Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Child Clan’s Mana Heart Technique
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Child Clan’s Mana Heart Technique.
The groundbreaking mana heart technique created by the genius of the Child Clan had completely shattered the framework of all existing mana heart techniques.
Throughout long history, the way humans wielded mana was by storing it within the body and converting it into whatever form they desired for use.
Mages did so through spells of various kinds, knights through aura, and fighters through bodily enhancement.
The forms differed, but the common thread was artificially accumulating mana in the body to increase its quantity.
The Child Clan’s Mana Heart Technique, however, broke away from that entirely.
“Phew….”
In Raymond’s personal training ground, Rian lay flat on the floor and began breathing slowly.
The Child Clan’s Mana Heart Technique had no fixed posture.
One simply stayed in whatever position felt most comfortable.
And so Rian lay down.
It was the most comfortable that way.
‘The first step: sensing mana.’
It was perhaps one of the longest processes in the Child Clan’s Mana Heart Technique.
One had to sense the mana in the atmosphere and circulate it through the body—and for complete beginners, sensing mana itself took considerable time.
That was why noble houses later used mages to forcibly expose children to mana, training the sensation into them. But…
‘I can already sense mana.’
It wasn’t extensive experience, but over the past twenty years, he had felt aura a few times and already knew what mana was like.
As Rian breathed, he sensed the atmospheric mana flowing in and slowly drew it into his body.
‘Slowly treat the entire body as mana’s playground and circulate it.’
The Child Clan’s Mana Heart Technique worked by endlessly drawing mana from the atmosphere into the body to circulate, then releasing it—drawing it in again to circulate, over and over.
In that process, the pathways circulating mana inside the body widened, allowing even more mana to flow through.
Thus, there was no need to forcibly trap mana inside the body.
One simply had to keep building playgrounds and pathways where the mana could frolic and roam freely.
‘Drawing in and using atmospheric mana.’
That was the profound revolution of the Child Clan’s Mana Heart Technique—something unprecedented in all prior history.
Of course, it required purging impurities from the body and beginning at a young age, when the mana pathways could still expand.
Rian was fourteen.
Not the ideal age to learn the Child Clan’s Mana Heart Technique, but far from too late.
‘Four more years.’
When Rian turned eighteen, the colossal disaster sweeping toward this continent.
It might come late or early.
But he would make every preparation possible before it began.
“Sip— Phew….”
Rian recalled the Child Clan’s Mana Heart Technique over and over, breathing without cease until the sun rose.
* * *
Fatigue hadn’t built up as much as expected.
He had fallen asleep late and figured he would feel some exhaustion, but…
‘Because of the mana heart technique…?’
His body felt light, as if he had slept deeply.
“Good morning, Squad Leader.”
“Good morning!”
Rian’s eyes widened at the squad members approaching with polite bows.
Could people really change this much in a single day…?
“Good morning.”
“Heading to morning training?”
“We’ll come along too.”
“……?”
Rian glanced at Isaac as his squad members gathered before him.
Isaac wore an awkward smile.
‘This guy….’
This was clearly Isaac’s handiwork.
Rian had no idea what he had said to win them over, but their enthusiasm was overflowing.
‘Doesn’t matter anyway—I planned to make them all do it.’
If anything, their eager attitude was a welcome sight. For as long as it lasted.
“Let’s start with some light stamina training.”
Confidence lit up their faces at Rian’s words.
They looked like they wouldn’t yield to anyone in stamina—but only Isaac, who knew what was coming, had a tense expression.
Kyle gave Isaac’s back a pat.
“Don’t worry, just stick with me. If it gets tough, I’ll push you from behind.”
“Ah…… Yes.”
“Heh heh! I lost last time, but I’ll crush you in stamina training.”
“I’m confident in my stamina too.”
Brandt, standing beside Kyle, chimed in with equal assurance.
Rian regarded his fired-up squad.
“I’ll take point. It’s simple: just follow me. Questions?”
“None, sir.”
“Let’s get to it, Squad Leader.”
“Time to break a sweat!”
No one knew until they tried.
Rian flashed a grin and broke into a light jog.
He started slow to loosen up. But Kyle snickered from behind at the easy pace.
“Squad Leader, isn’t this a bit slow?”
“We won’t even sweat running like this till sunset.”
Snicker.
About twenty minutes in?
‘Body’s warmed up now….’
His muscles felt nicely loosened.
Rian glanced back at his squad.
They looked utterly relaxed during the jog—like they were out for a stroll—watching him.
“Alright. Now the real thing starts. I’m telling you again: just follow me. If it’s too much, sit down and rest. Like stragglers.”
“Heh heh, don’t drop first, Squad Leader.”
