Chapter 18

It felt like I was dreaming.

I experienced a strange sensation of my senses expanding and observing my surroundings with my whole body.

Even though my eyes were clearly closed, I could distinctly sense the presence of the deeply asleep Rat and Buta inside the rattling carriage.

‘What on earth is this…?’

Just as I was about to take a breath in surprise, Idrian’s solemn voice echoed.

• Don’t be alarmed, and from now on, accept the mana as I guide you.

Woooong─

Once again, the Stormbringer dormant within me began to pulse slowly.

At the same time, the mana mixed with my breath started to move towards specific parts of my body.

• Starting from your nose and mouth, then through the philtrum, Baihui, Hegu, Sanyinjiao, Zusanli, and finally through the perineum to the dantian. These are the acupoints that mana must pass through in sequence to forge the core of Hyunchengong. Remember this well.

Idrian’s voice was more serious than ever before. Though the names were unfamiliar, I instinctively knew which parts they referred to.

Starting from the philtrum, the mana split into two at the crown of my head, then rushed down my hands, calves, and feet with intense force.

Then, following Idrian’s guidance, the mana that had traveled through all parts of my body except my abdomen and heart surged back up towards the dantian.

Shortly after.

Crrrrk─ I heard a sound as if something was being crushed, followed by excruciating pain hitting my abdomen.

• Entering [Hyper-Focus] state.

A brief message popped up, seeming to recognize the current pain as a combat situation, and the pain slightly subsided.

At the same time, the mana that had shot up to my dantian began to form a small circle and settle.

‘This is….’

I could feel a bead the size of a grain of rice forming below my navel.

As I recognized the bead, which contained a clear energy like a gentle breeze, a strange craving enveloped my entire body.

“Hmmph…”

I took a deep breath.

The mana entering through my respiratory system passed through the acupoints Idrian had taught me and rushed towards the dantian with fierce speed.

• ……!!!

I heard an urgent shout, but it didn’t reach my ears as I had already entered a state of deep concentration.

All my senses were focused solely on guiding the newly entering mana.

The initial pain had long disappeared. The satisfaction that enveloped my entire body far surpassed any pleasure I had ever known.

‘More, just a little more….’

The core that had been the size of a grain of rice had already expanded to the size of a pinky nail. Just as an indescribable sense of fulfillment made me smile.

Slaaap─!!!

A sharp impact struck my right cheek, snapping me back to reality from the state of deep concentration.

“…What?”

Having escaped from the abyss of pleasure, I gritted my teeth and straightened my back, glaring ahead.

I saw Buta, crouching like a turtle with his hand as large as a cauldron lid outstretched, and the Rat looking extremely anxious.

Judging by their appearances, it seemed to be Buta’s doing.

“Did you hit me? I told you not to wake me no matter what happened.”

“I-I’m sorry, boss. But your condition seemed strange….”

“Strange?”

Just as I mumbled in confusion, my vision spun, and everything went dark.   *

“Ugh.”

As I regained consciousness after fainting, holding my throbbing head, a thunderous scolding echoed, making my skull vibrate.

• Are you out of your mind? What kind of lunatic builds a core for nearly an hour without a break!

‘Huh? An hour? Stop kidding me.’

It felt like it had been less than ten minutes, but an hour had passed? It was hard to believe.

• Huh, listen to this brat…

Idrian’s voice trailed off, sounding incredulous at my nonchalant response.

• If you have eyes, look around. You nearly lost your life just now.

Around?

I opened my eyes and lifted my head. My cheek still stung.

And…my vision was red.

“…Huh?”

The front of my clothes was soaked.

A metallic taste lingered in my mouth. I felt warm, sticky liquid under the hand resting diagonally on the chair.

It didn’t take long to realize it was blood.

“What is this?”

“B-Boss, I’m really sorry. We were so urgent…”

The Rat, sitting opposite me, spoke in a trembling voice.

Seeing my bewildered expression, Buta, who was standing frozen beside him, stammered and continued.

“Boss, while you were asleep, blood suddenly started gushing from your nose and mouth like a fountain. Blood was flowing from your eyes too. No matter how much we called, you wouldn’t wake up, so Buta hit your cheek with his fist.”

“Boss, do you have any chronic illnesses? How can you bleed so much while sleeping?”

Their trembling voices carried no hint of deceit.

