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Countless knights boastfully throw around complex terms like acupoints and mantras, but the essence is simple.

The Sword Saint once defined mana cultivation as:

“Breathing in mana and accumulating it in the lower abdomen.”

In other words, mana cultivation is the method of creating a mana core.

Needless to say, I dislike mana cores.

In my past life, I despised the sight of knights proudly displaying their protruding bellies as proof of their cores. Now, even mages are creating cores, so there’s no way I’d look favorably upon it.

Then why was I seeking a mana cultivation manual?

Am I a hypocrite who contradicts himself?

While that may be true, it’s not the answer.

It was because of the Full Khao Patrol Unit.

I sought the manual with the heart of a mother bird feeding her young.

It wasn’t particularly because of what One-Eye said that bothered me.

I had originally planned to strengthen the patrol members at an opportune time.

Although unintentional, they were still under my command. I couldn’t bear to see my subordinates getting beaten up by incompetent fools.

However, I couldn’t teach them about mana circles.

These guys don’t possess the aptitude suitable for mages.

Their innate tendencies were closer to those of third-rate thugs. They were already too accustomed to wielding weapons.

From any perspective, the mana core used by knights was more suitable than mana circles in this situation.

The problem lay there.

I was a Crazy Mage, not a Crazy Knight. I could discern the quality of mana cultivation manuals, but I couldn’t teach them the mantras of mana cultivation that I didn’t know myself.

Honestly, I considered fabricating them, but that was too bothersome.

I couldn’t just hand them any random mana cultivation manual found on the streets. If I did, they might end up with messed-up mana breathing like Cyan.

Cyan was, in a word, like a fish.

He practiced mana cultivation in a nonsensical way, as if breathing through gills instead of his nose.

Of course, there were exceptional cases like Daisy, but that was simply because Daisy was exceptionally talented.

In any case, mana cultivation manuals were that important.

In that sense…

The Atark clan’s mana cultivation manual was quite decent.

You could say it was a case where the aspirations of an insignificant man were fulfilled.

There were no objectionable parts in its content.

Furthermore, crucial sections were accompanied by illustrations, which matched the signs observed when high-ranking knights in the expedition practiced mana breathing.

It wasn’t at the level of a renowned clan, but it was on par with the secret cultivation techniques of a respectable clan.

Above all, I could sense the traces of dedicated refinement over a long period.

“Hah.”

I was impressed with myself, that is.

Even as an insignificant man I had done it.

* * *

Around the time when people disappeared from the streets,

I lit a bonfire in front of the restaurant and gathered the tables together.

While sitting at the head of the table, enjoying the late-night snacks Donkey brought and sipping my drink, my subordinates gathered one by one as if they had made a promise.

The night was unusually quiet for a late-night snack time. Maybe it was because the moonlight was hidden behind the clouds.

The members of the Crazy Mage Squad sat to my right.

The leaders of the Patrol took their places on my left. Garlic and Grid, who had been promoted to patrol leaders, also occupied a chair each.

I looked at my subordinates quietly and then spoke.

“Patrol.”

“Yes.”

“You need to get stronger, right?”

One of the leaders was about to crack a joke but closed his mouth, realizing the atmosphere was strange.

There were times when the mood naturally turned somber without anyone saying a word, and this was one of those times.

I emptied my glass and placed the cultivation manual on the table.

“Master it.”

The gazes of my subordinates simultaneously focused on the faded booklet.

“…Is that a cultivation manual?”

I took out the Red Dagger and pointed its tip at each of my subordinates one by one.

“It’s time to change your rotten bodies. You were born as third-rate thugs, but you can’t stay that way forever. I don’t keep third-rate subordinates. Get stronger.”

There was no teacher. They had to learn on their own. Those who didn’t want to could leave. Those who were incompetent could get lost. There was no need for such words.

“Can we really master it?”

“Those who are meant to become strong will become strong.”

