One Day, Mana Grew from My Head (3)

The tech tree for Labyrinth Exploration MoMo was structured as follows.

First, you choose which stat-related "tech" you want to select.

In simple terms, it was called "specialization." For me, there was absolutely no need to hesitate. It was mana, obviously.

In this way, tech was essentially a "tech tree" that strengthened stats and added auxiliary abilities.

"Whoa. They're all unlocked?"

I couldn't help but marvel.

And for good reason—usually, the available techs differed depending on the character's stat values.

If a character's mana stat was only around 7 or 8, then:

7. Low-Grade Mana Barrier

8. Low-Grade Mana Amplification

These seventh and eighth options wouldn't even be visible.

In contrast, every single mana-related tech was wide open for me.

I didn't have to agonize over what to choose.

Mana Concentration and Mana Manipulation. These two were the highest priorities. Learning them first would unlock the higher-tier techs that branched off from them.

Specifically, a tech called Mana Memory. Whether for immediate growth or future potential, it was an absolute must-have for any character aspiring to be a spellcaster.

Okay.

"Done!"

I flopped onto my mattress. A mattress, not a bed. I hadn't bought a bed frame. I didn't have the money.

"First, I'll get some sleep tonight."

Starting tomorrow... let's learn some proper mana theory.

The next morning.

David Han's Magic Bookstore.

I arrived at the magic bookstore closest to my house.

Magic bookstores were vastly different from ordinary ones. They sold books on mana, which were far more expensive than any normal book, and even handled magical items. Normally, you'd expect tight security.

"Is it always like this?"

From the outside, it looked like a run-down neighborhood bookstore.

I slipped inside. Chime~ The nostalgic ring of the doorbell greeted me.

"Ahem."

I scanned the interior. Books were crammed into the shelves, and the air smelled faintly of dust.

Limping through the aisles, I spotted a book.

Understanding Mana: Basic Edition.

It was the foundational textbook I had been looking for. The author was Tae Hyeok, South Korea's very first mage.

I carefully picked it up and walked over to the counter.

The bookstore owner was quite a character.

For starters, his long, snow-white hair was tied back, and he had a beard as thick as a lion's mane. He was incredibly muscular, yet he wore round spectacles, making him look like someone straight out of a martial arts novel.

"How much is this?"

The owner, David, glanced at the book. His facial features were remarkably deep-set.

"5.99 million won."

"...How much?"

"5.99 million won."

"..."

I pouted.

That is ridiculously expensive.

"Do you offer installments? Say, twelve months?"

"I do installments, but only up to six."

"Ah, in that case..."

If I had been farming in-game currency to sell for real cash like before...

Wait, no. I wasn't doing that right now, was I?

I was getting confused with my life before the regression.

Right now, I probably only had about five million won to my name.

After being discharged from the military, I had about one to two hundred million won left from various compensations, but I had blown it all on rehabilitation, hospital bills, and mana injections.

"...What about store credit, then?" I slyly changed my tune.

"Credit?"

"Yes. A three-month grace period, and then over the next twelve months—"

"Ha. What are ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you planning to do with that book on credit?"

He didn't kick me out immediately; instead, he let out an amused chuckle. Fortunately, his reaction wasn't bad.

"Just read it, you know. Look at the pictures."

"No."

"...Then, can I just stand here and read a bit of it?"

The owner's eyebrows twitched. It looked like a stone statue shifting.

"Suit yourself. You can sit down and read it."

Though he spoke informally right off the bat, he still gave me permission. He seemed like a decent guy.

I limped over and took a seat.

...Ah.

I realized then. This limp of mine was actually quite useful for garnering sympathy. I hadn't gone outside much since my leg ended up like this.

Sitting by the window, I opened the book.

You had to think of mana as flowing through your blood vessels. Thought shapes reality, and concepts lead to existence.

Only then could you use mana as if it were a part of your body.

It was certainly similar to what that YouTuber had said, but compared to this professional text, that YouTuber was a total hack.

"Whew..."

I lifted my forearm. Staring at the prominent veins on my scrawny arm, I focused my mind.

"...Mana in my veins."

An English incantation.

"Move."

It felt awkward, so I switched back to Korean.

Move.

Move.

Move.

How many times did I repeat it?

No, did I repeat it dozens or hundreds of times?

At some point, my forearm squirmed. Perhaps it was because I was so thin that it was easier to see, but my veins were definitely reacting. A faint blue light even shimmered on the surface of my skin.

It was a success!

"...Kid."

Suddenly, a deep, heavy voice drifted down from above. Startled, I snapped my head up.

The owner was standing right behind me.

"Y-yes?"

Now that he was standing, his physique was even more overwhelming. Was he two meters tall? No, he easily cleared two meters.

The owner narrowed his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"You said I could read, so I'm reading."

"No, not that. Aren't you going home? It's closing time."

"...Already?"

"What do you mean, 'already'? Look outside."

I looked out the window. The sun had completely set, and the area around the streetlamps was pitch black.

