Ch.126Chapter 126: The Method Was Just Wrong

“Did you ask Grace?”

“Kid, what’s with calling my future sister-in-law ‘Grace’? Call her sister-in-law.”

“I’ll do that after you’re married. Anyway, what did Princess Grace say?”

“She says she doesn’t know either. Apparently, this kind of aura operation isn’t common, and she’s never seen anyone operate five at once before. But she thought you might know something since you created it, which is why I’m asking.”

Yesterday?

Yesterday, Luktan had clearly been training with Valt all night and only returned at dawn. Then he left again early in the morning.

Luktan had been so engrossed in this aura training that he hadn’t even slept.

And coincidentally, while experimenting with the five-layered aura operation in the early morning, he ran into Grace who had just woken up. He asked for her advice, but she said she didn’t know.

“I don’t know either. I didn’t create this technique.”

Luktan’s expression turns to surprise.

“Really? Didn’t you create this? Then who did?”

“A professor at the Academy named Riemann Squat created it. The techniques are just adaptations of what I learned from my Academy friends.”

“Oh… is that so? Can I meet this Professor Riemann Squat?”

There shouldn’t be any problem with that. Riemann has a very close relationship with Valt.

“I believe I can arrange a meeting.”

“Great! Once this orc subjugation is over, let’s go meet him right away. The person who created this operation method should be able to answer my questions!”

To be honest, Valt thought Luktan’s talent was extraordinary.

‘Amazing. In just a day or two, he’s discovered something and is pushing beyond it. Is this what talent looks like?’

But to others, Valt himself would appear to be an insanely talented genius.

“What exactly are you curious about?”

“Ah? I have a feeling that if we combine these, we could transform it into a full-body aura operation method.”

Transform partial aura operation into full-body operation? The partial aura operation was created precisely because full-body operation wasn’t possible, yet Luktan had this reverse insight.

“When I was operating each arm separately, I thought that was the limit. But when combined with the torso, it feels different. Here, let me show you one more thing. Watch carefully.”

Then Luktan begins to operate his aura.

Woooong-

First the torso. Then the right arm.

Kuooooo-

“Notice anything different?”

“Strengthening the right arm and torso… Huh? How is this possible… Isn’t the aura stronger?”

It was.

The aura connecting the central torso and right arm was much stronger than when operating the right arm alone.

“Yes, this is a significant change. In terms of what the central people say, would this be like going from level 3 to level 4?”

This was more than just a significant change.

It was like skipping an entire level.

Even Valt became excited by Luktan’s incredible technique.

“Isn’t this amazing? You call this a significant change? This is revolutionary!”

It was just operating one more body part with aura, but the floor level increases? Such an insane effect shouldn’t be possible.

However, Luktan’s expression wasn’t particularly pleased despite this incredible discovery.

“Now you try it.”

At Luktan’s suggestion, Valt begins to operate his own aura.

‘I’ve never strengthened my torso because of magic, but I can do it!’

As expected, Valt easily succeeds in operating his torso aura.

“Oh, very stable. Now try your right arm.”

“Sure. Hup.”

Just as Valt tries to operate his right arm.

‘W-what is this? Huh?’

BOOM!!

An explosion occurs where Valt’s right arm and torso auras meet, sending him crashing into the wall.

Seeing this, Luktan bends backward in laughter.

“HAHAHAHAHA!! You can’t do it either!! That’s right, someone with magical talent wouldn’t find this easy.”

Valt couldn’t understand what had just happened to him.

Rising from the wall he was embedded in, Valt asks Luktan:

“What just happened?”

But Luktan responds as if it were obvious.

“How would I know? But I have a guess.”

“A guess?”

“Yes, that partial aura operations can be connected. We failed in the process, which is why this aura explosion occurred.”

It was incomprehensible. Normally, the side effects of aura operation lead to mana backflow, not explosions like this.

Even now, it was only because he had a Geruntu body that he could withstand this explosion and laugh. Valt thought that if a normal continental human experienced such an explosion in their body, their arm might actually explode.

“This is dangerous. The explosive force is no joke.”

But Luktan, like Valt, just showed his white teeth in a grin.

The two brothers naturally resembled each other. That face smiling like Valt reminded Valt of himself.

“Hehehe, but we can endure it, can’t we? This is an explosion only a Geruntu can withstand. No, maybe a dragonkin could withstand it in transformation?”

