Unlocking Advanced Mana Control
"That's impossible."
Lee Suyeon muttered, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She should have fainted.
Just moments ago, she had drawn out every ounce of her power. The barrier had formed, and she had been on the verge of losing consciousness.
Yet here she was, fully awake and aware.
"How... how did you do that?"
A barrier had formed around her body.
Shaaaaaaaak—
It was a full-power barrier she had never once succeeded in creating before.
Flustered by the situation, Lee Suyeon reached out and touched the barrier with her hand.
The mighty shield seemed capable of blocking any attack with ease.
Of course, it didn't last long.
Bang—
With a sound like bursting air, the barrier vanished completely.
"...I've never seen it before. It could get this thick?"
Lee Suyeon stared at the fading barrier with a look of wonder.
Even though it was her own ability, this was the first time she had witnessed such a dense shield firsthand.
"Trainer Kang Yujun..."
Lee Suyeon gazed at him with sparkling eyes.
"What exactly was that training? I've never once managed to deploy a barrier like this before..."
It was also the first time she hadn't fainted.
Using full power had always meant passing out without fail.
That was why she had even studied abroad in hopes of fixing it, only to return unsuccessful.
Yet Yujun had corrected it with a single posture adjustment.
"It's not fixed," Yujun stated clearly.
"Instead, I've identified why you faint."
"!"
At the mention of discovering the problem, both Lee Suyeon and Guild Leader Lee Hyeokjun widened their eyes simultaneously.
"You couldn't apply the brake. So I applied it for you."
"The brake?"
"Overloaded mana remains trapped inside your body. The mana circuits swell and surge toward your head. You faint because you can't endure it."
It was an impeccably clean explanation.
No one had ever described Lee Suyeon's issue with such clarity.
Yet Yujun had diagnosed it perfectly.
"Huh."
Even Guild Leader Lee Hyeokjun, who had been ready to intervene if necessary, stared at Yujun in astonishment.
He knew his niece's problem better than anyone.
His poor niece had suffered for years because of it.
Neither his own guidance nor that of specialists in every field had been able to fix it.
The most tragic part was that no one had even known what the problem was.
'Of course they wouldn't.'
Concentration skill proficiency has increased!
If not for his concentration skill and accumulated experience, Yujun wouldn't have recognized it as overload either.
'From the outside, there's no sign of overload at all.'
It simply looked like mana flowed normally before she suddenly collapsed.
'This is impossible to detect.'
"So... you've figured out Suyeon's problem?"
"Yes."
Yujun spoke with conviction.
At his words, both the guild leader and Lee Suyeon simply stared at him in silence.
Lee Suyeon asked carefully, her eyes shining with hope.
"Can you... fix it?"
"Of course I can fix it."
"!"
His immediate, unwavering answer made Lee Suyeon's eyes widen.
"I can proceed with the training. But not without compensation."
"I'll pay any amount of money!"
"I'd prefer something other than money."
"I'll do anything within my power!"
Yujun glanced at Guild Leader Lee Hyeokjun, his eyes asking for confirmation.
The guild leader nodded with a resolute expression.
"I'll lend my strength as well."
"Then..."
Yujun smiled faintly.
"I'll complete the training first and explain afterward."
* * *
Analyzing the awakened!
Reviewing Lee Suyeon's training recipe.
After using Shield Control [Adjust power to 20 percent] [Form barrier and channel to each body part] skill, cease breathing. Meditate.
The Awakened Training System had provided Lee Suyeon's training recipe.
'A solid recipe indeed.'
What Lee Suyeon needed right now was precise mana control when deploying her barrier.
"Miss Lee Suyeon, from now on you will control your mana to create barriers and block monster attacks. Generate the barrier using only twenty percent power. Repeat this ten times. And..."
Yujun's training began in earnest.
"When the skill ends, hold your breath immediately. Then slowly expel the residual energy from inside your body."
"...Understood!"
Yujun's instructions were incredibly detailed.
Far more precise than anything the overseas trainers had offered, and every piece of advice proved effective.
"Hoooo."
Things that had never changed despite training abroad were finally shifting.
"Once more."
At Yujun's command, Lee Suyeon formed the barrier again.
