NOVEL NEXT Ch 17 - The Path of Graduate (1)
Chapter 17
The Path of Graduate (1)
‘This is the elixir…’
The elixir handed out by the academy was a red potion inside a clear glass bottle.
There are grades for elixir, and the red one is the lowest grade.
‘Drinking this will allow me to gain mana, huh.’
Sitting in my single room at the dormitory, I carefully examined the elixir bottle.
It was amazing that a single sip of this potion could give me more mana than years of training.
‘It’s a powerful potion, so it’s no wonder the royal family’s authority is so strong.’
Only the imperial family can manufacture the elixir.
The imperial family provides elixirs to the academy for talent cultivation, and the swordsmanship families send their heirs to the academy to receive the elixir.
If a family does not send their heir to the academy, they will fall behind in acquiring mana.
‘Well then… maybe I should drink it now.’
I opened the cap with the royal family’s seal and gulped down the red potion in one go.
There was no taste to the potion.
If I hadn’t known any better, I might have doubted whether it was a fake.
“…”
I crossed my legs and closed my eyes.
Then, I began to use the Eastern Mana Circulation Technique that I copied from Serine when I first came to this world.
‘Serine has excellent mana control.
That’s why she had already mastered the technique before entering the academy.’
Serine ’s Eastern Mana Circulation Technique was B-rank.
With that, I could easily control the mana from the red elixir.
In the novel, the protagonist Arkandel failed to settle his mana because he didn’t know the technique.
“…”
The mana from the elixir absorbed into my body as it passed through my throat and into my stomach.
Unlike water or nutrients, mana is quickly absorbed once it enters the body.
However, if left unchecked, it will naturally flow out of the body.
That’s why it must be controlled using mana circulation.
‘The mana absorbed in my stomach… I’ll circulate it through my body’s blood vessels.’
The mana began to flow through my blood vessels.
If I left it alone, it would slip out of my body, but by doing this, it circulated through my body just like blood.
As the mana circulated, I slowly focused it toward my heart.
‘With this… I’ll create a Mana Heart.’
The Mana Heart.
An intangible heart that accumulates mana.
Once you have a Mana Heart, you can begin to use mana.
And once you exceed a certain level, you can become a graduate.
“…”
I continued to control the mana, keeping my eyes shut.
The mana flowed through my blood vessels, slowly syncing with my body.
The mana gradually gathered in my heart, forming a small mass.
The mass of mana became clearer and clearer… until finally, a Mana Heart was formed.
“Phew……”
I opened my eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
It worked out better than I expected.
‘I think I did much better than Serine in the novel.’
In the novel, Serine was able to settle 80% of the mana from the red elixir.
But I had settled over 90% of it.
Even though I was using the same B-rank Eastern Mana Circulation Technique as Serine , I had achieved better results.
‘Maybe it’s because I’m the writer?’
I had consciously absorbed all the insights and techniques described in the novel.
Perhaps those were unconsciously influencing me.
‘90% of the mana from the red elixir settled… Compared to Arkandel, who couldn’t even settle 30%, this is a much better start.’
To be honest, my abilities still couldn’t match Arkandel’s in the novel.
Arkandel had superior physical abilities and combat instincts.
But when it comes to mana, I was definitely ahead of Arkandel now.
‘This is where the real start begins.’
Until now, I had relied on the knowledge from the novel and the abilities of artifacts in my battles.
But from now on, I can’t depend on that alone.
I also need to improve my own basic abilities.
‘I need to stay ahead of Arkandel.’
To make Ernas Lanzstein not a “fake genius” but a “real genius.”
I planned to put everything into strengthening myself.
“…”
I got up from my seat and left the room.
The hallway was quiet.
Other students were probably drinking the elixir and creating their Mana Hearts in their rooms.
‘The other students… they’ll probably take longer than me.’
I quietly left the dormitory to avoid disturbing the other students.
I stepped into the dark outside and took a deep breath.
‘Now then…’
I activated my Mana Heart.
The mana began to flow out, spreading through my blood vessels.
I focused the mana into my lower body and then performed the Lichtenaur sword technique.
“……!” Whoosh!
I unknowingly swallowed my breath.
The speed I achieved was so fast that I was surprised even by myself.
By focusing the mana into my lower body, I enhanced the function of my muscles.
‘So this is what it feels like!’
My chest felt excited.
Also, there was no particular strain on my legs.
At this rate, even if I used the Lichtenaur sword technique for a long time, I didn’t think I’d feel muscle soreness in my legs.
‘My biggest weakness was stamina.
But I can overcome that with mana.’
Ernas has very weak stamina.
If I use mana to alleviate the burden on my body, I should be able to cover up my stamina deficiency.
‘Hold on, I also want to test out swordsmanship.’
I immediately regretted it.
I realized I hadn’t brought my practice sword out with me.
Just as I was thinking about going back inside the dorm to grab it, I sensed a presence.
“Ernas.”
“Serine …”
Serine must have finished creating her Mana Heart too.
Did she come out to try using mana like I did?
“Can I ask you a favor?”
“A favor?”
Suddenly, Serine threw something at me.
It was a practice sword.
“I want to get used to using mana quickly.”
“You want to spar?”
“Without keeping score.”
Serine had another practice sword in her hand.
She must have noticed I was out here practicing with mana and brought two swords to join me.
“So, what do you think?”
Serine asked with a slightly anxious voice.
She seemed worried that I might refuse.
“I’m fine with it.”
