Chapter 46

00046 Preparation for the Emergency

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"Yujeong."

"Yes."

"If a similar... um, inevitable situation like just now comes up again, what would you do?"

"...I don't know."

Yujeong scrunched her face as she answered. She must have felt very frustrated. Even if such a situation were to arise in the future, she knew nothing and could do nothing. If she had to give an answer, it would only be to accept it as it comes. I intended to offer her words that would be like a timely rain to a drought-stricken land.

"Everyone, do you all know about <Mana Emission> to some extent?"

After pushing them to the limit, it was now time to ease up a bit. The children also seemed to notice that my voice had softened, and I could see them cautiously lifting their heads to gauge my reaction. Their appearance reminded me of a child who had been scolded by their mother, only to regain their spirit and lift their head again, which made me want to smile, but I held it back.

"The ability the woman used at the table just now is part of Mana Emission. It's not a special or latent ability, but a control ability that anyone can use by controlling their own mana."

Upon closer inspection, sword auras and sword beams are also included as part of control abilities. That's why I could see a change in Yujeong's eyes after hearing the term "control ability."

"Control ability...? Big brother, does that mean we can use it too?"

"Yes. With practice, you can use it. Furthermore, in a situation like just now, you can resist and defend. Depending on how you respond, you can even counterattack."

"Teach us."

Seeing the children's faces gradually regain their vitality, I smiled gently. If they had remained dispirited, I might have been truly disappointed. However, as a way out opened up, Yujeong's eyes began to burn with a fierce light.

First, I would thoroughly teach them the theory, show them an example, and then start the training. In response to Yujeong's request, I nodded with a willing expression and began to speak.

"Does anyone know how to categorize Mana Emission into different stages?"

"Sensing (Detection), Occupy (Occupation), Coercion (Intimidation)."

"Wow... Correct."

To my surprise, it was Ansol who answered immediately. She was looking at me with a burdened, eager gaze. Seeing her eyes, I nodded slightly, and her face brightened. I wondered if the reason for her unusual expression earlier was because I only stroked Hyun's head and not hers, making her jealous.

...But that can't be it, right? Anyway, Ansol's answer was almost correct. Of course, there are higher stages like Break up (Dissolution) and Demolition (Destruction), but these are such advanced techniques compared to the basic stage of Sensing that it would be impossible for them to learn them yet. Therefore, I deliberately kept quiet.

"From now on, I'm going to teach you a very powerful technique."

The introduction is over. It's time to get to the main point.

There's a saying, "Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times." It means that one must experience something directly to truly understand it. I slowly gathered my mana and turned my body halfway to face away from the children.

I slowly controlled my mana and spread it across the entire floor of the room. I drew a circular area on the floor, centered on my body, filled with my mana. Having done this thousands of times, it felt like a part of my body. As I stood still, I could feel the children looking at me with blank expressions. I closed my eyes and spoke slowly.

"Hyun, Sol, Yujeong. From now on, don't say anything. Move anywhere inside the room as quietly as possible without making any noise."

After hearing my words, the children hesitated for a moment but then began to move quietly one by one. Even if they thought they were moving stealthily, once I set my mind to detect, they were still within the palm of my hand. Soon, I could hear a creaking sound, and I confirmed that they had all moved.

Without turning around, I continued speaking.

"Hyun. 38 degrees southeast from your left foot. In front of the wardrobe. Sol. 26 degrees southwest from your right foot. Behind the central table. Yujeong. 90 degrees from my body. On the bed."

The moment I finished speaking, I could hear the children gasp. If they were already this surprised, it would be troublesome. I smiled and continued.

"This is called Sensing, the first stage of Mana Emission. It's often called the 'invisible eye,' but in reality, it's about connecting visible objects to your mana circuit. In other words, it's about using mana to arbitrarily expand the range of your perception. You all were surprised when that woman suddenly appeared, right?"

"Come to think of it..."

"Yes... Yes, that's right. Big brother, does that mean if we learn Sensing, we can know when she will appear?"

Hearing Hyun's voice, which seemed to have grasped the concept, I nodded without turning around.

"Generally, yes. But Sensing isn't foolproof. There are ways to bypass it."

"Then..."

I then raised my mana strongly enough for the children to feel it. After releasing a fierce,无形的气势, I spread my mana into the air. Like a hot mist rising, my mana instantly occupied the entire room. Seeing the children looking around curiously, I made another request.

"Try expressing numbers with your fingers this time."

After giving them enough time to see and feel, and to act according to my request, I spoke calmly.

"Hyun. Two fingers. The extended fingers are the index and middle fingers. Sol, one finger. The extended finger is the index finger. Yujeong. Four fingers. The extended fingers are the index, middle, ring, and little fingers... two, four, one, five, four, five. This one."

