Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Sample Collection
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Vivian quickly revised the content of Ian's training after roughly grasping the extent of his skills.
She intended to carry out Ian's education properly. The more Ian grew, the higher his chances of survival would become, and as his skills developed, she believed he would witness even more wonders.
To that end, she refined the magic circle for strengthening mana circuits that she had brought from the Magic Tower. She increased the amount of mana stimulation applied and made the waste expulsion effect even more efficient.
Of course, this also intensified the stimulation from the magic circle itself, but she had no worries about Ian. With the skills he possessed, this version—with stronger stimulation leading to greater effects—would be even more beneficial for him.
That said, if his skills had defined limits, he might not be able to endure partway through, so she had incorporated a function to immediately terminate the magic circle in such cases.
Soon, Ian arrived, and when she activated the prepared magic circle, she could tell from how steadily he held out that he was using that skill to endure.
The stimulation applied directly to the mana circuits was far too alien and intense for someone who had only recently awakened to mana. Unless a person was already somewhat accustomed to mana, they would typically faint outright upon experiencing such stimulation for the first time.
But Ian reacted as if it were familiar. The moment the magic circle activated, he smoothly began performing [Mana Breathing].
She could accept that as evidence of his high adaptability to mana, but as the magic circle's intensity gradually ramped up, Vivian's expression grew increasingly peculiar.
'.......How is he enduring that?'
This magic circle was especially effective for those new to mana, but such people usually couldn't withstand its stimulation. Even if they managed to hold on, it was a struggle just to endure—gaining any real benefit through something like [Mana Breathing] inside it was even harder.
But right now...
"Hoo.......Suu....Hoo......"
'...[Mana Breathing]?'
Ian continued his [Mana Breathing] with a calm demeanor, completely unlike what she had anticipated.
If he had been blocking the mana stimulation with that [Sensory Block] skill as expected, she would have nodded in satisfaction.
But at this moment, Ian was sensing the external mana as if his senses weren't blocked at all, steadily building up his body's mana little by little through [Mana Breathing].
'....Is he just enduring through sheer willpower? Or is his mastery of [Sensory Block] even greater than I imagined?'
Either way, it was delightful.
And so Vivian watched with pleasure to see how far Ian could hold out.
'Ah, this is the limit.'
When his [Sensory Block] had previously reached level 4, he had begun to instinctively sense the threshold beyond which sensations could no longer be blocked. And now, with the magic circle steadily intensifying, he could feel that this exact moment marked the absolute limit of what [Sensory Block] could handle.
With that, he halted his [Mana Breathing] and signaled Vivian to stop. The magic circle's glow, which had only been growing brighter, began to fade, and the mana filling the surroundings gradually dispersed.
Once the entire process concluded, he checked the results he had gained amid the trance-like [Mana Breathing].
- Amid the fierce torrent of mana, you controlled the mana flow. An amazing feat! [Mana Manipulation], [Mana Breathing] levels have increased to 4.
- In the relentless mana flow, your body has been tempered. [Body Reinforcement] skill level has increased to 5. Physical abilities have risen further, and your body's inherent resistance has also improved.
- [Physical Resistance], [Magic Resistance], [Attribute Resistance] skill levels have risen to 3.
"...........Amazing."
Honestly, just seeing Vivian—who always wore that perpetually bored expression—show genuine surprise was proof enough of the massive gains he had made. Though it wasn't reflected in the skills, a quick introspection revealed that the amount of mana he possessed had increased substantially as well.
"....I'll have to revise the plan. I originally intended to use that magic circle over multiple sessions..."
Leaving Vivian to mutter to herself while staring at the lingering traces of the magic circle, he took stock of his body's condition.
The overall sense of power in his body had grown stronger, and testing his mana flow confirmed it was now smoother than ever. Rather than dumping it all in at once like before, he suspected he could now maintain constant body reinforcement or similar applications.
It would have been nice if it had jumped straight to level 5 in one go... but that was probably too greedy. Rumor had it that at level 5, one could infuse a sword with mana to produce something like sword aura.
"Any problems with your body?"
As he finished his self-assessment, Vivian—who had apparently wrapped up her own thoughts—approached, her attitude a touch more amicable than before.
"Ah, yes. Seems like there are no issues."
