Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 164

“We got a little bit sidetracked… Okay, anyway, the main point is that mana can be anything, but it takes time. This is the absolute proposition. But you have to know that time is relative,” Reable said.

“So you’re saying complicated things take longer time and simple things take less time, right?”

“Bingo! So with that in mind, something like this is possible.”

Reable wrapped his hands with the power he called Spectral Mana. It looked like black mist. As he waved his hand, one of his Undead subordinates approached, pulled out a bone knife, and swung it in the air.

Cling!

“It’s very simple. You infuse mana into your body to strengthen it. Its efficiency is lower than magic or Arcane Circles, but it has the advantage of being quick. So this happens if you apply it.”

Tssssss.

The black energy was absorbed into Reable’s entire body. Then, his body turned completely black. His pure white skin completely changed into something that could only be called ‘Vantablack.’ This ominous black color was difficult to describe as just black—he looked as if he were a human-shaped hole in the air. He was darkness itself.

“If you hone your use of Mana, you can become like this. I call this state Mana Body,” Reable said.

‘That… that was possible?’

“Even without using any skills, you can become incredibly strong just by controlling your Mana~ Like this!”

Reable lightly punched the Undead. As soon as his punch struck the Undead, the bone armor shattered and the corpse was knocked back.

Ji-Cheok learned cultivation and had the [Heaven Martial Body]. He was perfectly qualified to evaluate Reable’s punch just now, and his evaluation was that it had insane power! Reable hadn’t used any skills, and the amount of mana he had used wasn’t that great either; nevertheless, Ji-Cheok was surprised at the power of his strike.

“It doesn’t make sense…”

It seemed like Mu-Cheok had also grasped the power of that punch.

“It’s not just reinforcing my punch. It’s reinforcing the bones, muscles, blood vessels, blood, and even the nervous system! A skill that manipulates Mana and the use of the body. This is called Mana Combat Art!”

“Hey, I’ve heard about that. There’s a skill with that name.”

The Mana Combat Art was quite well known. However, it was also looked down on as an imitation of cultivation.

“Of course there is. But do those who use it as a skill know how to use it properly~? By the way, it is very easy compared to learning Necromancy. It’s much easier to move your own forearm than to control the muscles of someone else.”

‘Wow, what a great metaphor.’

Reable continued, “Oh, and the Mana Combat Art is completely different from cultivation. The fundamentals are different, and the usage is also different because the Mana Combat Art requires your will.

“My will?”

“Yes. Before, I said that it takes time for mana to change into something, right? Actually, you need one more thing, which is guidance.”

“What do guidance and will have to do with—oh, hold on a second…”

“It seems like you noticed. Indeed, your will is what guides your mana and binds it to the attribute you need. For example, if you want to change mana into fire, you just need to focus on that thought and it’ll turn into fire, albeit slowly.”

“Oh, wow.”

“It’s the same with strengthening your body by infusing mana into it. I became stronger because I willed my mana into making me stronger. Basically, I ordered myself ‘become stronger!’”

‘So… This is possible.’

“It’s like casting a lesser magic spell—some say it’s the primordial form of magic. Basically, in the case of magic, your will is enforced through some complicated rules and whatnot~! And if you skip all those rules and apply your will directly onto yourself, that’s called the Mana Combat Art! Isn’t it easy?”

“I think I’ve heard this somewhere.”

“In short, you have to work hard with a firm mind. Work hard!”

‘Wait, what is this boomer mindset? This is ridiculous.’

“Can I learn this kind of stuff?” Ji-Cheok said.

“Isn’t it completely different from cultivation? Doesn’t this conflict with cultivation?” Mu-Cheok asked the same question, but in more detail.

“Of course, you can. Mr. Um Ji-Cheok, you’re a genius, right? And Mr. Um Mu-Cheok has a very unique ability, so that should cover it,” Reable said.

‘His [Chronicler] skills… Can those cover it? This Demon—hell, I don’t even know if he is actually a Demon, uh… this guy can gain knowledge of someone else’s ability just by looking at them. Is that the difference between a mortal and a God?’’

Reable laughed, his limbs flailing like those of a paper doll.

“Okay then, I will teach you right away. Are you ready~?”

‘Cheok-Liang, are all Gods crazy like that?’

?Uh… Probably not, Master. When I looked at the reviews of conversations with the Gods, every God appeared to be either normally bad or normally good.?

‘What is this guy’s real name?’

* * *

‘Cultivation and the Mana Combat Art are definitely different.’

Cultivation accepted the Qi of nature and let it circulate in the body to give strength to the body. In the case of the Mana Combat Art, however, the will of the user was the most important factor. In addition, will had to be focused on a concrete purpose; the more specific its object was, the more its power increased.

“Human beings die quickly. Even if they get a paper cut, they have to wear a bandage for three days because it hurts. However, they have a strong ego. In this case, ‘ego’ means ‘self,’” Reable said.

He produced a cloud of smoke with his hand and made it into the shape of a small dog.

“Look at Chihuahuas. When weak and egotistic beings feel threatened, they bark and bite,” Reable continued.

“Is that the Mana Combat Art?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“That is will. In that sense, humans are a species with high potential for development. Since they are weak, they have to be strong-willed to survive.”

It was a rather paradoxical explanation.

“Anyway, rather than using mana with a vague thought like ‘I want my senses to become sharper and my body to be stronger’...”

Reable held out his pale, muscular arms.

