Chapter 36: New Problem

Fenric, meanwhile, moved to the side of the chamber and sat down cross-legged, slipping into a meditative posture. His breathing slowed, his presence grew still. And then—he closed his eyes. The world around him faded. When he opened them again, he was no longer in the training chamber—but standing at the edge of a vast, tranquil expanse. The Cerulean Sea. His Mana Sea. Within the Cerulean Sea, the calm waves glimmered with quiet, radiant energy... but Fenric’s eyes narrowed. A ripple passed through the sea—followed by a massive shadow. Then— BOOM. A gargantuan figure slowly emerged from the deeper part of the sea, so enormous it felt like the entire Mana Sea had shifted to make room for him. Lying there casually, half-submerged in shimmering azure, was a dragon—but not just any dragon. His sheer size was ridiculous. His upper body was bare, carved from divine muscle, scaled arms folded behind his head as if he were lounging on a beach instead of floating in magical essence. Horns like obsidian thrones crowned his head, and his deep voice rumbled like thunder from beneath the ocean. "You finally showed up," the dragon said lazily, his voice like a rumble of distant thunder—eyes still closed, head reclined as though he were resting on clouds instead of mana. Fenric blinked, utterly unimpressed. "...At least try to act like a majestic Ancient Supreme," he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Before him lounged none other than Duserdis, the Dragon King of Sloth—the strongest of his kind, whispered about in dusty tomes and forbidden chants. "What in the hells are you doing here?" Fenric asked, stepping forward with curious eyes. "And why did you drag me into my own Mana Sea?" Duserdis finally cracked a grin, his long tail lazily swirling arcs through the radiant ocean. "I’m here because it’s urgent, princeling. Though I’m also not here to teach you. It’s a warning." He finally opened his glowing emerald eyes, and the air seemed to still. "...You’ve got a big damn problem brewing." Fenric’s face darkened. "What kind of problem?" Damn it, what now? Fenric cursed inwardly. Just when he thought he could finally do all kinds of magic without his life on the line, Duserdis came out with another big piece of news. Just gimme a break, please, he sighed. Duserdis rolled over, propping himself up on one elbow. "The poison you’ve been receiving... the one that was slowly eating at your life?" Fenric’s eyes narrowed. "Is there still some of it left?" Duserdis shook his massive head as he spoke. "It has a hidden effect—subtle, but very beneficial. It doesn’t just weaken you to the point of death. It forces your Mana Sea to expand and contract repeatedly. That unnatural cycling creates concentrated and Pure Mana... and over time, it stretches your Mana Sea far beyond what your current realm should have." He paused, then shrugged. "Of course, most people die before they ever notice." Fenric’s gaze turned cold. "But I didn’t die." "No," Duserdis said with a faint smirk. "You got the Moon Cleansing Flames that purged the poison out of you, while my blessing fixed your body to peak condition." He lifted a clawed hand and pointed at Fenric’s chest. "The result? You now possess a Mana Sea at the scale of a Super Human—yet your body is still only at the 1st Level of Soldier." Fenric’s brows furrowed. "...Isn’t that a good thing? Bigger Mana Sea means more power, more fuel in the tank. I should be stronger, right?" Duserdis nodded slowly. "In theory, yes. A larger Mana Sea means more potential, more spells, more brute endurance." "But only if you can properly use it." He narrowed his eyes. "You’ve got the sea. You’ve got the storage. But tell me, princeling—do you know how to channel it? To shape it? To compress it into actual force without wasting 99% of it in every cast?" He scoffed. "You might look like someone with immense power, but until you master control, all you’ve got is a sword so big you can’t even wield it properly." Fenric’s expression fell. He looked down at his hands. "So... doesn’t it also mean I’ll remain a Soldier until I learn to control this massive Mana? I mean, after all, to go to the next rank one needs to have control over their Energy Sea." Duserdis nodded solemnly. "Exactly. You’ve been gifted a divine wellspring... but until you learn to use it, it’s a curse in disguise. One day, you’ll face someone not half as gifted—but because they’ve mastered every drop, they’ll bleed you dry." He looked into his eyes, glowing with intensity. "You can’t afford that. Not anymore." "...So what do I do?" Duserdis leaned back with a knowing smile. "Step one? Purge the poison—and you’ve already done that. Now, step two: learn to control the mana, starting from one drop... until you can command the entire sea." "Only when you can fully control and freely use every drop of your Mana Sea can you call yourself truly healed." He folded his arms, scales catching the glint of magical light. "And of course, as I said—I’m not here to train you. You have to figure out how to do it on your own. Until then... see you." He began to fade, but moments later, his voice rang out once more. "Oh, by the way—if you can complete it in just a year, I’ll give you a reward. The faster you do it, the better the reward. But after a year... no prize." Then silence. Fenric looked into his Mana Sea and sighed. "No wonder my Mana Sea was so much bigger..." he muttered, sitting cross-legged at the center of the cerulean ocean, not sinking, just gently floating. "I wonder how long this will take," he mumbled as he closed his eyes and began to meditate, while his book floated nearby. He wondered if there was anything that could help him train with his enormous Mana Sea and help him control it faster. "I can always contract the spirit, but she needs a unique kind of Knowledge... I guess I need to go ’There’, sooner rather than later," he muttered.