Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Raker Van could not help being flustered by the young master’s bold question.

He had nearly laughed right in his face.

‘He wants me to... teach him aura?’

Mages never thought of learning aura.

In the sense that both were powers manifested through mana, magic and aura were the same, but when examined closely, their structures were different from the start.

One could say they had opposing properties.

‘That is why the two powers cannot be used together.’

If one had to choose between the two, learning magic was naturally hundreds, no, thousands of times more advantageous.

That was also the social perception, and it was accepted theory that if an aura user and a mage of the same level fought, the latter would win.

‘If I had the talent, I would have become a mage too. But I had no talent, so I had no choice but to choose this path.’

And yet a young master from a prestigious magical family wanted to learn not magic, but aura?

If it was a joke, it was certainly effective.

“Are you joking?”

“No, I am serious.”

“...As far as I know, Young Master Zeke, I heard that you have been striving to become a mage.”

“Then you must have heard this too. That even after twelve years of effort, I failed to awaken my talent.”

“I did hear that. The Guidance Ceremony was only a few days ago. But was the reason you went to the Dragon Ruins not to try changing your constitution?”

“That is right.”

“Then why would you insist on learning aura...?”

“Ah, it seems there was some room for misunderstanding. I am not trying to learn it. I am simply curious about the principle behind how it works, so I am asking you to teach me.”

“Ah...”

Only then did Raker understand.

After all, he could understand the curiosity of mages.

‘Indeed, unless he is a fool, there is no reason to learn aura instead of magic.’

Even so, there was no denying that the young master before him was unusual.

He had served as a guard knight for a prestigious magical family for more than twelve years, but he had never once seen a young master ask to be taught aura.

“Understood. If you are curious about the principle, I will teach you.”

“Thank you, Sir Raker.”

“It is nothing...”

This was also his first time meeting a young master who always attached “Sir” to his name and did not hesitate to express gratitude.

After all, children of prestigious magical families often looked down on knights who had learned aura.

‘In any case, he is an unusual young master in many ways.’

Raker chuckled, then immediately stiffened when he realized he had laughed without meaning to.

Fortunately, the young master beside him seemed not to have seen it, as his gaze was directed elsewhere.

‘Hoo, I nearly made a mistake.’

Even if he had no talent, the person Raker was currently guarding was the Fourth Young Master of a ducal house.

It was better in many ways to maintain a certain boundary.

“Ahem. Shall I teach you now?”

“I would appreciate that.”

Raker’s eyes filled with enthusiasm as he unexpectedly found himself teaching aura.

***

“...That is the reason aura is accumulated in the dantian, where the energy pathways of the entire body converge.”

“I see. Certainly, if it were accumulated in the heart like a Circle, it would strain the body. Their properties are different, and there would be no space to serve as a pathway either. Hmm...”

When Zeke nodded and agreed, Raker looked at him with slightly surprised eyes.

“You already understand?”

“Yes. Is something wrong?”

“Ah, no. It is just that this is a rather difficult concept for someone your age, so I was surprised you understood it...”

‘Of course I understand it. My mental age is already that of an adult.’

If one counted his age from his previous life, Zeke was currently over forty.

He was well past the age where he would fail to understand something like this.

Even without that, his Intelligence stat, which exceeded 700, was making his mind work actively.

‘In any case, it is an interesting principle. To think mana is transformed into aura and accumulated.’

Aura was another form of energy created by transforming mana.

Its properties differed from magical energy, which formed the foundation of magic.

‘If the properties are different, then I should be able to learn aura.’

Because of the Mana Absorption skill, he could not create a Circle, but he could accumulate aura in his dantian.

Even if he could not become a mage, becoming an aura user was entirely possible.

‘If I say I am becoming an aura user, Father will surely jump in shock, will he not? My siblings will point fingers at me too.’

For a child of a prestigious magical family to wish to become an aura user was enough to make the family a laughingstock.

But there was no denying that he had to learn aura in order to become stronger.

‘Aura is not affected by Mana Absorption. If I learn it, I can become stronger separately from the system.’

Since he had learned the theoretical method from Raker, it seemed good to begin learning it from now on.

Of course, he would keep it secret from others.

‘For now, should I contact Father before we camp?’

Zeke took the communication orb out of his pocket.

He had used it a few times, so he already knew how.

It was powered by a mana stone, and a spell formula was engraved into it, so even an ordinary person could use it.

Tap, tap, tap.

When he tapped it three times, light radiated from the communication orb, and the connection was established.

“Father. It is me.”

-Zeke? Has something happened?

