The Weight of Mana
Kang Yujun’s vision sharpened, the flow of mana growing ever clearer before his eyes. Yet the strain on them mounted just as quickly. Even so, his Concentration skill, now reinforced to Lv. 3, pierced through the mana of an S-class Awakener.
Heavy.
Yu Jena’s mana was heavy. It wasn’t that her control was immature—the mana itself was simply too dense to move properly.
Both its appearance and its flow are the same. No one could have guessed that the weight of her mana was the root cause.
An S-class trainer might have noticed, he thought. But for any ordinary trainer, it would have been impossible to detect.
Kang Yujun squeezed his eyes shut. I can’t maintain this for long. No matter how much his Concentration skill had improved, an S-class Awakener’s power was overwhelming. Their strength was intense and on an entirely different level.
Still, it’s fortunate I can see even this much. Thanks to it, he could now be certain.
“I’ve identified the problem.”
He spoke to Yu Jena, whose eyes shone with anticipation.
“Your mana is heavy.”
“……What?”
“Yu Jena, your mana is far too heavy.”
It was something she had never heard before. Mana being heavy?
“Because it’s so heavy, you can’t circulate it properly. That’s what’s causing the overload, and the overload is placing a burden on your entire body.”
“……”
It was a completely different interpretation. Yet she didn’t seem to fully grasp it. If that was the case, he would make her understand.
“Try circulating your mana. Use Volcano while you do it.”
Vwoooom—
The VR machine activated. Dozens of stone gargoyles now stood before her.
Shaaaaak—
Fwoooosh—!
“Move as you normally would. Hunt the gargoyles in front of you.”
Shaaaaak—!
Yu Jena drew up her power. Fwoooosh—! An immense volcanic force spread outward like lava. Every lash of her whip melted the gargoyles away. Once again, overload struck.
This was where Kang Yujun intended to catch it. First, I need to make her feel what it means for mana to be heavy. Once she became truly aware of it, she would be able to control it properly, and the overload would naturally disappear.
Before beginning the correction, he gave her a careful warning.
“Do not counterattack.”
With an S-class like Yu Jena, one had to be especially cautious during posture correction. That part was faithfully reproduced even in the Infinite Tower. When training S-class Awakeners, it was essential to warn them in advance not to counterattack. They were far more sensitive and reactive than ordinary Awakeners, so they might instinctively strike back.
In the game, if you didn’t warn them beforehand, a counter would come flying and cause serious injury. Training-related injuries—there had even been an achievement for that. Of course, it had been a negative one. That was quite the divisive feature, he recalled. Looking at it now, it had been remarkably well-researched.
“Understood.”
As Yu Jena relaxed her strength, Kang Yujun’s staff moved.
Thud—
He struck with full force, yet she didn’t so much as flinch. Thud—. Thud—.
He drove the staff in again.
S-class Awakeners really are different. Even knowing exactly where to strike, it took this much effort. How much harder must it be for ordinary trainers?
That’s exactly why there’s potential here. His talent could shine in this moment.
Thud—!
Thud—! Thud—!
Kang Yujun poured every ounce of strength into driving the staff forward. In that instant, the excessive power she had drawn up began to settle. At the same time, her heavy mana revealed its true presence.
“……!”
Yu Jena was startled. The volcanic power that should have erupted did not come forth.
“My mana……”
“I suppressed the overloaded force.”
Her body trembled. This is it. Her trauma—the inability to move her mana as she wished—had created the overload.
“Now you understand what heavy mana means. That heavy mana is what’s been causing your overload, Yu Jena.”
“I…… I see it now.”
It was the first time she had realized her mana was heavy.
“I just thought it was always like this……”
In the end, she had believed it was solely her own problem.
“It isn’t your fault, Yu Jena.”
It wasn’t her doing.
“This isn’t your fault.”
There simply hadn’t been anyone to teach her correctly. Fundamentally, people assume S-class Awakeners don’t even need trainers. No one dared offer advice to an S-class. The reason was simple. It’s because of the title ‘S-class.’ If advice was given and it displeased them, the response was always the same: Have you ever been S-class yourself?
