Chapter 165: Entering Body Modification (4)
Seeing the determination and passion in the eyes of the Apprentice Knights, Ghislaine felt a sense of satisfaction.
It was obvious they didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
‘Now I’m ready.’
This was exactly what Ghislaine had been waiting for. The training was extremely dangerous.
As if adding fuel to the fire of enthusiasm, Ghislaine spoke again.
“They say you have to train for several years to properly master the Mana Circulation Method. But don’t worry. I will make it very easy to understand. In just two months, everyone will be able to use Mana.”
Unlike his close associates, he intended to personally oversee each of the students.
If left on their own, they would hardly understand, and it might take years.
Only Ghislaine knew the method to drastically shorten that period.
“Wowww!”
Once again, enthusiastic cheers erupted.
The Mana Convergence Circle merely helped gather Mana a little faster.
Mastering and using the Mana Circulation Method was a whole different story.
It was thought that years of training would be necessary, yet it was only two months!
Hearing such unbelievable claims repeatedly made them question whether this was really a dream.
Ghislaine confidently crossed his arms and said with arrogance.
“It’s entirely possible. This is my self-improved Elemental Mana Circulation Method!”
“………”
The previously heated atmosphere quickly cooled down.
They did have some basic common sense.
The Mana Circulation Method was developed over many years to minimize side effects.
Yet, a young Lord claimed to have casually improved it?
No matter how skilled the Lord was, doubts arose. One wrong move could lead to death.
The Apprentice Knights exchanged anxious glances, but Ghislaine pretended not to notice and continued.
“Now, let’s get started. Since it’s been a while, I’d prefer a strong one for the first round… Right, Gordon, you go first.”
The first one called, the ‘Muscle Gordon,’ turned pale and shook his head.
“M-me? Can’t we start with someone else?”
“Didn’t you complain last time that the Grain got to enter the Mana Convergence Circle before you? This time, you’ll be the first. Hurry up and come out.”
Gordon hesitated but stepped forward, where Ghislaine looked him up and down with a satisfied look.
‘If his muscles have grown this much, he must have some patience.’
Ghislaine placed his palm on the back of the seated Gordon.
“Alright, let’s begin. I’ll forcibly draw Mana and imprint it into your body, so remember well the path the Mana takes.”
“Uh, got it. I won’t die or become a vegetable, right?”
“If you can’t endure, that might happen. Well, nothing we can do about that.”
“Well, there’s nothing we can do.”
“Are you really going to die? Wait a second!”
Boooom!
Before Gordon could escape, Mana began to be sucked into his body through Ghislaine’s hand.
“Ugh!”
Gordon screamed in pain as if sharp blades were tearing through his insides.
Something clustered below his navel and then spread throughout his body.
Everywhere it passed, he felt as if his body was being ripped apart.
“Uwaaaaah! Wait! Wait!”
“Don’t waste the Mana! Close your mouth! Hold on! Remember how it moves inside your body! Vanessa managed to hold on well, so why are you already overreacting?!”
“Uwaaaah! I can’t do it! I can’t! It hurts so much!”
There’s a reason why a shortcut is called a shortcut. It delivers results quickly, but it comes with a price.
Forcibly stuffing Mana into his body to create Mana Roads meant he had to endure immense pain.
In a frenzy of agony, Gordon attempted to get up and flee.
His newfound loyalty was about to fly away with him.
But Ghislaine wouldn’t let him go that easily.
Gotcha!
Ghislaine wrapped one arm around Gordon’s neck to keep him from escaping while continuing to pump Mana into him with her other hand.
To the onlookers, it looked less like teaching the Mana Circulation Method and more like trying to kill him.
“Ughhh! Let go! Urrrggh!”
“Oh, come on! Just bear with it! Let’s break through at least the Mana Roads!”
He thought he’d be able to endure due to his muscles, but his whining was on another level.
Ghislaine kept forcing Mana into Gordon’s body to create the Mana Roads.
“Cough! Gag! Cough!”
With the continuous pain, Gordon’s eyes rolled back, and he began to spit up blood.
But Ghislaine didn’t stop. They had to make the Mana Roads first to train in the house.
Ultimately, Gordon couldn’t hold on and lost consciousness.
