Chapter 81
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Mana Capacity of 40,000?
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Mana capacity of 40,000?
"Thanks for the help! But what is it you want to know?"
The day after helping Nayu.
Fortunately, they'd talked it out, and I'd heard their relationship was mended.
It wasn't a marriage proposal anymore, but they'd settled into a proper senior-junior dynamic.
From the start, Nayu's feelings hadn't been romantic or sexual anyway.
"During our spar before, you summoned that crossbow, right? I'm curious how you did it."
And now, I was meeting Nayu again to collect on that favor.
According to the gallery folks, it was mana forging.
A method where you carve out a portion of your total mana capacity to forge a supporting item.
They said it was extremely difficult and mana-intensive, making it tough for lower ranks.
Still, since Nayu could do it, maybe I could pick up the trick somehow.
I turned off the gallery for a bit when Nayu arrived, deciding to check out her forging first.
"You mean that? What do you plan to do by seeing it?"
"That's mana forging, right? With the Beast Hunt coming up, I want to pick up a trick like that."
"A first-year already knows about mana forging? As expected of Junior Ian. But..."
Nayu pondered my request for a moment.
"Fine, I'll show you."
Instead of more words, Nayu began the forging.
She focused her mind deeply for a bit.
Moments later, a massive surge of mana poured out from her as if separating from her body.
With metallic clunk-clunk sounds, the crossbow assembled just like before.
"Whew. That's about as far as I can go. From here, I can designate a target, and it'll periodically attack whoever I set it on."
She'd forged the crossbow and even set an attack target.
This was the limit of Nayu's mana forging, apparently.
"For something simpler, I can make it attack randomly without a target. That saves a bit of mana."
The fewer functions, the lighter it got.
Nayu gave a rough explanation of mana forging.
It wasn't as detailed as the gallery's breakdowns, but hearing it straight from her made it easier to grasp.
"Strictly speaking, it's carving out part of your mana circuits, right?"
"Exactly."
Consuming mana capacity meant, precisely, detaching a portion of your mana circuits themselves.
You detached a circuit segment and used it as the base to create the forged item.
When the forged item was destroyed, the detached circuit returned instantly.
Because it was just transplanting a circuit inherently bound to your body into the item.
Before the circuit inside the item could be destroyed, it reverted to its bound body.
That's why you didn't actually lose the circuit itself—or your total mana capacity.
Circuits aren't like veins physically attached to the body?!?!
Lulu-chan says during mana forging, it's like attaching and detaching something?!
Right, circuits are conceptual. Think of it as another world inside you.
Circuit isn't wrong either. It's the path mana flows through. But not physical—more like soul stuff.
You separate a circuit to make the forged item. Usually, you pre-etch a series of spell formulas into a circuit segment, then activate them on separation. That's mana forging.
Don't spell formulas activate as soon as you draw them?
Similar to etching spells into magic stones.
Instead of emitting mana for computation, you trap the formula in mana like a magic stone, then use it when needed. Same principle.
What the hell, this is confusing.
Anyway, you pre-draw the spell formulas for the forged item inside your body—specifically, in your circuits.
Then, when needed, detach and summon it. Easy, right?
Then it's super easy? Just draw the forged item in a corner of your mana tank, detach that part when needed, and summon!
Easy for us lol, not for you lol
Forged items connect multiple spell formulas. Designing them without conflicts is hard from the start.
Even if we told you, a first-year cadet's mana capacity can't handle even simple ones.
Plus, mana forging is risky itself. You etch directly into your mana circuits—if you're not precise and mess them up, they break. That cuts your total capacity.
Screw up big and the circuits shatter for real lol
Think of it like magic stone engraving. Amateurs messing around shatter the stone mid-enchant.
These guys are really trying to discourage me.
I get it. Like surgery on organs.
If a non-doctor touches them, it's not healing—it's murder.
One slip and you wreck your circuits.
Plus, you need enough capacity to detach for the item.
"Etching formulas into circuits is extremely dangerous. Even I can't do it alone. I don't recommend it. Botch it, and you could end up mana-crippled."
Nayu warned me too.
No doubt about it—etching into mana circuits was seriously risky.
"Then how did you do it, Senior Nayu?"
"My family helped before academy enrollment. It's tradition—every adult gets a weapon via mana forging."
