Chapter 13: Qi and Mana (2)

In fact, the premise of this training was fundamentally flawed from the start.

Roman had already felt the mana of this world and, through the Heavenly Horse Technique, had accumulated a small amount of mana in his dantian. However, there was a reason he wanted to receive this teaching.

'Blindly following my own common sense is a sure path to regression. I need to experience firsthand the force called qi in the martial world and mana and aura in this world. From beginning to end, I will follow the methods of this new world. Even if I can't understand it with my head, I will follow their way for now.'

He discarded his common sense.

Chris's teachings were completely different from the martial world's methods, but Roman did not get stuck in the established ways.

Several breaths.

Chris said it was important to feel the presence that tickled the skin during this process. That was the mana in the Salamander Continent, and even without exhaling several times, Roman felt mana gathering around him. It couldn't be helped. Having lived a life in harmony with the energy of nature, Roman knew well what properties they had and how to guide them.

One step.

Chris considered it a fortunate success if it took a year, but Roman succeeded in just over a minute.

From then on, it was about guiding the mana.

He accepted them.

As the alien and mysterious energy entered his body, Roman guided them through his blood vessels to various parts of his body.

'Surely, the methods are different from the martial world. The martial world uses qi circulation to remove waste from the blood vessels and ultimately aims to accumulate mana in the dantian. But this world is different. They hope for mana to naturally accumulate in various parts of the body during the guidance process, without any constraints. Is there a special reason for doing it this way? The energy that naturally settles might be easy to control, but the problem is that practicing this way, one might not surpass the peak even after a hundred years.'

It's an inefficient method.

Moreover, the problem lay in the nature of the mana.

While the mana of the martial world felt heavy despite being sparse, the mana of this world was abundant but somewhat light.

Mana that entered and immediately escaped.

He wanted to grasp them all.

But.

'For now, I'll follow the methods of this world.'

He suppressed his desire.

The cultivation technique can be applied at any time.

Roman knows better than anyone how to become stronger, but now was the time to accept the new civilization.

Chris's voice was heard.

"Once you can manipulate mana to a certain extent, you can begin to manifest aura. Focusing the mana spread throughout your body into a single point. That is the manifestation of aura. Aura can be used in various ways. You can coat a sword with aura to increase its destructive power, or apply it to your body to unleash explosive power momentarily. The manifestation of aura is when we say you have become a 1-star Aura Knight."

Chris wouldn't know.

That Roman had already entered the stage of accumulating mana.

To him, it was just a matter of explaining, but Roman was moving the mana in the same way as described.

He accepted the mana.

Roman's restraint prevented the mana circulating in his body from escaping.

Mana accumulated gradually.

It was only a moment before Roman entered the stage of aura manifestation.

Whoosh!

His body glowed blue.

Even though Chris hadn't taught him, Roman had focused the mana into a single point, temporarily strengthening his skin.

A familiar phenomenon.

Roman recalled a similar method.

'It's similar to the external techniques of the martial world but different. External techniques strengthen the body by training the exterior, but the method Chris described is neither. It doesn't make the exterior strong, nor does it accumulate mana in the dantian. The method of releasing mana in an instant is very inefficient because the mana, which is not concentrated in one place, spreads in all directions. My thoughts when I saw Chris manifest aura were not wrong.'

He was certain.

Having experienced it firsthand, he could firmly conclude.

'The way they use mana here is garbage.'

Training with Chris.

There was no longer any reason to continue.

As Roman manifested aura.

Chris's eyes widened.

"What?!"

This training.

He didn't even aim to feel the mana.

Just understanding the method of training would be considered a success, but an unexpected situation unfolded.

His skin glowed blue.

It was the manifestation of aura.

Even after rubbing his eyes and checking again, the scene before him didn't change.

'How is this possible?'

Beyond common sense.

It took him half a year to feel mana and three years to release it.

Even so, he was called a genius.

From a young age, he diligently learned swordsmanship as Jonathan's disciple and reached the 2-star level in his mid-twenties, earning the recognition of everyone as a genius.

But.

What was this?

Roman's progress was beyond what his thought processes could accept.

"..."

Roman opened his eyes.

Seeing him regulate his breathing, Chris asked eagerly.

"How did you do that? Did you really manifest aura just now?"

"You would know if you saw it."

"That's why I'm asking. No, it doesn't make sense. Someone spent three and a half years to successfully release aura, but Master Roman did it in just 30 minutes. Be honest. Did you already know how to use aura and were just playing around to fool me? Ah, now I understand. It was strange from the beginning that a 2-star Aura Knight like me lost to you."

It was a wild interpretation.

The idea that Roman was a hidden master was more convincing than the notion that he was a genius who manifested aura in 30 minutes.

The problem was that the latter was also beyond common sense.

Did Roman hide his strength two years ago?

Why?

Chris's gaze towards Roman became complicated.