“No. I am only contacting you to let you know I am well. We are coming down now.”

-Coming down? Already?

“Yes. I think we will arrive around tomorrow. I will see you then.”

After finishing the call, Zeke called the dragon in order to try creating the aura he had learned from Raker.

‘Goldie. There is something I want to ask.’

-Krrgh, do not call this body by such a vulgar name!

‘I am thinking of trying to learn aura now. What happens if I stop Mana Absorption? Will your magical energy pour out and endanger the dantians of the other guard knights?’

-To think you would ignore my words...

‘Hm? You should answer me.’

After groaning as though humiliated, Goldie spoke in a reluctant voice.

-It is not especially dangerous. The range of my magical energy only affects you, who are wearing the necklace.

‘Your magical energy is not dangerous? That makes no sense. At the ruins, the waves of magical energy were so intense that the mages and guard knights could not even approach.’

-That was because of the magical energy remaining in the land. If we speak only of the magical energy of my soul, it will not harm you humans.

‘Is that true? If not, I will use Mental Collapse immediately.’

-I-It is true. You will know if you stop absorbing it.

Judging by how flustered he was, it did not seem to be a lie.

After a moment of hesitation, Zeke half-doubtfully deactivated Mana Absorption.

Then he immediately opened the window and checked the reactions around him.

“What is the matter, Young Master? Is there anything you wish to order?”

“No.”

Leaving Raker tilting his head behind him, Zeke closed the window of the mana-powered vehicle.

Click.

‘They really do seem unaffected.’

-See? What reason would I have to lie?

‘You have more than enough reasons to lie. Even now, at this very moment, you must be scheming in every possible way to escape my grasp, are you not?’

-Ahem. There is no way that would be so.

It was obvious that he was lying.

He was truly a dragon full of pride, yet poor at lying.

‘Now then, shall I try circulating aura?’

-But why would someone as skilled as you learn aura? The magic you have learned should already be enough.

‘Why else? To become stronger.’

-Stronger than you are now? Even most Aura Experts would not be your match, yet you are greedy.

‘I am at that level?’

-Did you not push open the stone chamber’s door with pure strength? That is impossible for a human. Only someone at about the upper level of Aura Expert could do it by circulating aura. Of course, if aura had been used inside that place, the dantian would have been thoroughly shaken.

From what he heard, it seemed the level he had thought of as A-Rank Hunter in his previous life was equivalent to at least an upper-level Aura Expert in this world.

‘Hmm. That means magical energy and aura are powers with different properties, right? Even if aura can still be affected by the magical energy in the ruins?’

-Correct.

If their properties were different, then unlike a Circle, creating aura should not cause anything abnormal in his body.

It was worth trying.

‘Try anything foolish while I am creating aura, and you will regret it.’

-I will not. No, even if I wanted to, I cannot. I have no mana stone anyway, so I cannot use magic, can I?

‘Does that mean you would have tried if you did have a mana stone?’

-Ahem...

Seeing him avoid answering and merely clear his throat, it seemed he truly had intended to.

Well, even if he attacked, it did not matter.

After all, Zeke had Magic Absorption turned on.

‘Then, let us see...’

He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing.

In order to circulate aura as Raker had taught him, he drew in mana.

Perhaps because he truly had talent, even with the skill turned off, he could feel mana entering his body.

‘So this is mana.’

He concentrated a little more and tried controlling the mana.

Perhaps his Mana Sensitivity was also excellent, because the mana moved according to his will.

‘If I guide the mana into my dantian and transform its properties to match the proper temperature...’

It became aura.

Just like this.

[You have acquired a new stat.]

[You have succeeded in awakening a new stat for the first time.]

[You have acquired a new basic skill.]

[A new tag has been registered.]

‘What? A new stat?’

At the sudden message, Zeke was startled and stopped circulating it.

Not only a stat, but even a skill and a tag had been added?

Zeke hurriedly opened his status window.

[Name : Zeke McLaughlin]

[Tags : Reincarnator of the Pangaea Continent, The Deccan Kingdom’s Greatest Magical Noble Family, Youngest Son of a Ducal House, Fourth Young Master, Illegitimate Child, Zero Mana Affinity, No Talent for Magic, Hard Worker, Bookworm, 12 Years Old, A-Rank Hunter, Lower-Level Aura Beginner]

[Strength : 736 / Intelligence : 726]

[Agility : 747 / Vitality : 735]

[Recovery : 743 / Resistance : 740]

[Aura Energy : 1]

[Basic Skills : Interpretation, Translation, Rune Absorption, Aura Manipulation]

[1st Awakening Skill : Mana Absorption (9-Star)]

[2nd Awakening Skill : Master of Mana (9-Star)]

[3rd Awakening Skill : Magic Absorption (1-Star)]

[4th Awakening Skill : ???]

