A Defense-10 Marine That Doesn't Run Out of Stamina Even After Irradiating the Defensive Matrix
Gracia could hardly believe his own eyes.
The boy standing before him with that indifferent expression—me—possessed a mana vessel configuration he had never encountered before.
It looks like someone measured it with a ruler. How can a human body even have mana vessels like this…?
In Gracia’s eyes, my mana vessels appeared as thirty-seven perfectly uniform units, as if calculated down to the decimal.
To be precise, exactly fifty percent of my total mana capacity resided in the chest vessel, while the remaining fifty percent was divided evenly across the other thirty-six vessels at roughly 1.38 percent each.
He had observed countless people’s mana configurations throughout his life, yet this was a first.
The number of vessels is far higher than the average student’s as well.
That wasn’t the only surprising part. Thirty-seven mana vessels in total. Even Gracia himself possessed only twenty. Yet here I was, a commoner boy, with that many vessels spread evenly throughout my entire body. It suggested I would be capable of far more precise and delicate movements.
The total volume of mana he holds is… also far greater.
Not only that. The black-haired boy carried nearly the same quantity of mana as Enya. Both the number of vessels and the raw volume itself were clearly innate gifts.
The sole mystery was how someone like me—who had achieved postnatal mana awakening for the first time in history—could possibly possess such an absurd configuration and quantity.
Uncovering that secret would inevitably mean clashing with the imperial family and Professor Elena. After all, I stood under the protection of both the Grand Mage and the princess.
“You are… a truly unique case. I have never seen mana vessels distributed with such perfect uniformity.”
Having finished his analysis of my configuration, Gracia offered his impression in a calm voice. Then his expression grew serious.
“However… it lacks any real distinguishing feature. The mana is spread far too evenly.”
If someone asked whether having so many vessels was inherently good, the answer was no. With thirty-seven vessels, the mana had been dispersed into tiny fragments.
“The number of mana vessels in your body is thirty-seven. Excluding the one in your chest, they are all uniform in size. It is perfectly optimized for balanced combat. However, you will never be able to wield a signature ultimate technique. Honestly, I can only call this the absolute worst possible form for a swordsman.”
In Gracia’s professional opinion, my case was the worst possible outcome. Even with a large chest vessel, there was nowhere to truly utilize it. At best, it simply made distributing mana throughout the body easier.
“…Your mana control is excellent. You can spread it evenly across your entire body with virtually no loss. But… it will be difficult to develop any distinct characteristics as a swordsman. If the vessels concentrated in the right hand like mine, you could unleash powerful slashes. If in the legs, swift blade work. If in the head, magic swordsmanship like Illaya. Yet in your case, none of those paths are available.”
Gracia felt genuine regret. To have awakened mana through sheer effort and already control it at such a high level, only to be held back by an innately unsuitable body—the limits as a swordsman were painfully clear.
He placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Still, do not be too disappointed. The answer is something you must find for yourself. By next week, prepare a training regimen and weapon techniques that compensate for your weaknesses. It will likely be the most difficult assignment you have ever faced.”
With those words, Gracia dismissed me.
Yet the expression on my face as I walked away showed neither disappointment nor discouragement. If anything, I wore a confident smile.
There’s no need to worry, Gracia. I’ve already found the answer.
Thursday.
The long-awaited Thursday had finally arrived.
The hellish schedule of classes running from nine in the morning until ten at night, Monday through Wednesday, was over.
This week hadn’t been quite as brutal, though. Since it was the first week, most classes had simply been introductory orientations that outlined the course content. The only professor who had filled every minute was Gracia.
“Anyway, it looks like most of the NPCs followed my timetable.”
After sitting through every class up to Wednesday, I had noticed that several NPCs were matching my schedule exactly. With fifty-three subjects available, the odds of so many overlapping by pure coincidence were astronomically low. Statistically, a one-in-fifty-three chance repeating multiple times in a row could only mean they had copied my timetable on purpose.
“I’ll think about that later!”
What mattered most right now was reinforced suit development. The long-awaited Thursday had come at last, which meant I could devote the next four days—Thursday through Sunday—to pouring everything into completing the defensive functions I had planned earlier.