Among all races, dragonkin have the strongest physical durability.

But dragonkin need to transform into dragon mode to be slightly stronger than Geruntu.

As is known, dragonkin’s dragon mode has a time limit. They can’t maintain that state indefinitely.

By that standard, Geruntu naturally have the highest physical durability in their normal state.

They can even withstand level 5 aura with their bare bodies.

“This… seems worth researching, brother.”

When Valt says this, Luktan agrees.

“Hahaha, right? We weren’t born unable to learn aura; we just had the wrong method. With this approach, even Geruntu could learn to use aura!”

A discovery that could shake the very foundation of their race.

It started with Valt but was inspired by Luktan.

If, as he thinks, this could be the cornerstone for Geruntu to use aura with their entire body, they could become incredibly powerful.

Just the right arm and torso already reach floor 4. What if… they could activate and connect aura throughout the entire body?

Zzzzt-

A thrill of pleasure runs through Valt’s mind. If this could be perfected, Geruntu could become formidable powers even without learning magic.

But there’s a problem.

“But it’s too difficult, isn’t it?”

That’s right.

Even Valt, who is extremely familiar with mana, failed to connect the partial aura operations of his right arm and torso.

Combining separate aura operations was incredibly difficult.

“Yes. With effort, I think I could manage the torso and right arm, but…”

Torso, both arms, both legs, and finally the head.

Activating aura in all six areas seems impossible at present.

“Hehehe, time will solve it. For now, I can do this much. Haaah!!”

Veins bulge on Luktan’s forehead as an immense golden aura envelops him.

He’s connected the aura operations of his torso and both arms.

“B-brother, what is this?”

“Nnngh!! H-how is it!! Incredible, right?!”

When Luktan operated just his right arm, it was level 3. Combining torso and right arm was level 4. Now, combining torso and both arms feels like level 5 in power.

“It’s incredible. Brother, you really are a genius.”

To achieve this much in such a short time, Luktan was truly an insane genius.

Swoosh-

Luktan’s aura rapidly dissipates, and he starts to groan.

“Oh, my body aches. But the duration is too short. It’s unfamiliar, so it takes too much effort. Still, I can guarantee one thing.”

“What’s that?”

Luktan grins mischievously and says:

“With this power, crushing the Orc Lord’s skull by myself would be no problem at all. Hahaha.”

It’s just level 5 aura, but Luktan already had a body comparable to a Master. Add level 5 aura to that?

The Orc Lord would be no match for Luktan.

“Little brother.”

“Yes, brother.”

“I call dibs on one Orc Lord.”

“…Do as you please.”

***

And the day of the orc subjugation dawned.

“Soldiers of Oscar and mercenaries, hear me!”

Grace’s speech echoes before the morning departure.

Having the commander-in-chief deliver a speech before departure was almost a mandatory ritual, as it effectively boosted morale.

“You are citizens of the Oscar Kingdom. Though some may not be, there is no doubt that you have gathered here to save humans from the clutches of orcs!”

A good speech highlighting commonalities to remind everyone they are one.

“Orcs are targeting humans. They do not desire peace with us. They only seek to steal, plunder, and kill. I stand here to protect the kingdom’s people from such orcs. Is there any coward here who would abandon these civilians and save only themselves?”

“””No, there is not!!!”””

She raises morale by clarifying the justice of their battle and establishing a clear purpose. Grace was a born leader.

“Let us show them that those who take cannot defeat those who protect! We will protect our land and our families with our own hands! Today, I will behead the Orc Lord with my own hands and declare that the Oscar Kingdom is a sacred place that monsters cannot invade!!”

“””WAAAAAAAAAH!!”””

And the order to march is given.

“All forces!!! MARCH!!!”

Thus, a large-scale force moves out to engage in what could be considered the preliminary battle with the orcs.

Whether they cared or not, all nations in the Great Plains were watching this battle.

The outcome of this war would greatly affect the morale of allied forces.

Grace’s expedition had been saddled with a greater responsibility than expected.

But she had no intention of losing and believed in victory.

Because she had two large monsters by her side.

“Kid, I’m telling you, you need to weave the aura like threads!”

“No, brother, how am I supposed to connect thousands of strands at once?”

Pft-

Grace let out a small laugh as she watched the two brothers bickering behind her, thinking only of ending this war overwhelmingly fast.

‘They’re really reassuring.’