Chapter 9
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 009
Chapter Title: Mana Circulation
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Andy could use magic.
He could gather mana from the air, reshape it, and imbue it with the properties of electricity.
Thus, he could manifest instantaneous electric sparks.
It was an incredible feat.
To use magic without a mana circle, no less.
'But... that's all there is to it.'
Implementing magic without a circle was astonishing in itself.
But it was limited to the simplest spells at best.
To ordinary people, it might even be hard to tell if it was magic or just static electricity. That was the extent of Andy's current abilities.
The reason he couldn't use proper magic yet was simple.
'Not enough mana. I can't cast real spells.'
Proper magic required vast amounts of mana.
But the concentration of mana in the atmosphere was exceedingly thin.
Handling only ambient mana couldn't fulfill the needs for true spellcasting.
That was why Mana Circulation was essential.
'Store mana in your body ahead of time and draw on it when needed.'
If he stockpiled large quantities of mana in advance, he could cast powerful spells that demanded substantial amounts.
He imagined it.
Himself wielding impressive magic.
Spitting fire from his hands, hurling lightning, creating water, summoning winds.
It wasn't a distant dream. It was something he could achieve soon.
A realm reachable with enough mana stored in his body, plus a bit of knowledge and experience.
"Hoo... Let's try Mana Circulation."
The boy took a small deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.
He awakened his soul's senses. His consciousness expanded, projecting outward around his body. His soul communed with the surrounding mana.
Mana Sensing.
Awaking spiritual senses and projecting one's consciousness beyond the body to connect with ambient mana.
Ever since getting his hands on the mage's book, he hadn't skipped a single day of practicing Mana Sensing.
His proficiency had already reached an exquisite level.
"..."
After focusing for a while, the boy felt a familiar sensation.
The feeling of his consciousness slipping from the macroscopic world of reality into the microscopic realm.
Peeling back one layer of the world's surface and delving into deeper domains!
His entire mind concentrated on the flow of 'mana' that constituted the world.
Normally, his Mana Sensing practice would end there.
But today, he wasn't aiming for Sensing. He sought Mana Circulation.
A step beyond communion—inducing mana to dwell within his body.
'Dominate the mana, control it. Make it mine.'
Andy refined his soul's senses to heightened sensitivity.
His amplified will resonated more intensely with the surrounding mana particles.
This strengthened communion turned into control, and the mana particles caught in Andy's grip began to flow slowly toward somewhere.
'I need to store it in my heart.'
The flowing mana particles headed straight for the boy's heart.
The organ housing the human soul, the source of life itself.
He guided the mana particles there. They passed through the boy's tender skin, through veins and muscles, finally approaching the heart.
Now, if he could just lodge these particles in his heart, he would have mana within him. Mana Circulation would succeed.
But he didn't manage it on the first try.
'The mana... it's resisting.'
The particles rebelled fiercely as they neared the heart.
Storing mana in the heart meant binding it to his soul.
Mana Circulation was the process of transitioning free atmospheric particles into subservience to a single lifeform.
The mana particles resisted savagely.
As if refusing to lose their freedom.
Andy's eyelids twitched.
'Not easy after all. I didn't expect such fierce resistance.'
Humans, animals, even atmospheric mana particles—all things in the world yearned for freedom and rejected bondage.
The mana particles rebelled violently against subjugation to Andy's soul.
Of course, Andy wasn't one to give up here.
He adjusted his will.
'Narrow the scope of my will and concentrate soul control.'
He gradually retracted his projected soul senses.
But intensified their power.
Shrinking the Mana Sensing field while strengthening control over the mana.
Andy focused his mind to the utmost limit.
Cold sweat beaded on his skin. His consciousness accelerated. Time stretched long.
His will, concentrated in a limited area.
Control over the mana particles surged dramatically.
The mana particles resonated with Andy's will.
'Got it!'
Andy inwardly cheered.
They had abandoned resistance to his strengthened will and accepted his control.
Andy guided the mana particles to his heart. A tiny amount of mana was sucked into it.
And then.
"Ah...!"
Andy let out a low exclamation.
The sensation of the mana particle entering his heart and becoming bound to his soul.
It was peculiar.
Like something filling an empty vessel within him. A sense that slightly alleviated a spiritual emptiness he hadn't even realized was there.
A strange satisfaction tickled Andy's soul.
He murmured softly.
"My own true mana."
Atmospheric mana belonged to no one. But the mana now filling his heart was solely his.
Mana dominated by his soul, uncontrollable by any outsider.
He had finally succeeded in Mana Circulation. Now he could accumulate mana in his body.
Andy smiled contentedly.
From the day he succeeded in Mana Circulation.
Andy practiced it every evening. Capturing atmospheric mana and storing it in his heart.
Day by day, the amount of mana in his body grew bit by bit.
But.
'Gathering mana is too slow.'
Andy grew impatient.
He had practiced for several days already... yet the mana accumulated in his heart was still pathetically scant.
It couldn't be helped.
Atmospheric mana density was inherently so faint. No matter how diligently he circulated, he couldn't amass much.
Andy murmured softly.
"How do mages spam attack spells like that? It's impossible to cast spells at that level just by gathering ambient mana."