It took a little longer before Ghislaine wiped the sweat off her forehead and finally released him.
Thud.
Gordon collapsed, foaming at the mouth, his body trembling.
Seeing this, Ghislaine smiled brightly.
“Phew, has it been a while? It took longer than I expected.”
“……”
They say nothing in this world is easy, and this was definitely one of those moments.
The apprentice knights who had been waiting slowly backed away as if it were a pact.
Ghislaine’s smile turned wicked as she watched them.
“What’s this? Where did all that overflowing enthusiasm go? Get ready for the next person!”
One of the apprentice knights cautiously asked, “Um… doesn’t this seem very dangerous? Do we really have to do it this way?”
“Then how do you want to do it?”
“Can’t we just learn the proper way? If you give us a book or tell us verbally, we can practice by ourselves, and if we have questions, we can ask…”
Though he squeezed his brain for a reply, it was futile against Ghislaine.
“What are you talking about? When would you learn that way? How many years do you plan to train? Besides, even if I told you verbally, most of you wouldn’t understand anyway. That’s why I’m showing you in a way that’s easier to comprehend!”
‘Ah, that’s what she meant by easier to understand.’
The apprentice knights broke out in cold sweat.
There was logic in her words. Pain definitely leaves a mark on the body and mind.
Creating Mana Roads like this, with Ghislaine forcibly breaking through, was indeed the fastest method.
They understood with their heads, but looking at Gordon, who was collapsed and foaming at the mouth, it was hard not to be scared.
Just as everyone was stuck in indecision, Gordon’s fit of convulsions grew worse.
“Cough, gack, cough!”
Even in unconsciousness, he writhed in agony, continuously spitting up blood.
He was groaning in agony, constantly vomiting blood.
It was the result of forcibly injected mana turning his body into a mess.
He had to endure that with willpower and learn the flow of mana, but he was already off to a bad start.
“This guy is really being dramatic. Why is such a big dude so weak?”
Ghislaine clicked his tongue and gestured to the servants waiting nearby.
“Hurry and take him to Belinda. Feed him the prepared herbs and let him rest. If you delay, he might die, so go quickly. Ah, has he already died?”
“Understood. He’s not dead yet.”
The servants moved calmly, as if they had already predicted this outcome without even blinking.
Seeing that, the apprentice knights felt a strong sense of conviction.
The Lord had known this would happen and had finished his preparations.
They said he wouldn’t die in war, yet here he was about to die during training.
‘Ah, what do I do?’
‘I have to do it…’
‘He looks like he’s in so much pain.’
They couldn’t run away out of fear. If they missed this opportunity, they would regret it for life.
They had to endure and learn somehow, even if it meant risking their lives.
But now that it came to risking his life, he was having a hard time moving his feet.
While everyone hesitated, a quiet-looking man stepped forward.
“I’ll go first.”
“Hmm, who are you?”
“I’m Lucas, the new recruit.”
Ghislaine nodded. Although pretending not to know, he actually recognized him.
Lucas, a former follower from his past life.
A remarkable talent who would later receive the title of Master with just a single spear.
He was a guy who always crossed his arms, played it cool, and enjoyed his solitude.
Now, he looked back at the people behind him and laughed.
“Everyone here talks big, but it seems like you’re all nothing special. If this level of pain lets you learn the Mana Circulation Method, it’s a steal. You cowards.”
“You little…”
At Lucas’s provocation, the mercenaries who had been with Ghislaine for a long time snorted in irritation.
In situations like this, who stepped forward first could change the dynamics of the situation.
Already, the old mercenaries and the newcomers were clashing daily.
But in the brief moment of hesitation, they lost their turn to a newcomer and got provoked in the process.
Seeing the frustrated faces, Lucas laughed even more and plopped down in front of Ghislaine.
“I’m ready. Lord, please go ahead.”
Seeing his calm demeanor made Ghislaine smile.
‘Indeed, Lucas. Just the man I chose.’
Ghislaine placed a hand on Lucas’s back with a grin.
Immediately, a bizarre scream echoed through the air.
“HUUUURRRRRGH! AAAAH! KUHUUUHHH! HUUUUUURGH!”
