Antagonist Protection Service-Chapter 218 Magic Power Training
218: Magic Power Training
218: Magic Power Training
“―Controlling magic energy?”
Asking that as if he didn’t quite understand what I was talking about, I responded with a firm nod.
“Yes.
Despite what Lucretia might have told you, I really only came into possession of it just recently, so I haven’t learned how to control it yet.”
“…For now, I have already decided I’m not going to question how you went from possessing no mana to possessing it, but I can already see it flowing around your body to enhance you, and rather smoothly at that.
And yet you can’t control it…
You mean to tell me that wasn’t your doing?
That was natural for you?”
‘Hm?
Oh, he can probably see that sort of stuff ’cause he’s a mage, right?’
“Yeah.
Why?
You make it sound like it’s not normal.”
Right after I said that, Joádin frowned, and though his mouth remained firmly shut, it felt like I could read his mind in that moment, hearing something along the lines of ‘that doesn’t sound right…’
A few moments later that felt much longer than reality, he opened his mouth.
“…Let me see something.
Turn around.”
Approaching me, I did as he said and turned my back to him, still sitting on the bed.
I didn’t bother asking questions since that would only drag things out longer, and he probably wouldn’t be able to give me a straight answer until he found what he was looking for anyway.
Feeling him press his hands on my back around my shoulder blades, I felt him momentarily flinch.
“Cold…
So that’s the Winter Mother’s divine energy…”
Muttering that, he continued, tracing a hand just briefly across my back in silence.
“…I see…”
Not more than five seconds later, he withdrew.
“Your magic energy flows through your blood, not your mana veins.”
Hearing him make that simple statement, one I was already well aware of, I turned back around to face him.
“I don’t have mana veins.”
I didn’t know if having magic energy flow through my physical body was better or worse than if I had it flow through some sort of spiritual mana veins instead, or maybe if they were both about the same, but either way, this was how things were.
This was the only choice I had, so I had to accept it and make it work regardless.
“Indeed.
It is extremely intriguing…
Alas, unfortunate as it is, we don’t exactly have the luxury to study you as much as I would like.”
‘”We”?’
“As you say, it would be a far greater use of time to teach you how to control your magic energy before things get…
chaotic.
From what I saw, the natural flowing of magic energy through your veins empowers your body constantly without the need for you to control it.
Does this align with your understanding?”
“I think so.
I just convert the mana in the air I breathe into magic energy in my lungs, which then gets absorbed into my blood or something.
Although, I heard that’s only possible because it’s a refined type of magic energy.”
Giving that casual explanation of how I understood Mana Corruption to work―not really from the Skill “Description”, but rather the teachings of others, like the Dragon Tribe elders from the world of the same Demon King I taxed the Skill from―Joádin curtly nodded.
“It sounds about accurate with what I saw flowing within you.
Ordinarily, one must train to enhance their body with magic power using that internal energy, but because it flows through you always, your body is essentially always under that effect without the need for additional focus.”
‘I thought so.
That’s great, like a permanent passive increase in my physical strength.
That’s exactly what I wanted from the beginning.’
“That doesn’t mean I still can’t make it better or more efficient, right?”
“Naturally.
Although, I do not think it needs to be stated that there has never been a case such as yours in the history of this empire.
I will try my best to guide you using theory, so follow along as I say.”
“Alright…”
‘Makes me a little nervous, but it should be fine, right…?’
“First, close your eyes and concentrate.”
Receiving the first set of instructions, I obediently did as I was told, eager to get stronger if it was at all possible.
“Focus on the energy flowing through you now, feel it, follow it, and as much as you can, gain an awareness of where each vein leads, like an overly detailed map.”
Listening, I went along without hesitation, searching within for where the magic energy circulated through me and finding it instantly.
Not because I was particularly talented, mind you, but because it was everywhere.
Because there was magic energy contained within my blood itself, and my blood flowed everywhere within my body, that naturally meant my magic energy also flowed everywhere within my body.
That was the easy part.
The hard part was the second thing he told me to do.
‘Map it out…’
I could understand why it was necessary, even without having it explained to me.
To put it simply, in order to effectively control the magic energy that flowed through me and empowered me, I should first have an understanding of where that magic energy even is inside me.
Essentially, that meant I had to make a mental map of all the veins and arteries in my body and engrave that into my head until I couldn’t forget it.
No, more than that, I needed to be able to effortlessly draw the entire three-dimensional map of my cardiovascular system in my mind without even thinking about it.
It was something I thought was quite basic and obvious when I first thought about it, but at the same time, something that could be easily overlooked, and when put into practice, I found it to be something far more complicated than I expected.
I was almost certain that this wasn’t something everyone else had to do when training to control their magic energy, and some part of me also considered it might just be impossible for me, but regardless, I gave it my best effort and continued without complaint.
Before I realised it, a week had passed.