“...It would be faster to think in detail, such as ‘I want my nerve cells to be strengthened, my blood flow to increase, my muscles to exert several times the force, and my skin to be as tough as metal.’”

That moment, mana surged from Mu-Cheok’s arm.

Tsssss~

Reable’s jaw dropped.

“Wow~ Did you actually learn it in one try?”

“It’s easier for me because my skeleton is mechanical. Being conscious of my body and the way it moves is something I do from dawn to dusk.”

‘Ah… I see…’

Reable stared at him in wonder and said, “This is rare. Your body is modified with Arcane Engineering, but whoever did it made it so that you can still grow. Even the materials were chosen with that in mind. Is it true that a human did this to you?”

“Yes. It was made by Jung Bi-Ga.”

“Ah, she must be Jung Ji-Han’s sister. To think that humans could compete with God-tier creations.”

“It just increased the strength of my brother’s physical power. Can we compare that to Gods?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“Ah, but the thing is, the way she modified him allowed him to keep the ability to become stronger in the future. As your brother becomes stronger, his body will also adjust accordingly. Those who are able to operate while taking into account and making provisions for such possibilities are rare even in the field of Arcane Engineering.”

‘How the hell did Bi-Ga do this?’

The brothers practiced the Mana Combat Art all day long. Ji-Cheok felt that his combat power was increasing dramatically.

Boom!

Mu-Cheok shattered the Undead summoned by Reable in one blow. Ji-Cheok found it funny that his younger brother was a ranged dealer whose main weapon was a pistol, yet he had greater close combat power than pro melee Hunters who used a knife as their main weapon.

“Wow~ That’s fast,” Reable said.

Ji-Cheok knew that if he had been the one hit by that punch, he would have been just as dead as those skeletons.

“That’s awesome!” Ji-Cheok said.

Mu-Cheok seemed happy.

“Hyung, thank you!”

He seemed especially delighted by Ji-Cheok’s praise.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Reable clapped his hands.

“You’re incredible. Shall we continue to train Mana Combat Art like this for today? Compared to other Hunters, the two of you have several times the mana recovery rate.”

In the meantime, Reable put the smashed Undead back into the ground and summoned replacements.

?He can raise a corpse with only his will, without saying the spell.?

‘I know. If I was a Necromancer, I would know better. Even with my untrained eyes, I can see that his methods and level are completely different from the Necromancers I saw on GodTube. And there aren’t even many Necromancers on GodTube. ’

?Yes, Master. Necromancers on GodTube have to put the #horror tag on their videos. They also have to endure all the malicious comments and reports from various religious groups. Not many people take a Necromancer job by personal preference.?

‘Well, they have to touch corpses, and nobody wants that. It’s a job that ordinary people cannot even imagine.’

“Okay, then it’s time to get used to it. Both of you are just getting into Mana Combat and haven’t even started on the Mana Body. You have to keep using it to get used to it,” Reable said.

Mana Body seemed to be a high-level skill of the Mana Combat Art. Of course, just because they had learned it today did not mean that they could just go ahead and use it. In other words, the only thing they could do was keep trying over and over again…

When Reable finished talking, he clapped.

“Okay then, Ready. Fight!”

The Undead rushed at the brothers.

* * *

“I think I’m going to die…” Mu-Cheok said, drinking a mana potion with a pained expression on his face.

It was the same for Ji-Cheok. It was just training, but it did not lose in intensity to actual battle. It wasn’t as hard as the mock battle in the [Training Space of the God of War], but it was still hard. Dozens of Undead attacked them unceasingly, and after the brothers destroyed them, Reable fixed them and made them fight again. They had to face waves after waves of monsters. On top of that, they had to fight with only the Mana Combat Art, without using any other skills.

“If you’re going to use other skills, why bother training?”

Reable was right, so the brothers did exactly what he said and trained until they were about to die. As a result, their understanding of and proficiency in the Mana Combat Art increased significantly. In addition, Ji-Cheok learned how to use it in combination with cultivation. He wasn’t proficient yet, but he felt that even his current level alone made him considerably stronger. Given his other skills and abilities, he felt confident that he could handle a level 100 Hunter even as he was.

“That massage skill is awesome~ With just this, physical fatigue is not a problem in the slightest. And you can recover your mana with mana potions, so all’s good.”

One of the good things about making a lot of money was that Ji-Cheok could afford this kind of luxurious recovery rate. Even better, he wasn’t actually paying much at all, since he was making his own potions. Of course, Mu-Cheok drank way more potions than Ji-Cheok did.

Once they got themselves together, they washed up and headed to the auction house.

~

They were in a luxurious banquet hall in a seven-star luxury hotel. It was called the World Children Symposium. They entered with an invitation to the party from a well-known charity. They were all wearing very expensive suits, and when they entered, unique masks were provided. They put on the masks and kept going, passing by other masked people who were chatting in the hallway.

Suddenly, Ji-Cheok noticed that the ticket he was holding had a mark on it that hadn’t been there moments before.

[↗]

The arrow changed its direction like a compass, pointing the way, and they followed it to navigate the building. Finally, they found themselves in front of an elevator, in a hallway where the lights were off.

[Under Maintenance]

“I feel a strong electronic signal from nearby,” Mu-Cheok said.

He pressed the elevator button.

Ding-dong!

The elevator door opened gently, and the three of them went inside. The doors closed. There were no buttons inside for them to press, and neither was there any need for any; as soon as the doors closed, the elevator moved by itself.