Chapter 120
Chapter 120
Chapter 120
[One Day of Training]
It has been over three years since Eunha taught the children the art of mana control.
The childrens growth has been remarkable.
Among them, the child whose growth was most pronounced was Hayang.
Is this how you do it?
Youre good. But dont push yourself too hard.
No, this is fine.
Hayang grabbed the mana in the air with her hand. It slipped through her fingers, wriggling and shrinking, and disappeared.
She had injected her own mana, suppressing and offsetting the mana that was about to become omnipresent.
The Gift of <White Silver>, disperses omnipresence.
However, there was a way to deal with omnipresence without resorting to the Gift of <White Silver>
It was to absorb or offset the mana that had the potential to become omnipresent.
Hayang, next time, instead of offsetting it, try absorbing it.
Can I do that?
You can. Im watching.
Preventing omnipresence was something I learned in middle school.
People who lived with the threat of monsters would either report it to the Mana Management Bureau if it started to become visible, or they would offset it themselves.
Offsetting the omnipresence, however, was more taxing on the body than absorbing it.
To offset the omnipresence, you had to use up enough mana in your body to cover it.
It was not uncommon for people to become exhausted from the rapid drain on their mana while trying to cancel out omnipresence.
Absorbing Omnipresence, on the other hand, was simple. All you had to do was absorb mana from the atmosphere.
However, if done incorrectly, it was likely to cause a disturbance in the mana circuitry or cause a mana explosion as a result of absorbing more mana than the body could handle.
I what if I turn into a monster?
Hayang still hadnt forgotten what happened last year.
The transformation of a human into a monster had been a shock, and she had been cautious with her mana ever since.
You wont change. Dont you believe me?
Its not that I dont believe you.
In the first place, do you think Id let you turn into a monster?
No.
Then you trust me, right?
Yes, I trust you.
Eunha poked Hayangs cheek with his finger.
Blinking, Hayang nodded in relief.
You dont seem to realize it, but your mana control is already better than most players.
Shes had a vast amount of mana since she was a child.
It wouldnt be strange if she went on a mana binge.
However, even before she met Eunha, she had been unconsciously controlling her runaway mana.
There were times when she would unconsciously release mana outside of her body, attracting monsters, but in terms of manipulating mana, she was the best among her peers.
There was no way she could go on a rampage by absorbing a tiny fraction of the mana in her body.
I didnt even realize it.
Eunha muttered as he watched her absorb the mana that was about to become omnipresent.
Unbeknownst to her, Hayangs talent had allowed her to cast a well-structured barrier, and not long ago, she had even demonstrated the basics of dual-casting.
The skill of casting the same magic on a player at the same time wasnt that difficult, but when it was done by a mere fourth grader, it was a different story.
Even Eunha sometimes wondered, as he watched Hayang grow, if she might have more talent than he realized.
Maybe her gift would help him.
I had a vague idea of what her gift would be.
It was a gift that suited her quite well.
This is too hard.
I can see it in my head, but its not working as well as I thought.
Minji and Seona, on the other hand, were merely catching the omnipresence in the air, unable to offset it.
No wonder its hard, you dont learn that until middle school.
No Eunha, are you kidding?
Whatever. Its better to learn early.
Eunha shrugged at Minjis raised eyebrows.
All elementary schools were required to teach the knowledge of mana starting in the fourth grade.
Even then, all that was taught in the fourth grade was what mana was and how to detect its presence.
It was a boring lesson for children who had already learned how to manipulate mana before.
Of course, some, like Minji, would show off their abilities by teaching other kids who didnt know how to handle mana.
You like teaching kids, so why dont you learn it now and teach it to them?
But Ill have to wait until middle school to do that!
If you dont want to do it, dont do it.
Min-ji glares at him, eyes wide.
Eunha knew this was how Min-ji would react.
Or maybe not.
Hmph, you wait and see, Ill show you how good I am!
She purposely stomped on the ground and turned around.
But damn, this is a dirty floor. Doesnt it kick up dust when you do that?
Regardless, Minji grunted and rolled up her sleeves. She reached out and tried to offset the mana.
What about you, Seo?
Well, Ill try some more.
Try harder, doggy.
.
What?
I hate you.
Seona turned around, humming like Minji.
Eunha had been teasing Seona a lot lately, and he enjoyed it.
It was funny how she reacted whenever I called her doggy-doggy, stroked her hair, or tickled her chin.
Seona would protest, but she couldnt help enjoying the touch, though shed chastise herself later.
One day, Eunhyeok tried to touch her tail in a fit of self-pity, and she scolded him for it.
Seona screamed at him, but it was none of Eunhas business.
Eunhyeok Choi, are you ok?
Jung Hayang wasnt the only child to show significant growth.
While she showed significant growth in her ability to control mana, Eunhyeok showed significant growth in his ability to utilize his body.
Eunhyeok has always had a knack for using his body, but hes been learning basic combat techniques from Eunha.
Eunha planned to test Eunhyuks ability to kill monsters later this year.
Uh-uh-uh, I shouldnt be doing this.
Hah, I knew this would happen.
Deep in thought, Eunha clicked his tongue when he heard Eunhyuk shout.
It seemed like it was about to fail, or maybe not. It looked like a near miss.
Hey, why did it get so big! Captain, help me!
Eun-hyeok tried to offset the omnipresence, but instead it grew.
In the process, he lost control of the mana in his body.
Mana is omnipresent.
Now that the mana that was suppressing the omnipresence was out of his control, he had no choice but to get caught up in it.