“…We haven’t even started yet.”
Ghislaine sighed.
He had forgotten. There was hardly anyone normal in his mercenary group.
Now that he thought about it, this guy was one to make a fuss even over a tiny scratch in his past life.
It was even more amusing that he loved to act tough.
He must have stepped up wanting to look cool, even though it was something he had to do anyway.
Lucas scratched his head with an awkward smile.
“Oh, we haven’t started yet?”
“We’re just getting started, lonely drama king Lucas.”
SMACK!
“AAAAAH!”
With the incoming pain, Lucas screamed. He forgot to keep his mouth shut and endure.
Just like Gordon had tried, he attempted to jump up and flee, but with Ghislaine holding him, that was impossible.
Ghislaine grabbed Lucas by the neck and whispered in his ear.
“Stay still. With so many people watching, are you really going to act dramatic and run away? You hate looking foolish, right?”
“Ugh, ugh!”
Upon hearing that, Lucas gritted his teeth.
He hated looking foolish. He always wanted to look cool.
“I don’t want to. I always want to look cool.”
“I want to live fabulously!”
With that thought in mind, he endured, but this pain was not an easy opponent to defeat.
“Gahhhh….”
In the end, Lucas lost consciousness.
The servants carried him away, foaming at the mouth.
Ghislaine shook his head a few times, sighed, and said, “Next?”
Gordon had collapsed, and Lucas collapsed too. However, the atmosphere had changed slightly from the beginning.
Some people, sensing the situation, bravely stepped forward, leaving the others behind.
“I’ll do it this time.”
“I came out first.”
Most of them were newcomers.
They had abandoned everything and left their hometown. Now, there was nowhere to return.
These were people thirsty for the chance to become stronger than anyone, ready to risk their lives.
As a result, the injured pride of the existing mercenaries surged forward in competition.
“No! I’ll go first!”
“Hey! Everyone step aside! How dare a rookie go first! I’m doing it!”
It was the determination not to be embarrassed by the newcomers.
“I was going to do it anyway! I just hesitated a bit because I thought it might hurt.”
Seeing those who bravely stepped forward, Ghislaine finally wore a satisfied expression.
“Good, much better than earlier.”
The enemies they would face ahead were not easy opponents at all. Even risking their lives might not be enough. If someone got scared and gave up at this level, it would be troublesome.
Only those who would fight for their lives alongside him deserved everything.
“Move quickly. Hold on somehow.”
“Uuuuugh!”
“Kieeek!”
The apprentice knights, touched by Ghislaine’s hand, writhed in pain. They had stepped forward boldly, but this pain was not something one could endure with just bravado.
Still, not everyone foamed at the mouth and passed out.
Some gritted their teeth and kept their eyes wide open, managing to hold on until the end.
‘Hmm, I expected this guy would last, but this one is a bit unexpected.’
Ghislaine narrowed his eyes.
He thought a few of his followers from his past life would be able to endure, and they did as expected. However, he didn’t anticipate anyone among the existing mercenaries would last.
The start was looking good. Of course, the majority were foaming at the mouth and collapsing, but more than he thought were still holding on.
Some lasted by following Ghislaine’s directions, while others held on merely out of pride.
One thing was certain: all of them had shed their shells and taken a step forward.
“Ugh….”
“I feel like I’m dying… Is this the end?”
Moans echoed from all around. The hastily summoned servants moved the collapsed individuals to the treatment room.
Fortunately, not a single person had died.
As one apprentice knight was carried away on a stretcher, pride and relief mixed in his smile as he asked Ghislaine, “Now… it’s all over, right? I can use mana now?”
Ghislaine sniffed and replied, “What are you talking about? Just because we did this once doesn’t mean you can use mana. Today was just a light introduction. To really get the hang of it, we’ll need to do this several more times. You need to train in the dungeon and learn how to unleash it.”
He had certainly said they would be able to use mana if they could endure this, but he never said it would be just once.
But to the apprentice knight, it sounded like thunder from a clear sky.
To think they would have to do this painful, life-threatening thing again? No, he said several more times?
It felt like the sky was falling.
“Just kill me already….”
The apprentice knight, on the verge of tears, fainted right there.
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