Silent Magus

Pernok wrote down the items he needed and handed them to Ruin.

When Ruin looked at the list gravely, Pernok tilted his head.

“Are you short on money?”

He’d lived on the mountain for a long time.

He thought financial problems might be serious, but Ruin shook his head.

“No. I can obtain most of it.”

“Tell me if you’re short. Since I improved the existing Lionic, it’ll exceed the costs you couple prepared.”

“Don’t worry about money. Even after Baudelaire died, I ran around quite a bit to maintain this castle.”

“With your face fully exposed?”

“It’s a forged identity, so nobody knows.”

He liked even this meticulous side.

‘Once Lionic is completed and I refine the castle a bit more, that’s it. Then how do I bring along this Magus who seems to have transcended worldly concerns…’

That was when Pernok was staring intently at Ruin.

Ruin tucked the list into his pocket and said.

“If you believe Lionic will operate according to Pernok’s theory, naturally the more conduits connecting to the castle the better, right?”

“Nothing bad about it.”

“Then shall we try connecting conduits together?”

Pernok readily agreed.

“How many conduits did you make?”

“Plenty including the amount to newly add. However, one more delicate process is needed.”

“Process?”

Ruin pointed at giant conduits laid throughout the castle.

From conduits not yet buried in the ground, he felt sticky mana.

Leading Pernok to conduits that seemed to suck you in just watching, Ruin said.

“Mana coating.”

* * *

Pernok was seized by a dizzying feeling as if his soul was sucked away.

‘Coating meant this!?’

The moment he grasped one conduit, mana from inside his body was sucked right in.

Without even time to control it or not, Pernok was instantly robbed of all mana.

When he collapsed as if exhausted, Ruin approached.

“We’ll have to start over from the beginning.”

“Isn’t it over once you put mana in?”

“You must control the input mana to spread and coat the conduit. This process combined is called mana coating.”

“Is it possible to maintain mana already sucked in within the conduit?”

“It’s theory not in alchemy. I devised it independently. Isn’t it worth attempting?”

Only then did Pernok realize Ruin had other intentions.

‘Is he trying to give me enlightenment.’

By Pernok’s common sense, magic was innate talent.

Moreover, Pernok absorbed and used magic, while Ruin sublimated the unique magic called silence into principles.

Their grain was different.

Interfering with another’s personal domain was impossible.

“If you’re thinking of taking me as a disciple, stop. I’m typically physical enhancement type.”

“Hehehe, I’m not trying to teach magic.”

“Then what?”

“Mana manipulation.”

What Ruin could do now.

‘I repay his kindness with my knowledge.’

Deep understanding of mana accumulated by an S2 Magus.

Secrets unobtainable even offering a fortune could accelerate a mage’s talent.

“Seeing your mana manipulation ability, Pernok, I felt it was similar to my method of mana coating this conduit. If I help, your mana manipulation ability will improve far beyond before.”

“Is it possible even though we’re different mages?”

“Mana is driving force all mages commonly utilize, so it doesn’t matter. Only by properly handling this does magical capability rise. Actually, places like academies cultivate talent through the unique method of gathering mages with different magic and training mana together. Especially mana operation methods containing high Magus insights are designated national treasures with external leakage impossible.”

Pernok lacked knowledge about magic.

Yak was an ordinary person, and the guard captain was a level 3 mage.

He’d mostly focused on magic and concentrated only on how to kill enemies effectively.

Pernok also grew strong by stealing magic and mana from the Fighting Pit and Avala forces.

‘Does that mean I’m just a big child.’

An evaluation of being hollow strength with only outstanding mana quantity.

“Is grasping conduits and training the core of your mana operation method?”

“This is most basic. But if you accomplish this, your Mana Reinforcement will become much easier.”

“Thanks for the concern.”

“You’re our couple’s benefactor. I’ll help so you don’t die easily.”

“Your worrying is excessive.”

“I’m also regretful to say this. However.”

Ruin looked around the castle.

“Magic rules the world. Alchemy is like a stone thrown into that world.”

Alchemy possessed various knowledge like Lionic that artificially contains mana.

Mages couldn’t stand the reality where anyone could ‘utilize’ mana.

They rejected alchemy to protect their exclusive domain.

“The moment the castle is revealed, mages will realize alchemy’s substance and demand a price from you. And that price won’t be easy at all.”

“I came here including that.”

“Then you need power to protect yourself all the more.”

“All I need is time. It’d be good if someone helped from the side. All the more welcome if it’s you.”

Ruin smiled faintly.

“Let’s think about it after finishing conduit work. First, I’ll give you two months.”

“What if I reduce it by half?”

“It’s early, but I’ll offer even higher level insights.”

“I should finish quickly then.”

Pernok smiled meaningfully.

* * *

To Ruin, Pernok was a benefactor who would realize the couple’s dream.

No expression could fully convey gratitude for reviving alchemy that nearly died like this.

Though Pernok’s desired answer still needed consideration, he planned to grant any other request.

Even if he couldn’t coat 20 within a month, he’d intended to continue conveying advanced mana operation methods and enlightenment.

