Ethan's Pov:
Training to manipulate mana through diffusion and Mana Manipulation was grueling and took months to yield results. During this period, I made significant strides: my Mana Manipulation skill increased by 5 levels, and my Mana Diffusion skill saw a remarkable jump of 11 levels.
Additionally, I incorporated Mana Sense to track depleting mana particles, using Mana Manipulation to keep them intact. This approach taught me that applying skills creatively, combined with intense effort, could lead to substantial gains. I also saw the impressive benefits of Focused Meditation, which gained 7 levels and boosted my mana recovery rate to over 28 points per minute. With improved mana recovery, I could train for more time.Also, due to diverse use of mana manipulation and visualization in these months, I had gained 4 levels and 5 levels respectively.
However, focusing on these skills meant neglecting others. Only Advanced Literacy had gained 2 levels during this time. On the other hand, my greatest gain was in my Mind stat, which increased by an impressive 12 points. This was mainly due to my experiments with mana flow throughout my body. Using Mana Sense, I noticed varying speeds in mana flow at different points. For instance, mana moved faster near my hands compared to other areas. My hands had greater mana flow due to all the training I did using my right hand. This observation led me to conclude that frequent mana usage made my mana veins more attuned.
Emboldened by this discovery, I made a very foolish and ultimately painful decision. I attempted to condense a small amount of my mana and move it through my veins. The result was excruciating. I had to use all of my will to maintain focused meditation active to endure the pain it was causing me. Soon, the pain became bearable.
The pain exceeded any sensation I had ever encountered, surpassing even the agony of a broken arm, the sting of deep cuts, and the trauma of a car accident I experienced at sixteen in my previous life. This experiment, which I quickly decided not to repeat, at least not until I gained more knowledge about this phenomenon. After that, I also noticed how challenging it was to channel mana through my hands. I noticed with my mana sense that my veins were a little bruised.
But I also noticed how it led to a gain of 10 Mind points, suggesting that better-developed mana veins could enhance mana capacity.All of this has also led me to gain the new skill, which had already reached level 3 due to my suffering.
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New Skill Acquired: Pain Resistance (Rare)
EXP Gained: 5000
Skill: Pain Resistance (Rare) - Level 3/30
Description: This skill assists an individual's ability to endure or resist pain at an advanced level. It helps the individual develop a heightened tolerance for physical discomfort or suffering with an increase in levels.
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After these months of intense training, I could now diffuse my mana and control it effectively near my body. I also noticed that improving my external mana control enhanced my ability to manipulate mana inside my body. With this increased control, I began experimenting with forming mana threads from diffused mana, so I increased the difficulty by wrapping them around my fingers in a spiral. Initially, covering just a few fingers was daunting and quickly depleted my mana reserves. However, as my control improved, I managed to cover my entire hands with these threads.
I incorporated multiple skills into this practice. I used Mana Manipulation and Mana Diffusion simultaneously and started applying Mana Sense to monitor the density of the mana threads and detect any mistakes while making them. While using the technique, I also allowed my mana sense to extend and cover the entire room, and now I could even reach a few meters beyond the room, which also provided an early warning system for Lydia's arrivals.
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One day, while I was deeply engrossed in forming mana threads, Lydia visited unexpectedly, only half an hour after leaving. Normally, she came after a few hours, and I had even started counting the minutes and hours to make an approximate time frame, which had gained me 3 levels in arithmetic. So it was a surprise. In my hurry and fear of being discovered, I instinctively used Mana Sense to cover my diffused mana and willed it to come back inside me. To my surprise, I successfully reabsorbed the diffused mana into my body, leading to the discovery of a new skill, which I checked after Lydia left.
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New Skill Acquired: Mana Absorbtion (Rare)
EXP Gained: 5000
Skill: Mana Absorbtion (Rare) - Level 1/30
Description: Mana Absorption allows the user to reabsorb mana they have diffused or expelled back into their body. This skill enhances the user’s efficiency in mana usage, enabling them to recycle and recover mana from the surrounding environment. As the skill levels up, the rate of absorption and the amount of mana that can be reclaimed increase, reducing wastage and improving overall mana management.
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While I had gained the ability to absorb mana, I noticed its limitations. The skill could not restore the full amount of mana that I had diffused. For instance, when I expelled 500 mana, I would only recover about 175 mana through Mana Absorption, and the recovered amount diminished the longer the mana was left diffused. This indicated that once mana leaves my body, it loses some of its potency over time, especially when interacting with the external environment.
I also observed that by using Mana Manipulation during absorption, I could increase both the rate and the quantity of mana absorbed. During these experiments, I discovered another phenomenon: diffused mana, when outside my body, deteriorated more quickly compared to my internally controlled mana, which maintained its state after absorption.
I also noticed that directly manipulating external mana was beyond my current capabilities. I needed more information to understand why this was happening. I was hopeful that Lydia would soon take me to the library for further research. Leaving this aside, I observed in the following days that by using Mana Manipulation, I could gradually direct the diffused mana externally. This observation sparked an idea in my mind.
To explore this idea, I first tried manipulating small amounts of external mana with my internal mana before attempting to absorb it using Mana Absorption, but this was unsuccessful. So, I tried another approach: covering external mana with my internal mana in a cocoon-like structure before attempting absorption. Initially, I thought this method might allow for better retention of mana, but it had an unexpected consequence.
Attempting to immediately absorb the external mana directly into my body was a mistake. My internal system reacted violently to the nature of the external mana, causing sharp discomfort throughout my entire body. It felt as though incompatible energies were clashing within me. The hand from which I had absorbed the mana started feeling like it was burning. I immediately used my mana sense to investigate what was causing the issue. I could feel my internal mana and external mana fighting with each other, creating pain all over my hand and within my mana system. It felt as if my whole body was on fire.
Soon, through my mana sense, I observed the external mana converting my internal mana into itself and replicating it. As this transformation occurred, my pain intensified. I realized this could lead to a serious problem, so I attempted to envelop the entire mana within my hand in a cocoon-like structure using mana manipulation. I also tried to use diffusion to expel it. However, the more I tried, the more pain it caused. Additionally, the rate at which the mana was changing increased as more external mana was being introduced into my body.
Then, I focused all my mind on focused meditation and dedicated my entire mana pool to visualizing tendrils of mana pushing the external mana outside with the use of diffusion and mana manipulation. With a forceful effort, the mana was finally removed from my body. But it was not over; the mana was out, but what it had done to my hand was repulsing both externally and internally. My whole hand was blackened, as if it was decaying. It didn't end there; soon, the pain increased tenfold as whatever had happened to my hand spread all over my body slowly. My head felt like it was going to explode. I had reached my body's limits. I tried not to cry or scream, using pain resistance, but it was too much.
Moments later, I found myself screaming and thrashing about in my room. It felt like only seconds had passed when the door burst open with a loud bang. I think Lydia asked me something, but my mind was solely focused on the excruciating pain. Suddenly, the pain vanished from my hand, but my head was still pounding as if someone were hammering inside it. Struggling to open my eyes, I was met with Lydia's tear-streaked face. As I tried to comprehend what had happened and how I would explain it all, the pain in my head worsened until everything went black. I vaguely heard Lydia saying something to me, but I couldn't make out the words. Just before I lost consciousness, there was a loud crash as the wall near the window was torn apart. An aura washed over the room, and the last thing I saw was Rodrick standing through the trashed door with a sword in his hand before everything faded to black.