Chapter 2782 - 2783: Quintessential Mana Entanglement Method

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Quintessential Mana Entanglement Method

A unique Arcane Path method for cultivating Mana within the body, developed by Medea after centuries of practicing, studying, and mastering the Arcane Path.

According to her, this method stood apart because it required no "benefactor" such as a sponsoring spirit, god, demon, or other entity to transform an ordinary person into a magician.

It relied solely on the magician's ability to connect with and absorb the Mana present in the environment.

Among its remarkable abilities, it granted the power to entangle Mana with oneself, binding it permanently. This allowed the practitioner to become attuned to the Mana of their surroundings and even the Universe itself.

This mana attunement enabled me to restore my Mana rapidly, among other benefits, such as increasing my internal storage capacity hundreds of times.

Yet, according to Medea, that was merely the least of its advantages. Other effects included expanding all senses through Mana, creating pocket domains, communicating with stars, perceiving fate, observing Mana's presence, and more.

After studying the book Medea provided, she instructed me to use my Intent to "touch" Mana and elicit a reaction.

I followed her guidance, focusing on the empty air as my thoughts converged, compressed, and released from my mind in a supernatural phenomenon.

While ordinary people might require years to master this, often driving most to madness and causing them to dismiss the method…

I was clearly an exception, effortlessly producing a reaction as the air twisted briefly, emitting a faint blue light that captivated me.

Medea, noting that it was working well, instructed me to repeat the process at least a hundred times to fully grasp the sensation, which felt like a daunting task.

Though I grumbled, I persisted. Over and over, until after the hundredth attempt, my head ached intensely, but the reaction I produced evolved from a mere coincidence into a deliberate change I could manipulate within the universe.

It sounded grander than it felt, but this was the essence of "Manipulating Mana" without external aids like the System or Skills.

It was pure Mana Manipulation, devoid of passive or active skills, special equipment, titles, or any other enhancements.

Just me.

When Medea observed that I had begun to master the technique's foundation, she explained that this was where we diverged from traditional methods. Using my newfound understanding, I needed to grasp the Mana I was manipulating and entangle it with my Consciousness.

This required permanently "merging" the Mana I had seized into my Consciousness, enabling my Consciousness to expand as long as Mana existed, or so it seemed.

The concept felt complex, but in practice, it was surprisingly straightforward.

Yet, it was a challenging method that few would dare attempt, especially since Medea warned that an ordinary person could lose their sanity.

For me, however, it wasn't overly difficult.

It resembled threading a needle, requiring patience and persistence. I had to proceed delicately, with great care.

Rushing would be futile. Mana was a sensitive energy, almost a "living being" in its own right, somehow.

Thus, I couldn't handle it roughly, lest it perceive my intent as an attempt to enslave it, as Alchemists do, prompting an aggressive response.

So, with calmness and sincerity in my heart, I channeled my will through my Consciousness.

Using this approach, I created another azure spark.

I seized that spark swiftly yet gently and began to integrate it with my Consciousness.

The concept of Consciousness was familiar to me. Certain skills had allowed me to expand my mind, as had my aura.

Yet, this was distinct. It was literally my Consciousness extending beyond my mind, capable of merging with my soul.

This was a supernatural power entirely separate from skills, which I had been using incorrectly all along.

Through my battles with Wasp, I had slowly begun to understand it, putting "oneself" into each strike.

Now, with the insights I gained about Consciousness from him, merging it with Mana wasn't…

As challenging as I had feared!

FLAAASH!

A brilliant spark of blue light erupted from my hand. Medea watched with keen interest as I wove the first Strand of Mana into my Consciousness, like sewing fabric together.

"It's done! I got it! The first Mana Strand!"

As I celebrated, I felt a surge of power within my Consciousness. It was rapidly absorbing Mana from the environment, though only to a limited extent.

Still, it was remarkable and worthy of celebration.

"Let me see…! Oho! You did it, young lady!" Medea clapped. "And you managed to entangle a remarkably large strand, possibly the largest that can be woven into your Consciousness without causing it to collapse."

"E-Eh? Wait, I almost collapsed?" I asked.

"Yes! If your Consciousness collapses, it can severely damage your mind and soul. You might lose memories, experience confusion, suffer sharp pain, or, in the worst cases, lose all senses or have your soul destroyed," she said with a carefree laugh. "Of course, that would never happen to you, young lady! Hahaha!"

"I-I… yeah," I muttered, nodding.

Reflecting on it, I realized Noah had been doing this during our battle! At times, he moved so swiftly I couldn't perceive him, and each attack rattled my mind, sending cracks through my soul.

Was he targeting my Consciousness?!

Damn it, this is so embarrassing!

To him, I must have seemed like a complete amateur, an ignorant fool who hadn't grasped the basics.

And I was so arrogant, too…

Ugh, now I feel I owe him an apology for being so pathetic.

"So, the true way of fighting involves combining Consciousness with other elements?" I wondered.

"Well, not everyone knows how to weaponize Consciousness! Many Magicians and Sorcerers of the Arcane Path have little understanding of this and rely on spells to expand their minds," she explained. "But the School I follow is deeply tied to Consciousness, so developing my own method came naturally through meditation and insight."

"I see…" I nodded. "I once fought someone who moved so fast my senses couldn't keep up. His attacks shook my soul, despite not carrying overwhelming power. He somehow exerted more force than he should have… Do you know what that was? Is it related to Consciousness?"

"Ah… yes, it likely is," Medea nodded, rubbing her chin. "I follow the Arcane Path, so I'm not adept at physical combat. However, I know that Martial Artists who later cultivate can achieve such feats, though what you describe aligns more with another path. Beyond Heaven and Earth, which represent the Cultivation paths for humans and Beasts, there exists a third path called the Heart Path. It involves relentlessly refining, overexerting, and sharpening one's Consciousness to the brink of collapse, repeatedly, through enlightenment, meditation, and unyielding persistence… and something else I'm uncertain of. This allows one to awaken Heart Essence and cultivate it independently of the Heaven, Earth, or Arcane Paths."

"…?!" I was stunned to hear this. "Has Wasp… or Doc?"

"Wasp… I believe he has mastered the Heart Path method," she replied. "But Doc is primarily an Alchemist! Hahaha, though he is very strong, he isn't particularly skilled with methods involving Consciousness."

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