The conduit work was training to accelerate Pernok’s growth after all.

‘I originally planned to guide him from the side…’

Things got slightly twisted when Pernok suddenly made a counter-proposal.

Conduit work required highly advanced mana manipulation methods.

Level 4 and below mages collapsed without even succeeding at several.

Watching him grasp conduits saying he’d try alone looked good with overflowing confidence, but on one hand the sight of struggling alone also looked worrying.

‘Clearly realizing his own limits wouldn’t be bad either.’

Mages realized talent’s limits only after facing walls.

Most couldn’t surpass those walls and remained low-level for life.

But Ruin had no intention of leaving Pernok at the bottom.

His skill generously rated at level 4.

Though talent that broke through his own wall in special ways showed, right now he was clearly low-level unable to properly coat even one conduit and suffering from mana deficiency.

Fill the grand-seeming mana shell with solid substance, raising him to a level absolutely incomparable among equals.

And based on a solid foundation, endlessly elevate the mage’s capability.

‘If I keep him beside me and teach for about 10 years, he’s material who could aim for Magus. I want to help that talent bloom brilliantly as much as possible.’

It wasn’t simply repaying kindness.

Greed arose seeing Pernok’s extraordinary talent entering mana conduit work.

Ruin watched Pernok from a distance.

Pernok who’d long grasped the conduit and put in mana collapsed with pallid complexion.

His whole body heaved each rough breath as he gradually recovered mana.

The very basic stage of using and recovering mana was well established.

But if he couldn’t resist the pulling force and lost mana control, he wouldn’t coat even one conduit after a month passed.

‘This coating training’s essence is casting magic quickly using mana control.’

For magic including all elements to activate, primary work circulating mana through the body was needed.

Coating training raised mana response and reaction speed.

If Pernok was clever enough to improve Lionic, he’d immediately notice Ruin’s intention.

‘What you know in your head and methods controlling mana have considerable disparity. Like being proficient in theory doesn’t mean immediately adapting to practice.’

What method could reduce this gap in a way fitting Pernok.

Ruin watched Pernok who continued failing.

Was this how it felt having a disciple.

‘My life still has meaning it seems.’

Ruin smiled and turned away.

He vividly pictured Pernok who’d be dejected after a month passed.

What guidance to give Pernok who’d struggle alone and grow weary throwing a fit—only methods to make him stronger filled his mind.

* * *

Ruin briefly left.

Pernok grasped the mana conduit and seriously contemplated mana for the first time.

Until now he’d thought to utilize mana only as supplementary means until using spiritual power.

‘I should also discard the thought it’s inferior to Origin.’

Mana as it appeared was merely simple energy.

But mana with Ruin’s guidance added contained richer possibilities.

As if mocking Pernok who mixed it moderately into Mana Reinforcement, mana kept slipping through his grasp.

‘Even so it can’t compare to spiritual power…’

Watching flow passing through the mana conduit intently, Pernok put in his mana again.

‘…It has value worth further exploration.’

Until now he’d used mana entirely for Steel Body or magic activation.

He’d judged mana’s simple process of absorbing and releasing was everything.

He erased past days from his mind when he’d regarded it as merely resources that reached a bit faster and farther.

Pernok’s perception changed.

Placing mana on equal footing with the Lords’ Origin, he judged it a subject requiring exploration, not a tool.

Pernok seriously faced mana for the first time.

Even activating the Observation Eye to examine mana’s circulation structure, whether he could steal flow from weak parts.

He began persistently attacking mana from various angles.

‘Escaping one-dimensional methods moving according to breathing, not magic but mana itself can interfere with something to inhibit it…’

Pernok with absolute beings’ memories could easily make even unfamiliar fields his own through diverse experience and knowledge.

Though he’d neglected mana until now, Pernok had used it matching Ataka’s breathing.

Disassembling and analyzing that to optimize didn’t require long time.

Even as day faded and night came, Pernok sat there absorbed in new enlightenment.

And the time it took to properly coat one conduit with mana was merely a day.

* * *

Ruin briefly went out to buy items needed for Lionic creation.

After placing barriers around the mountain so the castle wouldn’t be discovered and returning, he faced an absurd situation.

“All these…”

Pernok was waiting with three conduits coated with mana.

He couldn’t believe it.

Yesterday he’d first taught the mana coating method.

Mana flowing in these conduits was extremely concentrated, so even finishing one at Pernok’s level would be miraculous.

Moreover, Pernok was a typical novice mage with only vast mana quantity who couldn’t properly control flow.

That he’d finished coating 3 was shocking.

Like a child crawling on the floor overnight suddenly becoming capable of sprinting at full speed.

“…Did you do this, Pernok?”

Pernok clicked his tongue and said.

“I never thought about lacking mana, but doing it, my mana became completely empty.”

“You’re saying if mana was sufficient, you could have done all this work?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, it only took a day…”

“It took a whole day?”

Even his questioning expression showed dissatisfaction.

When Ruin made an absurd expression, Pernok clicked his tongue and grasped the conduit again.

“I’ll finish the rest within a fortnight.”