Chapter 194
Chapter 194
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 194
Chapter Title: Mana Massage
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Dragon God Temple.
Sepiro gazed at the star falling toward his throne.
"Lil..."
He knew it the moment he saw it.
What that magic was.
Even who had perfected it.
It had to be the Transcender Lil.
No one else could create magic of this caliber.
But.
"You're still so foolish."
Sepiro shook his head.
Once, he had taken an interest in Lil's magic.
Her level of magical scholarship was extraordinarily high.
Her understanding of mana, her approach to magic, and her skill were in no way inferior to Sepiro's.
It wasn't simply a matter of 'who was stronger.'
In fact, in terms of scholarly talent, Lil even surpassed Sepiro in some areas.
So, the two had discussed 'magic' for quite a long time.
Because he thought the magic she sought to perfect aligned with the direction he pursued.
"You still believe that magic can lead you to the 'End,' don't you?"
...But it wasn't so.
He had seen the limits of the magic Lil created in the process.
Sepiro had spared no advice and even collaborated on creating spells, but he was convinced that Lil's magic could never reach the 'End.'
Why?
'Mana must be dominated and made to obey.'
Lil's approach couldn't surpass those limits.
No matter how much she coaxed and soothed it, mana was just energy—it wouldn't respond to that.
If Lil had taken the path of dominating mana, she would have transcended long ago.
More than that...
...that magic had a fatal 'flaw.'
A flaw that could never be resolved.
"You still don't understand why the step after Genesis is called the 'End,' do you, Lil?"
Without truly grasping that, she could never surpass it.
She wouldn't even reach the Genesis stage.
The Transcender Lil was underestimating the curse of the Abyss.
How could a mere transcender solve what even the Creators couldn't?
Yet Sepiro smirked.
'Between your magic and mine, which is closer to the ultimate?'
In the past, his conversations with Lil had been quite enjoyable.
He had felt considerable interest in the existence of someone with whom he could discuss magic at that level.
However, their fundamental dispositions were too different.
Their ways of handling mana, and the aspects they obsessed over in the basics.
Magic isn't like that.
To manifest ultimate phenomena, you have to pour in more mana.
To wield mana vast enough to devour the world, domination by force is the only answer.
The basics are important, of course, but there's no need to be overly fixated on them.
That was why his heart had twelve chambers.
...Though one of them was now missing.
"How amusing."
Inexplicable phenomena were occurring one after another.
Events he hadn't perceived, things he couldn't comprehend right now.
Lil's emergence and the completion of her magic fell into the same category.
Normally, even if completed, she wouldn't have broken her own seal and come out.
Someone had forcibly undone her seal.
...Who could it be?
The Archmage outside his perception who took his heart, and the one who released Lil's seal.
All of them were 'errors.'
That was why even he couldn't locate them yet.
Of course, it was only a matter of time—he wouldn't take long.
But there was a problem when these 'errors' occurred in succession.
"The Great Rift opens."
...The Great Rift opens.
This was an inevitable certainty.
With the Rift King weakened, it couldn't prevent the Great Rift from opening.
Depending on the magnitude of the error, the extradimensional monsters emerging from the Great Rift would differ.
Could the 'Great Nine Lords' fully repel them?
From what he could see, the errors this time were far from ordinary, even by Sepiro's standards.
Events surpassing his perception had occurred repeatedly.
It wouldn't end here...
This time, for sure.
'The balance will break.'
There was a chance one of the Nine Lords would perish.
If so, the balance would shatter, and all races would rise in chaos.
"Most intriguing."
Sepiro's smile deepened.
—To reach the third stage, 'Condensation,' there are two methods.
Lil quickly explained the stages.
Having attained Awakening and Flow, she intended to complete the final foundational process of 'Condensation' while she still existed.
She needed to achieve the third stage at least while she could still exist to fully wield magic.
"What is it?"
Park Chan-woo listened intently.
With ears wide open and eyes sparkling.
Mana reversal and the resulting changes in magic were already monumental.
