Processing Mana Stones

I looked at the mana stone I received from Theo.

Fresh mana seemed to be blooming from the mana stone, as if it hadn’t been refined for more than a few days.

The refreshing feeling unique to dense mana was subtly felt, indicating that it was quite an expensive item.

To hand over such a thing without verification.

‘Should I call it bold, or naive?’

Perhaps this level of mana stone was nothing special to this dwarf.

It would be the perfect price to verify a mage’s skills.

I examined the mana stone.

It’s easy to think of mana stones as simply stones containing mana, but it was a bit different.

Mana stones were formed when high-density mana gathered in one place for a long time, condensed, and crystallized.

Because it was in a crystallized, hardened state, refined mana could be extracted efficiently.

If that hardened crystal were ground, it was only natural that the mana would start to move from the impact.

Once the mana’s movement became free, it became difficult to control.

The reason grinding mana stones reduced efficiency was due to that.

Therefore, a rather delicate process was required to grind a mana stone into powder or liquid.

‘If you grind it recklessly, mana will disappear in the process, inevitably lowering the yield.’

It was necessary to suppress the mana with strong magical power to prevent it from escaping during the grinding process.

“You don’t have to push yourself too hard.”

Perhaps he thought I was nervous because I had been looking at the mana stone for a long time.

“My target is for the ground ‘mana powder’ to maintain a yield of about 65 percent of the mana stone. It’s what we commonly call a top-quality product, but I believe you, human, are capable of it.”

Theo presented the goal of this test from the side.

I concentrated mana around the mana stone.

A sphere-shaped mana ball made of my mana filled the area around the mana stone, as if enveloping it.

“Hoo.”

Then, I created a small rod made of mana.

Zhiing.

The mana stick vibrated roughly, making a loud noise.

Roughly agitated mana was the most efficient way to react with mana.

It was a method that many couldn’t use because of the severe recoil.

But if mana suppression was possible, nothing was impossible.

“Ooh… Human, your skill in handling mana is incredibly precise.”

Theo’s eyes sparkled as he watched.

He was already wearing goggles that shone with a blue light on his face.

“I’ve seen mages of various races, but I’ve never seen anyone use it as well as you, human. Even artisans don’t have this kind of precision.”

His eyes were fixed on the mana stick, not letting go.

“How did you do it? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you use a spell to fix mana. No, I haven’t even seen this kind of output without a magic circle in any papers… Do you have any referenced papers or materials? Ah, did you cite the mana utilization research paper from Leafrea?”

The overly excited engineer chattering beside me was incredibly noisy.

“Be quiet. You’re disturbing me.”

“Ah, yes.”

He covered his mouth with both hands and blinked.

I tapped the center of the mana stone with the mana stick I had crafted.

Then.

Thump!

A vibration that felt like it was constricting my heart rang out, and the air trembled.

“Wow…”

Theo looked at the mana stone with his goggled eyes.

“It’s breaking! Human, it’s starting to break!”

As he said, the mana stone shattered, and mana began to dance wildly.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The ‘natural mana’ that had been crystallized and trapped in the mana stone for so long began to rampage inside the mana sphere I had created, as if trying to vent its frustration at being trapped until now.

It was a natural occurrence.

It was only natural that free mana would be angry after being trapped for so long.

It was like a wild horse wanting to run across a vast prairie.

And now, I was a cowboy tasked with taming that wild horse.

So that the wild horse would become a loyal stud.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

I used the tightly controlled mana sphere to prevent the unrefined mana from rampaging.

“Human, the mana is starting to crystallize again. The values are stabilizing too. I think we can stop here? I think we’ll get ultra-high-quality mana powder at this point.”

Theo, who was looking inside the mana sphere with his goggles, shouted.

“I’ll wait a little longer.”

“Wait longer here? But that will put a strain on you, human.”

He took off his goggles and looked at me, seemingly genuinely worried.

It wasn’t easy to withstand the collision of natural mana with mana.

It was a shock that would have caused anyone else to cough up blood several times.

“Didn’t you want the highest level of efficiency?”

“Well, yes…”

“Because ordinary high-grade ‘mana powder’ and ‘mana essence’ won’t be able to be fixed inside that Lyutan.”

“…You can get a higher grade than this? The yield is already over 70 percent.”

Theo closed his mouth and looked at me.

“I’m aiming for 100 percent.”

“I, is that even possible…?”

Instead of answering, I made the mana sphere even smaller.

As I reduced the size of the mana sphere and increased the internal pressure, the mana that had not yet seeped into the crystal became even more violent.

The stubborn mana that had not seeped in until now resisted fiercely.

