasionally in a well-used magic device, cleaning the interior, and maintaining the codes.
Elric proceeded with the Bone Marrow Cleansing while swallowing the pills made from Anck-Su-Namum's flowers.
『Whether human or demon, all beings accumulate impurities in their mana pathways as they age. If these impurities continue to accumulate, it can block the flow of blood and close off the veins. That would result in the loss of potential and possibilities.』
Mephistopheles explained that's why humans who start magic at a late age progress slower.
『However, through the Bone Marrow Cleansing, the story changes. By expelling impurities from the body, it pierces through the blood and opens the veins. From then on, everything becomes acceptable. It's like acquiring a very large container.』
For over twenty years, Elric had only dabbled in magic without properly delving into it. Moreover, suffering from blockage disease meant there were inevitably limits to his growth.
Even if he had treated the blockage disease through acupuncture, the impurities left in his blood and veins over the years had already formed solid barriers.
But if he could clean this up through the Bone Marrow Cleansing?
The story would change completely.
『Anck-Su-Namum's flowers forcibly break through such barriers. Melt it with demonic energy and pierce it with mana. But it seems like the current Night's Chronicle have no idea about that?』
Mephistopheles snorted at the thought of Night's Chronicle's successor, who would be amazed by now.
『Anyway, with such a clean vessel, you'll be containing new contents like magic martial art and body strengthening art... It's as good as undergoing a complete transformation.』
Why does Elric have so much luck anyway? Mephistopheles thought to himself.
Magic Martial arts circulate mana, while body strengthening art expels it. It's about having both inside and outside, fully equipped simultaneously.
Therefore, Mephistopheles could assert.
『When you finally leave this place entirely, you'll undoubtedly be completely different from when you entered.』
Before, if he was just a guy who knew how to cast spells tirelessly.
By then, he'll be a warrior who not only knows magic but also how to fight.
* * *
Although Mephisto spoke so excitedly.
There was also something that bothered me.
『...What's going on? Why isn't there any change at all? There are definitely traces of demonic energy inside, right?』
Mephistopheles gnawed at his fingertips, his expression contorted.
Something was off.
Certainly, Elric's growth was progressing smoothly as he desired.
Not only was there simultaneous progress internally and externally, but it was also evident that his seal was steadily advancing through the demonic energy mixed in the pills.
The problem was that there was only one seal progressing.
The Seal of Cruelty.
A new appearance has been added to the previously 5-star seal.
It hadn't become a perfect 6-star Seal yet.
However, if he continued to consume pills consistently, achieving that was undoubtedly imminent.
But there had been no change whatsoever in the Seal of Original Sin...
『Could it be that demonic energy is only accumulating in the Seal of Cruelty? But to figure that out, he'd have to completely analyze the seal, right? That's not possible. Damn it!』
No matter how much of a genius Elric was, understanding the structure of the seal was an impossible task.
It was beyond the scope of human magic knowledge.
If he had succeeded, he would have undone the Lock placed on the Seal of Original Sin long ago.
But if that wasn't the case, then selectively directing the consumed demonic energy solely into the Seal of Cruelty seemed utterly absurd.
Mephisto found himself lost in thought, unable to ask even the reason for his own worries, as he tore at his own thoughts, alone.
"Is everything alright, Mephi? Something is bothering you?"
Elric was aware of Mephisto's frustration but chose to ignore it, pretending as if he knew nothing as he walked past.
『Uh, no! Nothing at all!』
"Alright then. I'm heading out soon, so if you're coming, come along."
『Ah, understood.』
As usual, Mephisto quietly followed Elric as he left the cave promptly at 10 o'clock after finishing his martial arts training.
There was no vigor in his steps whatsoever.
'Heh! Keep worrying like that all by yourself. It won't change a thing.'
Elric forced down the laughter trying to escape his lips.
If there was one thing Mephisto overlooked, it was that the mana circulation method of Night's Chronicle was far more advanced than he had anticipated.
And Elric had the Mind's Eye, a means that could sufficiently assist with this.
Every night, Elric consumed the pills and meticulously scanned his body while circulating mana based on the structural map of the labyrinth he had grasped.
He aimed to understand clearly how mana flowed, what functions it served at different locations, and the relationship between the body and mana.
This effort led him to gain a profound understanding of the human body and mana pathways, including how mana and demonic energy were connected to the seals.
While he hadn't discovered the trigger and process of the seal, Elric believed this knowledge was sufficient.
It enabled him to block mana from needlessly flowing into the seal of Original Sin.
Therefore, for Mephisto, whose goal was to empower the Seal of Original Sin, all his plans had effectively turned to ashes.
'So, what? People should just live with good intentions? Should he have just taught me with good intentions and trusted me to take care of the rest?'
For Elric, it was a natural choice to develop the Seal of Cruelty rather than the Seal of Original Sin, which he didn't even know the trigger for.
Clack, clack—
Confirming that Mephisto, slouched like a drenched large dog, was following closely behind, Elric turned his head forward again and began the exploration of the labyrinth.
Today, he intended to delve much deeper than usual.
'If my estimation is correct… I have explored about 70% of the labyrinth so far. But the remaining 30% likely harbors the den of the Dire Wolves.'
Lately, progress in labyrinth exploration has slowed significantly. At every turn, packs of Dire Wolves appeared, hindering his advance.
'As long as they continue to obstruct me, the exploration will fail. First, I must eradicate them all.'
Having mastered both the Body Strengthening Art and Magic martial arts to a considerable extent, Elric's proficiency in them could now be described as "mastery."
His mana had also reached a usable level.
So.
'From now on, I'll hunt down the Dire Wolves.'
It was transitioning from prey to predator.
Within three days, he aimed to find the lair of the Dire Wolves and take down their leader.
That way, Elric could fully grasp the complete mana circulation method of Night's Chronicle.
That was Elric's goal.