"Alright, here we go!"
*Knock—*
With the wooden tip of her staff, Aeris struck the edge of the magic circle.
The circle began to glow, pulsing gently in slow, rhythmic bursts.
*Badum—* *Badum—*
Jan's heartbeat stirred to match.
'No… this is…'
It was his essence.
'That feeling again…'
The same faint sensation he'd felt during the elemental affinity test.
Jan closed his eyes and reached inward.
Somewhere deep in his mind, he could see it—like a distant glimmer at the end of a dark tunnel.
It was there. Just out of reach.
*Badum—* *Badum—* *Badum—* *Badum—*
"Argh…"
The pulsing accelerated. The circle flashed faster, sharper.
'What is this feeling?! Something's moving within me… No—it's leaving!'
Light began to seep out from beneath him.
"Your Mana is starting to flow out," Aeris called out. "Are you holding up okay?"
'So this is my Mana…? It feels… strange.'
"The real work starts now. I'm going to start guiding it through the circle."
"Y-Yes, but—"
"Don't talk. Focus. Leave the rest to me."
Aeris spun the staff in her hands, then caught it horizontally with both arms. Small magical circles flared to life around her.
'First, I need to stop his Mana from spreading randomly... I'll use mine to stabilize it.'
Jan's chaotic flow calmed almost instantly, concentrating into a single, gathered stream.
'Good. Now I just need to guide it along the circuit… and back into him.'
The ritual circle wasn't just a sigil—it was also a map, a pre-designed path for Jan's Mana to follow.
The lines were already there, the stations marked.
All Aeris had to do… was control it.
But if you're too slow… he's dead.
What Loris Throne invented wasn't just a method for awakening someone's Mana Reserve.
It was a way to expand the Mana circulation itself. What would normally happen quietly—unseen within one's body since birth—was now externalized.
'And that's what makes it so dangerous.'
Mana is a person's life force. By pulling it out, rerouting it, and feeding it back in, you risk draining them mid-process.
Most beginners don't have much Mana, so if you're too slow—they simply die.
'Fortunately, he made this method with that in mind, and added the buffer system he called Phases.'
Five stages. Simple in theory.
The flashes of light weren't random—they were indicators of how much Mana the circle was currently drawing, and which phase they were currently in.
'We're in phase two.'
Ideally, the master should guide the Mana back into the recipient before the final phase.
This was the end of what Aeris could do. Once she delivers the Mana back to Jan, he would remain in that state until he learns how to absorb his Mana back.
'That's actually Control, you crazy bastard,' she thought. 'And you're not just asking him to control it inside his body, but outside as well!'
She snorted sharply.
*Badum—* *Badum—* *Badum—* *Badum—*
'Phase three. He should be looking more uncomfortable by now…'
She looked over at Jan—
'What?! Why is so much coming out?!'
She instantly increased her control over the magic circle, trying to stop the overflow and redirect the Mana through the proper stations.
'Wait! At this rate it'll reach him before we even hit phase four!'
"Jan! We're almost there—just hold on. I'm going to push it back into you very soon!"
He wasn't listening.
'This is better… It hurt at first, but now… it feels more natural. The faster it flows, the easier it gets.'
Jan focused harder.
'I guess the point of this training is to find my essence… So I better get to it.'
The light ahead was brighter now. He could feel it. He could sense its warmth.
'It looks beautiful.'
But this wasn't the time to marvel. He had to get even closer; he had to touch it...
'Closer… closer…'
No matter how much he moved forward, the light remained out of reach. It felt like an optical illusion—one he could feel with the entirety of his soul.
'It's like I'm trapped… wait—what's that?'
All of a sudden, a single thread of light formed behind him, cutting through the endless dark.
It stretched forward, linking him to his elusive essence.
'That's it!'
Jan followed the thread.
With each passing second, he could feel himself getting closer.
Ring!
[Congratulations, you've obtained a new skill: Meditating Lv.1]
"Jan!"
'Focus!'
He was nearly there. The essence glowed ahead, clearer than ever.
'Just a little more…'
But then, something changed.
The thread behind him swelled. What had been a string became a stream—fast and violent, pushing him forward like a current.
'Great! I'm getting there. Faster! I can see it! I can see the light!'
What he had thought was close before… was still far, far away. But now, with the help of the stream, he was finally getting there.
'It's even bigger than I imagined. It looks enormous… Wait—this isn't light, this is a…'
Sun!
[You've been poisoned!]
[YOU DIED]
[You will not receive a penalty or punishment. In Valkeries Town, you will respawn in 3 seconds with 20% HP.]
"This. Is. Too. Much."
Sweat dripped down Aeris' forehead. Her breaths came short and sharp as she mumbled the words.
Jan's Mana was just overwhelming.
By phase four, it had become nearly impossible to stop it from overflowing.
Leaning on her staff, barely standing, Aeris lifted her head to check on Jan.
