The sword technique the Quickdraw Sword Saint was teaching me this time. Its name was “Supernova超新星.”
As the name suggested, it was a sword technique in which mana burst out as if exploding.
I didn’t know how it had been for the Quickdraw Sword Saint, but at least for me, it wasn’t a very suitable sword technique.
“Ugh…”
ㄴQuickdraw Sword Saint: …I did not think it would be to this extent.
My first attempt after grasping the concept in my head had, of course, ended in failure. A complete failure, at that.
The cause was far too much mana.
The mana density of the deep sea was extremely high. And my mana absorption rate was also unusually high.
Those two things created synergy, and when I detonated it, it was like setting off a grenade right in front of my face.
ㄴTruth Scholar: If you’d only wrapped yourself in mana halfway, you would have been seriously injured….
ㄴHealing Is Violence: No, you were trying to teach something this dangerous?
ㄴQuickdraw Sword Saint: I apologize. I did not know your mana would have increased this much in such a short time.
Because I had wrapped mana around my entire body, a catastrophe did not occur.
A body whose mana increased so much that even the Sword Saint couldn’t predict it… Should I consider this a blessing?
In any case, I stood up while brushing the sand off my clothes.
Still… I had gotten a rough feel for how I needed to handle it.
“For now… I won’t use the Third Form right away.”
ㄴTruth Scholar: That’s right, let’s focus on mana control for now, shall we? It’s a field I know very well!
ㄴQuickdraw Sword Saint: …Your intentions are far too obvious.
ㄴTruth Scholar: Then maybe don’t rush ahead so recklessly?
…They’re fighting again?
Maybe because Truth Scholar was a mage and the Quickdraw Sword Saint was a swordsman, if there was even the slightest opening, they started needling each other.
It was just a hunch, but I felt like those two probably didn’t get along in real life either.
I roughly ignored the chat and returned to the submersible.
Then Eosollujeun approached me.
“…What were you doing?”
“Ah… well, practicing swordsmanship a bit.”
“……”
Eosollujeun looked at the scratches all over me, then walked to the drawer without saying a word.
In Eosollujeun’s hand was a clean cloth. It was something we’d gotten from the trading post.
With the same expressionless face as usual, Eosollujeun wrapped the cloth around my arm, but for some reason, the atmosphere felt heavy.
Seeing that, the words instinctively slipped out.
“…Sorry.”
“If you know that, then please take better care of your body.”
Tight.
Eosollujeun said that while wrapping the cloth firmly.
At the realization that there was someone who worried about me, my heart gave a faint beat.
That feeling only lasted a moment. I took a magic tome from the submersible and went outside.
…Because if it exploded inside the submersible, a catastrophe would occur.
After finding a suitable patch of sand and sitting down, I waited for the chat.
Then, right away, Truth Scholar’s message came up.
ㄴTruth Scholar: First, could you open the book to page 236?
Following that message, I flipped through the thick book’s pages.
It looked impossible to find it in one go because the book was so thick….
‘Huh…? It’s page 236?’
The spot I had roughly opened to was exactly the page Truth Scholar had mentioned.
I was certain my senses before hadn’t been this delicate.
That strange sensation lasted only a moment. Because Truth Scholar’s messages were coming up quickly, my gaze was stolen away.
ㄴTruth Scholar: First of all, Aurora, you have too much mana. So with ordinary methods… you won’t be able to use the Quickdraw Sword Saint’s sword technique.
“…That hurts.”
ㄴTruth Scholar: That’s still better. If you had no mana at all, you couldn’t even try.
I had received a blessing, yes… but somehow, it was an awkward blessing.
To be honest, that fact drained my strength, but I decided to be grateful that there was still a method.
Truth Scholar’s messages continued.
ㄴTruth Scholar: For now, I think the method of subdividing mana would suit you best, Aurora.
“Subdividing?”
ㄴTruth Scholar: Yes. The book explains it in more detail.
Following those words, I read the contents of the book.
『…The methods of subdividing mana are divided into two types in total. The first is to tear off small portions from one large mass. The second is to divide mana into fixed amounts.』
Two methods. Among them, Truth Scholar said I had to use the second method.
Why? Because, of course, I had already tried the first method and failed.
Spreading mana throughout my entire body—that had been the first method.
As I read the book, I learned the knowledge related to the second method.
“Hmm……”
ㄴTruth Scholar: If it’s difficult, you don’t have to do it today.
“No… if I do it well, I think I can manage it?”
ㄴTruth Scholar: Pardon? Even I took a day before I could do it….