[5th Awakening Skill : ???]

[6th Awakening Skill : ???]

[7th Awakening Skill : ???]

Looking at the status window, he saw that a new stat called “Aura Energy” had been added.

‘The tag Lower-Level Aura Beginner was added too.’

In addition, there was also a basic skill.

[Basic Skill : Aura Manipulation]

-Effect : You awaken to the concept and manipulation method of aura. You can convert absorbed mana into Aura Energy, and you naturally acquire physical enhancement using Aura Energy.

-Special Notes : You can increase Aura Energy by only 10 per day.

‘Here, Aura Energy means aura.’

It said he could awaken to the concept and manipulation method, and he quickly understood the principle that Aura Energy was aura.

‘By the way, I can convert absorbed mana into Aura Energy?’

Startled, Zeke turned on the Mana Absorption skill.

Then he began absorbing the dragon’s magical energy.

[You have absorbed 102 mana.]

[The absorbed mana will be converted into Aura Energy.]

[Aura Energy has permanently increased by 1.]

Zeke’s eyes widened when he saw the message.

His Aura Energy stat had truly risen.

‘This is good. Then I do not need to turn off Mana Absorption just because I have filled my daily stat amount.’

If only for the sake of Aura Energy, he had to keep Mana Absorption on.

The disappointing part was that there was a limit to how much he could gain per day.

‘Since I am at it, should I accumulate it immediately?’

On the way back, Zeke sat in the mana-powered vehicle and absorbed the dragon’s magical energy.

Every bit of magical energy that entered was converted into Aura Energy.

Before long, a message appeared.

[You have reached the amount of Aura Energy that can be increased in one day.]

[You can no longer increase Aura Energy.]

‘As written, I can only raise it by 10 per day.’

It was a shame, but even this was more than enough.

He could accumulate Aura Energy, in other words, aura, this easily.

At this rate, it would catch up to his other stats within a few months.

Not merely catch up.

It might surpass them overwhelmingly.

‘With Goldie here, I will never run out of magical energy. Heh heh.’

-I do not know what you are muttering, but that is a sinister voice. Truly sinister!

Ignoring the voice, Zeke smiled and spent the rest of the journey in comfort.

***

‘Zeke is arriving already?’

To be honest, Gerard had not expected there to be any results.

When he parted ways with Zeke at the Dragon Ruins, Zeke had looked as though he could not feel any magical energy at all.

Had he not walked calmly through the center of the ruins, a place even Gerard found difficult to approach, and even waved his hand?

‘And that youngest son of mine is already returning home?’

As a father, he naturally could not help feeling expectant.

Surely, he was returning this early because there had been some progress.

Otherwise, there was no reason for him to come back quickly, was there?

To begin with, his youngest son was someone who would sit firmly in the magical archive for ages if it meant realizing magical energy.

‘There must have been a change in his constitution. If not, he would have stayed in the ruins until something happened.’

Gerard had not asked the reason, but he was certain that had to be it.

Perhaps because of such thoughts, Gerard kept smiling broadly while he waited.

He even spent a comfortable night for the first time in a while, sleeping so soundly that he could stretch his legs out.

Until he met Zeke.

“Zeke!”

“Father. I am back.”

“You have worked hard! Was the way back difficult?”

“No. Thanks to everyone here, I was able to return safely and comfortably.”

“I thought you would stay for several days. Why did you come down so soon? Could it be that there was progress in feeling magical energy?”

It was a question filled with expectation, but Zeke completely shattered that expectation by shaking his head.

“No. I could not feel it at all. So I gave up and came back early.”

“What...?”

At the answer, which differed from what he had expected, Gerard could only stare blankly for a moment.

“You could not feel magical energy?”

“No. Not at all.”

“…….”

The Dragon Ruins were a place even archmages feared to approach.

Gerard had sent him there wondering if there might be some improvement if he went to such a place, but they had not obtained the result he hoped for.

‘Goodness... Does my son truly have no talent as a mage?’

Then why had God given him the talent to interpret runic script?

Why had God given him a talent only archmages possessed and made him hope so much?

With his mind tangled in complicated emotions, Gerard remained silent for a while, even forgetting that Zeke stood before him.

Then it happened.

‘Hm?’

An unapproachable magical energy that made his entire body tingle caused him to raise his head.

Unbelievably, its source was Zeke.