NGRF Ch 10

Before class started, I noticed that everyone except me was holding a small, round ball the size of a child’s fist.

I didn’t know what it was. All I had with me was a thick textbook I had bought for my basics of magic class, a notebook for jotting down notes, and writing utensils.

As I sat restlessly before the class began, I noticed a ball being passed among my classmates in the distance, going from one person to another until it finally landed in my hands. Only then did I feel relieved.

Angela Sting, the magic teacher standing at the podium, was a woman just over thirty, and she taught with a soft voice.

The language here already had everyone speaking the words and phrases softly and slowly enough, so to hear her recite them as if she were whispering made it sound more like a song than a lesson.

The ends of Angela Sting’s long hair, which reached down to her waist, were as straight as if cut with a blade, and both her eyes and her hair were a dark indigo blue with a glossy white sheen. She explained the difference between mana and aura as follows:

Mana is a far and distant power drawn from Mother Nature, while aura is a near and immediate power created by humans. She gave a long explanation that what is created by something that touches from afar and something that touches from near may look similar in appearance, but in essence cannot be the same.

“…Therefore, mana comes from the gentle grey between the light and shadow of the soft breeze, fresh grass flowers, splashing spring water, and flickering flames. Now, everyone, please close your eyes and envision a fresh meadow.”

Professor Angela Sting spread her arms wide. Her movements resembled a dance, as if she could cradle the very sky within her embrace. It was simply astounding.

“The clovers of the vast meadow, the distant chirping of birds, the wind tickling your cheeks, and the warm sunlight bathing your body. Grab a slither of that distant energy… Leave yourselves behind and grasp what lies beyond. Take a deep breath… and as you exhale, let that sliver of breath flow into your chest and into your arms. Take another deep breath… and slowly, to the beat of your heart…”

However, I couldn’t sense the mana.

Taking a long breath in and out felt no different to me than meditation. Especially because I couldn’t comprehend gathering internal energy directly into the middle dantian instead of the lower one.

For me, the lower dantian was a reservoir, the middle dantian was a waterway, and the upper dantian was a valley. I had learned and used it that way, so no matter how much internal energy I pushed into the waterway, which continued to flow no matter how much was put into it, it kept dispersing and disappearing.

I cracked my eyes open and glanced around. Golden circles were rotating clockwise around the chests and feet of the mages, who stood scattered around the classroom, each at a moderate distance from the others.

I was filled with excitement as I witnessed a mage circle for the first time that day. Some circles glowed brightly with golden light, while others drifted in space like the warm, misty steam rising from hot springs.

Among them was a circle tinged with a reddish gold hue.

I remembered hearing about red gold in my previous life.

It was a bizarre story, one that spoke of a white monkey who dwelled deep within the valleys of Mount Huangshan. For a thousand days, it dyed a piece of gold with red petals, nourished it with sacrificial blood for a hundred days, and then bathed it in boiling hot spring waters for ten days. At last, the gold transformed into a hue neither red nor golden—a treasure the monkey cherished as dearly as its own offspring.

Legends like these were just a few among many unbelievable tales: a dragon rumoured to inhabit a particular mountain, an imugi¹ descending upon another, or a five-headed turtle emerging from a certain river.

However, as I gazed upon this enigmatic light that could neither be grasped nor dispersed, my thoughts turned to the lump of red gold that the white monkey would have cradled. As the distinct circle multiplied layer by layer, from one to two, two to three, and three to four, it finally spread to my feet. I felt my toes twitch, instinctively curling them together.

“…Now, reinspire the breath you just exhaled, drawing in the circle that surrounds you through your mouth and nose. Feel it reach your chest before sending it far, far away. Imagine the wind carrying away everything you no longer require. If it’s challenging to picture because you can’t see it, imagine a wisp of cloud.”

The children followed the instructions, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly. The professor then continued, her eyes half-lidded, “Looking down at the floor instead of the sky… and watch the shadow of the cloud drift further and further away. A little more, a little more… When it’s drifted so far that it’s out of your reach, slowly begin to open your eyes. Take your time… slowlyyy…”

In that instant, my gaze met Professor Angela’s. She already sensed my lack of focus. Her blink conveyed a hint of discomfort. It was only then, as I recognized the faint disappointment and reproach in her eyes, that I snapped back to my senses.

“It seems it isn’t easy for students in the swordsmanship division. Unlike mages, most knights don’t possess inner circles within their bodies. Specifically, the swordsmanship of the Cieran Empire views aura as only armour and a weapon, so they wrap all the mana they gather around them like a bandage.”

At the professor’s gesture, a transparent human figure floated above the front desk. I was unsure of the magic she employed to create it, but hearing some of the students marvel aloud, I realized it was an extraordinary thing.

The human figure was blue, and the green light drawn from outside layered around the stick in the figure’s hand, chest, knees, and other key areas.

“The glow coming from weapons imbued with mana, as seen here, is called aura. It can also be used like this.”

The green light entered through the figure’s gushing spring acupoint, located on the sole of the foot, and traced a path up to the hipbone. It seeped into the meridians in its muscles, and the figure imitated a high jump and ran forward before stopping.