"Even so, you're the first to endure that magic circle for so long. There could still be problems, so I need to run some checks."
"Ah, yes."
He was a little concerned himself, so he nodded readily. Maybe they'd head to the temple for a body check?
"Give me your arm."
"......Weren't we going to the temple?"
In this world, when there was a problem with the body—or even just for a checkup—people naturally went to the temple. He himself had gone to the temple last time for an examination of his mana circuits.
But contrary to his expectations, the place Vivian led him to was another laboratory.
It felt a bit suspicious, but he extended one arm as she instructed. Vivian infused her mana into his body to inspect its internals.
"...Incredible. No problems at all. This is worth recording. The old man from the Magic Tower would love to hear about it... Ian, would it be alright to share your results with others? Of course, I'd keep your personal information hidden."
".............Ah, sure, whatever."
He was a bit reluctant, but he didn't want to upset Vivian, so he permitted it. From her mutterings, it seemed she planned to share with someone at the Magic Tower she referred to as an 'old man'... Who could that be? Surely not the Tower Master?
After jotting something down, Vivian opened a drawer and pulled out a familiar item—one he had seen frequently while working at the clinic. A syringe.
"Give me your arm. I need to draw some blood for a detailed examination."
"Is that really necessary? If there's no problem, isn't that fine?"
"No chit-chat. Just give it here."
"........"
Drawing blood, too...? Did this world have blood tests? It evoked an oddly nostalgic feeling from his previous life's hospital visits, so he meekly offered his arm. Vivian transferred the blood into a small flask-like container, then handed him another small beaker from nearby.
"Next, I need a urine sample."
"Wait a minute."
What was this, a real hospital? A urine test, too...?
"This is really for checking if there's anything wrong with my body, right?"
"Of course. It's the ultimate examination system, combining the knowledge of you otherworlders with our world's magic."
"Tsk...."
With no knowledge to argue back, he had nothing to say. He had thought checkups and treatments in this world were just a snap of divine power at the temple or clinic. He had seen injections while working at the clinic, but...
Whatever. Better to just get it over with quickly. She clearly wasn't going to let it slide.
Bathroom.... Where was the bathroom...?
"Is there no bathroom here?"
"Just go right here."
"............."
Was she insane? He hurriedly scanned the room with the beaker in hand, but there wasn't even a door, let alone a bathroom.
"We use spatial magic to come and go, so there's no need for a door."
When he asked, her response was astounding. They hadn't even made a door to begin with? He requested to be sent outside briefly, but Vivian just stared at him as if asking why on earth.
"I told you, just go right here."
Her calm explanation, oblivious to his distress, made something inside him boil with frustration. Fine then?
-Hurl.
He took a slight step back from Vivian and, without fully turning away, dropped his pants right there. The impressive member trapped in his stuffy trousers sprang free, making its appearance right in front of her.
"..........."
"..........."
Shouldn't there be some kind of reaction? Feeling awkwardly exposed instead, he caught Vivian eyeing him with puzzlement, as if wondering what he was waiting for. Was she really unfazed?
Ah, right—her age was over four hundred...
"Hurry up."
"Yup."
Her unflappable attitude left him flustered instead.
With a reluctant mood, he aimed into the beaker Vivian had given him and...
-Splish...
"......."
Couldn't she say something? The shame of urinating in front of someone else was overwhelming, even if it stemmed from his impulsive anger.
In the end, with her expression remaining perfectly composed throughout, Vivian placed the urine sample next to the blood sample.
Well, it did evoke a strangely nostalgic sense of his previous life, so aside from the embarrassment, it wasn't an entirely bad feeling. Ironic, considering how much he had hated hospitals back then.
"Then next..."
As Vivian rummaged through her examination tools again, a flicker of curiosity arose in him despite himself. Blood test, urine test—what came after? Temperature check? X-ray? Surely not an endoscopy. It seemed like she was recreating procedures from Earth's hospitals, so he could guess a few possibilities...
After a moment of digging through the desk, what Vivian pulled out wasn't a thermometer or camera, but something familiar in shape: a long, cylindrical object with a pink hue... Wait, no way, that was just a...
"Don't put your pants back on. I need a semen sample."
"............."
This was uncharted territory.