Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 15 (Part 1): Let’s Fight (2)

“This… Am I really allowed to take this?”

I pointed at the energy pill and asked.

“I brought it to give to one or two people anyway. Consider it a gift for a diligent mage who studies while others play.”

Yoo Yul spoke casually, but I was conflicted.

Could it be that she doesn’t know the value of this energy pill?

Ah, that might be it. Maybe she acquired it as loot in the labyrinth and is trying to pass it off casually since it hasn’t been appraised yet.

The [MoMo] system is, for now, my exclusive privilege. Item appraisal is no exception.

So then, how much should I deceive my conscience here?

“Let’s get back to the main topic. Attributes, whether acquired or innate, ultimately come down to circuits. If your circuits are insufficient, attributes won’t form.”

“…Circuits. You say.”

Meanwhile, Yu-yul resumed her teaching.

“Yes. In that regard, your circuits…”

She ran her thick fingers from my wrist to my shoulder.

“Aren’t bad. You have enough talent to manifest your attributes. You’ll have to figure out what your attributes are on your own, though.”

“…Is that so?”

I unconsciously straightened my back. I was still troubled by the energy pill.

“But don’t worry about the number of circuits.”

“…Number. You say.”

My mouth kept filling with saliva.

‘Should I confess that the energy pill you casually handed to me is a rare item worth tens of millions of won? Or should I keep quiet?’

“Occasionally, there are those who open circuits all over their bodies like spiderwebs.”

“…Spiderwebs. You say.”

“I’m telling you not to end up like them.”

“…Like them. You say.”

“What’s with all the repetition?”

“Ah, nothing.”

I snapped out of it.

I’ll think about the energy pill later, much later. If I forget about it entirely while talking, that’d be ideal..

“Those who take the easy path are like that.”

“Huh? Isn’t it harder to have more circuits?”

The more circuits one has, the higher the mage’s rank. It’s common sense, like how more muscles allow you to lift heavier weights.

“That’s a common misconception.”

Yoo Yul shook her head vigorously.

“Refining a single core circuit is far more difficult and efficient than opening multiple circuits. Think about it. If having a tangled mess of mana circuits like a spiderweb were more efficient, this world would be full of nothing but backroads.”

“…Ah.”

It was an analogy that made immediate sense.

“Humanity invented highways for a reason.”

I nodded blankly. Just now, she’d given off top-tier tutor vibes.

“Then, how do I refine them?”

“First, try mana breathing.”

“Mana breathing…”

“Yes. Try it.”

The top-tier tutor looked at me with eyes that said, *Go ahead~*, but all I could do was blink.

I don’t know how.

Mana breathing is a technique for absorbing mana, but my life has been far removed from such techniques.

“Why aren’t you doing it?”

She tilted her head. I confessed, feeling embarrassed.

“I don’t know how.”

“…You don’t know?”

Yoo Yul’s brow furrowed.

“Nonsense. Then how did you open your circuits?”

“I just…”

“Just?”

“I just did it, and it worked.”

Yoo Yul looked at me. More precisely, she glanced at the circuits in my right and left arms.

“And yet you opened your circuits like this.”

“…Yes.”

“How many months has it been?”

Months.

Her eyes were too serious. Somehow, I felt like saying “one month” would be a bad idea.

“Three… and a half? Almost four months.”

That’s when it happened.

—

[ Recognition Level Up! ]

[ Recognition Level: 5 ]

[ An additional 30 days have been added to the trial period. ]

—

I leveled up out of nowhere.

—

* * *

I was dragged out of the library. The place Yu-yul guided me to was a dense forest. The air was so clean and fresh that it felt like my lungs were being cleansed just by breathing.

I sat down on the grass.

“First, focus your mana on your airways.”

Yoo Yul sat on a large rock across from me, using it as a chair.

“Airways, you mean?”

“Yes. Mana clings to mana. If you concentrate mana in your bronchial tubes, the mana you inhale will stay in your body.”

“Ah, I see. Then, what about the lungs? Aren’t they more important?”

“…….”

A vein slightly bulged on Yu-yul’s temple.

“If you don’t know, don’t ask. Just accept it as it is.”

“Yes.”

That actually makes it easier. Orders from above, compliance from below. It’s my specialty.

I moved the mana in my body and focused it on my airways. Of course, visualization was involved in the process.

“Mana Breathing becomes more effective the better you understand the human body.”

Yoo Yul also pointed that out.

Mana is moved by visualization, after all. Therefore, the more concrete your visualization, the more effective it is, and visualization is built upon background knowledge.

“Yes, I understand.”

The airways are divided into the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The upper respiratory tract includes the nose, throat, nasal cavity, pharynx, and larynx. The lower respiratory tract includes the trachea and bronchi.

I’ve even seen their exact structure firsthand—thanks to a villain obsessed with “madness” who made and displayed human anatomy charts.

“…Done.”

I extended my mana circuits and condensed mana throughout my airways.

“Now, take a deep breath.”

I took a deep breath in that state.

“As everyone knows, mana exists in the atmosphere.”

Therefore, when we inhale, we naturally absorb mana into our bodies.

“However, most of the mana is expelled when we exhale. That’s why you concentrate mana throughout your airways to hold onto it. To prevent it from escaping.”

I held it tightly. I held my breath.

Soon, a tingling sensation arose around my neck.

“If you feel any discomfort while holding your breath, you’ve succeeded.”

Meaning I had succeeded.

Yoo Yul continued.

“Organs like the lungs don’t matter. The goal is to increase the amount of mana entering your body and extend the time it stays there. Your circuits will naturally convert the mana into mana power.”

When you inhale, the mana flowing into your body is held by the mana in your bronchi. By maintaining that state and holding your breath, your mana circuits naturally dissolve the mana and convert it into mana power.

“Ugh.”

After holding my breath for about a minute, I exhaled loudly.

“Ugh, huff.”

“One minute. That’s quite long. Have you held your breath before?”

I answered while panting.

“…Ten minutes. Underwater.”

Back in my military days, I’d gone through mana training. No talent, sure, but still.

“Haa. Haa…”

“Mana Breathing is fundamentally exhausting. It requires not just talent for mana but also physical strength, muscle power, stamina, and other physical abilities. That’s why mages are hexagons.”

I bent over and almost collapsed onto the ground.

One measly minute, and I nearly died.

“Lift your head.”

Unlike her warm appearance, Mentor Yu-yul was impressively cold and strict.

“…Yes.”

I raised just my upper body.

Yoo Yul narrowed her eyes as she looked at me. Then she tried to cross her legs but failed. They were too chicken-like to cross properly, or rather—

“You’re doing well. The mana is clinging well to your airways.”

“You can see that?”

“Yes. But you’ve wasted too much time wandering pointless paths. You should have come here sooner.”

I understood what she meant, but the premise was wrong. If I hadn’t been a soldier, I wouldn’t have obtained [MoMo] in the first place.

“Keep practicing. For now, Mana Breathing is your top priority. Master it by next week.”

“…Can you teach me again next week?”

Even asking felt shameless. Here I am, trying to mooch free lessons after already accepting the energy pill without paying.

“It depends on how much you improve.”

With that, Yu-yul left.

Dangun

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