"Ah, yes. I should go."

I quickly stood up. Then, I deliberately exaggerated my limp. Much more than usual—thud, drag, thud, drag.

Operation: Evoke Sympathy.

As I put the book back ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in its place, I asked, "...Um, excuse me. Can I come back tomorrow?"

The owner shrugged his massive shoulders.

"That's up to you."

It seemed my strategy had worked.

Back home, I sat in a half-lotus position. No matter what I tried, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my left leg refused to cross properly.

Regardless, it was time for mana training.

"...Mana."

I muttered. I thought. I imagined. I contemplated.

Beyond that, I desired.

And on top of that, I believed.

Mana flows within my body. Mana flows through my veins.

No, it is circulating.

I injected that concept into myself.

I carved a mana pathway—a road—into my own body.

"Ugh..."

A sensation like something grabbing my heart flared up.

It was the pain I had just read about in the book.

The resonance between the physical body and mana. The communion with mana forged by the caster's deepest wish.

It felt like success was just within reach, but I couldn't get greedy.

I had to build it humbly, bit by bit. I would connect the mana originating from my heart all the way to my right fingertips.

In other words, I would focus everything solely on my right arm.

Moment by moment, it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠felt like my head would explode, and my heart rate spiked crazily.

Even though I was just sitting in a half-lotus position, an excruciating pain tore through my organs. But this was bearable. I was someone who had survived training that felt like a living hell...

Crackle!

Sparks flew. It felt as if my entire upper body had been scorched. At least, that was the level of pain.

Gasping for air, I lifted my right arm.

"...I did it."

To be precise, it was only half of my right arm. Mana shimmered blue along the pattern of my veins. Because I had lost so much weight, it was much more visually distinct.

At the same time, I discovered my own method of efficiency.

Isolate. Focus. Repeat.

Instead of trying to do everything at once, I focused on one area and repeated it until it worked.

"Ah... I'm exhausted."

I went to lie down on the mattress but paused. My entire body was drenched in sweat. My hair made me look like a drowned rat.

I should wash up before sleeping.

For the next three days, I went to the magic bookstore every day. Naturally, I didn't buy any books; I just sat in my seat and read.

"Ah."

It finally made sense.

A spell formula does not precede the caster.

No wonder I had been able to decipher PD Kim A-rang's spell formula the moment I saw it.

"Hey, kid. What good is reading that going to do you?"

I had become somewhat close with the bookstore owner.

Since I had a conscience, this was the result of bringing him a cup of coffee every day.

"Just looking at the pictures."

"That? There aren't many pictures in there."

"Still, there are plenty of drawings of mages and other things."

"...Hmm."

Sipping his coffee, the owner's muscles twitched. Every single muscle fiber looked like a living organism. How could he look like that when his hair was completely white?

"But you know, even if people follow the instructions written here on how to move mana, most of them won't succeed, right?" I asked casually.

The owner smirked.

"Of course. Did it work for you? No, right?"

It had worked, but I had no intention of bragging. It was purely thanks to the help of the MoMo system.

All I had done was endure a bit of pain.

"Mana requires meticulous, professional training."

"What's that?"

"Hmm. Let's see. Do you know what this is?"

The owner pulled something out.

It was an object about the size of a 500-won coin. It looked ordinary at first glance, but I could see a faint blue aura shimmering around its edges. At the very least, it was an item imbued with mana.

"A magic stone."

"Half right. It's called a mana magnet."

"A mana magnet?"

"Yeah."

The owner placed the mana magnet on his own body.

"As you've probably read, to draw out mana, you first have to plant it into your body as your own concept. But that act of 'planting a concept' is incredibly difficult. That's why you attach this magnet to your body, to artificially help you feel even the smallest trickle of mana."

For me, that was a process I had already completed. The pathway itself was firmly established within my body.

"Ah, I see."

People like him absolutely loved it when you reacted as if you were hearing something for the first time. It was a style of military officer I was quite familiar with.

"That's amazing. Did you use to work in the industry?"

"Ha. 'Used to'? I'm still active, kid."

"Oh, really? No wonder. I thought your physique was like a movie star's."

"A movie star? Ha, please!"

"Bwahaha!" As the owner laughed boisterously—

Chime.

The bell rang.

"..."

The owner's expression stiffened. My eyes widened as I looked toward the entrance.

A customer had entered. And he was a very famous one.

First of all, he was a man with visibly long limbs.

Second, he was dressed in pitch black from head to toe. A black coat, black jeans, black gloves, black combat boots, and black hair.

His entire body was dark, making his pale face stand out even more. His nose was sharp as a kitchen knife, and his wolf-like eyes and mouth were incredibly sharp.

His name, reminiscent of an alpha wolf, was Tae-woo.

He was a mage.

"Oh, you're here," the owner said, raising a hand as if greeting a younger neighbor. Tae-woo glanced between the owner and me, then walked over with heavy, deliberate steps.

Thud. Thud.

His combat boots made a deep, crushing sound with each step.

He spoke to the owner.