Despite the disbelief, Yujeong quickly changed her fingers, but I answered without any difficulty. She seemed to be amazed and weakly dropped her arm.

"Huh...?"

"Wha...?!"

"Amazing...!"

After hearing the children's exclamations, I finally turned to face them. They all looked as if they had seen a ghost, their mouths wide open. I continued speaking while maintaining the mana that occupied the room.

"There are several ways to bypass Sensing. Using a speed that the opponent can't react to, entering through the air, or secretly mixing your mana with the opponent's. To respond more effectively, the next stage of Sensing is called Occupation."

"Big brother, does that mean the ability the woman used just now was this Occupation?"

Shaking my head in response to Yujeong's question, I explained. Occupation is a skill that can be classified as the second stage. The ability the woman used was Coercion, which is the third stage.

"No. The ability the woman used was Coercion, which is the third stage of Mana Emission. It's a more advanced technique that involves not just expanding your perception but also infusing your will into your mana. Of course, the power varies depending on the user, but once you master Occupation, you can perfectly defend against such Coercion or at least resist it to some extent."

"Then, I want to learn Coercion. I want to learn it."

Seeing Yujeong's hasty words, I smiled slightly and approached her. I flicked her forehead lightly with my finger. Seeing her pout and rub her forehead, I spoke in a soothing tone.

"Can you even walk, let alone run? If you're a genius, maybe, but Coercion isn't something you can learn easily in a day. Even if you practice as hard as you can, it will take at least three months. Focus on mastering Sensing first, and then think about advancing step by step. Don't be too hasty."

"Big brother."

At that moment, I heard Hyun's voice calling me, his face filled with curiosity. Turning to him, he immediately spoke.

"I want to learn Coercion too..."

"You guys are really in a hurry. It's too early for you."

Hyun shook his head at my words and continued.

"No, that's not it. I just want to know more about Coercion."

"Big brother, me too. I was caught off guard just now because it was my first time experiencing it... but I want to see what Coercion is like clearly. Okay?"

Seeing Yujeong supporting Hyun's words, I remained silent for a moment. The foundation of Mana Emission lies in how finely and effectively you can control your mana. While Sensing can be learned quickly, the process of spreading it externally and infusing it with your will is much more difficult, and they seemed to not fully understand this yet.

However, I could see a passion in Hyun and Yujeong's eyes that I had never seen before. It reminded me of my early days in the Hol Plane, when I struggled to learn anything and climbed the ranks through self-study without proper guidance.

Thinking of those bitter times, I slowly spoke as if in a trance.

"The third stage of Mana Emission is on a different level from the first stage. It requires efficient mana management and fine control, and there must be no mistakes in the circuit. But the most important and difficult part is infusing your will into your mana."

"By will, you mean..."

"The key is how effectively you can convey your emotions. This process doesn't require words. Your mana, infused with your will, speaks for itself. Remember earlier. Yujeong, what emotion did you feel at that moment?"

Yujeong scrunched her face and thought for a moment before answering.

"My body felt weak... and I felt in danger. I thought I might die..."

"In professional terms, that's called killing intent. The woman wanted to kill you. She conveyed her intention to you without words, through her emotions."

"..."

Yujeong didn't say anything in response to my words, but her face turned pale, and she seemed to be shivering all over. Hyun still looked confused, as if he didn't fully understand. I sighed softly. Since I was still maintaining Occupation, I thought it would be better to give them a taste of it to satisfy their curiosity.

I made up my mind and called out to Hyun.

"Hyun."

"Yes."

"From now on, I'm going to want to kill you."

"What? What do you mean..."

Hyun, taken aback by my sudden words, closed his mouth. He seemed to think I was going to demonstrate something, like I did with Sensing and Occupation. He closed his mouth tightly and stiffened his face, as if preparing himself. Of course, from my perspective, it was completely useless.

I closed my eyes and entered a mental training state. I set Hyun as my mortal enemy, with whom I would fight to the death. After calming my mind, I opened my eyes and explosively raised my mana. And...

"Ah! Ahhh!"

The reaction was immediate.

At first, my aura was like a passing cloud, but it suddenly turned into a dense, murderous aura. A suffocating killing intent filled the room, as if ready to tear apart any being. The killing intent rose from deep within me, and I poured all of it into one person: Hyun.

It was only a matter of five seconds. If I had maintained it longer, I might have been affected by the old killing intent myself, so I forcibly suppressed it at the right moment. I quickly withdrew the spread aura and gathered it internally. Hyun, who had been sitting on the floor, was trembling. Yujeong and Sol were also trembling, as if indirectly affected by the killing intent.

I slowly approached Hyun. As I got closer, he instinctively flinched and moved back. Then, he looked at me with a realization. I extended my hand to help him up.

"No matter how much you prepare your mind, it's useless against mana-based Coercion.