Kukukukung!!!

“Keuh!”

A shock that felt like it was pounding my heart was transmitted through the mana I was controlling.

This was quite an unpleasant feeling.

A battle of pride began between the mana that was protesting against entering no matter what and me trying to calm it down no matter what.

“80 percent? A figure that should never be possible…”

“Keeup!”

I listened to Theo’s words and reduced the size of the mana sphere even further.

Kieeeing!!

Now, a sound like a motor turning rang in my ears.

While listening to the unpleasant sound that seemed to tear the air, I increased the pressure of the mana even more.

“9, 95 percent… This is the first time I’ve seen a mana sphere not tear even after doing this.”

Finally, just as I reduced the mana sphere to the point where there was no air left and only mana powder remained.

Even the natural mana that had been struggling until the end was forcibly put into the mana powder.

Theo, who was looking inside the mana stone with his goggles, said in a daze.

“O, one hundred percent! The yield of mana powder is a whopping 100 percent. I never thought this would actually be possible…”

I, who was sweating profusely, let out a deep sigh.

“I’ll wait a little longer.”

“You’re not releasing it right away?”

“Yes. It’s forcibly clumped together, so I’ll leave it like this until the crystallized mana becomes a little more stable.”

“…”

Theo, who had taken off his goggles, stared at me with a blank face.

“Are you originally a mage who specializes in this kind of work? Was it the Meister School? I heard that human mages there specialize in this kind of thing.”

“No.”

“I, I see.”

“But I’ve processed mana stones like this a few times.”

“Ah.”

I had ground them for mages and alchemists who had requested it many times.

Not many mages liked to grind mana stones themselves.

The sensation of the mana’s vibrations hitting the heart wasn’t a pleasant experience.

‘Unless you’re a Meister School mage, you almost never do it yourself.’

As Theo had said, the top-quality products with a yield of over 65 percent were the ones made by the professors of the Meister School.

-If you exceed 75 percent during the processing, it may cause harm to the mage’s body, so be careful.

There was also a warning.

‘If you can handle it, it won’t cause any harm.’

But such a thing would only stimulate Lyutan’s repulsion, so I deliberately exceeded the limit to increase efficiency and suppress the mana’s aggressiveness.

Theo nodded only after I said that I had experience.

“I was really lucky. To meet an expert in mana stone processing…”

Was it just my imagination, or did Theo’s gaze towards me feel a little different from before?

I was finally able to release the mana sphere after confirming that the mana had completely calmed down.

I put the perfectly refined mana powder into a glass bottle and handed it to him.

“This is a top-quality product, no, it’s more accurate to call it an ultra-high-quality product. 100 percent yield, and there’s no aggressiveness unique to mana. If I hadn’t seen the process just now because there’s no mana leaking out, I wouldn’t have even believed it was mana powder.”

As Theo said, the 100 percent yield mana powder wasn’t exuding mana.

It looked like ordinary blue stone powder on the outside, but this was the ‘real’ mana powder.

Theo’s goggles sparkled with a blue light as he analyzed the mana powder.

I could see his face brightening as he analyzed it.

“With this, I think I can create the mana repository you wanted. Human, you’re really amazing… It wouldn’t have been possible without you, human.”

Theo, who had confirmed the item, asked me.

“But if you have this kind of skill, couldn’t you just condense and process mana stones?”

“I’ve tried it once before. I’ve condensed mana stones and made them into powder like this.”

“O, what happened?”

“No matter how much processing I did afterward, it would revert to its original state in two weeks to a month.”

“Even after doing this?”

He looked at the mana powder with a blank face.

“Even 100 percent yield mana powder is still mana after all.”

It seemed that no matter how much you tamed it, you couldn’t hide its true nature.

Like a fierce wild horse that runs away if you let your guard down even after taming it well.

“Hearing that gives me a picture of how to manufacture the core. I need to make sure the finishing is solid.”

Theo, who seemed to have been inspired, closed his mouth tightly and held out his index finger.

“Please wait just one day! I’ll bring the finished product right away!”

“Okay. I’ll book a room at a nearby inn and wait.”

“Ah, I’ll take care of all the expenses. Take this card and use it to pay!”

Theo said, handing over a square yellow card.

“It might be unfamiliar to humans, but this is a dwarf card. You can pay for items through the unique information inside.”

To even use a card.

I had heard that Steam Factory’s technology was amazing, but I didn’t know it was this advanced.

In terms of technology, it was definitely several steps ahead of the Empire.

“I’ll use it well.”

“You’re not as surprised as I thought you’d be.”

“I’ve seen something similar in my hometown.”

