Episode 3
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To create the magical circuit, which was essentially meant to store mana, it was first necessary to have mana flow throughout the body. Only then would the mana form the magical circuit, according to what Encrid had explained.
However, Park Chan-woo had his own approach. He didn't know how mages obtained mana, whether through meditation or another method—but he was certain that the meditation of monks was undoubtedly the best.
The mana had entered his body, and it even embraced him.
'Blessed by mana.'
The mana enveloped him and remained within his entire body. In that same instant, the magical circuit was formed. A semi-circle appeared on his wrist, and mana began flowing through the magical circuit all in less than a minute.
Park Chan-woo slowly opened his eyes.
The oxygen in his lungs escaped through his mouth, visible as vapor. His sweat drenched body was soaked, as if he had been caught in a rainstorm.
'I still can't see Encrid.'
He had foreseen it. He needed to reach the first circle to be able to see Encrid. At this moment, he was only at a semi-circle not yet fully formed.
"You really are a monster...."
"Now then, the next step is to test if you can control mana at will. You won't be able to learn any magical skills yet since you don't have much mana and you're not even at the first circle. However, just moving the mana within your body is enough for now."
"I see. So, it's just a matter of moving the mana, right?"
"Exactly. It won't be easy, though. You have to understand mana and its nature."
Park Chan-woo closed his eyes.
Among the countless masters he had trained with, there were several who spoke specifically about internal energy and how to use it. This meant he needed to move that internal energy, understand it, and fully comprehend it.
Mana is similar, but the difference is that mana is real a true energy within the body that was currently circulating through every vein and organ. In other words, it wasn't much different from the training to understand internal energy.
'It's the same.'
Park Chan-woo moved the mana within his body effortlessly. The same sensation he had once felt was happening again.
'I never thought that training would turn out to be real and useful now.'
It didn't work in the world he came from. However, it was different in this world, where magic truly existed, and mana was the internal energy of all beings.
Encrid stared at Park Chan-woo with his mouth wide open. Even with days of training to understand mana, it wouldn't normally be possible to move it at will.
This truly left him astonished.
He had never seen anything like it before. Moving mana required a very advanced understanding of it. But if, somehow, you could comprehend mana just seconds after acquiring it, it meant that mana truly loved you not just blessed you like everyone else.
Encrid spoke.
"You little brat, you just stole my title of the most talented, didn't you?"
"Hmm, if you're going to spout nonsense, then don't speak. I'm still focused, in case you didn't notice."
"Tch, I can't argue because it's true."
Park Chan-woo opened his eyes. He felt mana flowing throughout his body. The tingling sensation he had felt earlier disappeared, replaced by something else.
His muscles contracted. It was painful but not unbearable. The joints in his body became stronger and more flexible. However, his heart pounded loudly and rapidly, as if exhausted from running a marathon.
Even so, he remained calm. One of the things he had learned as the Monarch was to stay composed at all times. Pain was the root cause of losing one's composure, along with unnecessary thoughts.
Shortly after, Park Chan-woo relaxed as the pain and the internal changes in his body and muscles stopped twisting him.
"What was all that?"
"That's mana reconstructing your body, muscles, organs, joints everything that can make you stronger is rebuilt and replaced with mana. It means you're more resilient than an average person, in the sense that you're stronger."
"I see. This mana is incredible."
"It's great, isn't it? Now move your mana into both arms and punch that pillar over there."
Unconsciously, Park Chan-woo moved the mana into his arms, concentrating it in his biceps, forearms, and finally his wrists. Once the mana filled his entire arm, Park Chan-woo looked at the pillar.
'He wants me to punch that pillar.'
The pillar appeared to be made of concrete. A human would break their fists punching something like that with all their strength. No matter how well-trained someone was, the result would inevitably be broken bones and torn flesh.
However, Encrid's words echoed in his mind.
'Punch that pillar.'
'This body is so weak, and it's not even trained. Yet he wants me to hit that pillar?'
Park Chan-woo reflected. He was human, and as long as he was human, hitting such a hard surface with all his strength using an untrained body would lead to disastrous results.
"Don't worry. If you use mana, you won't break anything. So don't be concerned. If you do break your fists, it's because you're useless."
Useless.
A word Park Chan-woo had never heard directed at him before.
'You have exceptional talent, but if you never experience defeat and keep rising to the top, one day you'll regret it, kid.'
His talent had ensured he never lost a fight.
Park Chan-woo looked at the pillar, then at his fist. Within his bones and flesh, his arm was filled with concentrated mana, like a thick layer enveloping it.
'If it were my previous body, I wouldn't worry. But if mana is something else, then I won't get hurt.'
Park Chan-woo extended his fist and aimed at the pillar.
Boom!
He struck the pillar with all his strength. The impact caused the pillar to split in half and collapse to the ground, pieces of concrete scattering everywhere.
'No... I don't have any injuries.'
Park Chan-woo looked at his fist. After smashing the pillar in half, his hand remained intact, as if nothing had happened.
"I told you nothing would happen. Now you understand mana better and how it really works."
"It's an energy that makes humans stronger, in simple terms," Park Chan-woo replied.
Encrid nodded.
Park Chan-woo hadn't realized it yet, but mana truly was an energy that made him stronger. He had thought it was something ordinary because, in his previous life, he had felt something similar and mistakenly assumed it would be the same. That was why he had hesitated to punch the pillar.
Now he understood it was different.
And incredibly powerful.
"With just one strike, I completely shattered such a thick pillar."
If it were the old me, breaking something like that would have been impossible. The pillar was about 200 centimeters thick and made of solid concrete.
Park Chan-woo sighed and then turned around.
"What's next?"
"Hmm, now you train with mana. Adapting to it is the first step. Once you've mastered it completely, you'll fight the Guardians."
"Guardians?"
"They're humanoid in shape, but their bodies are made entirely of mana. You can only defeat them by striking them with mana. Of course, whether or not you can fight and control the Guardians depends on your skill. However, if you don't use mana, you'll never defeat them, no matter how skilled you are."
"I see. I need mana and fighting skills. That's it, right?"
"Exactly. Only then will you be able to defeat them."
Park Chan-woo smiled, satisfied.
Being the Patriarch of the Triad of the Night wasn't for nothing. If you didn't know how to fight, you couldn't even step into the Triad of the Night.
Park Chan-woo concentrated his mana throughout his body.
The training to use mana in combat had just begun.