To Hell with Being a Saint, I’m a Doctor

Chapter 13: The Beginning Of Swordsmanship (4)

Does the Circle not exist?

Eil and Saein were confused.

What was a Circle?

It was the most crucial element for a mage.

Mana became stagnant if it remained static.

Thus, a circulating system known as the Circle was developed within the body.

The Circle constantly circulated the trapped mana within the body to prevent it from becoming stagnant.

What if this vital Circle did not exist?

Then, one would not be able to trap mana within the body, and naturally, one would not be able to use magic.

The more Circles there were, the more power the mana gained, and the more vigorously it could rotate larger amounts. Generally, mana that had been rotated more was more active and powerful than mana that had been rotated less.

I literally do not have a Circle. I do not need a Circle to draw and use mana.

However, what he was saying now did not make sense.

A mage using magic without a Circle?

It was akin to a saint lacking divine power.

Hmm. I still do not understand.

Neither do I. You need a Circle to draw in mana. Initially, the Mana Road itself is connected to the Circle.

Thats the thing. My Mana Road is different from other mages. Normally, Mana Roads are designed to meet the Circle and send the most rotationally powerful mana quickly, right?

Thats correct. If the Mana Road is separated from the Circle, the rotationally weakened mana passing through the Mana Road will be consumed when casting a spell. That would significantly reduce the destructive power

Mage Saein was knowledgeable in this area.

But Ray shook his head and said,

People generally believe that the more active mana is, the stronger it is, but thats not true. The purest state of mana is the strongest. Mana floating in the air or contained in all things can itself be a weapon.

Even as she listened to his explanation, Saein could not easily believe it.

The knowledge she had about mana had been ingrained in her mind for almost 30 years.

She also thought that she understood mana to some extent.

Saein grasped the concept of the pure state of mana that Ray discussed, but she couldnt comprehend why it was more potent than rotationally enhanced mana.

Interpreting Saeins thoughts, Ray extended his hand and instructed,

Mom, can you push mana here? As if youre repelling my mana.

Huh? Alright.

Increase the rotational force and release it all at once.

Saein expressed her concern to Ray,

If I do that, youll be sent flying

Dont worry about me, just give it a try.

Saein murmured that Ray was adorable as she observed his hand gestures. Then she did as Ray requested, gathering her mana.

The mana traveled through her Mana Road to the Circle, where it began to rotate fiercely.

Witnessing this, Ray felt a shiver run down his spine.

As expected of Mom I have no idea how many Circles she possesses, but the pressure is immense.

Saein typically exhibited a playful demeanor and rarely lost her temper, so Ray hadnt recognized it, but she was known as a top-tier mage in the world.

If she wasnt a top-tier mage, Ray couldnt envision how many stronger entities existed elsewhere.

Saeins potent energy was thrust into Rays mana.

Kwaagwang-

A massive surge of mana swirled around Ray.

Air hand!

She promptly cast a spell to shield Ray from being swept away by the mana clash.

However, Ray effortlessly deflected Saeins mana without her assistance.

Instead of being propelled backwards, he dissipated his mana in the same spot, with both arms extended as they were initially.

Ray slowly lifted his head and stated,

Utilizing pure mana rather than rotating mana is far more efficient. Plus, its more powerful.

Ray didnt appear to exert any effort while speaking.

Saeins pupils flickered momentarily.

It wasnt her maximum strength, but it was a considerable force.

Saein had expected Ray to counter her mana, but she didnt anticipate that it would be so effortless for him.

She hadnt realized until now, but after their mana clash, she understood,

Ray might indeed be correct.

It was difficult to believe that such precise and well-structured words were coming from a fifteen-year-old boy. Furthermore, he demonstrated it through an experiment.

The procedure and the outcome even convinced Saein himself.

It might have seemed an impossible concept, but there could be a day when one could use magic without a circle.

Ray lifted a finger as if to suggest that was not the only point and continued,

The power of mana is potent. And pure mana is denser than impure mana. Naturally, denser mana is stronger.

He then began to wrap mana around his raised finger.

To enhance cutting power with such mana, its sufficient to simply increase the density of mana, like this.

As he spoke, his finger moved, and a teacup began to peel like a fruit.

Squeak, squeak.

Even though he was slicing glass, Saein was astonished to see it cut so smoothly.

What he was demonstrating was not magic.

It was something akin to a sword aura, created by controlling mana.

His dense mana was fundamentally very powerful in cutting power when shaped into a blade.

After peeling the teacup, Ray carefully placed it down and said,

However, in the case of explosive power, increasing the density doesnt necessarily augment the destructive power. Of course, adding rotational force doesnt make the mana stronger either.

