Infusing Will
The woman slipped into my private training room as naturally as water flowing.
Before I could even think to stop her, she was already inside, invading my space while I stood there gaping.
"Hey, excuse me? I rented this room."
"Awakened with a weapon summoning type, huh? Normally, you instinctively know which weapon suits you... intriguing."
"Hey! Hello!"
No use. She wasn't listening.
"I'll help you out."
"Pardon?"
"I've seen countless Awakeners, but your case is a first. Let me assist."
With that, she handed me her business card.
It read, in neat handwriting: Awakener Research Institute | Kim Ye-eun, Deputy Manager.
Awakener Research Institute... The name gave me a bad vibe right off the bat.
"The Awakener Research Institute partners with Prism on industry-academia collaborations. It's not some shady outfit, I promise."
"Any relation to the Hero Association, by chance?"
"No connection whatsoever."
That made her somewhat trustworthy.
In this world, most inhumane experiments were spearheaded by the Hero Association.
Even more than villain groups, they were the ones pushing unethical research—though they always found ways to skirt human rights issues.
"So, what do you say?"
"If you're offering help, I'll take it."
"Great. Let's start slow, then."
I cursed my past self.
Why didn't I block the door?
Why'd I fall for that 'Prism collaboration' line?
Why'd I accept her help?
"No, the weapon's shape is all wrong."
"Not like that—told you."
"Why's it different from just now?"
"No..."
"No..."
Tormented by a barrage of "no's," a thought struck me.
"Whew... Let's take a break for now."
"Sure."
Kim Ye-eun, exhausted first, suggested resting.
I wasn't tired at all—Thousand Changes was feather-light.
If anything, I felt invigorated, like after a good cardio session.
Moderate exercise really is good for you.
"Be honest."
"About what?"
"This is your first time handling that ability, right?"
Kim Ye-eun posed a perfectly reasonable question.
Fair enough.
Even after copying every weapon I could think of, plus all the ones in the training field, nothing fit.
Hell, I was starting to wonder if Thousand Changes even counted as a weapon.
"Nah. First time testing this many varieties, but I've used the ability plenty."
Just handed it to Vivian in its unchanged form.
She still had some on her now.
"No way..."
Kim Ye-eun looked like she'd overheard something she shouldn't.
I was shocked enough myself—could she cut it out?
"Should we call it quits?"
"Quit? We've got more to test. Try making a ... one."
"Huh?"
"I'll give you all the info you need. If that doesn't work... then we quit."
I focused my mind and began imagining.
Start by splitting Thousand Changes into multiples.
Shape each piece: grip and lower frame one, trigger and hammer one, firing pin mechanism one, rotating cylinder one, barrel and sights one.
The result: a crude single-action revolver.
It looked ordinary. But would it even fire?
"This is what came out."
"Hmm... You can even do this? Wanna test-fire it?"
Kim Ye-eun, lost in thought, tossed me something.
A .357 Magnum round.
How does she carry these around so casually?
I shot her a questioning look, but she was too deep in thought to notice.
I loaded the round into the cylinder and hefted Thousand Changes.
The bullet inside the transparent pistol looked surreal.
"Firing?"
"..."
No response.
I aimed downrange and pulled the trigger.
That's when I realized I should've plugged my ears.
-Bang!
It fired normally.
But... the power was pathetically weak.
The noise wasn't even earplug-worthy, and the bullet just rolled on the ground after hitting the barrier spell.
So weakly fired, the slug wasn't even dented.
This was...
"Not it either, huh?"
"Yeah... looks like."
Kim Ye-eun, snapping out of it, eyed the Thousand Changes in my hand.
Already destabilizing—where'd I go wrong?
-Clink
The empty casing hit the floor.
"I've been thinking... Do-jun's ability isn't about making weapons, but..."
That's when it hit me too.
I'd been thinking wrong.
I remade the pistol.
This time, ignoring parts or mechanisms.
Thousand Changes shifts to my imagination.
So...
I pictured a pistol.