"Can you explain the standards of the stars used to distinguish the strength of Aura Knights? I want to know the level I've achieved and the level of the strongest people currently."

"..."

"Since you've successfully manifested aura, you meet the conditions of a 1-star Aura Knight. If you can cut steel by manifesting aura on an object, you become a 2-star Aura Knight. The real ones start at 3-star. The strength and destructive power of the aura determine the star level, and 3-star knights receive special treatment in the kingdom. Therefore, Sir Jonathan is a knight recognized by the kingdom. 4-star knights are known in the kingdom, and 5-star knights are known across the continent. For reference, the best swordsman in the continent is said to be a 6-star swordsman. 7-star is a level no one is known to have reached yet."

6-star.

The highest level in the continent.

With Roman having met Jonathan, he had a rough idea of the situation.

'By martial world standards, Jonathan is slightly below second-rate. Even if 6-star knights are highly praised, they are definitely not at the level I expect. Perhaps the mainstream in this world is not swordsmanship. If aura is a talent granted to one in a thousand, then magic is a talent granted to one in ten thousand. I'll have to experience them directly to know for sure.'

It was interesting.

A different method from the martial world.

He wanted to go out into the world and experience everything in this world.

"Actually, the stars don't perfectly represent strength. There's a ranking system on this continent. Although 6-star knights are the best in the continent, not all knights in the top 10 ranking are 6-star. Anyway, when did you start cultivating mana? It took me 10 years to reach the 2-star level. Even I, who was called a genius, took that long. Thinking about the Master I met two years ago, this doesn't make sense."

Chris's words.

It took him 10 years to feel mana, release aura, and manifest it through a sword.

"Ha."

Roman burst into laughter.

Really, the level of this world was below his expectations.

Roman's reaction.

Chris's face turned red.

Although he didn't say it outright, Chris couldn't help but feel mocked.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's funny."

"Are you laughing at my efforts?"

The atmosphere turned cold.

Chris.

Dmitry's talent.

Although he lost to Roman, his pride wasn't broken.

With his face flushed as if about to explode, Chris looked at Roman, who still had a smile on his face.

"I have one question for you. During the time you reached this level, did you ever doubt the training method?"

"What do you mean?"

"People sometimes have misconceptions. Just because a method has been passed down for generations, it doesn't mean it's absolutely right. While learning the mana training method from you, I had this thought. I could clearly see the shortcomings of this method, so I wondered why you were so stubborn about it. Was it because you didn't know? Or because of your strong trust in Sir Jonathan, who taught you?"

"..."

It was an unexpected statement.

Chris, who was about to get angry, was left speechless with a bewildered look.

The training method.

As Roman said, he had never doubted it.

"The reason is simple. It's because it's convenient to follow. A method that has already been tested and refined doesn't give me a reason to lose or be criticized. I'm not denying your 10 years of effort. But it's funny that you never once questioned the method you pursued during that time. This world doesn't have a perfect answer set by someone. The method you blindly follow is just one path that started from someone's contemplation."

In the days when he was called Heavenly Horse.

Roman didn't accept his father's teachings without question.

Even if his father was at the pinnacle of the Demon Sect, Roman constantly analyzed and studied his words.

Through such efforts.

Roman created his own Heavenly Horse Technique.

Even the sect members who initially criticized Roman's approach were amazed by the power of the perfected Heavenly Horse Technique.

Roman lived that way.

His life.

The subject is not someone else.

He didn't accept things just because they were passed down, but rather pondered why he should accept them and whether they were truly the best choice for him.

Of course, such questions led to pain in life.

He had to go through trial and error and face the criticism and despair of others when his efforts failed.

Nevertheless.

Change is necessary.

Just as something passed down from ancestors started with a question, Roman always asked himself.

"Let me ask again. Did you really put in your best effort for 10 years?"

"..."

He was speechless.

He reflected on his past.

Chris had really worked hard.

But.

His training method was blind.

He did what Jonathan told him to do and accepted this proposal to learn secret techniques from him.

The core of the matter was hit.

Even when his words went against the world's common sense, Chris couldn't refute them.

'Following the knowledge passed down is not a bad method. Chris might grow steadily and reach a high level like those called geniuses. But that's all. People who don't question their own lives cannot rule from the top. Chris is strong among the people I've met in this world, but a frog in a well will eventually rot.'

Roman's advice.

It was a favor.

Because he received help from Chris, Roman spoke to make him face reality.

From now on, it's up to Chris.

If he can't accept reality with his flushed face, his life will end at the expected level.

"Let's end the training here."

He finished speaking.

Just as he was about to move.

"..."

"Then, please tell me the answer. What should I do from now on?"

The returning question.

He stopped.

He looked at Chris again.

Smirk.

'Interesting.'

The fact that Chris had discarded his pride.

It was a very important issue.

Chris, who might have just been a passing acquaintance, now looked different.