That’s why situations like this happen. Unless one was a star trainer, it was impossible to deal with them freely.
“It…… wasn’t my fault.”
Her voice trembled as she asked, “Then what should I do? I only know one way to move this mana.”
Kang Yujun smiled at her words.
“I’ll train you the proper way.”
He gripped his staff tightly once more. If the mana is too heavy to control, then I just need to make the circulation itself more forceful.It won’t be easy, but there is a way. A method to violently accelerate mana circulation surfaced in his mind—fragments that had passed vaguely through the Infinite Tower.
But in reality, this was one of the trainings I received every single day. Countless pieces of knowledge regarding mana circulation remained vividly stored in his mind. He pulled one out. Though none of those methods had worked for the unawakened Kang Yujun, they remained clear in both his mind and body.
Thud—!
Shoulder, side, heart, then thigh and calf—he struck the points where mana flowed most vigorously, forcibly accelerating its circulation. Not enough. At this level, the heavy mana wouldn’t move easily. He increased the intensity.
Thud—!
The circulation quickened, but this was only a temporary measure. Still, for now, a temporary measure is enough. The current Kang Yujun lacked the skill to properly train an S-class Awakener. I’ll only do what I can. What he needed to do was give her the answer—point her in the direction that would reduce even a little of the fracture she carried.
In that case…… Kang Yujun grinned. Thud—! He forced her mana to circulate even more violently once again. This should be enough.
With that single strike, Yu Jena felt an intense mana circulation unlike anything she had ever experienced.
“Hah.”
Yet it lasted only a moment—literally an instant.
“I didn’t even put any strength into it……”
But that single moment struck her with overwhelming force. It was the first time. Since becoming S-class and growing stronger with the power of Volcano, she had never once used her ability in a comfortable state. Yet now she had. For a single second. Perhaps even less. But in that moment, she had felt it.
“Trainer……”
Her already large eyes widened to an almost burdensome degree. Kang Yujun answered, panting heavily.
“Hoo, that’s the training Yu Jena was supposed to receive all along.”
* * *
Vwoooom—
The sound of the VR machine echoed through the training hall. Though the facility was soundproofed, some noise inevitably leaked out.
“It seems they’re in the middle of training right now!”
Lee Suyeon spoke urgently.
“Oh no!”
The team leader and guild master broke into a run. They flung the door open to find the VR machine spinning furiously. At its center stood Yu Jena, wearing the headset and assuming a combat stance as if in a real battle. On the massive screen, she could be seen fighting gargoyles. And right beside her was Kang Yujun, staff in hand, continuously speaking to her.
“……!”
Then Kang Yujun swung his staff. Thud—. In that instant, Yu Jena’s mana began to surge. A crimson mana aura became visible around her.
“Huh……?”
At the same time, the volcanic ability displayed on the large screen grew even stronger.
“Her expression…… looks comfortable?”
Yu Jena had always felt a heavy burden when using her ability. Because Volcano wouldn’t activate unless she poured everything into it, she had no choice but to grimace whenever she used it. Yet now her face looked at ease.
“……!”
“……!”
Lee Suyeon’s mouth fell open.
“Jena unni…… is using Volcano comfortably……?”
On the screen, Yu Jena was dispatching the gargoyles with astonishing ease. Thud—! Thud—! The volcano obliterated every last gargoyle.
“No way……”
“No way……?”
All eyes turned to Kang Yujun. He was breathing heavily.
“Did he…… conduct the training……?”
The team leader blinked rapidly. “Judging by the situation…… it appears so.” His voice trembled. He had been certain this was bound to fail. No matter how exceptional Kang Yujun’s talent was, he had believed it was still too soon. He had thought they needed to protect him so he wouldn’t be discouraged. Yet instead of being broken……
“He’s soared……”
The guild master rushed toward Kang Yujun.
“Kang Yujun, Trainer!”
“Ah. Welcome, Guild Master.”
Kang Yujun greeted him. There was something he needed right now.
“Do you happen to have an artifact on hand?”