“…”

My subordinates emptied their glasses, looking up at the sky or closing their eyes in contemplation.

If they thought about it, they probably had a lot to say.

How do we master it? Is mana cultivation as easy as they say it is? And so on.

But no one uttered such words.

The desire for strength had already taken root in their hearts. The will to become strong needed no words.

As the glasses were passed around in silence, Daisy, unable to hold back any longer, asked,

“What level is this manual, brother? Is it really worth 100,000 gold?”

“It’s enough.”

Daisy expressed pure admiration.

“Wow. You’re amazingly insignificant, brother.”

It was a somewhat strange compliment, but I nodded.

Meanwhile, Makan, who had been watching silently, couldn’t contain his curiosity and chimed in.

“Can I learn it too?”

I nodded and said,

“You’ll need a proper cultivation manual to raise your mana core rank.”

“How does it compare to the Red Magic Tower’s?”

“It’s probably similar.”

Actually, I didn’t know. I had never seen the Red Magic Tower’s cultivation manual.

I only had a vague memory of Instructor Dyke briefly explaining it orally to the apprentices.

But there probably wouldn’t be much difference anyway.

From this level of cultivation manual onwards, individual capability played a more significant role.

“Hmm.”

I emptied my glass and was about to grab a snack when I suddenly gasped. I had barely noticed that the stir-fried chicken was disappearing at a rapid pace.

“Let’s eat quickly, everyone. Fatty’s skills are so good, it’s hard to notice.”

As if on cue, Donkey poked his head out from the kitchen.

“I knew it, so I prepared a lot this time. Don’t worry and eat comfortably.”

I gave Donkey a round of applause.

“As expected of a culinary master, you’re thorough.”

We resumed drinking the moonshine and picking at the stir-fried chicken. The fire crackled as my subordinates took turns adding firewood to the bonfire.

As the cups were passed around and the atmosphere mellowed, my subordinates began to open up and share their stories.

They talked about their lives, their struggles in Khaoto, and how they never imagined their lives would turn out this way.

I didn’t have much to say, so I just listened quietly.

I couldn’t remember how many rounds of drinks we had when I dipped Red Dagger into my cup and tossed it high into the air.

Whoosh—

The red dagger soared vertically, then arced in a parabola before plunging into the center of the table.

Thud—

As everyone’s eyes focused on Red Dagger, I spoke.

“100 days.”

A few quick-witted leaders gulped.

“I’ll give you 100 days. During that time, train on your own. Those who show promise will be promoted to leaders, and those who don’t will be demoted to the lowest ranks. I’ll be the judge.”

It was important to instil a sense of purpose and urgency.

“I won’t tolerate anyone slacking off. Give it your all. While mastering the cultivation manual, also deal with those who threaten Khaoto. Learning while getting your heads bashed in is the most efficient way.”

I looked at Bravo Khan, who couldn’t hide his surprise, and said,

“The military advisor is an exception. You’re too old to master the cultivation manual, so you’re excused. Instead, carefully assess the surrounding situation and identify suitable opponents for the Patrol to engage. Real combat experience is crucial. Within the city, you’re the Patrol, but outside, operate as a mercenary group.”

“Thank you.”

“If you can’t handle it on your own, ask the Crazy Mage Squad for help. Work together organically. And if anything strange happens, let Wright and Lihan know too.”

Palge, who had been listening, chimed in.

“Tell us anytime! I’ll help!”

I smacked the back of Palge’s head and said,

“The same goes for you guys. If you can’t create one more circle in 100 days, prepare to die for real.”

“…”

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold, so I added,

“Let’s drink.”

Everyone reluctantly sipped their drinks. Then, one of them chugged the moonshine straight from the bottle, and everyone else started drinking like crazy. It seemed like they thought it was their last supper.

“Ugh.”

Even with the burning sensation in my throat, there was no stopping.

I couldn’t lose, so I chugged the moonshine too.

* * *

Days passed quickly.