"Even as tradition, isn't it dangerous? Etching into fresh adult circuits."
"It is. But if you can't handle that, you don't belong in the family."
Nayu's Ronnight family was impressive in many ways.
So devoted to one person, more knightly than mage-like.
Anyway, mana forging seemed pretty hazardous.
That's why even some gallery folks skipped it.
No need to risk wrecking circuits.
And it wasn't a solo op for unskilled mages.
Even with help, circuits are personal—you can't trust just anyone.
What about etching into a magic stone and summoning a weapon?
Circuits and mana are different. Circuits are about 'existence.' Magic stones are 'consumables.' Forged items need constant summoning, so circuits maintain their existence.
Magic stones vanish after use. Circuits don't—only the flowing mana depletes. That's the difference; stones won't work.
Even if possible, you'd need a massive stone to cast the formula.
Might as well use artifacts.
So that's why no one recommends it.
The world of magic is vast.
Guess weapon summoning is off the table.
What's your mana capacity at anyway? Gotta know that first to judge.
That's when Meditation King asked about my current mana.
Yeah, mine's probably less than Nayu's, a second-year.
I've trained hard, but still.
"More importantly, what's Junior Ian's mana capacity? You need a minimum for this."
Nayu asked the same thing right then.
This is embarrassing to admit.
Feels like I was being cocky without knowing better.
Embarrassed by my naive enthusiasm, I dodged and flipped the question.
"What's yours like, Senior Nayu?"
"I'll hit 20,000 soon."
"Ah, as expected... Huh, what?"
"It's fine. A year's gap at the academy is huge. I trained steadily pre-enrollment. I'm high even among second-years, so don't feel bad..."
"N-no, you mean you haven't hit 20,000 yet?"
"Th-that's... right...?"
About to hit 20,000? Is that normal?
I thought noble mages got early training and had way more.
I'm at 41,020 now
Something felt off, so I posted my mana capacity in the gallery first.
The reaction was even weirder.
?
4,102?
No, 41,020
...?
bs no way
What the hell's with these guys.
Jootak could've verified, but they were busy and absent.
fr
fr? bs you've only studied magic for like two months wtf 40k??
You gained like 2k in a week at first. Now 40k? Sure, 2k/week is nuts, but still
Efficiency kept climbing...? Applied tips from meditation posts bit by bit. Started at 2k/week, then hundreds or thousands per day sometimes. Had phases where it shot up fast; slowed lately tho
UWAAAAHHH WHAT KIND OF MEDITATION IS THIS YOU BASTARD!!!!!!! TELL ME TOO!!!!!!
Not like he meditated 24/7, few hours a day maybe
lmao gaining 1k mana in hours and he did it casually??
???: damn is training like this right? gained 1k anyway
Why say that now you idiot!!
I mean, you said train consistently? So I did whenever I had time lol
Even daily this is insane lmao
Muggle shakes my common sense every time
This guy's not Muggle...
Looks like it's high after all.
First time hearing other cadets' capacities, so no benchmark.
My training pace was faster than I thought.
"Um. Mine's around 40,000."
"Fo...rty...? No way, don't lie."
"It's true."
"Hahaha. Got it. Mana's personal, so I won't pry. I told you mine, so I'm a bit hurt."
"No, really."
Nayu flat-out didn't believe me.
Makes sense—her, top among second-years, at that; me double? Nah.
For her mental health, I dropped the mana talk.
"Anyway, mana forging's still beyond you. Focus on basics as a first-year."
"Y-yeah."
Things seemed wrapped up.
But before Nayu left, she dropped a surprise.
"Oh, and Lady Chayuri's teaming with me for the Beast Hunt."
"Huh? For real?"
"Yep. She's with me this time, so no stealing her."
"Wasn't planning to. If you two agreed, whatever."
"Then I'm off."
Chayuri teams with Nayu for Beast Hunt.
Leaving that bombshell, Nayu departed.
So, team with Hisenna and Elrim for the Hunt?
Student council prez and princess stuff aside, first-years together means more chances to experience things.
About to post in gallery on Beast Hunt teams,
a late comment hit the mana forging thread, reigniting the dying hype.
Whoa, missed gal while away—this blew up? Hey, got a forging trick you could handle. Want me to teach?