“Hmph… I thought so.”
With a playful expression, Serine turned her head.
In the novel, she often acted like that when she was trying to hide her true feelings.
“Let’s do it, Serine .”
“Alright, I’ll be counting on you.”
We both grabbed our practice swords and took our stances.
Before the other students who had succeeded in creating their Mana Hearts came out, it was just the two of us.
Swordsmanship Class
Yols Kaleshius, who appeared in the lecture hall, scanned the room.
“Everyone’s expressions are different.”
He looked at the faces of the students from the Black 6th class and said.
“It seems like you all succeeded in creating your Mana Hearts.”
“Yes, that’s right!”
“Now that you’re mana-wielding swordsmen, I’m sure you all feel confident.”
Yols’ voice was stern.
“But don’t get cocky.
You haven’t even reached the Graduate level yet.”
“Yes…!”
All we’ve done is create a Mana Heart and strengthen our bodies.
To become a Graduate, you need to be able to channel mana into your sword.
“Since we’re on the topic, let’s cancel today’s planned lesson and talk about the Graduate level.”
“…!”
Yols drew a picture of a person on the blackboard with chalk.
“You’ve created a Mana Heart in your chest.
The mana from the Mana Heart can spread through your whole body via your blood vessels.”
“…”
“If you concentrate mana in one area, you can enhance the function of that part.
Not only can you increase your strength, but you can also sharpen your senses.”
For example, if you focus on your eyes, you can enhance their functions.
This doesn’t just mean better vision.
Your dynamic vision improves, and you can even distinguish objects in the dark.
“But all of this happens within your body.
So, if you’ve created a Mana Heart, this should be easy.”
Yols added a sword to the figure on the blackboard.
“Pouring mana into a sword outside of your body is much more difficult.
If you’re not careful, the mana can disperse.”
When creating the Mana Heart, the mana needs to be controlled so it doesn’t leak out of the body.
Mana that leaks out of the body will scatter and disappear.
But to channel mana into a sword, you must eventually release the mana outside your body.
“That’s why you need to be able to control your mana thoroughly.
You need to release mana outside your body, concentrate it in the blade, and then gather it back into your body.”
Yols drew arrows on the board showing the direction the mana moves.
“This is the Graduate level.”
“Ah…!”
“I’ll tell you in advance, but with your current mana, you can’t reach the Graduate level.
If your mana is insufficient, it will be impossible to cover the entire blade with mana, so it’s better not to try.”
This was exactly as it was described in the novel.
With our current mana, we can’t reach the Graduate level.
“If you try to cover the blade but don’t have enough mana, the flow will break, and the mana will scatter.”
“…”
“Just because you’ve settled the mana in your Mana Heart doesn’t mean it’s yours forever.
At any moment, you could lose it, so you need to stay focused.”
Yols wrote more explanations on the blackboard.
But my mind was elsewhere.
‘If my mana is insufficient, I won’t be able to cover the entire blade, and the flow will break.
But…’
Even with insufficient mana, there is a way to cover the entire blade with mana.
That method is…
‘If I use a short blade, it’s possible with less mana.’
In a way, it was an obvious thought.
Even so, there’s a reason why they don’t start with short blades.
‘Swordsmen in this world aren’t used to short swords.
If they try to channel mana into a weapon they’re not familiar with, it’s easy to make mistakes.’
The sword commonly used is a one-handed sword with a certain length.
At the academy, they teach using swords of that type.
If you try to use something unfamiliar like a shortsword or dagger, the chances of making mistakes increase.
If you’re not careful, you might lose the mana you’ve worked hard to gain, so it’s not something you’d try just for practice.
‘But…’
I suddenly thought of a character from the novel.
One of the main characters used a “short sword” as their primary weapon.
‘If I could learn their swordsmanship…’
I might be able to challenge the Graduate level faster than others.
A little away from the Black 6th class’s island, a well-dressed male student was swinging a sword in a building with a white roof.
The sword he was wielding wasn’t a practice wooden sword but a real sword, and unlike the typical one-handed sword, its blade was shorter.
“Excellent, Lester-sama.”
When the male student finished his training, a female student, who had been waiting nearby, handed him a towel.
“You’re controlling your mana perfectly.”
“Yeah, it seems like the mana is settling into my body well.”
The White 5th class had won the Elixir by defeating the Blue 2nd class in the last competition.
As a result, all the students had successfully created their Mana Hearts.
“You should be able to challenge the Graduate level now, right?”
“It’s too early.
My mana is still insufficient.”
“Even though you’ve absorbed over 70% of the mana from the Red Elixir?”
“It’s still a bit lacking.
I need to take the Red Elixir again.”
The male student looked down at his sword.
It was a short, real sword specially brought in using the power of his prestigious family, a family known for their swordsmanship.
“Still, the opportunity will come soon.
There will be a first trial before long.”
“Yes, if you pass the trial, you’ll get the Elixir.”
“Then, I’ll get the next Elixir and reach the Graduate level faster than anyone else.
That’s the plan.”
Lester Lancaster.
He was the heir to the Lancaster family, one of the six great swordsmanship families, and a skilled user of the Lancaster style of shortswordsmanship, passed down through generations.
Even before entering the academy, he had been called a “genius” and was the representative of the White 5th class.
“Before that… I’ll have to crush Ernas Lanzstein in the trial.”
The representative of the Black 6th class, who had suddenly started to stand out at the academy.
With a cruel smile, the genius from the White 5th class declared that he would crush him.