Chapter 31
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 031
Chapter Title: Mental Image
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Bau was one of the ascetic monks who served Britra, the Dragon of Trials.
These monks believed that all the world's ordeals... plagues, disasters, famines, and the like... stemmed from Britra's breath.
Humans were raw iron ore, and trials were the flames and hammer strikes that forged it. Britra tested humanity through these ordeals. Those who endured would be reborn as stronger steel, while those who failed would shatter.
The monks' doctrine centered on training to prepare for such trials. They toughened their bodies through grueling discipline and built unyielding mental realms through meditation.
Asking the divine for aid only served to disappoint Britra. Thus, the monks did not pray. Nor did they wield holy power. They simply trained ceaselessly, bracing for the trials that would inevitably come.
'...This is a problem.'
Bau broke out in a cold sweat. He was currently sparring with Woojin, imparting his teachings.
A master sometimes had to impose trials upon their disciple. Through such grueling experiences, the disciple would grow, gain enlightenment, and emerge as a better being.
'But... this guy's too strong.'
What he had meant as a trial felt more like one for himself.
Each time Woojin's fist shot forward, a chill ran down his spine. He couldn't shake the thought that a single misstep might get him killed. He had no idea what lay behind this outrageously unfair power.
Of course, he could peer into the man's essence using his mind's eye...
'...But I'd regret it if I did.'
Even if he had a telescope, one shouldn't be so foolish as to stare at the sun with it. Every time he considered activating his mind's eye, that sort of ominous unease washed over him.
Was it truly okay to teach martial arts to this monster?
Clang!!
The two men's palms collided with a deafening roar. The brutal impact sent Woojin and Bau staggering back several steps.
"Are you alright?"
Woojin asked cautiously, as if regretting the intensity of their clash. His demeanor carried clear respect and concern.
This eased Bau's mind.
'...I was worrying over nothing.'
There were truths one could sense without even using his mind's eye. The man before him wasn't some brute swinging his power recklessly. If anything, it was the opposite.
Strong, prodigiously talented, and righteous. It felt like facing a hero straight out of ancient myths. That's why teaching Woojin brought Bau such great fulfillment.
This must have been the same satisfaction Hector and Claire, Woojin's previous mentors, had felt.
"I'm fine, so come at me more aggressively. I haven't even properly warmed up yet."
"Understood."
The two men resumed their sparring.
A few good hits, and he'd master Mana Arts. Honestly, when he first heard that, he'd been skeptical deep down.
'Is this really going to work?'
Claire's initial magic lessons had been highly systematic by comparison, making this feel far too vague.
But human instinct proved surprisingly precise. Through repeated meditation and sparring, Woojin gradually grasped the knack of Mana Arts, one step at a time.
And so, a month passed...
'...It actually worked?'
The two-handed hammer in Woojin's grip began to glow. It was Mana Weapon, the technique that enhanced a weapon's durability and destructive power using mana.
Bau nodded upon seeing it.
"You've mastered it far quicker than I expected. Doesn't your hand itch to swing that thing around and test it?"
"Honestly... yes."
"Follow me, then. There's a perfect spot nearby to show off your strength."
Woojin followed Bau out of the pioneer city. The excited wolves trailed behind. They must have felt cooped up after days stuck in the city.
They soon reached their destination: a bloodstone quarry near the pioneer city.
Several men were busily swinging pickaxes to mine bloodstone. To avoid disturbing them, Woojin and Bau ventured deep into the quarry to find a spot.
"This one looks particularly tough."
Bau tapped a massive bloodstone boulder, like a giant rock. Woojin stepped forward, gripping his hammer shaft firmly.
Kiiing—
Dark blue sparks enveloped the hammer. Woojin assumed his stance. Bau and the wolves watched from a safe distance, anticipating the spectacle.
The hammer swung.
Kwaaaang!!
The hammerhead smashed into the rock's center, unleashing an explosion of sound. His clothes fluttered wildly in the shockwave's aftermath. Shattered rock fragments piled up at Woojin's feet like a cascade.
The boulder had been halved in a single blow. And...
'...The hammer broke too?'
Woojin stared at the hammer in his hand in disbelief. The shaft had snapped clean off.
He'd brought a brand-new one he'd never even used before... and it shattered on the first swing, rendering it useless.
Bau poked around the area and picked up something from the ground. The hammerhead that had flown off upon breaking. It had sailed quite far.
"My technique must still be lacking."
Woojin muttered while eyeing the broken hammerhead. For a mana-enhanced weapon, it had shattered far too easily.
Bau chimed in.
"That's got nothing to do with your Mana Weapon's proficiency... Your strength is just brutally overwhelming. No cheap weapon like this will last long with you."
