Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Mana techniques were the culmination of methods to accumulate mana within one's body.
So what was the first step to achieve this?
Naturally, one had to first sense mana.
How could you accumulate something you couldn't even perceive?
This was both the first step and an absolute prerequisite—but it was far from easy.
In fact, it was excruciatingly difficult.
That's why it also served as a benchmark for assessing talent.
The initial criterion: how quickly one could detect mana.
"I suppose I'm on the faster side."
"...Extremely so."
"How long did it take for you, Sir Knight?"
"Two whole days..."
Rubian replied with a sullen expression.
But internally, Delam's jaw dropped.
'What the hell? It only took her two days to sense mana?!'
Generally, the younger one started learning mana techniques, the better.
In reality, accumulating mana was difficult for children.
Their attention spans were short, and they lacked clear goals.
Moreover, their hearts—the vessels meant to contain mana—weren't fully matured yet.
Thus, efficiency wasn't particularly high.
But there was an advantage.
Namely, sensing mana came more easily.
Mana existed everywhere in the world.
In grassy fields, in the sky, within the earth.
Even in every breath drawn and exhaled.
Growing older meant having been exposed to mana longer, which inevitably dulled one's sensitivity to it.
'That's why they say starting around age six is ideal. The average time to sense mana is about a month.'
The shorter the time below a month, the greater the talent.
Among them, true geniuses were said to sense it within a week.
But Rubian claimed it took her only two days...
How could Delam not be shocked?
He needed to revise his assessment of Rubian.
He'd thought she was just a moderately talented fool.
But she might actually be an outlier—a genuine prodigy.
'She's in her late twenties and already a mid-rank knight. That alone means she's at least gifted.'
For reference, how long had it taken Delam before his regression?
A whopping two years to sense mana.
Becoming a high-rank knight had been sheer luck.
No—it was due to sheer desperation.
While others experienced a lifetime's worth of battles spread over decades, he fought daily, forcing his skills to evolve whether he wanted to or not.
Rubian, momentarily disheartened, soon brightened.
When she thought about it—Delam hadn't just taught her swordsmanship but was now instructing her in mana techniques too. Didn't that make him undeniably her disciple?
Having an outstanding disciple was something to celebrate.
"Once you've sensed mana, the next step is manipulation. At first, it won't respond well. But if you focus your mind and project your will strongly enough, you can guide it into your body."
"Understood."
"Then circulate it through the mana roads in the sequence I'm about to teach you. That's the foundation of mana techniques."
"Yes."
Delam closed his eyes and concentrated.
Rubian's mana flowed into his body.
He pretended to circulate it according to the technique.
This was due to the conflict between techniques.
Learning multiple mana techniques wasn't inherently problematic.
To be precise, [some combinations worked, others didn't].
What determined this was their attributes.
[A mana technique focused on fiery valor]
[A mana technique pursuing icy detachment]
What if one tried mastering both?
At worst, the mana roads could explode.
All the painstakingly gathered mana would be lost.
At minimum, the mana roads would be shredded.
'Still, analyzing it should yield useful insights.'
Delam knew many mana techniques.
As Supreme Commander, he'd conquered numerous kingdoms.
In the process, he'd amassed enough stolen techniques to fill a wagon.
The disappointing part was their [quality].
For the great families that formed the pillars of each kingdom, mana techniques were their history and spirit.
Most chose to burn them rather than let them be defiled, so true secret techniques were rare.
'The Bistache family's was no exception.'
The Bistache mana technique.
As Delam understood it, the Bistache symbol was [power].
Their technique was similar.
Among the various attributes infused into mana, it maximized destructive force alone, aiming to obliterate enemies in a single strike.
'In contrast, my Fleurex Arts prioritize stability and flexibility.'
Thus, they couldn't be learned simultaneously.
But analyzing them would provide valuable references.
Of course, what Delam received was an introductory technique.
A fragment with the secret elements excised.
Still, there was no reason for disappointment.
Even a broken shard was ultimately derived from an original text.
With Delam's experience and insight, he could glimpse the Bistache family's secrets through it.
'...Huh? What's this?'
As Delam learned the technique from Rubian, he soon noticed something odd.
Two things, in fact.
'This is an introductory technique?'
The introductory mana technique Rubian was teaching.
But its structure—the way it twisted, connected, and severed—was...
Extremely intricate and complex.
Rivaling other great families' secret techniques!
Normally, introductory techniques were about 20% as potent.
Assume both practitioners trained for ten days.
Someone with the introductory version would accumulate 20 units of mana, while the secret technique user would gather 100.
The difference in power was self-explanatory.
'If this really is the introductory version...'
Then their secret technique would be five times stronger than other families'.
Meaning 500 units of mana in ten days!
Of course, that was absurd.
Otherwise, why would this be called the [Pyorr] Kingdom?
It should've been the [Bistache] Empire.
They wouldn't need to worry about continental unification or demon invasions.
