Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 33 (Part 1)

Rodin’s body was resting, but his mind was constantly pondering something.

Knowledge about artifacts as well as potions busily occupied his mind.

There was no proper method. Each one had gaps that needed to be filled by directly applying and researching runes.

This wasn’t something that could be solved in a day or two.

Just like researching potions, or perhaps even more, he would need to ponder and research extensively to see results.

‘I must become a 6th-circle mage.’

He couldn’t use the training room, but he wasn’t particularly upset about it. The training room had a great advantage of aiding rapid growth, but its disadvantages were also clear.

Cory, Hedler, and Lant all understood the training room as a place that “gathers mana.” Even Instructor Silion described it as “a place that gathers surrounding mana to hasten growth.”

But the training room wasn’t a place where mana gathered.

If it were a place that gathered mana to increase growth speed, there would be no need to separate the aura training room and the magic training room. Both aura and magic started from mana after all.

‘I need something to aid my training.’

What the training room did was increase the “conversion rate.” In other words, it transformed the same amount of mana into more magic power or aura.

In a natural state, using 10 units of mana would convert to about 1 unit of magic power.

For someone with exceptional talent, using 10 units of mana could convert to about 2 units of magic power. Rodin was such a person.

On the other hand, using the training room, one could gather 10 units of mana and convert it to 3-4 units of magic power. The conversion efficiency was much higher, allowing for rapid growth.

The downside was that the magic power would become irregular. Because it wasn’t wholly obtained by one’s own effort, the magic power would become less responsive.

‘Mana and magic power are different.’

Mana is an existence that remains instinctual, unable to grow into an ego. When stimulated, it reacts accordingly, but it doesn’t act on its own will.

Magic power has a clear ego with likes and dislikes. It can’t speak, but it can think and learn. It’s similar to a child that hasn’t fully grown up.

If one accumulates magic power solely by their own effort, it becomes a well-behaved child. It also has a high educational zeal, reacting quickly to similar actions after repeating a spell a few times.

Even when one is just starting to chant a rune, the magic power would be ready and waiting to activate.

While chanting runes, performing formula calculations, and magic envisioning, the magic power patiently stabilizes the circle.

In contrast, magic power accumulated with the help of the training room is like a stubborn child that refuses to listen. It dislikes studying, so even after repeating a spell dozens or hundreds of times, it doesn’t know what to do.

Only after the rune chanting, formula calculations, and magic envisioning are complete does it move hastily.

Due to its hurried movements, the circle is always kept unstable.

‘I need a method that helps with training while accumulating magic power through my own efforts as if in a natural state.’

Ironically, the best solution was to increase the concentration of mana. By gathering mana dozens of times higher than the surroundings, even if the conversion rate is low, one could accumulate magic power faster than using the training room.

‘Instead of starting with 10, I need to start with 100.’

I needed to find a way to increase the mana concentration, not the magic power or aura.

‘It seems there’s no other way than the specific characteristics of a location.’

There are places where the mana concentration is higher than others. Even around the training center, there were places where the mana concentration was 10%~20% higher.

However, this place was not the Advanced Third Library. Since I couldn’t leave this place, I had to find a way to increase the mana concentration here.

‘People can’t sense the mana concentration. At least the instructors and committee members definitely can’t sense it.’

Even the late Chairman Crate only sensed the concentration of magic power, not the concentration of mana. Other instructors and Committee Member Kser didn’t show any special reactions to changes in the mana concentration.

Knock! Knock!

Just then, a knock was followed by the door opening. An assistant poked their head in.

“What is it?”

“The committee is calling for you.”

“Ah, I’ll be right out.”

Rodin checked his clothes and poured about a liter of potion from the 10-liter container into a smaller container. He didn’t separate it into small glass bottles.

He stepped outside. The assistant only pointed towards the central building.

‘Indeed, it would be strange to be guided here.’

It was a place Rodin went to every day. Until last year, he even came here to get some fresh air. Since it was a familiar place, the assistant didn’t need to guide him.

He walked alone to the central building. This time, he could go directly to the committee room without passing through the administrative office.

All five committee members were seated in the committee room. Every one of them had a greasy face.

‘They’ve all gotten quite plump.’

Even the committee members, who were upper-level knights of the 5th grade, had thick bellies. There was fat under their chins. It was doubtful when they last swung a sword.

“I’m trainee number 108.”

“Is that potion in the container?”

“Yes. It’s a healing potion for wounds.”

Rodin placed the container with the potion on the desk.

Committee Member Kser opened the lid and poured a portion into a cup. Committee Member Elrov also emptied his tea and filled his empty cup with a bit of potion.

“We should verify it, shouldn’t we?”

“I’ll do it.”

Keline drew his sword from his waist and made a long cut on his forearm. Blood dripped down to the floor.

“Isn’t that cut too deep?”

“Haha, this is nothing. In my prime, I took hundreds of sword blows.”