Seeing Truth Scholar’s message, it seemed to be quite a difficult method. …Truth Scholar was always humblebragging, so that was probably about right.
The contents written in the book were indeed in a realm only someone who properly understood mana could attempt.
You had to accurately know the amount of mana flowing from the heart, and then be able to separate it according to the flow, like magic.
If you attempted it half-heartedly…
‘The mana would twist starting from the heart.’
And with the amount of mana I had… Hmm, no matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem like anything good would happen.
It was a dangerous attempt. The risk of failure was far too high. But…
‘I think I can do it.’
It was a certainty born of instinct.
My ability to find flows was so outstanding that no one could easily follow it, and Truth Scholar had also certified my talent.
And I had no other option.
The amount of mana would continue to increase anyway. But there was a limit to how much mana the heart could contain.
I had once asked Truth Scholar because I was curious what would happen if that limit were exceeded….
‘They said mana would burst out from the heart and tear the body to pieces….’
It was something I had to do.
Once all that judgment was complete, there was no more hesitation.
I immediately focused on the mana flowing inside me. Mana moving in time with the pulsing of my heart.
As I slowly followed that flow, I eventually arrived at the heart, the greatest storage vessel.
Now was important.
“Phew……”
ㄴTruth Scholar: Are you seriously doing it? N-no, waait—
Something flashed past over my closed eyes, but because I was focused inward, I couldn’t read it.
Inside my heart, mana was gathered together like a single mass.
That green-tinged mana shed a portion of itself and flowed through my body every time my heart beat.
‘I cut this… according to the flow.’
Cutting according to the flow was similar to splitting wood along its grain.
If it was the correct direction, it would cut smoothly, but if it was the wrong direction, the resistance would be tremendous.
But… I could see every single grain.
As if I were looking through an X-ray, I could see all the flows engraved into the mass of mana.
‘Then… I’ll split it slowly.’
I did not draw up mana. I merely let the mana gathered within me begin to stir.
Breaking free from the pulsing of the heart, a mass of mana that followed my will was born.
At that moment.
“Urk…!”
A fairly intense pain rose up from my heart.
It was a side effect that occurred because instead of an appropriate amount of mana flowing, an enormous amount of mana was flowing all at once.
The thought that I should stop flashed through my mind from the pain, but—
‘No, if I end it here, nothing will come of it.’
Separate from the terrible pain, the mass of mana was moving slowly but surely.
It meant that it was gradually leaving the heart’s storage.
The fairly enormous mana did not move through my blood vessels. Instead, it slowly crossed through my body.
Leaving the blood vessels, it passed straight through muscles, bones, and everything else. In the process, a severe burning pain arose.
“Huu……”
A groan full of pain slipped out, but I did not stop.
The mana moved along the flow of my massive body, moved and moved—
Then stopped in one place.
At the forearm area of my right arm, the mass of mana had filled it completely.
I moved my hand and tried clenching my fist.
Tight.
“…It got this strong?”
The strength of my forearm, which controlled grip strength, had risen dramatically. This meant….
“I succeeded!”
ㄴTruth Scholar: You succeeded? How did you do that right away….
Truth Scholar typed as if they couldn’t believe it.
Certainly, if I hadn’t properly understood the flow, the mass of mana would have tangled and stopped midway through moving.
And that stopped mass of mana would have caused continuous pain.
Realizing that, I felt grateful that I possessed this instinctive sense.
‘It feels like my intuition has grown even more….’
That thought only lasted a moment. I immediately rose from my seat.
The mana filling my heart was now about half of what it had been before. At this level, it should be enough to attempt the Third Form.
I immediately drew the sword from my waist.
It was a sword technique used in quick-draw swordsmanship, but… the Third Form was a technique that was fine to operate with the sword already drawn.
As I took my stance, the Quickdraw Sword Saint’s message came up right away.
ㄴQuickdraw Sword Saint: As if a star were exploding, detonate the space behind the direction you intend to move. Focus on acceleration.
Etching his words into my eyes, I infused mana into the black blade.
Unlike before, when even wrapping my entire body in physical reinforcement had caused a slight burning sensation, now there was no sensation at all—only green sword energy formed along the blade.
I took my stance and swung in an extremely simple motion, cutting down from above.
Heizen Style, Third Form.
Supernova超新星.
A green star exploded outward. Behind it, a massive storm arose.
Kwaaang!
The aftermath was….
ㄴTruth Scholar: You merely swung it… and the sand in front of you was ground away.
ㄴQuickdraw Sword Saint: I did not think you would learn it this quickly. As expected… there is no other word for you but genius.
Once again, I had leapt forward to the next stage.