Chapter 256: A Cold Reunion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 256: A Cold Reunion
After the sparring session ended, I followed Choi Hyena to her personal workshop.
“What do you think?”
“...It’s huge.”
It was four stories above ground, and I heard it had three basement levels as well.
Suddenly, I felt pretty incredible for having reached the 5th Circle while using a workshop that was barely 350 square feet.
Of course, the work environment for a combat-focused mage like me was bound to be different from that of a theory-focused mage like Choi Hyena.
When it came to magical knowledge alone, I couldn't even compare to her.
“Come on in.”
I followed the cheerful-looking Choi Hyena inside. The first floor wasn’t a workshop at all, but a botanical garden.
“Smells nice, right? I've been growing all sorts of flowers lately.”
“It does, but... these don't look like ordinary flowers.”
None of them looked like they were from Earth.
At my question, Choi Hyena's lips curved into a slight smile before she plucked a flower and handed it to me.
“That's right. Every plant here is a species from beyond the Gates.”
I looked closely at the flower she gave me.
Mysterious blue petals, unique thorns covering the stem, and a sweet fragrance that made me want to keep smelling it.
It was clearly a Ribellia, a flower mainly found in D-rank Gates.
I’d heard they were used to make perfume, right?
“They might look like weeds, but everything here is used as an ingredient for alchemy.”
“Alchemy? Weren’t you an Elementalism major?”
I didn't know much, but I did know that the Seongbuk Choi family had specialized in Elementalism for generations.
And that they were a huge authority in academia, especially when it came to the fire element.
“This much is basic if I'm to inherit the family head position later. Almost all of the family's businesses use alchemy in some way. Of course, the researchers will handle the actual research, but I need to have a basic understanding to receive reports and make decisions.”
That made sense.
Unlike me, who had no particular worries about the future, she was destined to become the head of the Seongbuk Choi family.
The burden on her shoulders was probably too heavy for her to focus solely on Elementalism.
Suddenly, it occurred to me that the reason her realm was lower than her talent might be due to her worries and concerns about the future.
Impatience, anxiety, worry, fear, regret, and so on.
For a mage, whose abilities are heavily influenced by their mental state, such negative emotions were no different from a deadly poison.
She might look fine on the outside, but unless you're a god, you can never truly know what's in a person's heart.
‘Once she reaches the 4th Circle, she might be able to worry a little less.’
After all, for a mage, the most important thing is their realm.
If the head of the Jinryu Han family was a 7th Circle Tower Lord, then Choi Hyena, who would become the head of the Seongbuk Choi family—one of the three great families—needed to reach a comparable level.
Even if she couldn't reach the 7th Circle, she had to at least reach the 6th, like the current head, Grandma Choi Young-ok.
Otherwise, they would eventually be overshadowed by the Jinryu Han family.
Of course, that wouldn't happen as long as I was around.
I planned to help Choi Hyena advance to the next realm. Though I admit, it was still just a theory, so there were some uncertainties.
‘Still, it's better than doing nothing.’
By the way, ever since I entered the workshop, the mana concentration in the air had been unusually high.
As I looked around the botanical garden, I soon figured out why.
‘Is that... a Mana Tree?’
A single tree, grown all the way to the ceiling, caught my eye. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary, well-maintained tree, but any mage sensitive to magic power would know what it was.
A Mana Tree (魔力樹).
It was a rare species found only in C-rank or higher Gates, with a single tree auctioning for tens to hundreds of billions of won.
While a normal tree absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen through photosynthesis, this thing spits out mana.
You might wonder what's so great about that to make a single tree cost hundreds of billions, but plants used as alchemy ingredients simply won't grow in low-mana environments.
This is because the mana concentration beyond the Gates is higher than on Earth, making Mana Trees essential for a stable supply of alchemical ingredients.
‘I heard that even most large corporations only have a single one...’
And she has one planted in her personal workshop.
It suddenly occurred to me that I might have been underestimating the wealth of the three great families.
“Should I get one for you if you need it?”
“...Really?”
At Choi Hyena's words, my ears seemed to perk up.
I had no intention of living off my girlfriend, but refusing such a kind offer would be rude.
“You like it that much?”
When I nodded enthusiastically, the corners of Choi Hyena's eyes curved beautifully. It was a smile so deadly it made my heart ache.
Yeah, that was the smile that made me fall for her.
“I can't just give it to you. I'll decide after seeing how you do today.”
I immediately bowed down.
Seeing that, Choi Hyena burst out laughing again.
