Is a Gift Still a Gift If It's Given Half by Force?

It hadn't been long since midterms ended when I got a call from Cheonma.

I fired back immediately.

I typed again.

With the gift ready, we decided to head to the Martial Arts Guild over the weekend. Hye-ji didn't come along. Cheonma had begged her not to, and she said she had somewhere else to go that weekend anyway.

So this time it was just me, Jung Ayeon, and Elsia—the three of us.

The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by countless weapons and sharp, murderous glares. It felt like they were warning me that any funny business would end badly. But it wasn't a problem at all.

"Move, you pathetic fuckwits."

"If you dare lay a hand on my husband, it won't end well for you."

I had my ultimate technique, the Cheonma Repulsor, and this time Elsia stepped up in Hye-ji's place. At her icy tone, the martial artists slowly lowered their weapons one by one. Right on cue, Cheonma burst through the wall.

Naturally, Jung Ayeon immediately joined the others to repair the broken wall. Cheonma approached us with unusually confident strides. It made sense—Hye-ji wasn't here this time.

"You've arrived!"

"The gift."

"Just wait a moment. First, let this seat show you around—"

"The gift."

"This fucking bastard is for real!"

Cheonma let out a deep sigh and started dragging us somewhere. We stopped in front of an old door deep inside the guild.

He tried to explain.

"This place is—"

"Skip it. Gift."

"Listen to this seat's words, damn it!!!!"

"I'm busy, you fuck."

At that moment, a loud growl came from Elsia's stomach. I couldn't resist teasing her a little.

"Elsia, shouldn't you go with your husband?"

"Go on ahead! It's a wife's duty to guard the place her husband will return to!"

"Don't even think about running off, you damn woman."

Even as she said that, she clearly wanted to follow me. I let out a short sigh.

"Go to the break room and eat something."

"I've been waiting for those words! I'll be back soon!"

"W-wait! At least leave some of this seat's snacks!"

Elsia stared at me expectantly, clearly waiting for permission.

"Fine, fine. You have my permission. Eat everything."

"Yes!!!!"

'It's not like there are any people around here anyway. The living should live.'

Elsia immediately dashed off, probably toward the pantry or break room. Cheonma, unable to contain his rage, grabbed me by the collar.

"You son of a bitch!!!"

"Heh heh. Your snacks? They'll all be gone if you're late."

"Grrrr!!! Hurry up and follow me!!!"

Despite roughly releasing my collar, Cheonma opened the door in front of us with extreme care. As we stepped inside, he continued his explanation.

"This is a secret passage leading to the guild's hidden meeting spot."

"Is it a surprise gift or something?"

"Just follow me, and for the love of god, shut your mouth."

The open door didn't lead to a room but to a dark corridor. After walking behind Cheonma for a while, a tightly sealed iron door came into view.

As I reached for the handle, Cheonma suddenly spoke.

"It can't be opened by ordinary means."

"Really?"

He looked smug, like he was daring me to try. So I grabbed the handle and simply slid the door open to the side.

"N-no! How the hell did you know that?!"

"Because idiots all think the same way."

It was the same kind of sliding door with a swing-style handle as the one in the Academy President's secret room.

'There are no people here, so I gave it a shot just in case. It worked.'

The scene inside the door was bizarre. Under dim lighting sat a single chair, surrounded by a terrifying array of tools. Drills. Saws. Awls. Machetes. Clubs. Knives. Pliers. No matter how you looked at it, this was less a secret meeting place and more a torture chamber.

And in that ominous place stood a woman, completely unfazed.

Messy hair tied back roughly. Dark circles carved deeply under her eyes. Skin so pale it went beyond white and into ghostly. Worn-out jeans and a t-shirt, topped with a yellowed white lab coat. An expressionless face and dull, dead-fish eyes. Even when she saw Cheonma, her expression didn't change at all. She didn't look normal by any stretch.

The woman glanced at me briefly before turning back to Cheonma.

"This the guy?"

"Yes. Is everything prepared as this seat requested?"

"Of course."

She turned her gaze back to me.

"So you're the one getting the modification surgery this time?"

"......Excuse me?"

I thought I must have misheard.

"Modification surgery."

"......"

I'd heard correctly.

'Is this a Space Marine modification site? Did I accidentally wander into the Warhammer universe?'

'......Still?'

At that moment, the woman pointed straight at the chair in the middle of the room.

"Go sit down."

"......Is this safe?"

"You'll find out once you sit. We don't have time, so hurry."

"Sir Shinwoo. Sit down quickly. It's a gift, after all."

Cheonma gripped my shoulder as if he had no intention of letting me leave without receiving it. In the end, there was only one choice. I obediently walked over and sat in the chair.

It had a long backrest like a dentist's chair and could recline. But there was one glaring difference.

- Click.

"What the fuck?"

The moment I sat down, the chair automatically locked restraints around my body. Neck. Waist. Arms. Wrists. Thighs. Ankles. It was a binding that allowed zero movement. The instant I was completely immobilized, the woman began to smile with a terrifying expression. It was such a drastic change from her previous blank face that it sent chills down my spine.

"So this is the one getting the Mana Tattoo engraved?"

"Wait a second! Fuck! I never agreed to this!"

"Yes. This seat has a small request for you."

"No, you crazy bastards! Listen to me! I never said I'd do it!"

"Got it. I'll prepare it right away."

