Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Learning Aura
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Kang Jin-hyuk was grappling with two incomprehensible matters right now.
One was why Seo Sang-ho, an S-rank Hunter, was clinging to him so persistently when he was merely a C-rank Hunter.
Had knocking out Ahn Do-yoon in one hit been too much?
While he viewed the attention positively, Seo Sang-ho personally demanding he join the guild was not something he welcomed.
Even in peaceful times, one could decline if they didn't want to.
He had no intention of joining Titan Guild, so having its leader press him only added pressure.
'Should I lay low for a while?'
Lost in thought, Kang Jin-hyuk shook his head.
It was too late for that, and he doubted it would deter Seo Sang-ho's interest.
Besides, after scraping by as a D-rank Hunter, he was finally starting to shine.
He didn't want to shrink back again just because of some burden.
'I guess ignoring it for now is the only option.'
Seo Sang-ho didn't seem like the type to retaliate or scheme if things didn't go his way.
Unless he offered some outrageous terms that made his eyes spin.
For now, Kang Jin-hyuk had zero interest in getting tangled with Titan.
Having made up his mind, Kang Jin-hyuk faced the second baffling sight.
"He's really devouring all that by himself."
Lucia was stuffing handfuls of sugary treats into her mouth.
The way the pile of desserts bought from outside vanished in an instant was nothing short of a magic trick.
"Waf if boufing if?"
"......Don't strain yourself talking. Just keep eating."
She was inhaling them like a sugar-starved ghost possessed her.
Lucia happily kept her hands and mouth moving.
Seeing her devour them with such fervor, it seemed her demand for sweets as payment for teaching Aura usage was no joke.
'Is there no such food in her world?'
Kang Jin-hyuk recalled how Lucia's eyes had widened at a single chocolate bar.
Humans were naturally drawn to sweets, so the spectacle wasn't entirely unbelievable.
If you ignored the absurd quantity she was consuming, it fell within understandable bounds.
"Haa~."
After a feast that rivaled a competitive eating contest, Lucia let out a big sigh.
Despite shoving in what looked like several kilograms, her stomach didn't protrude at all.
Kang Jin-hyuk marveled at the elf's mysterious digestive prowess.
"I thought it was just that chocolate bar thing, but your world has all sorts of weird foods."
"Doesn't your world have desserts?"
"It does, but compared to what I just ate, they're bland as water."
It seemed desserts using sugar hadn't developed much in Lucia's world.
It was astonishing that sweets, which humans crave by nature, hadn't been researched.
"Why eat down here in this dank underground? We already took down the boss monster."
Kang Jin-hyuk couldn't fathom having a meal in such a gloomy, dark place.
To answer, Lucia pointed her finger at the wall behind her.
"See those inscriptions on the wall?"
"I see them, but what about it?"
"They're magic circles. You can't tell?"
Kang Jin-hyuk nodded as if it were obvious.
The magic circles he knew were usually round with star patterns drawn inside.
So he couldn't see those random scribbles as magic circles.
"Just know that those are what connected this labyrinth to my world."
"Those letters?"
Lucia's explanation was brief but enough to fluster Kang Jin-hyuk.
"Then writing those sends you back?"
"No, not that."
Hearing Lucia's response, Kang Jin-hyuk inwardly sighed in relief.
He'd gained much so far, but he hadn't leveled up enough for the dungeon to disappear.
To roam freely outside without worrying about others, he needed at least A-rank power.
If the dungeon vanished before then, he'd be like a sitting duck on the Nakdong River.
"No way back yet, right?"
"Yeah. But it's worth studying them."
Normal magic circles vanish upon use.
Yet the ones left in this temple basement remained intact.
Lucia suspected that was why the dimensional transfer magic had failed.
"Since we've found them, I should stick around and investigate for a bit."
"Will that solve anything?"
"At least I'll figure out why I ended up here. Going back would require a grand mage's mana—impossible with just my power."
Such massive magic circles needed an archmage to activate.
Unlike the slightly disappointed Lucia, Kang Jin-hyuk wore a bright expression, his worries eased.
Knowing investigation wouldn't lead to departure meant nothing to fret over.
'If she can't go back even after studying it, better to stay on her good side.'
Kang Jin-hyuk thought continued interaction with Lucia could yield more than just Aura techniques—useful knowledge overall.
"If you need anything, just say. I'll help however I can."
"......Why the sudden kindness?"
"Well, we've conquered the dungeon together, so let's help each other out."
"That's really all?"
Lucia eyed Kang Jin-hyuk with suspicion.
They'd taken down the boss together, but they'd only known each other a few days.
Did such a short acquaintance warrant loyalty?