“Are you going to be my butler for a day?”
“If you wish.”
“Hmm... but I think ‘strongman’ might be a better fit than ‘butler’.”
With those meaningful words, Choi Hyena stared intently at the area between my legs.
As my dick reacted to her blatant gaze, a faint blush appeared on her face.
“Alright then, shall I give you your first order? Carry me up to the fourth floor.”
“Your wish is my command.”
I lifted Choi Hyena into my arms and started up the stairs. There was an elevator right next to us, but I wasn't that clueless.
The fourth floor was her personal workshop. Unlike the botanical garden on the first floor or the other areas for storing ingredients and tools, this space was dedicated solely to research.
‘Whoa... is that an A-Corp Mana Particle Controller? I heard the main unit alone costs tens of billions.’
Just as you'd expect from the personal workshop of the next head of the Seongbuk Choi family, equipment costing anywhere from hundreds of millions to tens of billions was installed everywhere.
Now I understood why Choi Hyena never gave the workshop provided by the Magic Tower a second glance.
‘Man, it's really messy in here.’
There was hardly any room to step with all the reagents and papers scattered on the floor.
Choi Hyena avoided my gaze, her face turning red.
“...It's not usually like this. It's just because I was doing research until yesterday.”
I nodded silently.
Besides, I wasn't exactly tidy enough to criticize the state of someone else's workshop.
Choi Hyena cleared her throat and led me to the back of the workshop, where there was a single door.
Opening the door revealed a spacious and tidy bedroom. It had a strangely lived-in feel, so it was probably the space Choi Hyena used when she stayed overnight at the workshop.
“...So.”
Plop.
She walked into the bedroom, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at me, twirling a strand of her hair. Her face, now even redder than before, was a bonus.
She looked like a newlywed bride waiting for her first night.
“What was it you wanted to talk about alone that you asked to go somewhere private?”
“Huh?”
Ah.
For a moment, I realized I must have said something misleading when we left the training room.
I mean, for a couple like us, saying 'let's go somewhere we can be alone' could only be taken as a sexual advance.
Normally, I would have jumped at the chance.
But right now, I needed to restrain myself. There was something more urgent and important to do.
I cleared my throat and spoke again, trying to clear up her misunderstanding.
“First, take off your clothes.”
*
Globally speaking, it wasn't unprecedented for someone to have their realm raised by another person.
The most representative example was 'Gyeokchejeongong' (隔體傳功), or Qi Transmission.
It was a technique for transferring one's internal energy to another, usually performed by a master on their deathbed for their disciple.
Of course, it came with many restrictions.
Half of the transferred internal energy would dissipate in the process, or it would only be possible if both parties practiced the same internal energy art. Most methods had severe penalties.
And in cases without such penalties, the effects were usually minimal.
But I was different.
“...I'm ready.”
Choi Hyena sat with her back to me, covering her chest with her hands. I placed my hands on her back, feeling the smooth texture of her skin through my palms.
I took a steadying breath and closed my eyes.
Slowly, I pushed my internal energy into Choi Hyena's body.
“Ngh...”
The moment the energy of the Indestructible Vajra Body enveloped her, I used Thought Transcendence.
Within the flow of extremely compressed time, I observed the inside of her body. I could see the three rings entwined around her heart and the magic circuits that ran throughout her entire system.
And even her Qi and Blood meridians, which showed no signs of ever having been used.
‘Just as I thought. They're completely blocked.’
Basically, as humans live, impurities from the mundane world's dirty air and cooked food accumulate in their Qi and Blood meridians.
Needless to say, for a martial artist who needs to circulate internal energy from their dantian throughout their body, this was a critical problem.
That's why the children of prestigious families undergo 'Beolmosesu' (伐毛洗髓), or Marrow Cleansing, from a family master at a young age to expel any remaining impurities and transform their bodies to be suitable for learning martial arts.
But mages were different. Magic circuits and Qi and Blood meridians were separate things.
While all humans possessed Qi and Blood meridians, magic circuits were exclusive to mages.
Impurities didn't accumulate in magic circuits in the first place.
Nevertheless, that didn't mean the meridians were unimportant for mages. They were still a part of the body, after all.
‘Hoo...’
I took another breath and drew upon the Indestructible Vajra Body's energy.
From now on, I would use the Black Flame to forcibly burn away the impurities blocking her meridians.
You could think of it as a form of Marrow Cleansing.
Anyone else would call me crazy. Marrow Cleansing was a technique that could only be performed by a martial artist who had reached at least the Flower Realm.