Small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, the omnipresence grew to the size of his head as it expanded.
I told you not to let your guard down until the very end.
Im sorry. That didnt work out so well.
A failure was a failure, even if it was almost a success.
The players world was so thorough and harsh that a single failure could cost people their lives.
But that meant you had to draw your sword.
Him entering the Mana Management Bureau would surely spell the end for South Korea. That was certain.
It was an extreme thought, but Eunhyuk didnt fit in with the Mana Management Organization.
After graduating from the Academy, players usually joined a party or clan, or joined the Mana Management Organization/Bureau.
The Mana Management Organization was a state-affiliated organization whose main job was to manage omnipresence, making it the go-to place for players looking for stability.
Eunhyuk cant. He was still too young to be judged, but he was no match for the Mana Management Bureau, which required delicate skills.
Hayang was a better fit.
Hayangs abilities were coveted everywhere.
Especially in the Mana Management Organization, where she would shine easily.
Hey, hey, No Eunha, what are you doing? Dont just stand by and watch, you have to do something!
Minji shouted.
The beast that Eunhyuk had tried and failed to offset was growing in size, even drawing in the beast that Minji and Seona had been practicing with.
Oh, right. Well have to deal with that.
That would be hard for me too.
I had to expend a lot of mana to offset that much mana.
It was inefficient.
Id rather take down a monster born of omnipresence.
But if I left it alone, it might grow bigger than this, and the administration might notice.
Hey.
Huh?
Lets offset that with me.
Can we two do it?
Sure.
It wasnt as if the massive omnipresence couldnt be dealt with.
Players who were part of the Mana Control Bureau, a mana management organization, would walk the streets to prevent ubiquity and work with others to offset it if it was too much for them to handle alone.
Mana is omnipresent.
You can use its properties to offset the ubiquity of a group by dividing it by the number of people in it.
Its not easy, but if youre Hayang, its possible.
As expected.
As Eunha manifested his own mana to take away some of the omnipresence, she quickly followed suit.
Captain, theres still some left!
There was only so much the two of them could offset.
Even for Hayang, whose internal mana was vast, it wasnt an amount she could simply handle with her hands.
In the end, they had to repeat the same action several times to dispel the omnipresence.
All the while, the mana in the air was trying to draw in other mana to fill in the gaps.
What the hell, kids, what do you think youre doing?
Jung Geum-jeon burst through the door just in time.
When he saw the omnipresence they were trying to resolve, he realized he was in no position to be angry.
He ran out barefoot, not even wearing slippers.
Whats this? Its gotten this bad.
Jung Geum-jeon frowned.
He scratched his bushy head in a tone of irritation.
Dont worry, we can fix it.
Fix that? is bullshit. How are you guys going to fix this? Get out of the way.
Eunha explained calmly.
Jung Geum-jeon didnt listen to his explanation and shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants.
Hey, Noh kid and Jung kid.
What?
Yes?
Im going to charge you for this, my money.
Jung Geum-jeon pulled out three 50,000 won bills from his pocket.
He crumpled the bills in his hands.
What the hell?
Eunha watched in disbelief as the crumpled bills turned into mana and scattered.
His eyes widened. As expected, he hadnt been mistaken before.
Jung Geum-jeon had a Gift to absorb mana imbued in objects.
Ill even add the interest and make sure you pay it all back.
If you complain later, I wont let you off the hook.
Ah, with this money, I was planning to treat myself to steak after such a long time!
Initially, he casually made a threat, but in the end,Jung Geum-jeons emotions fluctuated drastically, almost turning into a scream.
His veins popped in his neck as he reached out towards the mana that was about to form.
Ill definitely get my interest. As soon as this is over, Ill go to that bastards house and squeeze him dry.
Why are you tormenting our grandfather!?
Then, why dont you give me 150,000 won!
Jung Geum-jeon knelt on the floor, exhausted after he dispelled the omnipresence.
Though he absorbed mana imbued in objects, consuming a considerable amount at once had drained his energy.
Ignoring whatever the kids said, he climbed the stairs with trembling legs.
Ill really get it all back. Including the interest
He gripped the handrail and climbed slowly.
Hes relentless.
Eunha clicked his tongue as he watched him climb to the fourth floor.
If youre tired, you can rest a bit and then go up.
It was ridiculous that he was using his eagerness to get money right now.
Hey, No Eunha, isnt this a big deal?
Why?
What? Hes going to your house and ask for money to your parents. Wont you get in trouble?
Mhmm. Id be in trouble.
Probably not.
Eunha was sure.
Eunha was confident that Jung Geum-jeon wouldnt get a single penny.
It was a mistake from the start when he went to see his grandfather, Go Seogwang, who lived on the fourth floor.
Ah!
Seona let out an exclamation when she saw Jung Geum-jeon coming out of Min Junsiks house and her tail stood up.
The person known as driver Kim had picked him up like a cat by the scruff of the neck.
S Shit My money My precious
Indeed, Min Jun-sik had given him the boot.
Jung Geum-jeon pounded on the tightly closed door with his weak fists.
Then he collapsed from exhaustion.
Without the strength to get up, he slumped to the floor.
I knew he would end up like that.
Whatever the reason, Min Junsik was strict when it came to Jung Geum-jeon
My money, my 150,000 won.
Jung Geum-jeons face now half as if in a daze, was pitiful.
The kids felt sorry for him, but they didnt want to get in trouble with their parents, so they decided to pretend not to notice.