Robin stared at the symbols in the manual, frustration mounting as he failed to understand them even after an hour. "What the hell is this?" he finally shouted, feeling lost. The symbols were unlike any language he'd seen, and nothing seemed to make sense.
"Can you understand this, Malsa?" he asked, a bit desperate.
After a brief pause, Malsa replied, "I am unable to decode the language."
"Oh…" Robin murmured, disappointed. But as he looked closer, he felt a glimmer of recognition, a faint sense of meaning hidden within the symbols. Realizing that he needed to draw mana into his body first, he felt a renewed determination to give it another try.
He sat down in a meditative position, carefully pulling mana into his body. Suddenly, an intense wave of agony ripped through him as the mana clashed with his body's internal flow, rejecting him. It felt like his very core was being torn apart from the inside.
Desperately, he activated his "Divine Body" skill, which began to heal the damage. But it wasn't enough. "Malsa, find a solution, quick!" he gasped, writhing in pain.
"Master, you can combine Divine Shield and Divine Body to improve your healing effects" Malsa advised.
"Do it!" he commanded, noticing the "Combinable" option glowing on his stats.
--
[ System Panel ]
New Attribute Discovered: Physique
Description: The Physique attribute enhances the host's physical and magical capabilities, affecting stats such as regeneration, strength, mana affinity, and other body-level enhancements. The Physique attribute can be upgraded through increased proficiency or by combining it with compatible skills.
--
As the radiant yellow light faded, Robin sat up, the lingering warmth of transformation coursing through him. Reading about the new Physique attribute filled him with excitement. This was more than just an increase in strength—his entire being felt transformed, more resilient, and attuned to mana. It seemed as if all the pain had been worth it.
For a moment, he sat in quiet contemplation, feeling the depth of his power. "With multiple skills and now Physique… do I even need to think about my power level?" he murmured, clenching his fist as his newfound strength pulsed through him.
He realized he was beginning to break free from the standard limits of this world's power structure. No longer bound by traditional ranks or titles, he was evolving into something beyond the norm.
"Malsa, open my stats," Robin commanded.
The display appeared before him, and he examined each line carefully. A smile crept across his face as he took in the improvements—his skills' proficiencies had increased significantly, and his progress was tangible. His body level had reached 90% of the Golden Knight rank, putting him on the verge of becoming a Junior Diamond Knight. His Magical Circle was now at level 4, meaning he was close to the level of an Arch Mage.
Robin couldn't help but feel a rush of pride. Achieving Diamond Knight status and advancing as a mage had once seemed like distant goals. The body level was clearly affected by the new physique meaning as long as he increased his proficiency on it he could push the body level higher as soon as possible.
--
[ System Panel ]
Level: 3/24
Energy: 16000/36000
Energies:
Life Energy: 3 / 0 / 24000
Dark Energy: 3 / 4000 / 24000
Magic Affinities: Nature Magic ( Life Energy ): [ 10% ], Light Magic ( Life Energy ): [1%]
Skills: Healing Magic [ 60 %], Gluttony [ 25% ], Spatial Storage [ 5% ], Black Fire Ball [ 70% ]
Physique: Saint Body [ 0% ]
Body Level: Golden Knight [ 90% ]
Mana Level: Mid-Level Mage, Magical Circle 4 [ 5% ]
Spells: Teleportation, Physical Enhancement
--
The only puzzle left was how to increase the proficiency of Saint Body. Since it seemed linked to Healing Magic, Robin suspected that using it in tandem with mana control might be the key. He took a deep breath, confidence renewed, as he picked up the Manual. If things went wrong, he could rely on Saint Body to heal himself.
"One… two… three…" he counted, steadying his breath as he allowed the Manual's mana to flow through him. Carefully, he directed it toward his heart. Suddenly, a searing pain erupted in his chest, his heart pounding with unbearable force. "Aaaaah… not again," he groaned, dropping the Manual as Saint Body activated, soothing the pain within seconds.
Determined, Robin picked up the Manual again and repeated the process, each time adjusting based on what he'd learned. After five grueling attempts, he realized his mistake: he'd been forcing the mana directly to his magical circle, located at his heart, instead of letting it flow naturally through his body.