He was no longer there.
His body had turned to light and vanished.
'He said if he dies, he'll just revive… but how does that even work?! Will he really be okay?!'
Slam!
The guild door burst open, making Aeris jump.
From the light outside, Jan came sprinting in—grinning wide, wearing nothing but his underwear.
"That was so cool, Aeris!!! I felt it—I really felt it! I wasn't just close to it, I was there! I don't know what happened exactly, but I'm sure I'll make it next time!"
The sheer enthusiasm caught her completely off guard.
He talked like he hadn't just died a few moments ago.
'Also… does he realize he's still in his underwear?'
Aeris quickly turned away.
"What's wrong?" Jan asked.
"F-Forget it! W-We're not doing this again!"
"What?! Why?!" Jan pleaded.
"I can't! This ritual wasn't made for people like you. Your Mana is too much—I can't control it!"
"Not for me?! But I felt it! I know it will work!"
"I know you did! But for this ritual to succeed, we need to go through all five phases. In the last two, the Mana is supposed to be fed back into you—carefully, slowly. What happened wasn't feeding—it was stuffing! And that's why your essence exploded."
"B-But…" Jan lowered his head.
"No buts, Jan. Forget it. It won't work."
Her tone was firm, her decision final. But Jan simply couldn't accept it.
He reached out, gently took her by the shoulder, and turned her to face him. His eyes were serious, steady. "Please, Aeris. Just one more time. I know I can do it."
He knew he was asking for too much—but he couldn't walk away. So he said again, "Please."
Aeris lost herself in his eyes for a moment, then looked away, ears burning. "Alright…" she mumbled.
"W-What. T-The. H-Hell. A-Are. Y-You. G-Guys. D-D-D-Doing?!"
The voice slammed into them like a cold splash.
Stuttering the words, Maria stood in the doorway—gawking.
Jan, sweaty and half-naked.
Aeris, red-faced and breathless.
With crazy eyes and shaky hands, the stack of documents slipped from Maria's trembling hands and scattered across the floor.
=======================
"So that's what you two were doing."
"Yes! Please believe me!"
Maria smiled. "I do believe you."
Then she turned to Aeris, her expression suddenly stern.
"But… if drawing magic circles on his body required him to be naked, why did you proceed with the ritual while he was still naked?"
"I-I know how it sounds!" Aeris stammered. "But that's what the old man said! He said he had to be naked during the ritual!"
"Mmm. I do admire people who follow instructions…" Maria tapped her chin. "But then why did you let him keep the underwear?"
"Maria!!"
"What? I'm just trying to be thorough."
"Of course I kept my underwear! That would've been way out of line!" Jan shouted.
"Jan, stay out of it!" Maria barked.
"W-Well…" Aeris crossed her arms. "Why am I even being interrogated? I can do whatever I want!"
"Ha! You're in the presence of the current ruler of Valkyries!" Maria declared. "You'll answer to me whether you like it or not!"
"Guys, guys!" Jan raised his hands.
"Shut up!" both Aeris and Maria snapped, still glaring at each other.
"Why are you even fighting over this?!" Jan cried, genuinely puzzled.
"Because you should've asked me for help instead of this clueless kid!"
"I ran into her first, so I asked her!"
"Oh, I see! So I'm just the convenient pick? Fine—take your precious Noodle-Legs and figure it out yourselves! I'm leaving."
Aeris turned to go, but Jan quickly grabbed her hand.
"No, Aeris! I need you too. That's not what I meant!"
She paused. "A-Alright, if you think so…"
Watching the scene unfold, Maria's brows tightened—but she forced herself to keep a straight face. However, that only made her look even more terrifying.
"You don't need her. If it were me, I would've known from the start this wouldn't work. Your INT and WIS are too high for this spoiled brat."
"Oh really? Well, they're too high for you too, grandma, so you wouldn't have done any better!"
As the two started another glaring contest, Jan sighed sadly.
"Why can't you just help me together?"
"..."
Both fell silent immediately.
Aeris scratched her cheek. "Well… I guess I can do that."
"Jan, you're the hero of Valkyries." Maria sighed. "Of course I'll help you."
"Great!" Jan's face brightened. "But are you sure? I thought you were busy with the council."
"I am," Maria said. "I only stopped by the church to check for any news about my father. That's when I received a report about a half-naked Hero running around town."
Jan scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "So... did you hear anything?"
"Not yet," Maria said, her expression dimming.
Jan gently patted her shoulder. "I'm sure they'll be alright."
Maria looked down… and then said with a tired sigh:
"I really can't take you seriously while you're in your underwear. You should go put something on before—"
"Before Sophia sees me, huh?" Jan said with a knowing chuckle.
Maria froze.
"...Oh no." Jan's smile faded. He didn't dare look behind.
Aeris quietly took a step back.
"JaaAAAN!"
It was a banshee's whisper...