“I’ll follow even if it kills me—don’t worry!”
Rian faced forward again amid their spirited replies. Then—pababat!
Full sprint.
Even on leave, he had trained his stamina daily without fail.
It had only been a short while, but the difference from before was night and day.
“……!”
“W-what?!”
The squad couldn’t hide their shock as Rian shot ahead. But something even more ridiculous…
“What’s with him?”
“Hey—!”
Isaac matched Rian’s timing almost perfectly.
The rest sped up late, chasing after Rian.
At near-top speed, their breaths hit their throats in seconds, legs starting to wobble.
‘What… what is this training?!’
‘I’m dying….’
Kyle and Brandt choked down their nausea and kept after Rian.
The slow pace had been heaven—but now terror gripped them, unsure when it would ramp up again.
“How’s it going? Manageable?”
The demon addressed them then.
‘T-this devil…!’
‘Why isn’t the Squad Leader tiring…?’
Their gazes at Rian wavered wildly. Rian met their looks with a relaxed smile.
But Rian wasn’t immune to the strain.
He wanted to drop right there.
He could push this far only because he led the training.
They had no clue when to slow or speed up.
Forced to tail him blindly, they naturally suffered more.
They didn’t know sprint duration or how to recover on the slow bits.
Even jogging, they tensed, dreading the next burst.
‘Time to finish them off.’
Today, he would lay them all low.
“Alright, final sprint! Stick with me!”
Enduring this long was impressive already.
Their stamina boasts weren’t empty.
Pababat!
Rian charged regardless.
“Argh!”
“Give it a rest!”
“Uwaaak!”
Furious yells echoed behind.
Most screamed in last-ditch desperation—and soon even those faded into the distance.
“Impressive.”
“Hahk! Hahk! Hahk! Hahk!”
“Ughak!”
“Huk…… Huk…….”
When Rian halted, three had kept up: Brandt, Isaac, and…
“Jedron, right?”
“Hahk…… Hahk…… Y-yes…… Squad…… Hahk…… Jedron, sir.”
Slighter of build than Brandt.
Pale-skinned with glossy brown bobbed hair, he flopped straight to the ground.
Rian eyed the zombie-like squad clustering up.
“Morning training’s done. Short break, then individual drills.”
With that, Rian headed for the company commander’s personal training room.
The squad watched him go, thumbs up in stunned awe.
“Seriously…… a monster.”
“How’s a fourteen-year-old even do that?”
“Maybe…… special training outside.”
“Heard his dad was some drill instructor. Learned this then?”
“Dunno…… monster anyway.”
Too wrecked for individual training, they couldn’t even rise.
“Ueek!”
Out of sight in the company commander’s room, Rian crumpled and retched.
No mess on the floor, thankfully—but dizziness hit from utter depletion.
‘N-nearly croaked.’
Pretending casual at the end had nearly brought it all up.
Position made the man—he couldn’t show weakness before the squad.
‘Stamina sessions’ll be hell from now on.’
Cold assessment: those who lasted outstayed Rian’s endurance.
Without leading, he might have folded midway.
“So much work ahead.”
Lagging rookies in any area—what more was there to say.
Flat on the floor, Rian steadied his breath and activated the Child Clan’s Mana Heart Technique.
Oddly, the focused breathing normalized his gasps swiftly.
‘Body’s recovering.’
From rock-bottom stamina, maybe?
The circulating mana felt vividly sharper.
New sensation—Rian swallowed unwittingly.
‘This…… is mana?’
Clearer mana flow brought a strange thrill.
But Rian didn’t realize.
His mana pathways were widening, bit by bit.
And a month passed.
Thud!
Wooden sword met staff—palm tingled on impact.
Rian had trained stamina and sparring daily with the squad, no skips.
He faced Brandt, who glared sword in hand.
Much improved from the start, sure.
Ting!
Rian parried the blade aside, lunged his weight forward, and thrust.
“Ugh!”
Brandt jerked back to evade. But the airy spear dipped trajectory, sweeping low.
Thwack!
“Argh!”
Ankle struck, Brandt crashed screaming.
He scrambled up—but Rian’s staff pinned first.
Tap!
Staff at throat, Brandt froze and met Rian’s eyes.
“Haa…… I lost.”
“You’ve come a long way though?”
“Appreciate it, but I got thrashed too hard for compliments.”
Rian chuckled.
That grit was soldier stock.
Rian offered a hand, hauling Brandt up.
“You skimp defense mid-attack too often. Shore that up, and you’ll soar.”
“Noted.”
Brandt nodded.
Then he glanced aside at a sparring pair.
“That guy…… a monster?”
Brandt’s stare fixed there.
Isaac wielded twin swords.