This time, he calmed himself and simply let the mana travel freely, trusting it to find its way. Gradually, he felt it circulating through his body without resistance, bringing a sense of harmony and control he hadn't experienced before.
Immediately a new message appeared infront of him.
--
[ System Panel]
New Energy Detected: Elemental Energy
Energy Analysis has began please wait.....
--
Remaining in his meditative position, Robin felt the mana inside him stabilize and flow freely. It no longer resisted him; instead, it seemed to harmonize perfectly with his body. A warm sensation spread from his heart, where his magical circle was located, now completely free of any resistance. After an hour, he opened his eyes, feeling a new, permanent increase in his mana levels.
"Malsa, show me my stats," he said eagerly.
The stats appeared before him, and Robin scanned them. Sure enough, the mana increase was clearly reflected, and alongside it, a new energy type had been identified.
--
[ System Panel ]
Level: 3/36
Energy: 16000/48000
Energies:
Life Energy: 3 / 0 / 24000
Dark Energy: 3 / 4000 / 24000
Elemental Energy: 1 /0 / 12000
Magic Affinities: Nature Magic ( Life Energy ): [ 10% ], Light Magic ( Life Energy ): [1%]
Skills: Healing Magic [ 60 %], Gluttony [ 25% ], Spatial Storage [ 5% ], Black Fire Ball [ 70% ], FireBall [ 0% ]
Physique: Saint Body [ 0% ]
Body Level: Golden Knight [ 90% ]
Mana Level: Mid-Level Mage, Magical Circle 4 [ 40% ]
Spells: Teleportation, Physical Enhancement
--
As Robin examined his stats, he noticed the energy requirement for his next level had significantly increased. "Seriously? I finally get stronger, and now it's harder to level up," he muttered, feeling a mix of frustration and amusement. "Malsa, explain this 'elemental energy.'"
Malsa responded, "Elemental energy is composed of the basic elements: fire, wind, earth, water, and air. This energy can be harnessed for both offensive and defensive purposes. By absorbing more elemental energy, you'll unlock additional skills related to each element. Currently, you've unlocked one skill—Fireball."
Robin's eyebrows rose with interest as Malsa continued, "Additionally, you can now use your 'Gluttony' skill to absorb elemental energy directly."
Seeing his Magical Circle's progress jump from 5% to 45% left Robin astonished. The sheer power of the manual was staggering—it made sense now how the empire produced so many arch mages. With a resource like this, talent became almost irrelevant. Anyone with access to such a manual could advance rapidly, provided they understood its use.
But as Robin pondered this advantage, he realized it couldn't be so simple. If the manuals were this powerful, there had to be drawbacks. The pain he'd endured and his repeated failures hinted at potential risks. Just as he was about to delve deeper, Malsa's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Master, I've analyzed the magic manual and gathered some insights. Would you like to hear them?"
"Yes," Robin replied, intrigued.
"Magical Manuals can absorb mana from the enviroment, when left alone over time," Malsa explained. "The symbols within the manual appear to function as both spell and control mechanism, guiding the flow of mana. Once you comprehend the manual's workings, you can absorb its mana to enhance your magic level—but there are likely side effects. Your repeated failures may have been due to a restriction embedded within the manual itself, intended to prevent unauthorized absorption. However, with Saint Body, you were able to gradually overcome this restriction."
Robin nodded, digesting the information. It was clear that without Saint Body, the manual's mana would have been out of reach, at least for now.
Realizing the manual had exhausted its mana output for now, Robin felt a bit disappointed. However, he noticed it had started absorbing elemental mana from the environment again, like a heartbeat. This realization sparked an idea: given Ashton's mountainous and resource-rich location, the area could potentially provide an abundant supply of elemental mana to fuel the manual over time.
Robin briefly considered removing the manual from the vault, imagining what it could do if left to absorb elemental mana freely. Yet he quickly recognized that this would be more useful for others in the kingdom. Specifically, archmages specializing in elemental magic, like Mary, the duke's wife, could benefit from this boost if they could safely use the manual. However, the manual would be of little help to those like his mother, Deria, who practiced druidic magic, or the duke, who wielded dark magic. They'd require different manuals tailored to their magic types—and each would likely come with similar, if not greater, restrictions.
Lost in thought, Robin suddenly looked up as the vault doors creaked open.