"...His training ability seems to have improved even further."
Guild Leader Lee Hyeokjun observed that Yujun's methods had grown even more meticulous than before.
Such precise guidance required a profound understanding of the awakened.
And that level of understanding naturally took time to develop.
'Can he sense it just by watching?'
At that moment, Yujun called out to Lee Suyeon.
"Do not faint! Meditate. You must feel the energy inside your body!"
"...Ugh."
The detailed commands nearly caused her to lose consciousness.
Yujun quickly moved to the VR machine, placed his hand on her collarbone, and injected mana.
Crack—
He deliberately created another brake, releasing the residual mana trapped within her.
'It's because of this residual energy.'
The energy lingering around her collarbone was what caused her to faint.
"Hmm."
The current training was certainly effective.
'But creating brakes this way takes far too long.'
Yujun frowned slightly.
'Training alone has its limits.'
Lee Suyeon's issue could not be fully resolved through training.
'I can improve her condition.'
Following the recipe would prevent fainting, but she would eventually confront the root problem.
'She still wouldn't be able to deploy her barrier at full power.'
"Heuk, heuk, heuk."
Inside the VR machine, Lee Suyeon gasped for breath.
Training speed increase effect activated!
Awakened Lee Suyeon's training efficiency has risen by 20 percent!
Shaaaaaaaak—!
Her control improved at a rapid pace.
"Five more times."
At Yujun's instruction, Lee Suyeon repeated the barrier formation.
'She's growing accustomed to the control.'
However, creating the brake would require a different approach.
'A new skill is needed.'
Yujun immediately began examining the Awakened Training System.
Welcome to the Awakened Training System!
'That function has to be here. It was part of the Infinite Tower originally...'
The trainer of the Infinite Tower could invest points to awaken skills in those receiving training.
Yujun checked his accumulated points.
Current Points: 5P
He didn't have many points remaining.
The points earned from training Lim Seokjae had been spent on increasing training speed and physical reinforcement.
'There must be something I can do with points.'
Reviewing information on awakened Lee Suyeon.
Points may be invested to activate unawakened skills.
Awakened Lee Suyeon: Mana Advanced Control [Unawakened] — Required Points: 5P
'There it is.'
Once he awakened Lee Suyeon's Mana Advanced Control, she would be able to apply the brake at will.
At that point, the training would essentially be complete.
'Originally, this skill should have awakened naturally as her barrier skill grew.'
For some unknown reason, it had failed to awaken.
'Growth isn't uniform, after all.'
If every awakened progressed identically, there would be no weak awakened in the world.
'Five points required.'
It cost more than he had expected.
But Yujun didn't hesitate.
'Investing points to improve training quality will naturally lead to higher points gained afterward.'
His current highest training score was seven points.
'If I completely resolve Lee Suyeon's issue, I can push that score even higher.'
Yujun spoke calmly to Lee Suyeon inside the VR machine.
"Miss Lee Suyeon. Focus on your control."
Activating Lee Suyeon's skill.
"And feel the flow of your mana."
Yujun immediately awakened the skill.
"Can you feel it?"
"No, I don't feel... wait?"
Lee Suyeon sounded momentarily confused.
"I-I can feel it...!"
She tried to open her eyes, but Yujun's warning came first.
"Keep your eyes closed and continue guiding the mana. Imagine it flowing out through your shoulders."
Lee Suyeon's problem had been the overload.
She needed an outlet to release it.
'Mana Advanced Control will create that path.'
Shaaaaaaaaak—
"Huh...?"
"Deploy the barrier at full power."
She hesitated briefly, then trusted Yujun and unleashed her full strength.
"Hup!"
Shaaaaaaaaaaaaak—
A barrier formed around her outstretched arms.
Iron Wall.
Just as her ability's name suggested, an incredibly powerful shield capable of blocking anything took shape.
For a moment, her trauma surged.
She would faint.
If she pushed any further, she would definitely faint!
"?"
Pashaaaaaaaaak—
But she did not faint.
And.
She had deployed the barrier in an even better state than before.
"Training complete."
Yujun declared calmly.
Awakened Lee Suyeon has been trained!
Training score......
"!"
Yujun frowned.
The score was anything but ordinary.