"Greetings, my lord."
As I returned home, the servants were already waiting in the mansion's garden.
"Shall I prepare a meal?"
Stepping out of the carriage, I stood silently for a moment, gazing up at the sky.
Sunset. Amid the fading glow of dusk, the moon emerged, orbited by its satellite. Clouds smeared like pigments on a palette.
A landscape truly worthy of fantasy.
"My lord...?"
The butler's words, as he extended his arm to take my coat.
"...Very well."
"Yes. As for the meal—"
"I shall forgo it."
I ascended the stairs straight to my room upon entering the mansion.
There was no sense of fatigue or exhaustion.
IRON MAN
Grade: Unique
Description: Innate physical abilities and qualities. The body's potential is truly supreme.
One of the many traits I'd added for fun: Iron Man. Thanks to it, physical fatigue was faint, and mana recovery was swift.
Still, some mental weariness lingered, so I showered first. With my obsessive cleanliness, washing itself was bliss and restoration.
After a thorough shower, I settled into the reading chair in my study. I pulled out the magic book I'd borrowed from Allen.
Basic Manipulation Magic
Today, I planned to learn manipulation magic most intuitively linked to psychokinesis swords: Telekinesis.
Of course, as someone who wasn't originally Deculein, I had none of his prior magical accomplishments. My foundation as a mage was barren as a wasteland.
Yet the source of my overflowing confidence was, naturally, the trait Understanding.
"..."
I opened the book with unwavering poise.
— Chapter Contents —
[Introduction: The Value and Significance of Manipulation Magic]
[1. Basic Wind Direction Manipulation]
[2. Basic Umbrella Manipulation]
[3. Basic Camouflage]
[4. Basic Telekinesis: Understanding Telekinesis]
The thick book's table of contents had only four entries. Basic wind direction, basic umbrella, basic camouflage, basic telekinesis.
Naturally, I skipped straight to basic telekinesis.
4. Basic Telekinesis: Understanding Telekinesis
Telekinesis falls into the non-mainstream category of magic, strictly speaking. Manipulation magic as a whole is considered minor among the eight series, yet it serves adequately as a stepping stone to elevate a mage's capabilities. Now, behold the following incantation formula...
...I was momentarily speechless at its contents.
To me, it read like records from some distant alien realm.
Indeed, every page dissected and analyzed the incantation formula for 'telekinesis' stroke by stroke. Like complex hanja characters laid out stroke by individual stroke.
Explanations and calculations for 'mana required per stroke' and 'mana flow to the next stroke' spanned over ten lines per stroke, totaling a staggering 60 pages.
"...Impressive."
Would my Understanding apply to magic as well?
Could I comprehend such intricate supernatural mechanics?
In this uncertain state, I closed my eyes.
Flipping a certain 'switch' in my mind's eye, I opened them.
My vision tinted blue. The room's lights rippled like distant stars.
In that impressionist canvas where the world smeared, my focus locked onto the magic book.
My eyes fixed solely on the described formula, and Understanding activated in that instant.
My brain boiled hot. Forced exhilaration surged to the crown of my skull.
Thus, my consciousness transcended mere seeing and hearing, soaring to higher dimensions.
──Telekinesis.
The magic's formula lifted from the book into the air.
A tangled form of curves and lines, akin to a talisman. Along those intricate paths, my mana flowed blue and crystalline.
A point of mana light formed a line, filled a plane, and manifested the spell.
This was the magic's manifestation, constructed by my Understanding.
An image in my mind's eye.
The Telekinesis magic circle formed in brilliant light amid the mansion's air, then seeped into my head.
──Inject mana into an object's interior, condense it like a core, allowing the caster's will to control the object.
In essence, the caster controls not the object, but its internal 'mana core'.
Thus, the spell's core is compressing the core's size to the utmost, solidifying the circuit holding the object.
I understood telekinesis's secrets, and the magic became 'memory' in my brain.
"...Hah."
Released from Understanding's grip, I exhaled the breath I'd held. My temples throbbed, eyes swelled near to bursting.
I drew the fountain pen from my inner pocket and infused it with mana. The mana seeped inside, and the long barrel floated lightly by my will alone.
"Success."
Just a minute ago, I hadn't grasped Basic Telekinesis in the slightest. Now, it manifested without recalling formulas or fine-tuning mana.
Proof that the entire magic had become 'memory' in my brain.
─Fully understood magic is memorized in the brain, usable anytime without formula deployment. No—the brain unconsciously deploys the formula. This is called 'memorize'.
The moment I personally experienced what I'd only read in settings.
"Good... but..."
The fountain pen still bobbed lightly to my will.
Yet if basic telekinesis was merely this level, even advanced versions wouldn't reach the psychokinesis sword realm I envisioned.
"No wonder it's fringe magic."
Was there no way to enhance this performance? Of course, with this body's limited talent, it would be difficult regardless...
As I stroked my chin in thought, a brilliant idea struck.
"What if I inscribed the magic circle across my entire body?"
This world's magic had several major premises.
The most prominent: 'Larger magic circles yield greater power'.
"Then."
Using the trait Understanding to comprehend my entire body,
Not just my brain, not just my heart, not just my dantian—but
If I could inscribe the magic circle across my whole body.
"...Worth attempting."
Of course, it would burden the flesh immensely. Unforeseen side effects were certain.
But consider one step further.
This body had Iron Man, didn't it?
Imprinting magic 'memory' across the whole body was madness possible only with Iron Man.
"Sigh... Hoo."
Excitement surged at the prospect, but I calmed with deep breaths.
Mana remaining: 800.
Just a peek, so this should suffice.
I mobilized Understanding, circulating mana through my entire body.
"...!"
Horrific pain surged.
As if hammering every bone and muscle, or muscles twisting and tearing against each other—agony beyond comparison.
Crack... Cracckk...!
Sounds from my own body.
Joints wrenching, heart shattering.
Ribs snapping, bone shards piercing lungs.
At least, that's how it felt.
──Yet.
Amid this torrent of insane pain, this body uttered no groan. No bitten lip.
I couldn't suppress the sweat, but my spine remained unbowed.
A posture lofty and constant.
Stubborn immobility.
Dignity.
That near-mad arrogance and noble ego enacting—the most primal understanding.
Strictly controlling mana within, racing it through veins.
Imbuing my will into every part via that flow: heart, muscles, bones, organs. Inscribing telekinesis formulas into my very skin...
Snap—!
With a clear snapping sound, exhaustion hit.
Failure.
Mana depleted, understanding time ended.
I opened my heavy-lidded eyes. My body burned with rashes, redness, and itchiness.
Of course, I didn't scratch. It lacked decorum.
"...Later for the rest."
STATUS
>Mana: 1 / 3,375
Mana shortage caused failure. Ended with just a bit inscribed near my shoulder.
Fortunately, this wasn't a full reset on failure.
Sequential understanding, in other words.
Like a game: having cleared stage 1, failure at stage 2 restarts from stage 2, not 1.
"Two weeks."
Neck, shoulder, arm, hand, abdomen, thigh, calf, foot. Roughly eight parts—I understood the timeframe bodily.
Two weeks for Basic Telekinesis.
For higher realms like Intermediate Telekinesis or Advanced, far longer.
"..."
Having organized my thoughts, I rose from the chair. Drenched in sweat, I showered first.
Scrubbed with natural body wash, then lay on the bed in a robe.
"Pajamas..."
I felt like I'd pass out like this, but my body craved pajamas. Sleeping in a robe was utterly unacceptable.
"Fuck it..."
I stubbornly refused.
I was Kim Woojin, not Deculein—I wouldn't be controlled by some coded personality...