“You’re a very unique person, human. There’s no limit, so feel free to use it as much as you want. Considering this mana stone you made today, I’d like to give you more money right now, but the request comes first, right?”

“There really is no limit?”

“Of course! How much money do you think I’ve made with Manacon! Hehehe!”

In that case.

It wouldn’t hurt to enjoy some luxury I couldn’t in the Empire.

I used the card Theo gave me to stay one night at the most expensive hotel in the Dwarf Steam Factory.

“A Gold Card…? O-oh, please, come right in.”

I received more than necessary hospitality as soon as I presented the yellow card.

‘It’s definitely the easiest neighborhood to live in if you have money.’

Except for the mana particles.

 

The next day.

I headed to Theo’s workshop at his summons.

“I finished it. A mana core that never lets mana escape, no matter how much time passes. Unless it’s consuming mana, absolutely! No mana will escape! It’s small, but it can run a decent magic circle for 24 hours!”

The round mana core he handed me had the unique silver sheen of Luitan.

Below the spherical core was a circular stand that could be used as a support.

It was clear he had put thought into making it versatile depending on how it was installed.

“I checked the stability yesterday. It’s definitely refined mana, so there wasn’t much resistance during the process of putting it in Luitan and operating it. Of course, more experimentation is still needed, but as a result of my testing for half a day, it never caused a single collision! Even though I ran it for 24 hours straight!”

His bloodshot eyes and dark circles suggested he had stayed up all night, but his face was filled with relief.

I could feel a deep sense of accomplishment that he had done it.

“But there’s something unusual.”

“What is it?”

“This core should naturally consume internal mana as it consumes mana, right?”

Theo tilted his head and continued.

“But the consumption is less than I thought. It’s as if the mana core is partially regenerating the used mana on its own.”

Regenerating?

“Of course, the absolute capacity is small, so the absolute amount of mana doesn’t increase dramatically. However, it seems to be able to produce three times the expected output.”

His face was filled with anticipation for a new invention.

“If we can succeed in scaling this up… we could make a groundbreaking invention that would make ManaCon look like a joke!”

His eyes sparkled.

“The best invention to shake the continent, made by Max and Theo! Ah, I’ll put your name on this invention too. This invention wouldn’t have been possible without your help, human. We’ll split the income from this 50/50!”

Income, huh.

He shouted excitedly, but it wasn’t something that could be sold to anyone right away.

It was too small to be used in ordinary magic circles.

“It would sell well if used for portable devices, though.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said it would sell a lot if it could be mounted on portable magic tools.”

“Portable… portable, portable! Ah, why didn’t I think of that? I was only thinking about increasing the size, and I didn’t think about using it in this size at all!”

Theo clapped his hands as if a brilliant idea had struck him.

“We should do this 60/40. I wouldn’t have come up with it without your words, human. I think you deserve 60.”

Theo seemed sincere.

Theo, who handed me the mana core, asked.

“Um, excuse me!”

“Yes?”

“Do you, by any chance, have a workshop too, human?”

What If This Tattoo Is Discovered…?

“It’s not exactly a workshop, but I do run a personal shop.”

“A personal shop… For a mage, a shop is both a laboratory and a workshop, so I suppose you could call it a workshop in a way.”

Theo nodded.

“So, Human, what kind of magic do you research?”

Theo’s face was full of curiosity as he looked at me.

“I’m a mage of the Illusion school.”

“Illusion magic?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“No, not really… It just makes me realize that you can’t trust rumors.”

What was that supposed to mean?

“I heard from humans that it’s a place only pathetic mages go. But you don’t seem like a pathetic mage, Human.”

“Ah.”

None of the rumors about Illusion mages were good.

They’re humans who haven’t achieved anything in reality, so they resort to Illusion magic.

It’s magic used by black mages or those with something to hide.

It’s gloomy and dirty, and so on.

He must have heard one of those.

‘Maybe he’s heard them all.’

Since the rumors were bad among humans, it was only natural that the rumors about Illusion mages would spread negatively to other races as well.

‘But there are only two real Illusion mages on the continent.’

Among Illusion mages, only me and my master, Mayko, had officially completed all the education of the Illusion school.

The rest were just riffraff who had only self-taught the introductory Illusion magic shared by all magic schools.

Or they learned and used magic from spellbooks sold due to financial difficulties.

In other words, the bad rumors about Illusion mages were actually caused by mages from other schools, or black mages or adventurers, not real Illusion mages.

It was true that Illusion magic lacked physical power, but it was still unfair.

“Would you mind inviting me to your workshop sometime, Human?”