While my subordinates were desperately trying to get stronger during those 100 days, I was also fighting my own battles and focusing on my personal training.

I didn’t care about the time or place.

On hot sunny days, I meditated deep in the mountains. On cool days, I sat cross-legged on the railing of the training ground.

On rainy days, I meditated on the roof of Donkey’s restaurant.

On days when I missed Brownie, I sat down in the back alley and meditated.

I meditated on the table while eating.

I even meditated while talking to passing locals.

I was a man who could meditate and maintain a mana-sensing posture anywhere.

Whether the weather was good.

Or whether the weather was bad.

The weather was perfect.

Every day was spent in meditation.

Occasionally, members of the Patrol or the Crazy Mage Squad would come to me with reports, but I would always chase them away like dogs.

“What do you think I’m doing right now?”

“It looks like you’re resting.”

“I’m meditating. Now get lost.”

“Sorry.”

“You idiots…”

Damn it.

Whenever I scolded them, I’d get a cramp in my leg and the pain would hit me.

But as I meditated all day long, the intensity of the pain gradually decreased.

I was a man who could even get used to cramps.

Then, when I reached a point where I couldn’t even tell if I had a cramp or not,

The circles in my heart increased to five.

A 5-circle mage.

From then on, I slowly opened my senses and began to grasp the situation.

After several dozen days had passed, Bravo Khan informed me that the Yale gang in the Uta region had been completely wiped out by the Patrol.

“How many went? Did Daisy kill them all?”

“Ten people went. Daisy didn’t go.”

It seemed there were others besides Daisy who had potential.

“Tell them to keep training. Emphasize that those who fall behind will be demoted.”

“Yes.”

I continued my personal training without stopping.

Strike while the iron is hot, as they say.

Since I had already formed the 5th circle, I intended to reach the level of complete mastery in one go.

From then on, I secluded myself in the mountains and practiced incantations. Occasionally, I would sense strong explosions and mana fluctuations from somewhere.

I kept hearing strange voices too.

“What’s No-Kkeok-Ma?”

It seemed the elders were definitely up to something strange with the magic stones.

But the stubbornness of the elderly couldn’t be broken by force, so I pretended not to know. Everyone had their own path to follow.

One day, as I was coming down the mountain after my daily training,

I saw Daisy leading a group of Patrol and guards approaching me all at once.

Looking around, I noticed the men had stubble on their chins.

“Brother, 100 days have passed.”

“Keep going.”

“Yes.”

Thinking about it, 100 days wasn’t enough time.

A few of them had a different look in their eyes, but it was still far from enough. Besides, I hadn’t mastered the 5th circle yet either.

More importantly,

The Crazy Mage Squad members were finally starting to show some signs of being mages. This was the time to intensify their training.

I often helped them train by throwing fire spears at them while they were meditating or throwing Red Dagger at them while they were sleeping.

As my sense of time faded,

Unfamiliar faces started appearing one by one in the clan.

“Who are they?”

Wright, who appeared out of nowhere, answered,

“They are children who came to learn magic.”

It seemed Kazen had opened up the clan. Elder Falcon was teaching something to a group of runny-nosed kids in the auxiliary training hall.

Although I wasn’t entirely pleased with the situation, I didn’t bother asking Kazen about it.

‘He’s acting like a proper clan head.’

I knew without asking.

Both Kazen and I were the same. The reason Kazen hadn’t asked me anything while I was training was probably the same.

I said nothing and continued with my routine.

I trained in the mountains, meditated regardless of location, and occasionally helped the Crazy Mage Squad members pass the time.

Meanwhile, I kept my ears open and focused on news from the outside world.

Various news reached me, but for some reason, I never heard anything about Urgon.

I even went to Kant just in case, but he only shook his head.

“There’s no movement.”

“…”

Overall, these were peaceful days.

But I knew this was the calm before the storm. Even amidst the repetitive daily life that made me lose track of time, I gradually prepared myself mentally.

The sunset was burning red.

———