Saein stroked her chin and nodded after a moment of contemplation.

I see. Now I comprehend.

But I still dont grasp how you can use magic without a circle.

Thats because I established a unique mana road different from others.

You constructed it differently from others?

What if something goes awry

Eil voiced his concern.

Indeed, a mana road is a source from where the bodys energy is drawn.

If something goes wrong there, it could have a lethal impact.

In the past, there were accounts of mages who did not adhere to the conventional methods for mana roads and instead forged their own paths. Some were documented to have lost their ability to wield magic, became incapacitated, or even coughed up blood and died.

However, these incidents occurred due to misinformation or a lack of information.

To understand how it functioned and how to construct it most efficiently, a concept akin to a highway was necessary.

All that needed to be done was to separate the central lane and prevent the flowing mana from colliding.

While it was impossible for others, he possessed medical knowledge.

Therefore, he could construct a mana road comparable to blood vessels.

Because he had such lucid thoughts, he was somewhat worried, but since there were no theoretical issues, he decided to give it a try.

Ray dismissed Eils concerns with a laugh.

Nothing adverse will occur. I believe it will have far fewer issues than the existing mana roads.

However, Saein and Eil couldnt simply laugh and accept his words.

Creating a mana road was not something just anyone could do.

Even those hailed as grand masters in the realm of magic failed at pioneering new mana roads.

Therefore, mages who successfully pioneered mana roads established clans, and passed down their methods as a tradition only to the direct heirs of the clan.

One thing was certain: just because a new Mana Road was created, it didnt guarantee it was superior to the existing ones.

Not many wizards would be willing to gamble on such an adventure.

Because everyone has only one precious life.

From this alone, one could see how audacious Rays action was.

Eil mulled over what Ray had said.

After only three months, to sense mana and later to pave a Mana Road At the very least, he accomplished it by the time he was four Is that even feasible?

Its plausible since Ray was currently using magic, but wasnt that a bit too much?!

Eil felt like pointing to the sky in frustration.

Even a genius should have some limits.

He wished the heavens would set a benchmark for genius.

If thats the case for you So, due to that unique Mana Road, you can use magic without a circle?

Yes. The usual way wizards manifest magic is by confining the mana within their bodies.

As Ray spoke, he drew mana.

Mana floating in the air flowed directly through his body.

Deliberately, when he drew mana, he gathered a large amount at once, then circulated it through his body.

Saein, who believed Rays typical absorption of mana was to imprison it within his body, was quite surprised.

You dont absorb mana!

With a clap, Saein looked pleased having guessed it correctly, to which Ray nodded.

Thats right. I dont absorb and store mana in my body. My Mana Road pulls or directly converts ambient mana to manifest magic. So, naturally, I dont need a circle.

Well Indeed, if thats the case, theres no need for a circle

Saein said this, but her expression was one of a wry smile.

If such a Mana Road could be created.

---

The village of Billo was teeming with information brokers.

It was only expected, as the nobleman had intentionally invested money into the area.

The influx of substantial funds had the information guilds and black market dealers grinning from ear to ear.

However, there was one thing that none of the information brokers could understand.

Why was the nobleman trying to find that child?

A daughter from another noble family?

The noblemans secret son?

Many stories emerged, but none were believable.

So, most information guilds were placing counter-requests with the merchants.

About the child the nobleman was looking for.

If it turned out to be a significant matter worth a lot of money, they wanted to be involved in it too, albeit belatedly.

Therefore, even on sunny days, there were people walking around Billo village with their hoods up, and at night, the streets were crowded with adventurers and mercenaries.

Indeed, most of them were information brokers, black market dealers, and their acquaintances, but to an outsider, the village of Billo appeared like a bustling street beyond imagination.

Such was the case for the adventurers who visited Billo village for tourism or quests.

Wow, I wasnt aware of this village before, but it seems to have expanded significantly?

Yeah, it wasnt in our plan, but we might as well take a break here for a while.

As adventurers and mercenaries gathered, the difficulty, quantity, and rewards of quests provided by the guild naturally escalated.

When they notified their guild, which shared information with fellow adventurers, more people swarmed to Billo village.

Gone were the tranquil and serene days of the past in Billo village.

Ironically, the nobleman, who had invested money into the village to find Ray, was now earning more money than he had spent, as the village thrived.

Furthermore, with the influx of commoners and merchants, the noblemans power grew stronger each day.

The population, comparable to a small city, and the merchant groups attracted by the scent of money, brought in adventurers, and with the increasing population and economic power, the noblemans influence naturally expanded.

Yet, despite all this, the noblemans quest never seemed to be called off.

Instead, the number of quests had multiplied.

At least until he found the saint, the nobleman could not afford to stop investing money.