Key was my imagination.
Longer-than-average barrel, auto-rotating double-action cylinder, pull-to-fire trigger.
Ignore mechanics. Ignore components.
Just the concept.
And there it was in my hand again.
Utterly bizarre: just barrel, cylinder, grip. No loading gate, no ammo.
But this time, it felt right.
I donned earplugs and fired Thousand Changes again.
-BOOM!!
A deafening roar shook the heavens as part of the training wall crumbled.
Yes. This was it.
This was my power.
Then, burning pain flared on the back of my hand.
Dazed, I clutched it and fled the training field.
Behind me: shell-shocked Kim Ye-eun and the collapsed wall.
1. □□
Infuses will.
(...)
As expected, new info appeared.
But oddly, the name was blank.
Infuses will, huh...
Not obvious what that meant.
Worth a test?
I grabbed a roadside pebble.
'Shatter.'
-Crunch
It crumbled to dust in my hand.
Real deal.
But practical uses? Not clicking yet.
Wanna try on a living thing, but no subjects handy.
Table that for later.
From then on, I worked to master Thousand Changes.
If imagination drove it most, I needed to boost mine.
Imagine everything, manifest as much as possible.
But someone kept popping up, ruining it.
"Hi! We meet again."
"Not happy to see you. Aren't you tired of this?"
"Tired? Someone might misunderstand. Pure coincidence."
Kim Ye-eun beamed.
Her looks weren't bad, but compared to Ji-ah... my bias? Or her flat chest?
"Awakener Research whatever—I'm not interested."
"Aww, you'll make it sound like I'm clinging for the Institute."
"Aren't you?"
"Not at all. I just..."
She sidled close, trying to link arms—I shook her off quick.
She puffed her cheeks, displeased.
"Don't like me?"
"Got a girlfriend."
"I know. Heard you're going polygamy in the otherworld?"
"Who told you?"
"Blond guy who said he's your friend."
Ruphus, that bastard...
"Not into that. Back off before someone misunderstands."
"That 'someone' on the bench over there?"
I turned—Ji-ah sat there as usual.
But the ground under her feet seemed to ripple.
I shook off Kim Ye-eun and rushed to Ji-ah.
"Hey, Ji-ah. Out early today too?"
"Hi. Who's that lady...?"
"Nobody. C'mon, let's go."
"O-okay..."
Ignored the voice calling from behind.
The tailing presence lingered till we hit the classroom.
The introductory magic classroom felt quiet after so long.
Instructor Nephrian wasn't that bad, was he?
Mystery solved soon enough.
"Magic can be used in various ways. Today, we'll cover one: not refining and storing mana at the core, as per the unnamed Archmage's theory, but using the mage's body as a conduit. Construct mana circuits throughout the body to draw in natural mana and..."
Couldn't follow a word.
This is beginner level?
Felt like a bad choice.
Reminded me of signing up for college basic math thinking it was easy.
Difference: too late to switch now.
Ji-ah was diligently taking notes, nodding knowingly.
The lecture barreled on, regardless.
"In short, this method uses far less mana to activate spells than others. It doesn't draw directly from the mage's mana but uses it as a medium to harness natural mana. Even mages with low innate mana can aim high. But it demands huge mental strain, so mental cultivation is key for advanced realms. Still, its efficiency is undisputed—earning official recognition despite anonymous origins."
Most went in one ear out the other, but one line stuck: using mage's mana as medium for natural mana.
Mana as medium...
First week, sensing mana, it felt similar to Thousand Changes.
Maybe cast spells the same way?
Should ask Ji-ah for a basic spell.
"Sorry, I don't know basics well..."
"No worries."
Over lunch, she said she didn't know.
Right—she got mana force-injected, only shadows.
Makes sense she skipped basics.
"Do-jun, I can teach you! I mastered basics solid."
"If Ji-ah can't... Ask Instructor Nephrian privately? Not a great look..."
"Do-jun? Do-jun!"
Latynia's voice echoed hollowly.