From stories he'd heard from mercenaries, battlefield mages unleashed barrages of powerful spells, massacring enemies.
Causing explosions, summoning electric storms, shifting the earth to alter the battlefield itself.
Powerful magic just from hearing about it. No way they fueled that with atmospheric mana absorption.
'There must be another way to obtain mana. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense.'
Andy figured as much. Fighting solely on ambient mana defied logic, no matter how he thought about it.
They probably acquired mana through some other method.
As he pondered this.
-Andy!
Thud thud thud thud.
Footsteps echoed. Heavy footfalls shaking the creaky wooden floor. A familiar gait.
'It's Gavory Aunt!'
Recognizing the approaching footsteps, Andy moved swiftly.
He closed the open book, hid it deep inside, tidied his messy bedding in a flash, and lay down—as if he'd just gone to bed.
Creeeak!
The door flew open.
"Andy."
"Yes, Gavory Aunt."
Fortunately, Andy had straightened up before she opened the door. She harbored no suspicions and got to the point.
"Someone's looking for you."
"Looking for me?"
"Yeah. You know Dario, right?"
Andy nodded.
Dario the herbalist. The village's sole herbalist, who headed to the mountains daily to gather herbs.
'He's the village pharmacist too.'
In this remote little village without doctors or priests, herbalists typically doubled as healers.
They made a living gathering herbs normally, then used their knowledge to treat the injured when needed.
Thus, herbalist Dario was the second most respected man in the village after the chief. Who wouldn't respect someone who could tend to their health in a pinch?
Gavory continued.
"Dario needs some help with labor."
The next morning, instead of his usual routine, Andy headed straight to Dario's house.
Knock knock knock.
He rapped on the door.
"Dario, it's me."
-Oh! Andy's here.
Creeeak.
Dario opened the door and welcomed him. Andy took a quick look at his face.
Deep wrinkles, a kindly expression. Brown hair streaked with occasional grays.
A familiar face. Andy often ran into him when heading out mornings to gather firewood beyond the village.
"I heard you called for me. Something you need...?"
"Come in. I'll explain. Ah, but first, let me brew some tea. Have a seat and wait a moment."
Dario headed to the kitchen, and Andy sat at the table.
While waiting, the boy surveyed the herbalist's home.
'All those must be herbs.'
Numerous herbs hung around the room, some familiar to Andy.
Herbs for wounds, for upset stomachs to brew and drink, for reviving the senses...
A jumble of various types—befitting a herbalist's abode.
As Andy examined the place.
"Here, I've brought the tea."
"Thank you. I'll enjoy it."
Dario brought the brewed tea.
Andy sipped it. The bitter aroma tickled his nose. The boy wrinkled it slightly.
'Why drink this stuff? It's bitter and thick.'
The tea's flavor didn't suit Andy's young palate yet. But he forced it down, not wanting to dismiss Dario's personal gesture.
Dario was one of the few in the village who treated Andy like a real person.
An adult serving tea to a mere orphan. Proof he saw Andy not as a worthless kid, but as an individual.
Just happened the tea wasn't to his taste.
Dario spoke up.
"Thanks for coming. Truth is, I urgently need help. The trading caravan comes next week, but I haven't gathered enough herbs yet. It's troubling."
"You want me to help gather herbs, then."
This remote frontier village obtained outside goods via periodic trading caravans.
Exchanging local meat, grains, herbs for city-made iron tools, clothes, and such.
Only ten days left until the caravan arrived. Yet Dario hadn't amassed sufficient herbs.
"I need to gather as many as possible now to get through winter properly... It's worrying."
The current season was early winter.
The harsh winter was fast approaching.
No herb gathering in winter, so they had to stockpile now to endure.
But the stock was insufficient. At this rate, it'd be a cold, lean winter.
Thus, Dario had summoned Andy—to gather even a little more.
Andy nodded.
"I'll help. But I don't know much about herbs... Is that okay?"
"Of course! I'll teach you the types. It's knowledge you'll never regret learning."
With Andy's acceptance, Dario gleefully fetched the herbs.
He spread various kinds on the table.
"These are the herbs the caravan mostly seeks."
Every one was unfamiliar to Andy.
Made sense. Herbs worth a caravan's trek here wouldn't be common.
Dario pointed them out one by one, explaining.
"This herb treats bodily inflammation. This one is used in anesthetics. This one..."
The herbalist Dario's explanations continued.
He showed each herb's appearance and described its general effects and value.
At first, Andy tried to focus.
Knowledge in this era was precious regardless of field. He wanted to memorize it all.
But at some point, he couldn't concentrate on Dario's words anymore.
Because of the assorted herbs strewn across the table.
One of them emanated something.
'Mana... from that one.'
Andy sensed mana with his keen perception.
Among the herbs on the table.
A particularly vivid green herb exuded a rich mana scent.
'An herb containing mana...'
Andy couldn't tear his eyes from it. The mana aura wafting from the herb seemed to seduce him.
As he stared blankly.
Dario happened to explain that very herb.
"...And this herb is used as an ingredient in mana potions. The most expensive one here."
"Mana potion...?"
The way mages obtained vast quantities of mana.
Mana potions.