Chapter 212

The night was filled with the hoots of owls. After the vast forest was destroyed, the remaining vegetation became a haven for many animals. Donatan lit a campfire in the middle of the ongoing struggle within the food chain. “Aura is the power transformed from the mana of the atmosphere that gathers inside the body. And power is the hardest to keep at rest.” Keeping calm is difficult for living beings that constantly move with a storage vessel like the dantian full of aura. Just as latent power reacts wildly when external forces interfere, aura behaves in a similar manner. “Life is always in motion. Even when sleeping, muscles contract and relax repeatedly. Every time that happens, aura fluctuates, stirring the body and sometimes unintentionally being released.” Hearing Donatan’s words, everyone seemed to agree, perhaps recalling similar experiences. “That’s true. When I first awakened, it was like that.” “Yeah, I even broke the shelf next to my bed while talking in my sleep.” “It was hard to control.” Most beginners experienced instances where aura wouldn’t come when needed but spilled out uncontrollably at other times. “That was because the aura was carving out its pathways.” Donatan pointed at the area below his navel. He gestured to the dantian and continued explaining. “Think of the dantian as a well, and aura as pouring rain. But someone has placed a lid over the well, keeping the water contained. Have you ever wondered what happens when the well fills with rainwater?” Over time, the well’s structure weakens, and eventually, streams break through the ground and spread like roots. That’s how substreams are formed. Donatan wanted to boast about the great discovery of the Sword Saints, but by modern standards, it was already widely known knowledge. “Doesn’t it sound like something we’ve heard before?” Silla asked with a hint of boredom. Riamon responded, “It’s a metaphor for how aura pathways form, but it’s overly basic. We can skip this part.” They were right. The principle was that as the body moved, the aura in the dantian splashed around, opening new pathways throughout the body. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Donatan decided to test whether they knew even more. “But unlike real wells, the dantian gradually becomes stronger over time. What was once soft hardens, just like how the aura pathways also solidify.” Like the dantian, aura pathways inevitably harden. However, through special techniques, they could be softened again, and the expanded dantian and aura pathways could draw in new external aura, accumulating power—this was the essence of a technique known as ‘yan-gong.’ “That much we already know. Even now, we’re building power through yan-gong.” Hearing Riamon’s answer, Donatan scrutinized him with piercing eyes before speaking. “You’re mistaken.” “What?” “No matter how much you practice yan-gong, it’s only half the real thing.” Despite accumulating experience in yan-gong, there were realms they had yet to understand. After all, no history could be perfectly preserved through generations. Donatan pointed at various parts of Riamon’s body—legs, chest, arms, wrists. All were key areas used in swordsmanship. “Just like unused muscles atrophy, you’ve forgotten about half of the pathways that once formed when your aura was first cultivated.” There are many muscle groups. Compared to them, aura pathways cover a far broader range. Pathways extend beyond the eyes, nose, and forehead to many other organs, but since those parts are not typically used in combat, the pathways gradually degenerated. “You likely didn’t use aura when blinking, eating, or breathing. Only the pathways used during swordplay were strengthened. You’ve missed so much—it’s a shame.” Silla frowned and asked sharply. “Fine, let’s assume pathways extend that far. But is there any need to use them? Those pathways wouldn’t help in combat anyway.” Donatan clicked his tongue in disappointment and shook his head. “How foolish. If you had any wit, you would have thought of ways to utilize them.” Seeing their bewildered expressions, Donatan sighed deeply and answered. “The pathways that you left to harden… they can serve as extensions of the dantian.” Aura pathways can also function as storage. In other words, if they could reactivate the degenerated storage areas, they could store significantly more aura than before. Donatan suddenly recalled a certain family and stared blankly at the ground. He didn’t know how they had come to understand it. Perhaps they had learned it from someone related to the Sword Saints, or maybe they had figured it out through self-study. In any case, monopolizing forgotten knowledge in this era must have been one of the factors, alongside their bloodline and swordsmanship, that elevated Tenest to the ranks of the strongest. Perhaps because the claim was so absurd, Leana asked with a puzzled expression. “I understand that cultivating unused pathways would have such an effect, but is there a way to activate them? It’s like telling someone to move their ears…” Limberton blinked and folded and unfolded his ears without using his hands. “Huh? You guys can’t do this? My mom and Selberton can too.” For a moment, everyone was focused on Limberton’s trick, only to realize it wasn’t that impressive. Silla cleared her throat and turned her gaze away from Limberton. “Ahem, I agree with Leana. How do we reactivate a degenerated organ? We can’t even move our tailbones.” Donatan lightly pressed his fingertip against Silla’s forehead and smirked. “Did you just ask how to do it?” Sensing something ominous, Silla stammered in fear. “Uh, uh?” “Like this.” Zap! Static electricity crackled from Donatan’s fingertip. The orange glow of the campfire reflected on the wooden pillar turned blue from the intense electricity. Reactivating degenerated aura pathways inevitably involved intense pain. Especially when compressing a process that would normally take Ten years into a few months, the resulting pain was beyond comparison. “Ahhhhh!” Silla screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. However, her body was so stiffened that she couldn’t even resist. When smoke started rising from her mouth, she finally passed out. At that moment, while everyone was sweating nervously, “You’re next, skinny one.” Pointed out by Donatan, Riamon paled and hesitated. That night, cries of men and women echoed mournfully from the bushes, scaring away the surrounding animals. *** In the dark shadows, the torches on the walls cast a blue glow around the area. A man in a robe took a deep