A Mana Tattoo. It creates additional ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mana pathways in desired areas, making mana manipulation in those parts much easier. The presence or absence of a Mana Tattoo completely changes how effectively one can handle mana.

However, because these aren't naturally formed pathways, there are definite side effects. Engraving a Mana Tattoo is essentially forcing a permanent channel into the spring of mana. Since it's an artificially added route, mana constantly flows toward the tattoo.

In other words, it's an extension of permanent body reinforcement. If you're familiar with body reinforcement, there are no side effects. But if you're unskilled at it, the side effects are severe. Bursting blood vessels around the tattoo or the tattooed area exploding is the baseline. In serious cases, the area can necrotize or the entire mana pathway can explode.

That's why the Academy doesn't really recommend it. It's hard to find a proper practitioner, and there aren't many people whose bodies are strong enough to withstand the reinforcement required for a Mana Tattoo in the first place. If you're going to spend time on body reinforcement, it's far more efficient to improve your ability utilization instead.

'Fuck, that's not the problem here.'

As Piece said, there were only benefits for me if I got a Mana Tattoo. The constant body reinforcement would let me withstand the recoil of the Cheonma Repulsor better, and using the technique would become much easier.

But I didn't want it at all. Forcing mana pathways to form came with pain so intense it could kill you. No—pain so bad that dying would be preferable. There had even been a few fatal accidents before.

But it was already too late. I was about to be forcibly given this "gift."

At that moment, the woman approached me where I was strapped to the chair and spoke.

"First, bite down on this. It'll reduce the pain a little."

"Is it a painkiller?"

"No, a mouthguard."

She immediately shoved a mouthguard into my mouth. It was a twisted form ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of consideration—since it was going to hurt anyway, at least bite down hard.

While she stepped away for a moment, I started yelling at Cheonma.

"What the fuck kind of gift is this, you bastard?!"

"If you've reached this level of body reinforcement, accepting it won't be a loss. Just quietly die... I mean, undergo the procedure."

"Hey, fuck! You just said 'die,' didn't you?! Say it properly, you hair-planted bastard!!"

'What is it, Lady Piece?'

'Don't give up! I'm not dead yet!'

The woman had returned before I knew it, holding a branding iron glowing bright red in the darkness.

"......Why did you bring a branding iron?"

"To ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠create a Mana Tattoo, I need to slightly break the existing pathways and carve new ones in their place."

"What the hell does that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have to do with torture, you crazy bitch!"

"This is a branding iron that only affects mana circuits. The pain will be the same, but there won't be severe external damage. Don't worry, it's similar to a hot injection."

She then pressed the branding iron against the back of my right hand.

- Sssssssssss.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!!! It's a hot injection, you bitch!!!! It's burning with fire!!!!"

"Just endure it a little. There are still three more spots left."

"Hey! Isn't this a bit too much?!"

At that moment, Cheonma made a fierce face and snapped at the woman. She kept the iron pressed against the back of my hand and only turned her head to look at him.

"What?"

"How dare you enjoy this fun all by yourself! Let this seat have a turn too!"

"Then you can do the left side."

"Much obliged."

"Obliged my ass, you fucking bastard aaaaaaaaaagh!!!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Cheonma pressed the branding iron against the back of my left hand. The disgusting smell of burning protein and the metallic scent of blood nearly paralyzed my nose.

Struggling was impossible. The restraints binding my limbs didn't allow me even the slightest movement. The only things permitted to me now were screams and ragged breathing.

"Huff... huff.... Is it over now?"

"No, we still have the tops of your feet."

"Stop it, you bastards aaaaaaaaaagh!!!"

"Sir Shinwoo, this seat's ears aren't what they used to be. I can't hear you well. Speak louder."

Cheonma grinned as he demanded I speak, as if daring me to keep running my mouth.

"You think planting hair on a bald bastard will last forever?!"

"Then this seat will do the left foot as well."

"Go ahead."

"Stop it!!!!"

Cheonma and the woman simultaneously pressed the branding irons against the tops of both my feet. I thrashed so hard I thought the chair would rip out of the floor, but it was useless. After what felt like an eternity of screaming, the torture-like session finally ended.

The woman wiped the sweat from her face, put away the branding iron, and spoke with a refreshed expression.

"Now then, let's engrave the tattoo."

At that moment, the woman's movements suddenly stopped. A number above her head went up, and she began sweating cold bullets. Seeing her like that, Cheonma suddenly looked puzzled.

"What's wrong?"

"Ah... well... could you bring me some potions first?"

The woman scratched her cheek with an awkward expression.

"I accidentally used the real branding iron."

"You fucking retard!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs, hurling curses. The woman just shrugged as if there was nothing she could do. I really wanted to kill her.

"I checked just now, so it's fine, right?"

"You should have checked from the fucking beginning!!!"

"No, it's been a while since I've had such a lively test subject."

Just then, Cheonma returned with several red potions and poured them over the backs of my hands and feet. There was a brief burning sensation, then the flesh slowly began to heal.

'Fuck you.'

Once all the wounds had healed, the woman brought out another branding iron.

"I'll start over from the beginning."

"Just kill me already, you old spinster!"

"I'm a proud single-by-choice!!!!!"

The woman began branding my hand again, this time with a touch of real emotion behind it. Cheonma silently joined in, branding my other hand without a word.

It was about two hours later when I finally escaped that torture chamber.