“Invite you?”

“Yes! I’d love to see it! I want to see what kind of Illusion magic there is! And how you can achieve such precise mana control. To be honest, even though dwarves can’t use magic, mana control is essential for us too! I’d personally like to learn it!”

He was burning with curiosity and academic zeal.

To learn…

It was certainly a thought befitting a race of artisans.

A haughty elf would have said they had no interest in the technology of an inferior race.

“I won’t be able to come to the factory for a few days after returning to the Imperial Capital. Is that alright?”

“Of course! Dwarves with personal workshops can take a few days off for personal research purposes.”

“Is that possible?”

The benefits were better than I thought.

“What dwarves need is money and skill. If you have a lot of money and skill, you can be recognized in the industry. Of course, even then, being discriminated against for not having a beard is still a daily occurrence…”

He clenched his fist.

Money and skill were all that mattered.

I thought of the gold card Theo had given me.

I had a rough idea why the other dwarves had been embarrassed when he handed it over.

I realized that their greed for money and gold was because money was their class and power.

“Even if it’s not for research purposes, they’ll turn a blind eye if you pay a few gold as compensation.”

I realized that dwarf society was truly dominated by money.

“Alright. It’s not a difficult request.”

Thanks to the mana core Theo made, the magic circle could now be activated in case of emergency.

Considering his development skills, I might need his help from time to time, so it wouldn’t hurt to form a good relationship with him.

“Then let’s go right away! I’m already ready!”

Theo came out of the room with a bag on his back that was bigger than his body.

“What’s all this?”

“You never know what might happen there, right? So I brought all my tools. I have to carry all my tools with me so I can create the best working environment anytime, anywhere!”

“Isn’t that too much?”

He was staggering as he carried it, which made me uneasy.

“Hey, it’s not that much! A miniaturized workbench, a multi-purpose hammer, a drill and screwdriver, a top-of-the-line grinder that can even grind diamonds, a high-concentration flamethrower that can weld, a jig, and precision machinery that allows for sensitive mana work…”

“Stop, stop, you don’t have to explain it all.”

“Anyway, this is the basic set. And don’t worry about the weight. It’s a backpack with human space expansion magic and weight reduction magic inscribed on it.”

He put so much in it that the backpack with space expansion magic got that big?

I couldn’t imagine what was inside.

It reminded me of the blue cat robot who liked red bean buns.

“Then let’s go! I can’t wait to see it!”

Theo ran, his short legs bouncing.

Returning to the Empire wasn’t difficult.

All we had to do was take the train that connected the Steam Factory and the Imperial Capital.

There was a slight procedure for the dwarf to leave the country for the Empire.

“You’re really going for work purposes?”

The departure officer glared at Theo and asked.

“I told you I am!”

“Why are you going to the Empire without a beard? Most of what you do will be inside the factory anyway, right?”

“I’m a proper worker too! Can’t you see my overalls?”

“Overalls on someone without a beard… Tsk, these are the end times. The end times.”

There was a bit of a scuffle.

“I wonder if I should get an artificial beard? I’m always treated like a crazy dwarf because I don’t have a beard…”

“Why are they so wary?”

“It’s simple. It’s because of the old-fashioned idea that women and children who don’t have beards are in danger if they leave the Steam Factory.”

Theo sighed deeply.

A child who doesn’t even have a beard.

“How old are you, Theo?”

“Huh? W-Why are you asking?”

“You’re a boy who hasn’t grown a beard yet. You seem taller than other boys, but I thought you were almost an adult.”

“That’s r-rude.”

Theo turned his head and avoided answering.

I realized my mistake.

He was already self-conscious about not having a beard, and I asked him his age.

If he was an adult and still didn’t have a beard, it meant he was a half-dwarf whose secondary sexual characteristics were coming too late.

“I’m sorry. It’s hard to gauge the exact age of a dwarf.”

“No, it’s me who reacted sensitively. Let’s get on the train! I’m excited! I wonder what a wonderful workshop it will be!”

His eyes sparkled with curiosity.

And I returned to the Imperial Capital with Theo.

“Hmm~, haa. The air is so fresh! It feels like I’m in the countryside…”

Was it because there were no mana particles in the air, unlike the Steam Factory?

Theo’s expression was bright as he took a deep breath in and out.

“The Steam Factory is great, but there are too many mana particles. It’s definitely easier to breathe in human lands because there are no factories. Ah, of course, there are lands with such clean air in our Dwarf Republic too. There’s a fishing village that’s neither a mine nor a city… Ah, I’m talking a bit too much. Haha.”

Theo scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

“I didn’t mean any harm.”