Since it was just something he'd grabbed from a random smithy, it seemed even Mana Weapon couldn't extend its lifespan much.
"I'll have to ask the Church Alliance if they have any better gear."
"Is that alright?"
"No need to feel burdened. I was planning to equip you with a proper weapon anyway."
Sacrificing one two-handed hammer had netted him an even better one.
But aside from that...
They'd come all the way to the quarry to practice Mana Weapon, only for the hammer to break after one swing. Now they had nothing left to do, time hanging idly.
Bau seemed to agree, as he prepared to leave.
"No point sticking around, then. Back to the city."
"Since we're already here, I'll take the wolves for a walk before heading back."
"Do that. I'll head out first."
Bau returned to the city ahead of them.
Now alone, Woojin gazed quietly at the boulder he'd just demolished.
'...Something feels off.'
He decided to test it once more.
Standing before the rock, he clenched his fist. Dark blue sparks wrapped around it. The technique to enhance physical prowess using mana.
Kwang!!
His fist slammed into the boulder with full force.
A thunderous noise rang out as spiderweb cracks spiderwebbed across the surface. After inspecting their depth and spread, he moved to another boulder nearby.
Woojin extinguished the sparks on his fist. Plain bare knuckles, no mana. He threw a punch at the rock.
Kwang!!
Another deafening boom. The rock surface split with jagged cracks. Woojin stepped back and compared the two shattered boulders.
'...No real difference.'
The mana-enhanced punch and the casual bare-knuckle one. The process differed starkly, but the results were nearly identical.
The mana-augmented rock had crumbled a bit more... but it was hard to notice without close inspection. Like the faint difference after sprinkling a pinch of salt on food.
Mana Arts were weaker than expected.
'Why is that?'
He recalled Bau's teachings. Then it hit him.
'The technique that manifests the mental image of one who pursues martial arts into reality. That is called Mana Arts.'
Mulling over those words...
'...I've only lived focused on hunting and survival. Martial arts never really interested me.'
Sure, he'd learned some fighting techniques.
But he hadn't delved deep. You couldn't exactly grapple deep-realm Demonic Realm monsters with jiu-jitsu. He'd only trained boxing and MMA for about a year before quitting.
Bau, by contrast, had honed his martial arts over long years. He'd clearly poured immense effort into mastering techniques. The mental image he'd built through that process empowered his skills with great potency.
Woojin, however, had little love for martial arts itself. He'd only learned Mana Arts out of necessity. It was no wonder a novice like him got underwhelming results.
As he pondered this...
'...What mental image do I even have?'
Curiosity struck.
It stemmed from something Claire had emphasized when explaining mental realms long ago.
'She said mine was dangerous.'
She'd warned that some perilous monster might lurk within, advising caution to prevent it from contacting others.
At the time, he'd brushed it off. But looking back now, it seemed oddly suspicious. Even Claire had seemed convinced. She'd called it too far-fetched and lacking evidence for certainty.
Claire wasn't one to spout nonsense. Why had she said that to him back then?
'I'll have to ask her in detail next time we meet.'
One more topic for their eventual reunion. With that thought, Woojin turned toward the city.
"I've got good news and bad news."
Bau spoke up suddenly. It felt like he was prompting Woojin to choose which to hear first.
"Good news first."
"I've brought a weapon worthy of you. Take a look."
With that, Bau nudged a wooden box beside him with his foot. A luxurious mahogany box with a rich sheen, large as a coffin.
What could be inside?
Anticipation building, Woojin flipped open the lid. Inside lay a massive two-handed hammer, exquisitely crafted.
Its head bore patterns like Damascus steel, reminiscent of frost crystals clinging to a window. The shaft was fashioned from a beast's bone.
As Woojin admired it with repeated gasps of awe, Bau eagerly added details, not missing a chance to boast.
"Made of frost steel, so it'll be incredibly durable. It was a rare metal produced in the north... but unobtainable now that the Demonic Realm has swallowed it."
"...It's magnificent. Feels like a birthday gift."
Woojin carefully lifted the hammer. It fit perfectly in his grasp.
"Does it have a name?"
"Probably, but I rushed to fetch it and forgot to ask. Why don't you name it?"
A new name...
As always, Woojin's naming sense was poor. So he borrowed someone else's, as usual.
"I'll call it Skull Crusher."
"Fitting name."
The gift was so generous that the bad news already worried him.
"What's the bad news?"
"The expedition starts in ten days. Your carefree days as a guest won't last much longer."
The Church Alliance had raised the banner of departure.
The good times were over; hardship lay ahead. As Bau spoke...
Woojin's lips curled upward.
"Sounds perfect."
It was the news he'd been waiting for.