Judging by their usual sun-tanned bronze skin now turned pale blue, they seemed genuinely shocked.

“Enough. You did well. It’s not a disease, so don’t worry about it now.”

“No, I was just worried it might be an epidemic. We can’t risk it spreading… Gah!”

“This idiot just has to say something extra to get himself into trouble. I said it’s not a disease, so don’t worry about it.”

I kicked the shin of the Rat, who was sneaking off to a corner of the carriage, and focused my mind to ask Idrian why this had happened.

‘Why did this happen?’

• Why, you ask! What kind of madman builds a core and an imaginary realm for a whole hour from the start! Regardless of that monstrous concentration, do you realize how much strain this puts on both your body and spirit? I thought ten minutes was the limit. Should I be pleased or not…tsk tsk.

Idrian clicked his tongue repeatedly.

‘Realm?’

Now that I thought about it, I sensed a strange space within the core the size of a pinky nail formed below my navel.

A space much smaller than the core itself, devoid of mana.

As I recognized this, Idrian’s voice, laced with a hint of amusement, came through.

• Congratulations. This is the unique secret of Hyunchengong, the imaginary realm.

The carriage continued its endless journey along the snow-covered mountain road.

After roughly tidying up with the Rat and Buta, I plopped down into a seat.

“Geez, what a day.”

Luckily, the dark black color of the Royal Guard Knights’ uniform didn’t show the bloodstains much.

Looking out the window, I saw that dawn had broken. It had been nearly a full day since we left Whisen Castle.

‘By the way, why doesn’t this old man answer my questions?’

I had one lingering question for Idrian. Why was the founder of the Storm Sword family personally teaching me, a descendant of their rival, the Meteor Sword family? Idrian had laughed and replied.

• Because I feel like it, you brat. You’ll understand eventually, so for now, just accept my teachings. This is an opportunity you won’t get again.

After saying this, Idrian, who had been chattering nonstop, clammed up completely. Well, as much as a voice in my head can.

Anyway, as I felt the mana pulsating within the core, the Rat’s voice reached my ears.

“Hey, what’s that, boss?”

Following his pointing finger out the window, I saw monkeys jumping around between the snow-covered trees.

“I’ve never seen animals like that before. They don’t look like magical beasts or demi-humans like goblins or orcs. They walk almost like people.”

There was a group of monkeys with dark brown fur, about the size of young children.

Of course, having played Disa for a long time, I knew what they were.

“Those aren’t demi-humans. They’re called baboons.”

“Ba…boons? They’re not going to attack the carriage like wolves or tigers, are they?”

The Rat, slightly scared, quickly ducked his head.

Buta also looked tense, gripping his club tightly.

“Don’t worry. They’re usually quite docile. They live on tree fruits and insects, so they won’t attack people.”

Reassured by my answer, both of them relaxed their shoulders.

“Usually…”

Seeing them meant we were almost at the Jerfelt estate.

Sensing the sharp gaze from afar, I raised my perception and called out to the coachman sitting up front.

“Excuse me, did Sir Belkan order you to return to the Whisen estate immediately after dropping us off?”

“Yes? Yes, he did, sir knight. Oh… Please speak more casually. There’s no need to be so formal with someone like me.”

The elderly coachman bowed his head repeatedly, looking flustered.

Waving him off, I whispered so the Rat and Buta wouldn’t hear.

“Stay in the Jerfelt estate until we’re done.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“If you want to stay alive, do as I say. I’m warning you. If you ignore my warning, I can’t guarantee your safety.”

After sternly warning him, I closed the front window and began checking our supplies. The items received from Violet, an enchanted cheap sword, and some operating funds given by Belkan.

With these, resolving the issues at the Jerfelt estate shouldn’t be difficult.

Soon, the spirited neigh of horses signaled our arrival.

As we stepped out of the carriage, we saw the main gate of the mountain estate, surrounded by a sturdy wooden fence.

“Boss, is this tiny place really the Jerfelt estate?”

“It’s even smaller than the village where Buta lived.”

Ignoring their murmuring, I walked towards the gate and bowed to the thin man standing there.

“Hello. I am Jin, a knight dispatched from the Royal Guard Knights by order of Sir Belkan.”

The thin man extended his hand, looking a bit displeased.

“Nice to meet you, Sir Jin. I am Baron Etvan Jerfelt, the lord of the Jerfelt estate.”