Mana particles were as natural as air to the dwarves, whose engineering technology was advanced, so perhaps this reaction was normal.

“But even though the air here is like the countryside, there are so many things that are really developed. Is this the power of magic…”

He looked around and followed me.

“I’ve been to a few human castles! Back then, I took a car instead of a train and toured a few outer fortresses. But the Imperial Capital is incomparably large.”

People’s attention was drawn to us as a curious dwarf boy appeared.

“Isn’t that what overalls-wearing dwarves wear?”

“A dwarf without a beard or muscles…”

“Is that really a dwarf?”

“Surely a non-adult dwarf wouldn’t come to the Empire.”

Everyone looked at Theo as if he were a curiosity.

Well, a boy dwarf without a beard wasn’t a common sight.

It was hard to find one unless you went to the Steam Factory.

I shook off the gazes of those people and headed to the shop with Theo.

“Here it is.”

“Wow… It has a certain vibe.”

Theo, who had seen the exterior of the shop, asked me.

“But why aren’t there any windows?”

“You’ll see when you go inside.”

I opened the shop door.

A faint chill flowed through the shop, which had been empty for three days.

Click!

Sparks flew and the fireplace lit up.

“Wow.”

The interior of the shop was revealed.

Theo cheered as he saw the main room of the shop, which was full of magic circles.

“Wait a minute… You didn’t just draw magic circles on the walls, but you drew magic circles that connect the walls, ceiling, and floor? Not two-dimensional magic circles, but three-dimensional magic circles…?”

Theo looked at me with his mouth wide open.

“Did you do all this by yourself?”

 

Saint Eileen finished her prayers today as well.

“Haa, haa.”

Her breathing was rough as she prayed.

Thump, thump.

As she prayed to the god, she looked at the believers who were praying along with her.

They were all following the Saint’s words and asking the goddess for salvation.

“We will all live in gratitude to the goddess.”

Eileen couldn’t help but smile as she listened to the voices of the believers desperately calling out to the goddess.

‘Ah, no… Don’t think about it.’

The fantasy of being violated by a demon in the prayer room kept popping into her head.

Eileen bit her lip in guilt as she had lewd fantasies in the prayer room, which should have been sacred.

People murmured as Eileen couldn’t recite the prayer for a while.

“The Saint is sobbing.”

“She must be crying to save us.”

“Ah, Saint.”

Eileen trembled at the voices of the believers praising her.

I’m sorry.

I wasn’t sobbing for you.

I was just…

-You perverted bitch. Are you trying to sell your body to the devil?

She was just feeling the day she was attacked by Max, who had turned into a demon in her fantasy, while imagining it.

She rubbed her thighs and desperately imagined that day.

The tattoo she had drawn on her lower abdomen had faded so much that it was almost invisible.

The vulva Max had carved.

She lived every day in fear that this blue tattoo, which showed her as if she had been violated by a demon, would be discovered by someone else.

So much so that she used it at a time when no one else was using it when she washed.

Her heart nearly burst as she washed, anxious that someone might walk in on her.

It was the first time she realized how nerve-wracking it was to constantly be on guard.

‘What if I get caught…?’

Eileen murmured, stroking her lower abdomen where the tattoo Max had given her was etched.

The thought of the worshippers howling that she had sold her body to the devil made her breathing ragged.

-That bitch sold her body to the devil!

-The saintess, who should have protected her purity, was seduced by the devil!

-That kind of woman should be sent to the Inquisitors!

-You’re not even a saintess!

-Lewd bitch!

The arrows of condemnation thrown by the imaginary worshippers pierced her heart.

Every time she saw her body defiled by the tattoo in the bathroom mirror, she would come several times from the sense of depravity.

She had secretly visited Max’s shop, hoping he could redraw the tattoo, which had faded much more than when it was first done, but…

-Closed for a few days due to personal reasons.

“Closed…?”

Max’s shop was closed.

And now.

Eileen, driven to her limit by unresolved desires, was now having lewd fantasies even in the prayer room.

“May you all receive God’s grace.”

As she watched the worshippers leave, blessed by her, she even had the lewd fantasy of what their reaction would be if one of them saw the traces of the tattoo that had not yet been erased from her lower abdomen.

Oh, what should I do?

The fantasies won’t leave me.

Is this what it means to be possessed by the devil?

Eileen, who had finished praying, staggered to a chair in the prayer room on tired legs to rest.

“Eileen, how have you been?”

A familiar voice was heard.

A voice with a firm will, full of hope and stronger than anyone else.

It was Nicky, the Hero who had defeated the Demon King with her.