“What does that mean?”

I asked Ariel for an explanation, and she provided a detailed diagnosis of my physical condition.

“The battlefield mana remaining inside your body is the cause of your pain.”

Even for her, an Adjudicator, this was an unprecedented case.

Ariel observed me with eyes full of curiosity.

“Normally, battlefield mana disappears without a trace once you leave the battlefield… This is quite strange.”

Mana causing pain…

Did that mean not all mana was the same?

“What makes battlefield mana different?”

“…”

Was it a difficult question to answer?

Ariel fell silent at my inquiry.

“Sister…”

Chasey pressured Ariel with a pleading gaze.

Phew-

The usual Ariel wouldn’t bother explaining, but in the end, she couldn’t turn Chasey away.

She had been earnestly entreated to treat Lee Shin the shieldbearer kindly.

Just how much should she explain…

Having studied in the imperial capital of Imperium, Ariel knew far more about battlefields than the average person.

What she was about to say was, at the very least, information that had already spread among the general public.

“Pure mana possesses no inherent purpose. The name ‘mana’ simply refers to a form of energy; how that energy is utilized depends entirely on the user’s intent.”

Chasey nodded as if this were obvious.

It was basic common knowledge regarding mana, after all.

“Mana without a purpose does not trigger any phenomena. It merely exists.”

But to me, lacking any background knowledge on the subject, it felt perplexing.

On Earth, where I used to live, mana simply did not exist.

Regardless of my reaction, Ariel continued her explanation.

“The easiest way to assign a purpose to mana is by utilizing the mana within your own body. It merely requires a simple procedure of projecting your will.”

This encompassed the majority of methods humans used to cast magic.

The very concept of consuming mana meant consuming the mana inside one’s body.

Using skills through a Mana Circuit was no different.

It merely processed mana more efficiently; the underlying principle of utilizing internal mana remained the same.

“There is a limit to the amount of mana a person can handle.”

As mentioned earlier, mana was a form of energy.

If the energy residing within the body rapidly depleted, exhaustion was inevitable.

The solution to this was to use external mana, but…

That boasted a level of difficulty on an entirely different scale compared to manipulating internal mana.

Assigning a purpose to unanchored mana was nearly impossible.

“However, the battlefield mana currently inside shieldbearer Lee Shin’s body is slightly different from ordinary mana.”

Ariel hesitated for a moment.

She seemed to be debating whether it was wise to say this.

What she had said so far was information known to some extent even among champions.

But what she was about to reveal was related to the secrets of the battlefield.

She would never have spoken of it if not for Chasey’s request.

Yet, to explain shieldbearer Lee Shin’s condition, it was absolutely necessary.

Glancing briefly at Chasey, Ariel slowly opened her mouth.

“Unlike natural mana, battlefield mana already has a purpose assigned to it.”

Though it resembled reality, the battlefield was by no means real.

It was a virtual space designed with specific intent.

Because of that, the properties of mana could also be configured virtually.

“Reward for combat actions. That is the property inherent in battlefield mana. Every time attacks are exchanged, it serves to restore a certain amount of mana.”

In the battlefield, mana simply welled up within the body just by exchanging attacks.

I had never thought deeply about the reason, but it was because battlefield mana itself was imbued with that specific purpose.

Ariel provided additional explanation.

“It doesn’t cause any issues within the battlefield. Since it’s a virtual space, the properties of mana naturally adapt to the rules of the battlefield.”

To explain it using a game analogy:

In a certain survival game, there exists a resource called ‘oil’.

‘Oil’ can be used to drive a car, light a fire, or even for cooking.

Within the game, this wasn’t a problem at all. It was simply one of the rules permitted by the game.

But if you were to transpose that game into reality, numerous problems would arise.

They shared the name ‘oil’, but they were strictly different substances.

Mana was the same.

The battlefield was a place where all things were resolved using a resource named ‘mana’. But if battlefield mana were brought into reality, countless issues would emerge.

One of those very issues was the source of the pain I was experiencing.

For reasons unknown, my body, having returned from the battlefield, was brimming with battlefield mana.

Ariel was equally filled with doubt.

“This is the first time battlefield mana has been discovered in reality. I wonder why such a thing occurred…”

Battlefield mana…

I felt like I knew the reason.

It was a mere conjecture, but the anomaly of being able to participate in the battlefield simultaneously as a player and a champion seemed to have caused this.

That was the only thing I could point to as a difference between myself and others.

Of course, it wasn’t something I could say out loud. It was the most important secret I possessed.

Ariel continued speaking.

“When mana with assigned purposes clashes, it generates physical force. It is essentially a collision of phenomena.”

A clash of mana.

I understood Ariel’s words and could apply them to my situation.

My current condition was as follows:

For some unknown reason, my body was currently full of battlefield mana.

But unaware of this fact, I had attempted to assign a new purpose: ‘Body Enhancement’.

Battlefield mana was mana that already had a purpose assigned to it.

Mana with the purpose of ‘reward for combat actions’ clashed with mana carrying the purpose of ‘Body Enhancement’.

Thus, a rejection occurred within my body, accompanied by excruciating pain.

Having diagnosed my condition, Ariel offered a solution.

“You need to extract all the mana from inside your body.”

On paper, it sounded like a very simple method.

However, there was one major problem.

Chasey looked at me with worried eyes.

“Mr. Lee Shin, you don’t know how to manipulate mana.”