“Hey, Fix.”
“Whiiiir~!”
When I called out to my assistant Fix—who had been pretending to be part of the research equipment—the little guy transformed and spun its head cheerfully. I stroked its head, something I hadn’t done in days.
“You rascal, you must have been bored out of your mind. Did you keep up with the research while I was gone?”
“Whiiiir~!”
Fix had been secretly carrying out my instructions the entire time. There was a real chance it had produced successful results during the three days I was absent. After all, Fix’s capabilities were directly tied to the level of my Hand Skill. Repeating the same experiment for three full days meant the results were definitely worth checking.
“Whiiiir~!”
Fix immediately rolled forward on its wheels and led me across the workshop. The destination was the area dedicated to magnetic field research using incantations and superconductors.
“Just as I thought…!”
There it was—the achievement Fix had accomplished. A magnetic field floated before me, perfectly containing a widely spread plasma field.
I broke into a bright smile and patted its head again.
“Well done, Fix. You really are the best assistant anyone could ask for.”
“Whiiiir~♥”
Delighted, Fix spun its head in rapid circles. A heart symbol appeared on its chest panel as it began playing music.
It was the same tune it always played whenever I praised it.
The me I've been hiiiiding~~~
awaaaaay~~~♬
“Hey Fix, kill the music.”
“Whiiiir….”
Now wasn’t the time for jokes. I asked Fix to display the research log from the past few days. Its monitor immediately began scrolling with detailed records.
I selected the section Fix had flagged as “Notable Records” and read through it.
It was exactly what I had hoped for.
“So this is what works. Excellent job, Fix.”
“Whiiiir~!”
The outcome matched my hypothesis perfectly. To contain widely dispersed plasma, the ‘Emission’ incantation and ‘Shape Preservation’ incantation had to be mixed in precise proportions. Using engineering logic, I had instructed Fix to experiment with the mana ratios for each incantation until it found a stable containment method. After countless trials and errors, Fix had discovered the perfect balance.
> OPTIMAL RATIO ACHIEVED
> EMISSION : SHAPE PRESERVATION = 3.45 : 6.74
> PLASMA INTEGRATION RATIO — 1 : 3.45 : 6.74
> STATUS: STABLE CONTAINMENT SUCCESSFUL
“Three-point-four-five to six-point-seven-four.”
When 3.45 mana was fed into the Emission incantation, 6.74 mana had to be fed into Shape Preservation. Applying the plasma itself produced the final ratio of 1:3.45:6.74. In short, to stabilize plasma infused with one unit of mana, the system required 3.45 for emission and 6.74 for shape retention.
“Phew. Now all that’s left is layering the plasma barrier over the mana shield.”
We had successfully confined the wide, circular plasma using a magnetic field. This world might lack modern technology, but it had the ridiculous cheat code known as incantations. The next step was to overlay the plasma barrier onto the mana shield itself.
Once that was done, I would have created a Defense-10 Marine that wouldn’t lose stamina even after Irradiate was cast on the Defensive Matrix.
It would function as a powerful shield while also dealing massive damage the moment it closed in on an enemy.
“I can’t wait to see Gracia’s reaction.”
Gracia had once told me I possessed the worst possible body for a swordsman—one that could never develop any specialized traits. He had instructed me to devise training methods and techniques that would compensate for those flaws.
But I already understood my strengths and weaknesses perfectly. The reason I had this particular body was simple: I had designed it this way on purpose.
“I’m nothing more than a battery.”
I had no talent for incantations. I could only use the six formulas engraved on the core mana stone. And I had zero talent for swordsmanship or physical techniques—I had never even held a real sword, let alone trained with one.
“But I can build a suit.”
I could create something incredible. By fusing the scientific and engineering knowledge from my original world with the mana and incantations of this one, I could craft a suit that was mine alone.
My job was to serve as the power source. All I had to do was supply efficient energy to operate it.
“Fix, let’s finish the defensive functions today.”
“Wuuung~!”
I intended to bring the reinforced suit to a usable stage before next week’s classes began. If I was going to play the role of a battery, the suit I wore had to be absolutely phenomenal.