Besides, it was something done for young children, not for a fully grown adult like Choi Hyena.
Still, I didn't hesitate.
Because I had something that even a martial artist of the Flower Realm didn't.
Fwoosh—
“Ugh...?!”
Choi Hyena let out a pained groan as the heat flowed through her meridians.
Despite that, I silently continued forward, burning away the impurities settled in her meridians.
It took some time because I was being careful not to hurt her, but once I got the hang of it, the rest was easy.
‘...This should be enough.’
Before I knew it, the area was a mess with the impurities that had flowed out of her body, but the important part was just beginning, so I didn't let my guard down.
Astral.
A kind of inner world created by a mage based on their own enlightenment, used to bend the phenomena of the world to their will.
It's also called the Mental Realm.
In martial arts terms, it would be something like a Mental Image (心象).
The ideology that encompasses the Mental Realm I constructed upon reaching the 5th Circle is Harmony (調和).
-To reach transcendence based on the harmony of all things.
Just as one can imbue Sword Qi with will, it's also possible to imbue magic power with will.
The magic power imbued with harmony met with the internal energy in my dantian and merged into one. This combined energy then met again in Choi Hyena's meridians and seeped into her magic circuits.
Normally, interfering with another mage's magic circuits was limited to reversing their magic flow to attack them.
This was something only I, with my ideology of Harmony, could do.
Burning away the impurities was just part of the process to smoothly make contact with her magic circuits.
The magic circuits I reached were vast and complex, like looking at an intricate maze.
But without a moment's hesitation, I followed the flow of her magic power, as if entrusting my body to a flowing stream.
The reason I used Thought Transcendence when I first pushed my internal energy into her was for this very moment.
To completely grasp the structure of her intricately woven magic circuits.
Soon, I reached her mana circle and used Thought Transcendence once more.
This was the climax.
From now on, I would guide the magic power contained in her mana circle to help her form the fourth ring.
Is that even possible?
It is.
The important thing is Choi Hyena's own will.
Besides, I've already reached the 4th Circle before. Lending a hand is no big deal.
Of course, that's 'easy' by my standards. Any other mage wouldn't stand a chance.
Fwoosh—
At that moment, magic power surged around her mana circle, and an immense heat began to fill the room.
It felt like my palms were being burned, but I didn't back down.
Because through our touching skin, I could feel Choi Hyena's warmth more clearly than ever.
Three things are needed to advance to the next realm.
A solid foundation, talent, and a small catalyst.
The foundation Choi Hyena has built over 21 years is ready for a building that will never collapse, and she even has the talent to draw her own blueprints.
All that was left was for me to become the catalyst and accelerate her growth.
Although the process was far from easy, I tried again and again.
Because I wasn't the only one who didn't give up.
˙
˙
˙
How much time had passed?
I wiped away the cold sweat and pushed myself up.
Aside from being drenched in sweat, I had consumed so much magic and internal energy that I felt like I could collapse at any moment.
To state the result first, Choi Hyena had succeeded in reaching the 4th Circle. The pulse of magic power I could feel from her mana circle was proof.
“I can't do that a second time.”
I don't know the last time I was this exhausted.
I was so tired I could barely lift a finger, but a smile never left my lips.
Because the act I'd started to help Choi Hyena had also benefited me.
‘My magic circuits have expanded even further.’
It was like looking at a highway that had been widened.
My circuits as a whole had become sturdy enough that I could now cast 5th Circle spells consecutively without them overheating.
What's more, I felt like I could even attempt a 6th Circle spell, at least once.
Of course, my circuits would overheat afterward, and I wouldn't be able to use any other magic.
Still, I was pleased with the unexpected gain.
But that feeling was short-lived. A foul smell coming from my whole body made me wrinkle my nose.
‘Did some impurities come out of me, too?’
I thought I'd expelled all the impurities during my training, but I guess there was still some left.
The Black Flame must have burned away even the minuscule amount of impurities that remained.
I was happy about this second unexpected harvest, but first, I needed to wash up.
‘Wow, this smell is disgusting.’
Just as I was dragging my heavy body toward the bathroom.
“?!”
Someone grabbed my arm from behind. I was on the verge of collapse, so I couldn't even react as I was pulled along.
Thud.
I fell onto the bed and looked up at Choi Hyena, who was now on top of me.
“You're already up...?”
At that moment, I felt an unidentifiable sense of unease.
Blue eyes and a faint chill.
She wasn't Choi Hyena.
“...Wendigo?”
“Huhu, it's been a while, Hyun-woo.”