breath. “Hoo.” As always, the dungeon smelled musty. It was a scent akin to that of something alive. Rimaal scanned the walls, which spread out like the roots of a tree, with his clouded eyes. The aftermath of the previous incident had reached the underground, but, as expected of a living dungeon, it was gradually recovering. Rimaal’s vitality was also returning. He stretched his stiff shoulders and started walking. A guardian, modeled after a true dragon, greeted him. Rimaal patted its head a few times and stood in the center of the corridor, chanting a spell. The scenery darkened, transforming into a new location. It was a shrine filled with pillars. Rimaal walked down the long corridor. After taking a few steps forward, a translucent woman approached him and spoke. “Redes, what’s with that form?” Rimaal wore an expression of boredom. It was understandable, as the question was repeated every time he came here. The sentience was a transient memory, so it couldn’t be helped. Still, it was better than the desolate silence. Compared to shivering while reading the inscription on the stone tablet, interacting with a figure resembling its living form was preferable, though he was starting to grow tired of it. “It’s the result of a successful experiment, Felia.” “Truly, you and the dungeon…” Rimaal naturally thought of Adrigaal, the founder of Frost Heart. He didn’t know whether it was due to the repetitive conversations with Felia’s sentience. Perhaps it was an unconscious reaction triggered by his own resolve, Rimaal speculated. “That’s right. I managed to find the flaws in Master’s teachings.” Rimaal had fused with the dungeon. His original name was Redes, but one day, when a donation-based entrant arrived, he seized the body of a man named Rimaal. Therefore, names held no importance to him. Rimaal abandoned even the name Redes and recited his Master’s words while recalling only one thing. “In the face of eternal inquiry, we are but fleeting existences. Therefore, admit that pursuing ultimate truth is an overreach and focus on passing down records to future generations… Was that how it went?” It wasn’t particularly provocative as a teaching. Rimaal’s current actions were simply driven by pure curiosity and a hint of defiance upon sensing a point worth contesting. All of this began with a shallow thought—if there was a basis for denial and a way to execute it, why not give it a try? Indeed, in the past, there had been those who provided clues to support this. Immortality and reincarnation. By merging with the dungeon, Rimaal had acquired a lifespan rivaling immortality, and he was finally gazing upon the end of inquiry. That end was a black humanoid figure standing motionless at the far end of the shrine. In front of the unmoving doll, Felia asked with a pensive expression. “…Why are you trying to awaken that thing?” “Who knows? Perhaps it’s because I don’t know whether I should conclude my inquiry here or embark on a new path.” Thanks to the near-immortal lifespan he had gained, Rimaal had reached the end of his quest for knowledge. But it wasn’t in the truest sense. It was akin to reading a book with a predetermined ending. The question now was whether to be satisfied with the conclusion or seek a new book to continue his exploration. “If awakening this results in destruction, I will have found satisfaction. If it marks a new beginning, it means there are still paths left to tread.” For Rimaal, his own life or death was of no consequence. If destruction came, it would mark the end of his inquiry. If a new world began, it would simply mean the journey wasn’t over. There was no hesitation or guilt in his actions. If a fragile world were to crumble due to his personal pursuit of knowledge, it might as well disappear. Rimaal’s mind was filled with pure yet ruthless selfishness. *** Busy days always dull one’s sense of time. In my efforts to aid in the academy’s reconstruction, I frequently visited the student council, and my body felt so tired that I often fell asleep. Perhaps the monotony of repeating the same actions made looking at the calendar feel even more unfamiliar. “Three months have passed already…” Summing up the past few months, everything had gone smoothly. Dorosian had subjected the students of the Adele Hall’s magic department to near-torturous training. The knights’ division had also seemingly trained hard, as they always appeared utterly exhausted. Meanwhile, Mircel had grown about three centimeters taller. “Looks like Father put you through some harsh training.” “…Don’t even get me started, brother. He didn’t hold back at all when preparing for the Integrated Tournament. I’ve never seen him like that in my life.” It seemed that Aol had high expectations for this upcoming Tournament. Perhaps he had trained Mircel sincerely, keeping in mind the showdown with Ares, but unfortunately, such a match would never happen. We only planned to defeat the eternal third and fourth-ranked teams, Ever Blaze and Scarlett. Not only was there no chance of reaching the finals with Valient, but we wouldn’t even be facing the powerhouse, Wisdom. Still, as long as Mircel performed well while the rest underperformed, everything would be accepted without question. After all, Mircel himself had never won during his time at Frost Heart, so he’d understand. “There’s no need to be nervous. Just do as you usually do. Even if the results aren’t great, Father will understand.” After patting his shoulder, Mircel looked at my face and asked, “But brother, you don’t look so great yourself. Did something happen while I was away?” It was probably due to all the student council work… Suddenly, something felt off. Even during my office worker days, when I worked overtime like it was routine, I had never felt this drained. Especially considering my body was in better shape now than it was back then. Naturally, this suspicion led to questioning a certain suspicious person. ‘…You didn’t increase the intensity of my training or something, did you?’ Donatan cleared his throat and answered. ‘Ahem, yes. I’ve been pushing a bit harder lately. Don’t worry. Your physical condition is steadily improving.’ It wasn’t entirely implausible, but I couldn’t be sure. Indeed, this guy was suspicious. To read Chapters ahead ???? CH 211-215 (Graduation) $3 CH 216-220 (Integrated Academy Tournament) $3 CH 221-225 (The Underdog) $3 CH 226-230 (Who am I?) $3 CH 231-235 (Frostheart Vs Wisdom) $3 CH 236-240 (I want to lose) $3 CH 241-245 (Finals) $3 Prev I TOC I Next Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Like Loading...