Yet that was merely the second stage.
He couldn't even fathom how much the subsequent stages would transform his 'perception of magic.'
Lil continued.
—Increasing the concentration of mana, or decreasing it.
"Increasing the concentration... You mean 'divine power'?"
When mana concentration exceeds 100%, it's called 'divine power.'
Lil nodded.
—Similar. But it must exceed 200% to truly reach 'Condensation.'
"200%..."
It was absurd even to hear.
His mana concentration barely surpassed 100%.
And that only when summoning the 'Dimensional Converger Zarpham.'
—Forcibly gather mana continuously into a single point. Guide it so it doesn't disperse or explode, reaching 200%. That's the fastest way.
Easier said than done.
Gathering mana forcibly into one point was never easy.
Mana's nature was so unstable that mishandling it could cause it to burst.
"Tell me the other method as well."
—Empty your mana. Use magic solely with the origin mana remaining. That's the second method.
"Won't emptying all mana kill you?"
Exhaustion would knock him out before death.
He had experienced similar situations multiple times.
But he had never reduced his body's residual mana to 0%.
It was impossible from the start.
—Choose one of the two. Once you reach the third stage, the preparation is complete.
Lil didn't answer directly.
She meant for him to decide.
'The first method is safer, at least.'
The approach of maximizing mana concentration.
Not easy, but he wouldn't die.
Having grasped mana's essence through reversal, with effort, he could reach it.
But the second method was certain death.
No body could withstand mana completely drained.
Even if possible, he'd face death multiple times.
Park Chan-woo pondered briefly.
And the Transcender Lil silently watched him deliberate.
'Depending on his choice, the entire process and outcome will change.'
Condensation was the final of the three basic stages forming mana.
How he completed this Condensation would fundamentally alter the mana and magic he wielded.
Because it concluded the foundations.
Sepiro had completed it via the first method, while Lil used the second.
The latter's difficulty was overwhelmingly higher.
But achieving it the hard way didn't guarantee reaching higher stages.
In fact, Sepiro's mana stage far exceeded Lil's.
Completing Condensation by increasing concentration led to dominating mana; by decreasing it, to befriending mana.
'Most choose the first method for Condensation.'
Those who reached it via the second could be counted on one hand.
...She was curious.
What Park Chan-woo would choose.
"I'll go with the second method."
—...It won't be easy.
"What more is there than death?"
Park Chan-woo smiled.
He could tell just from hearing that the second was far harder.
Yet he challenged it because that was the mage's path.
Giving up from the start didn't suit his temperament.
'The more I see, the more fascinating this human is.'
Lil thought upon hearing his choice and response.
...Where did such a human pop up from?
He was a type of mortal she'd never seen.
No matter how fearless, no one deliberately chose the harder path.
It was foolish to pick a road with high odds of death at first glance.
Yet Park Chan-woo only chose paths with 'high risk of death.'
As if he'd died once before.
He didn't fear death itself.
'If that's your choice, then as a teacher, I should help with all I have.'
Teacher. Teacher.
At first, it was just a whim to teach him once.
But in this short time, Park Chan-woo had changed her mind.
Someone walking the same path as her.
...She genuinely wanted to teach him now.
With this talent and transcendent will for magic, he might truly reach the 'End.'
The only regret was her limited time.
But that meant she could pour everything out without reserve.
—Sit before me.
Park Chan-woo sat in front of Lil as instructed.
The moment he did, her hands touched his back.
'Hm...?'
But his mana didn't deplete immediately.
Instead, Lil's mana slowly flowed in, cradling his own.
'Mana massage?'
She was performing a 'mana massage'—strengthening mana connections, neatly organizing dispersed mana, and more.
However, sending one's mana into another's body for a 'massage' was extremely dangerous.
Mana existed within the body itself.
One could lose all the infused mana.
Worse, it could even kill if mishandled.
Even with identical mana natures, freely manipulating it in another's body was something skilled mages did only for direct disciples on their deathbed.
...Yet.
His body shuddered violently!