Catching her gaze, Kang Jin-hyuk scrambled for an excuse.
"You said you'd teach me Aura. If you're too focused on investigating alone, you might neglect that, so I'll lend a hand."
"Hmm......"
His words held some logic.
It smelled like an excuse, but Lucia was willing to let it slide.
Unlike others she'd met, Kang Jin-hyuk didn't seem to harbor ulterior motives.
He even looked refreshed, like a weight had lifted.
'Yeah, someone who can gain from me won't stab me in the back now.'
With that thought, Lucia brushed off her clothes and stood.
"Since it came up, how about I teach you the basics of Aura right now?"
"Right now? Weren't you going to study the magic circle first?"
"Teaching basics isn't hard."
Lucia approached Kang Jin-hyuk and extended her right hand.
Unclear if she wanted something or a handshake, he just stared blankly at her outstretched hand.
Impatient, Lucia grabbed his hand.
"I said give me your hand—what are you staring at?"
"You could've just said so."
As Kang Jin-hyuk grasped her hand in return, a strange energy transferred before he could feel the texture.
A tingling like purified static made him instinctively try to pull away.
But Lucia's firm grip prevented it.
"Don't freak out—memorize this feeling."
Heeding her, Kang Jin-hyuk tried to accept the unfamiliar sensation.
'Damn, I'm no martial arts master—how am I supposed to remember this?'
Swallowing his complaint, he focused as instructed and realized the sensation from her hand was flowing through his body and emanating from his other hand.
Looking at that hand, he saw a blue aura shimmering like heat haze.
Even without explanation, Kang Jin-hyuk knew it was Aura.
'Oh? More talent than expected.'
Lucia inwardly admired after checking his body's state.
'He might grasp the basics by today if he does well.'
She'd noticed his talent from the mana flow in his body.
Infusing mana served to give him a feel but mainly to unblock his meridians.
Yet Kang Jin-hyuk's meridians were unobstructed from the start.
His mana circulated swiftly without losing power.
After some time, Lucia released his hand.
The Aura blooming on his hand vanished like a turtle retreating into its shell.
"There, got the feel? Try it yourself."
"Right now?"
"Normally it'd take decades to build the mana, but you can substitute with divine power. No issue starting immediately."
"What's divine power?"
"The shield you used to block the boss monster's attack. That's the power needed for that skill."
Kang Jin-hyuk finally realized that even skills consuming the same MP had fundamentally different roots for clerics.
But knowing the theory didn't mean applying it in practice right away.
"I get what you're saying, but...... how do I convert it to Aura?"
"You'll figure that out yourself, through your body."
"Easier said than done......"
Skills activated just by name, no need to alter sensations.
He extended his hand out of habit, not because it held meaning.
He'd never thought it did.
"How the hell do I replicate it?"
Perplexed, Kang Jin-hyuk turned to empty air.
With nothing to lose, he cast the skill.
"Holy Shield."
The shield appeared as usual.
Kang Jin-hyuk focused on what he felt in his body the moment it manifested.
"Holy Shield. Holy Shield."
Repeating the cast, he learned that each use drew external power seeping into his palm and releasing it.
The amount was so minute that without max focus, he wouldn't notice.
'No way—try redirecting it at will?'
Saying the name auto-activated the skill.
It was like changing that fundamental rule.
No one had tried it before, and Kang Jin-hyuk didn't think it possible.
"Is this really the only way?"
To his search for alternatives, Lucia replied flatly.
"No. Hate it? Then start mana training and prepare to become a white-haired old man."
Kang Jin-hyuk let out a quiet sigh.
Her firm tone left him no choice but to expect success.
Discarding impossibility, he clung to faint hope.
He extended his hand again, repeating the cast.
"Holy Shield!"
After over ten tries, MP depleted, so he downed a prepared potion in one gulp.
Then resumed without pause.
The repetition sharpened the sensation during casts.
But feeling it wasn't enough.
He had to somehow shift it to match Lucia's demonstrated feel.
It felt futile, like reaching into empty air hoping for a palm wind.
Kang Jin-hyuk persisted because of that slim "if."
If the impossible succeeded—and he was the first—it'd bring unparalleled achievement.
Betting on that tiny chance, he chugged his fifth potion.
"Hm?"
After endless repeats until potions ran out, the summoned shield distorted, failing to form properly.
A simple skill failure on the surface.
But for a skill that never failed with enough MP, this was an error.
Proof that divine power meant for the skill veered elsewhere.
"Is this really working......?"
His skeptical hope grew.
Then, as if waiting, a message obscured his view.
[You have acquired a skill.]
[Divine Power Application – Stage 1]