Until Sunday, Yeon-woo holed himself up in the mana training room, focusing on gathering as much mana as possible. Whether he was heading to the Seokseongsan Mountain Range or doing anything else, he had to increase his total mana capacity.
Of course, he wasn't neglecting physical training either. For now, mana was more urgent, so he did simple exercises while gathering mana in the training room. The dense mana that permeated the room served as a suitable weight.
And so, Monday morning arrived.
The day for his first class at the academy dawned. His body, accustomed to waking up early, opened its eyes naturally.
The Normal Class dorm was the furthest from the Hunter Course building. This meant he could be late if he didn't wake up early. The only consolation was that the commute would provide some exercise.
Dressed in a comfortable uniform that combined navy blue and white, Yeon-woo left his room. Was this what they called a semi-suit? He suddenly remembered Jeong Yoo-jin, whom he had befriended over the weekend. He had received a text from him asking if he could wake him up once, as he was likely to oversleep.
Thinking of the benefits of having a good friend, he knocked on the door of room 307 for about five minutes, but there was no response, so he assumed he was still asleep. He sent a short message, "Not awake, leaving first. Bye," and went down the stairs.
This was truly training in daily life. Shar grumbled in his ear about how old-fashioned he was, but Yeon-woo just ignored her.
He ran to the Hunter Course building, not with a light jog, but with intense hard work. It was a bit excessive for morning exercise, but he believed this level was just right. He had no doubt that his body would adapt on its own after a few months.
[You have low stamina. You need to improve it quickly.]
‘Damn, it's because this body only ever swung a sword and ran. In my past life, I was amazing.’
Despite his words, there wasn't anything particularly wrong with Yeon-woo's fifteen-year-old body. In fact, if it was purely about physical training, he would definitely be in the middle of the pack at the academy.
However, the problem arose when mana was involved. Specifically, the mana path was the issue. It was good that it was free of impurities, but conversely, it meant that the mana path was so narrow that impurities couldn't even get stuck. Since mana had appeared in a body that originally didn't have any, it was a natural problem.
If the mana path was narrow, no matter how pure the mana was, there would be a limit.
‘Should I ask Yuri if he has any good mana cultivation techniques?’
Whether or not dragons could use mana cultivation techniques was another matter, but Yuri would probably have at least one technique worthy of being called a divine art, wouldn't he? The thought of receiving it while becoming his disciple crossed Yeon-woo's mind.
He checked the time in front of the Hunter Course building. It was currently 8:30 AM. There were still 30 minutes until roll call. What should he do with the remaining time? After a moment's thought, Yeon-woo spoke to Shar.
‘Shar, that mini-map you used last time... the bird's-eye view thing, that's also magic, right?’
[Of course. What else could I use in my current state besides magic?]
‘Then I can use it too?’
Shar let out a thoughtful groan at his words. She wondered if it was truly the right path for him to delve into magic when he couldn't even do anything properly yet.
However, Yeon-woo felt that this was the only time he would have to spare for a while, so he made up his mind. He would just learn the basics.
[Hmmmmm….]
‘Is it that difficult?’
Shar, who usually answered right away, was hesitating this much, so maybe his talent for magic was hopelessly non-existent? Just as he was feeling anxious, Shar burst out laughing, "Pfft."
[No, that's not it. On the contrary, your magical talent right now is in a realm that humans can't even dream of reaching.]
‘Can I be honest?’
[Of course.]
Damn, I was counting on you, Dragon Heart...!!
Yeah, to be honest, he was relying on the Dragon Heart. It was the best material in the world, basically magic itself. With something like that replacing his heart, there was no way he wouldn't have a talent for magic! Yeon-woo's expression brightened.
[But on the other hand, I'm not sure if I can teach you well. I'm ...a feeler.]
Ugh, those hateful geniuses...!!
However, in this case, Yeon-woo thought it would be easier for him to understand if the explanation was more sensory. After all, he was also a dragon.
Thinking that he could practice magic while gathering mana, Yeon-woo nodded repeatedly.
‘Then can you teach me the magic you used last time?’
[You mean ‘Domain’? Yes, of course. I'll assist you until you get used to it, so don't worry.]
‘I can't even imagine life without Shar anymore….’
[Ahem!!]
Shar snorted, puffing out her chest. Even now, Yeon-woo could feel the egg above his head swaying gently, but it would probably be even cuter after it hatched. He wondered when it would hatch.
I want to see my daughter walking around soon….
[I'll let you know when it's time to hatch. I can feel the signs, but... Anyway, Domain, right?]
Yeon-woo nodded slightly. Students were already starting to enter the classroom, so he had to minimize his movements.
[Domain is literally magic that creates a domain. Not just dragons, but all magical creatures instinctively use this magic. It's magic that covers the environment with your own color, creating an environment that is advantageous to you.]
‘Oh.’
Explained like that, it seemed to make sense. It meant taking control of the area, just like how a magician could exert power several levels above their actual skill in a prepared workshop, or how a dungeon created an environment favorable to monsters.
[That's right. The Domain of Dragon Magic is about taking control of the surrounding space. Just like the Night Stalker we talked about on Saturday sensed everything happening within its domain and flew over, even a temporarily formed domain allows you to fully grasp the situation inside.]
So that's what created that bird's-eye view. However, that form was just something Shar had created for Yeon-woo's convenience. If Yeon-woo used Domain himself, it would probably take on a more sensory and immediate form.
[Exactly. Dragons use Domain all the time, even from within their eggs, so they have that level of proficiency. You'll be able to do it well too, Dad. It's not that different from the ‘presence’ that high-ranking knights... or martial artists, as you're familiar with, grasp.]
If she put it that way, it certainly seemed like it. Excellent martial artists perfectly controlled the space within reach of their weapons.
The reason Yeon-woo had ignored the Hunter's provocation was because the Awakened's distance was truly like a fortress wall, not just some deserted island.
It would be a familiar sensation, in a way.
‘Really? That's a relief. Can you use it just within a handspan around me? So I can get a feel for it.’
Not difficult at all! With Shar's confident declaration, a warm energy from around his heart began to stir. Slowly, subtly, like a scent spreading, it dispersed into the air.
Yeon-woo looked down at his palm. It was exactly a handspan. He could see the air tinged with a pale golden color, and at the same time, a sensation like his body had grown larger washed over him.
Oh, ohh.
[This is the feeling. Do you get it?]
Uh-huh. How should he describe this? It felt like his skin had become a handspan thicker. It was as if he was touching the space within a handspan of his skin, as if he was looking at it even without looking.
It was a strange sensation, but it felt like he had become a giant, at least within that handspan. It was kind of addictive….
[That's an interesting analogy. That should be enough. By the way, if you continuously spread Domain in a fixed space, at some point it will truly become a domain, so think about that too.]
So he could use it like a security camera. That was a bit interesting. It was quite practical for magic used by monsters.