The Bistache family alone could handle it all.
Only one conclusion remained.
She'd taught him not the introductory technique—but the secret one.
'Is this crazy woman out of her mind?'
Mistaking them was impossible.
The gap between introductory and secret techniques was vast.
So it was one of two things.
She was either insane... or an idiot.
Peeking through slightly opened eyes, Delam saw Rubian flustered.
Fidgeting, occasionally sighing.
Her face screamed, [I've done it now—what do I do?]
'Why is there such a disconnect between her speech and actions?'
Delam clicked his tongue.
What would the Bistache Family Head do if he found out?
He'd probably grab his greatsword and chase Delam down.
To slice him into a thousand pieces and erase him from this world.
'But whatever, that's fine.'
If Delam and Rubian kept their mouths shut, no one would know.
Even if discovered, it'd be later.
By then, Delam would be in a position—or at a level—to handle the Bistache Family Head.
After all, he was a regressor.
'Now, the second issue... This is the direct lineage's secret technique, so why is it in this state?'
Obtaining the secret technique was great.
But at a glance, it was... lacking.
There were gaps in places.
Inefficient twists weren't just one or two.
Of course, it was still an excellent mana technique.
But for something passed down through dozens of generations in a great family, its quality was noticeably inferior.
Not half-baked—more like two-thirds finished.
'Did she give me a deliberately flawed version?'
Such cases existed.
To lead talented individuals to ruin.
But look at this blockhead of a woman before him.
The likelihood was minuscule.
Moreover, the technique contained no [traps].
No intentional twists designed to cripple the practitioner.
It was just genuinely shoddy.
'At least... since it's destruction-oriented, the flaws aren't glaring.'
The Bistache mana technique was pure destructive force.
Whether you struck with 80% or 100% power, if the opponent died, the result looked identical.
But problems remained.
When facing someone who could withstand that power, or when advancing to the next realm, the difficulty would spike dramatically.
'Now that I think about it... she's not even thirty and already on the verge of high-rank, right?'
[Low-rank―Mid-rank―High-rank―Supreme-rank―Sword Master]
These were the knightly ranks.
Each advancement came with immense strain.
Yet she'd broken through with a half-baked mana technique?
The implication was simple.
'She's a freaking monstrous genius!'
Unlike Delam, she hadn't cheated with regression.
This was raw, unadulterated talent.
A word flashed through his mind.
[Hero]
Why had Delam regressed?
Because the continent's heroes had all been slaughtered.
This time, he needed to keep them alive to prepare for the war against demons.
But Rubian was comparable to those heroes.
Which raised a question.
'Instead of saving heroes... can't I create one?'
Moreover, she was oddly favorable toward him.
Enough to share her family's secret mana technique.
Wouldn't nurturing her pay off handsomely?
"Ahem... ahem."
Just then, Rubian turned her flushed face away.
Delam's gaze had grown too intense.
[Special Forces]
The kingdom's elite intelligence and combat unit.
Naturally, their treatment differed completely from frontline troops.
Frontline units were thrown into battle with minimal training—[plenty more where you came from].
The Special Forces were the opposite.
They invested heavily in training their members.
Their missions were inherently difficult, making brutal training a necessity.
Thus, after a three-day adaptation period, specialized squads were assigned, followed by two months of intensive training.
"Plenty of free time."
But rookie Special Forces member Delam was different.
Instead of training, he lounged in luxurious barracks, muttering to himself.
For two months straight.
Training?
No one could teach Delam.
Having aced all training with record scores, even active members came to learn from him.
So he was given personal training time instead.
A result of Rubian's request to the Special Forces Commander.
From the commander's perspective, it was insulting.
Delam was now officially a Special Forces member.
Even as a knight, even if favored, overstepping like this was a severe breach.
Yet he'd allowed it for one reason.
-I've taught him our family's mana technique.
-In that case...!
A member with insane combat skills now wielding mana?
Like giving wings to a tiger.
Mission success rates would soar, and the credit would flow straight to him.
But mana techniques were just [tools].
No matter how fine the tool, it meant nothing without use.
You had to work to earn.
Thus, having a mana technique wasn't the end.
You had to gather mana for it to matter.
Naturally, that took considerable time.
Since when was gathering mana easy?
Focus your mind, breathe mana, circulate it through the proper roads, then draw it into your heart—only then did a trickle accumulate.
Hence the two months of personal training.
Shut up and gather as much mana as you can.
"Mm, this is tasty."
Munch, munch.
So Delam trained diligently.
Outwardly, it looked like he was snacking, but no.
Mana wasn't his priority anyway.
Why stress over something that accumulated just by walking?
'Higher enlightenment.'
That was the key.
And he'd just obtained the perfect toy to spark it.
The Bistache family's secret mana technique.
'Should I fix this first?'
Sluurp.
The secret technique began deconstructing.
In Delam's mind, piece by piece.