“Third-class mages can use body reinforcement magic by pulling mana into a thin string and fully suffusing it into each part of their body. Knights, on the other hand, typically have more freedom in controlling mana, as they only use aura on their bodies, which they constantly study and perceive. However, they can be seriously injured if anything goes wrong. You must be careful.”

I felt curious all of a sudden. I couldn’t fully comprehend the difference between a mage’s mana, a knight’s aura, and my internal energy. Each had its own glow, but from what I observed, each circle had its own colour, and no two people had the same circle.

The mana accumulated in my middle dantian flowed along its path, completing several cycles before dispersing faintly. In contrast, my internal energy remained in a firm, heavy, and sedate state. It was akin to an obedient dog, following a fixed path in my body when I meditate, gaining strength, then returning home.

I opened my mouth in the hopes of asking, but I felt reluctant to speak in the midst of the other students’ passionate questions, their eyes holding the same sparkle I had when facing Maello Sanson.

Right, my goal was not to learn magic itself but rather to acquaint myself with a friend as wise and meticulous as a member of the Jegal Clan. If I were truly that curious, I could simply ask during my upcoming Aura and Mana class.

Angela Sting, who earnestly answered the young mages’ questions—despite there being over ten of them, roughly counting—took out a round ball identical to the students’.

I looked at the one in my own hands.

The transparent crystal ball had a few iron wires inside, twisted into curious shapes, with some points connected and others disconnected. Four red dots marked the north, south, east, and west of the sphere. It looked like something some people in the central plains might worship as a sacred object.

“Place your right thumb on position one and your right pinkie on position three. Hold the ball with your right hand, as if supporting it… If your hands lack strength and the ball feels heavy, you can rest your right hand on the table. Gently, as if you’re swathing it… Place your left palm on position two. The tip of your left middle finger should touch position four.”

I held the ball as instructed.

“Now, in this state, form another circle. Summon the cloud you sent away earlier into your right hand, shape it thin… and send it through the crystal ball to your left. Like a fine thread… Slowly, from point one to point two, from point two to point three, and from point three to point four, move along the path… There’s no rush. Slowly…”

I peered into the crystal ball, perfectly fitting my small, still-growing hand, and glanced around. One by one, half-open mouths let out gasps of wonder. What in the world were they doing? Curious, I fixed my gaze back on the professor’s lips.

“The tip of your left middle finger should be tingling by now, along with a floral scent emanating from somewhere. Listen to the whispers spreading within your body. This is what we call the <Purification> spell. Take a closer look at the path and flow of the mana. You can close your eyes or leave them open. Those who can hear it, listen with your ears. With repetition, it will become familiar, and with familiarity, it will become natural…”

My curiosity magnified.

Seeing everyone’s serene faces, I thought it might be alright. I recalled the professor’s earlier words. I collected the internal energy from my lower dantian and circulated it through the main acupuncture points of my body.

Instead of reaching the governing vein, I directed it straight to the middle dantian. Whether the water comes from a canal connected to the ocean or is drawn from a reservoir, aren’t they all flowing water the same?

It was the first time I had thinned my internal energy in this way. The internal energy started from my right hand and passed through the crystal ball. Slowly, from point one to point two, and then from point two to…

Crack, came the sound of something shattering.

Gasp—suddenly, a bloody smell rose in the air, and nausea washed over me. Unable to hold back any longer, I flung the ball away.

The professor, startled by the sound of it shattering under the desk, quickly cast some sort of spell. I heaved and spat out the blood that rose in my throat, my insides churning. Everything I had for lunch surged up my throat, and I spat out the contents of my mouth onto the floor.

It felt as if the areas from my small intestine to my stomach—no, my whole body—were being squeezed and wrung out. There was the clamour of the desk being pulled aside.

“ㅡRecovery…!”

A cool sensation came from above, enveloping my dizzy head. A gentle green energy seeped into my pounding heart and trembling limbs. 

Barf. I continued to vomit, trying to calm my shaking shoulders. Meanwhile, the professor conjured a glass of water from the air and handed it to me. With red eyes, I accepted it and drank. Professor Angela Sting pointed out with a sighing yet cold and firm voice. “Swordsmanship and magic are very different. Ruthlessly forcing in unrefined mana can cause your blood and energy to twist like this… While you can receive immediate treatment from me or other professors, I strongly advise you not to attempt incomplete magic on your own… Today’s lesson ends here. You should go straight to the infirmary for treatment…”

I barely managed to nod; a sting lingered in my mouth, which caused me to dry heave. Though it was minor for a qi deviation, it was big enough of a shock to harm this young body. The eyes of a martial artist who has already reached the peak realm will be able to see it clearly. The golden-red mana that had skewed through the centre of the crystal, tangling its path.

I stared at the broken crystal for a moment before leaving. I knew the owner of that crystal. Edwin Kyadris. The younger brother² of Wesley Kyadris, the youngest grand sword master.

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¹ 이무기 – A large serpent. Some tales describe them as snakes who’ve yet to become dragons, as they need to live for a thousand years or go through some sort of trial.
² 동복동생 – Younger brother who shares the same mother