The Only Enhancer - Chapter 130

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 130
130 – Characteristic Mana (2)
Just as Mary was deliberating whether to rush at Min-jun’s words, he continued speaking.
He pressed on with his explanation.
“First, Mary—do you only use skills in combat?”
“…What?”
She didn’t understand the question itself.
She genuinely couldn’t grasp what he meant.
Only use skills?
Mary’s mind raced, trying to decipher his meaning.
What could he possibly mean by that?
In combat, one naturally doesn’t rely solely on skills.
She wielded her weapons with her own strength, adapting her approach with each encounter.
Yet Min-jun didn’t seem to be referring to that.
Something about his tone suggested he meant something entirely different.
Then Min-jun smiled and spoke.
“If you haven’t grasped it, allow me to clarify.”
Min-jun had always been a practitioner of real combat.
If he weren’t, he wouldn’t have pushed the Guild members so relentlessly to level up.
In any case, having said that, Min-jun continued his explanation.
“You’re a lightning knight? Or should I say a brain-lightning knight?”
“Huh? Yes! That’s correct.”
Though Mary habitually carried lightning wrapped around her body, she hadn’t consciously noticed it herself.
Min-jun nodded upon grasping this.
At this point, I could be certain.
All unique characteristics could utilize characteristic mana.
It seemed possible to use it once you obtained an ultimate skill rather than a characteristic enhancement.
That meant Jung Ji-hwan could also employ curses using mana.
‘The applications will become far more diverse.’
One might think this renders skills meaningless, but it’s the opposite.
By using characteristic mana, one could amplify a skill’s power tremendously.
Add enhancement equipment on top of that, and the power would exceed even that.
That was the theory Baya had proposed.
In other words, if one could use characteristic mana, combat strength would increase more than twofold.
“To put it simply, Mary—your mana contains lightning mixed within it.”
“…I see.”
“Ah, so you roughly understand the concept.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Mary nodded slightly in response, and Min-jun chuckled, realizing once again that an ability stat of 15 truly made a difference.
After all, understanding something and actually using it were two entirely different matters.
“Then shall we have a sparring match? To help you understand that we’re only using mana….”
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
As Min-jun raised his hand, lightning coiled around his palm before scattering in all directions.
Mary’s eyes widened at the sight, and she swallowed hard.
The same lightning attribute as hers.
Mary nodded and set down her weapon, then immediately rushed at Min-jun.
She tried to summon mana the way she did when using skills, but it wasn’t easy.
When forcing the mana to move proved futile, Mary quickly activated a skill instead.
Then the mana began moving in a familiar pattern, gathering in one place and forming the skill structure.
With crackling sounds, Mary became lightning itself, her speed absolutely formidable.
Crackle! Crackle!
As Mary darted forward in a dazzling zigzag pattern, Min-jun watched with a slight smile and spoke.
“If I just follow the path your mana took moments ago….”
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
As he wrapped his entire body in lightning and moved effortlessly, the electricity erupting from his feet collided with the lightning enveloping his body, making him move like lightning itself.
It was exactly Mary’s skill replicated.
How could he imitate a skill like that?
It was unbelievable.
She swallowed, feeling that sensation from moments ago.
Both Min-jun and she had moved, but the difference was unmistakable.
Her skill used only the predetermined amount she hadn’t chosen herself, producing exactly that much effect, but Min-jun was different.
He had imitated it by controlling both the output and mana capacity entirely on his own.
Since it was an imitation, it wasn’t perfectly identical, but it produced similar results.
“Are you getting the hang of it?”
“…Yes!”
As Mary said this, she recalled several of her own skills.
Then she activated another skill and moved again.
Moving without pause, Mary observed the mana’s movement and confirmed how it flowed.
But when she tried to use it herself, her willpower bounced back as if repelled.
“Ugh!”
Boom!
The lightning that bounced back from the repulsive force dealt damage, black smoke rising from her body.
Along with the acrid smell of burning flesh.
Min-jun immediately cast a heal, and only then did Mary’s expression ease as if she might survive.
Her insides must be burning with considerable pain, but perhaps as a former agent, she endured such things lightly.
Min-jun gazed at Mary with quiet admiration.
Where was the problem?
Sensing Min-jun’s thoughts, Mary spoke first.
“When I tried to draw and use mana, it bounced back from the repulsion and burned my body.”
“Hmm?”
Min-jun felt something amiss upon hearing those words.
Resistance when he tried to force it out?
That was strange.
Min-jun pondered what could be wrong before the realization struck him.
“Ah!”
“…?”
The moment Min-jun exclaimed, Mary looked at him with a puzzled expression.
As if asking whether he’d figured something out.
However.
“Ah, I know what it is, but it’s difficult to explain.”
“Yes?”
“Hmm, it’s hard to put into words, so would you like to see for yourself? You can sense mana, right?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Then watch carefully.”
At Min-jun’s words, Mary settled in to observe as he manipulated his mana.
The mana was drawn out roughly, as if being forcibly extracted against its will.
Watching this, she sensed something was different.
‘It’s so different from before.’
It felt as though he were dragging out something reluctant to emerge.
Just like what had happened to her moments ago.
Because Min-jun’s will was far stronger, the mana was pulled forth, but had he been even slightly weaker, he would have experienced the same resistance and internal damage as she had.