I asked Ariel a question.

“Is it alright if I use a skill?”

Using a skill was the only way I could utilize mana.

But Ariel shook her head.

It meant I had to extract the mana from my body without using a skill.

For someone like me who couldn’t manipulate mana, it was an impossible task.

I asked Ariel if it was possible to receive help from someone else, but…

“Well, it might be possible if it’s a Named champion.”

Ariel replied skeptically to my question.

Interfering with mana already under someone else’s control was far more difficult than manipulating natural mana.

Finding someone with that level of ability in Trivik would be difficult.

“That doesn’t mean there’s no way.”

Just as the advancement of science brought about cures for incurable diseases,

the development of Magic Engineering was gradually making the impossible possible.

A possibility born from such progress.

Ariel presented a second method.

“Taking a Mana Stabilizer is the only method available right now.”

“A Mana Stabilizer?”

A Mana Stabilizer was one of the elixirs crafted by Alchemist champions.

It was said to have the effect of reverting mana with assigned properties back into pure mana.

A Mana Stabilizer was an elixir primarily used to maintain Magic Engineering facilities.

Because of that, I couldn’t help but worry.

“Is it safe to ingest that?”

“I hear an edible Mana Stabilizer was recently developed.”

‘That’s unsettling…’

I questioned whether it had undergone sufficient clinical trials, but since my situation was urgent, it was an unavoidable choice.

***

Along with Chasey, I visited the only Alchemist shop in the eastern region of Trivik.

Located in the first alley of Yukantar’s commercial district, it was a place called ‘Alke’.

Since Yukantar’s first alley was commonly known as the wealthy district, its entrance was lined with gleaming gold trim.

In contrast to its flashy exterior, Alke’s interior didn’t offer much to look at.

It was a clean space, almost to the point of feeling empty.

Bubble- bubble-!

Suspicious liquids were boiling in several large cauldrons, emitting the bitter yet fresh scent of herbs that could only be produced by brewing them.

To me, it felt like a traditional herbal medicine shop.

But Chasey must have felt differently, as color returned to her cheeks.

“It’s full of natural mana. Just smelling it makes me feel healthier.”

Sniff-

‘I wouldn’t know.’

Chasey was looking around the shop with a sense of wonder.

“Wow, look at this. It says it’s an elixir that makes your body smell like fish when you drink it.”

The shop’s display shelves were lined with pre-made elixirs, but that wasn’t where my interest lay.

A middle-aged man with a neat appearance approached us, likely to greet customers.

“Welcome. What are you looking for?”

I immediately got to the point.

“I’d like to purchase a Mana Stabilizer.”

“A Mana Stabilizer?”

The man glanced sideways to assess our attire.

He was checking whether we had the ability to pay for the goods.

Edible Mana Stabilizers were on the pricier side compared to other elixirs.

The reason was obvious.

Because the properties of mana each person possessed varied, specific ingredients had to be used to achieve the proper effect.

It meant a custom-making process was absolutely necessary.

Perhaps it was thanks to the robe Chasey had procured for me.

Fortunately, we seemed to pass his assessment, as the man offered a friendly smile once more.

“Please wait a moment.”

Leaving us behind, the man entered a room at the back of the shop.

In the meantime, we passed the time looking at the remaining elixirs.

There were elixirs with various effects, such as stamina recovery, mana recovery, muscle enhancement, and virility enhancement.

“The prices are no joke.”

Even the elixirs displayed outside had price tags shocking enough to startle Chasey.

‘I hope I don’t run out of money.’

I started to worry a little about how much money I would need to buy a Mana Stabilizer.

Although I had received the reward from the private battlefield, my budget wasn’t exactly generous.

I had thought simply finding an Alchemist would solve the problem, but it didn’t seem like it would be that easy.

I wondered how much time had passed. The man who had greeted us came back out.

“You’ve been waiting a while. I apologize.”

“It’s fine.”

“Please have a word with the branch manager for a moment. We only accept custom orders for Mana Stabilizers.”

“Yes, understood.”

Chasey naturally followed behind me.

The middle-aged man glanced at Chasey, but since it seemed acceptable for her to come along, he didn’t stop her.

On the way to the inner room of the building, Chasey murmured.

“The natural mana is getting denser.”

Sniff-

Is that so?

I couldn’t feel mana, but…

Just as Chasey said, the fresh scent of grass grew stronger the deeper we went.

Knock-

The man guiding us knocked on the door. Then, a voice came from inside.

“Branch Manager, may we enter?”

“Show the guests in.”

Contrary to expectations, it was a thin, high-pitched voice.

‘It’s a woman.’

Creak-!

As the door opened, the woman called the branch manager was staring intently at us.

Based on her appearance alone, she looked quite young.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was around Chasey’s age.

The woman looked back and forth between me and Chasey before her gaze settled on Chasey.

She was wearing a robe, but no mask.

The branch manager, who had been uncertain, smiled confidently and opened her mouth.

“Well, if it isn’t Chasey Einthoven.”

“Excuse me? Do you know me?”

Chasey wore a flustered expression.

After all, this was someone she had no memory of.

The woman added nonchalantly.

“And the boyfriend next to you?”

“Ah, no! Absolutely not.”

Chasey waved both hands, vehemently denying it. Her face was flushed bright red.

Seeing that, the woman burst into laughter.

“Kkal-kkal— Just a joke. You really don’t know me? I’m a little hurt.”