Sensing this, she gained some understanding, yet she quietly continued to observe what Min-jun was doing.
Soon after, Min-jun manipulated his mana again.
But this time it was entirely different.
As Min-jun willed it, the mana flowed out naturally and moved according to his intention.
Crackling! Whooshing! Rumbling!
First it became lightning, flickering brilliantly, then abruptly transformed into flame, and soon shifted into a massive gravitational force that crushed the surrounding space.
The transformations were remarkably seamless.
Witnessing this, Mary couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
“Wow.”
So natural and swift.
And she could discern the difference from before.
The method Mary had employed and the initial approach Min-jun had used both involved forcing the mana to move.
As a result, the mana resisted, and the backlash caused damage.
But the method Min-jun used next was remarkably simple.
‘Intent itself.’
Rather than moving the mana, he first carved a path with his will, then allowed the mana to flow along that path naturally.
By establishing intent first and imagining how the mana should move, the mana followed effortlessly in its wake.
The principle behind this.
The reason for it—she couldn’t begin to fathom.
I couldn’t discern much difference between attempting to move mana and displaying intent first.
But I realized that’s what I had to do.
Perhaps.
‘What if my will itself is mana?’
The moment that thought crossed my mind, my head felt remarkably clear.
Watching Mary’s expression brighten, Min-jun asked.
“Do you understand now?”
“Yes! I understand perfectly!”
It was an obvious question even without hearing the answer.
Then.
“Shall we test your skill?”
Min-jun raised his index finger toward the sky.
Then he released mana and formed the colossal shape of a dragon.
Roooooaaarrr!
The azure lightning dragon ascended into the heavens.
All the clouds floating in the sky evaporated and vanished entirely.
Gazing at the perfectly clear sky, Mary nodded and pointed her index finger upward, unleashing her will.
She envisioned a colossal dragon ascending and manifested that will into reality.
Then.
Crackle! Crackle!
Mana gradually began to move, and a dragon burst forth from the tip of Mary’s finger.
Though it was but a diminutive dragon compared to Min-jun’s, she had succeeded nonetheless.
Roooaaarrr!
Still, a dragon was a dragon—it ascended with a remarkably powerful resonance.
Watching it, Mary’s delight was unmistakable.
“Wow!”
Success!
She had succeeded in unleashing something equivalent to a skill without using a skill at all, by wielding mana!
Her joy was infectious.
Min-jun spoke as he observed Mary’s elation.
“Now then, shall we move to the next stage?”
“Oh! Yes!”
Mary answered with unmistakable confidence.
Honestly, wasn’t such confidence justified at this point?
Succeeding on the first attempt after merely comprehending the concept was no small feat.
She readily nodded at Min-jun’s suggestion to advance to the next stage.
Her determination blazed forth—whatever came next, she would overcome it.
Min-jun nodded as he observed Mary’s fervent enthusiasm and spoke.
“Now then, try launching that dragon at me.”
“Pardon?”
“Send it at me.”
At those words, I momentarily worried before shaking my head.
Who was worried about whom, exactly?
If it were Min-jun, even a direct hit from Mary’s attack would pose no problem whatsoever.
As that thought crossed my mind, a surge of competitive spirit bloomed within me.
Rather than the desire to land a blow on Min-jun, the determination to perform well spread through my consciousness, and I conjured a dragon far more colossal than the one that had ascended moments before, hurling it toward him.
Roooooaaaaaarrrrr!
A massive lightning dragon with its maw gaping ferociously, diving to devour Min-jun.
The golden-hued lightning dragon soared toward Min-jun.
But then.
Snap! Crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle!
Min-jun flicked his finger.
The lightning dragon that had been intent on tearing Min-jun’s limbs apart mere moments ago was now circling around him, flying in patterns I couldn’t comprehend.
Bewildered by the incomprehensible situation, I stared blankly at the lightning dragon.
What had he done?
It was a scene I couldn’t fathom.
In that moment, I could perceive it.
My mana had been stolen from me.
“H-how is this even…”
“I seized control of it.”
“…Pardon?”
“Well, if I can freely extract mana, then I should be able to seize what’s been created from your mana, shouldn’t I?”
“…Isn’t that a bit different?”
Normally I wouldn’t have talked back, but the words tumbled out regardless.
Min-jun tilted his head slightly at my words, scratching his chin.
Was it?
Then, as if a metaphor suddenly occurred to him, he spoke.
“It’s like I hacked your drone, Mary.”
“…Ah.”
I understood the words themselves, but I couldn’t comprehend how he was actually doing it.
Watching me like that, Min-jun seemed somewhat troubled as he dispersed my dragon into mana and smacked his lips.
It was one of the mana control techniques Baya had taught him.
Min-jun had executed it immediately upon hearing the explanation, and when Baya saw it, she had practically wept with praise.
So honestly, I thought even Mary with an ability stat of 15 could manage it.
The fact that she couldn’t even grasp the concept was somewhat shocking.
“Well, if you don’t understand it clearly, shall we try once more?”
“Y-yes!”
There’s only one method—keep going until you succeed.
It was the moment when Mary, sensing an inexplicable foreboding, felt her spine turn cold.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————