Chapter 31 Part1 (1/2)
<chapter 31.=”” giants'=”” domain=”” -=”” 1=””>
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was shaken while atop of Jin's back for two days, and when he raised his head from Lee Man Bok's diary, he suddenly realized that...
”This is a bit weird.”
”That's a relief, I thought the same.”
They were running across a mountainous area. The area was rugged, befitting a level 4 danger zone, and everywhere they looked, they saw mountains, hills, canyons, and cliffs, so they couldn't figure out exactly where they were if they didn't check their minimap.
But it was really strange; when they actually checked their minimap, it seemed like they hadn't budged, even though a few hours had pa.s.sed!
”We should've gotten out by now.”
”Are we lost?”
”No, we're not, considering the fact that we keep seeing things we haven't before. In my opinion, it's just...”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo thought 'surely not', stretched out his hand, and sensed the flow of mana. Mm, as he expected, the flow of mana wasn't normal. The inflow rate was too high, causing the remaining mana to feel unusually twisted. Even if they took into account that it was a level 4 danger zone, there was still a tremendous amount of mana concentrated in this area.
”I didn't think it was possible, but... the density of mana is so high that the s.p.a.ce is naturally expanding.”
”Like the training facility?”
”It's expanding much less than the training facility, but it's still huge. I a.s.sume that's why it feels like we're not getting anywhere when we look at the minimap.”
”It's not a dungeon or even an artificial facility, yet the environment naturally expanded. The Empire's really no joke...”
If this could happen, then anything was possible in the Empire. Like what they were experiencing right now, where the limited s.p.a.ce was expanding and the natural environment thrived within, or s.p.a.ce itself was strangely interconnected. If not, then there was s.p.a.ce being hidden...
”Maybe the Giants' domain is like that too. Since I've never heard of the Giants' domain from our seniors before...”
”But s.h.i.+n Woo, shouldn't we be worrying about getting out of this place, not the Giants' domain?”
”Even I don't know how to cut down s.p.a.ce as it expands.”
”But at this rate, we'll just be wandering around for the next few days. That's fine with me, but won't it throw a wrench in your plans?”
”Mm...”
It was a fair point. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo shrugged his shoulders and activated his mana. There was something he could fall back on. Mana Bone had leveled up through Bone Reinforcement and Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had gained the ability to resist spatial magic; he definitely remembered seeing that line.
'It might've formed naturally, but this is still clearly spatial magic. No... the mana's even more primitive.'
He couldn't categorize the mana by element. It just had a unique flow. The mana used for spatial magic wasn't entirely different from this mana. Therefore, it was even more difficult to sense spatial magic and resist it.
'The flow of mana... if I can sense a portion of it and twist it around, then...'
This wasn't something that could be solved by Lee s.h.i.+n Woo filling the surrounding area with his mana, as he wouldn't be able to entirely affect the vast area. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo needed to find where the flow of mana was weak. In other words, the part that he could break.
”Almost done?”
”It's not that simple.”
”You can do it.”
Just hearing Lee s.h.i.+n Woo say it's hard made Jin completely give up on listening to Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and went back to his own business. In other words, he left Lee s.h.i.+n Woo to think and he just continued to run forward.
Jin planned on laughing at him if he were to get them out of here before Lee s.h.i.+n Woo could come up with something.
”Ah, so that's how it is.”
But unfortunately, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, who was talented in mana, suddenly realized what 'resisting' meant.
To be exact, he realized that the way he looked at the world and the mana within it had changed, as well as how that was linked to spatial magic.
”Yeah... No matter how overpowering the mana controlling this s.p.a.ce is, not all of the mana follows that flow. Moreover, when I look at it from a world view, then this flow is nothing more than a single branch. In other words, I need to see the main current, the original flow of mana.”
”Mm, I have no idea what you're saying.”
”For example, a checkered coat is extremely popular for a single season, but you have to be able to find the guy who always wears the same plain s.h.i.+rt.”
”It makes sense!?”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's explanation caused Jin to shake, and Jin yelled in shock. He just left Jin alone and earnestly began to look for the plain s.h.i.+rt... the original flow of mana.
And he began to understand what it meant to resist the s.p.a.ce's mana. After all, this flow of mana, which twisted and manipulated this s.p.a.ce, and piled up on top of each other, could only be resisted if he cla.s.sified and detected it!
”But it's still really hard. d.a.m.n...!”
”Hey, you know that old-fas.h.i.+oned people usually stay the course and don't change.”
”Who's the one actually looking for the plain s.h.i.+rt right now?”
However, Jin's words were actually helpful. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo turned his attention from the misleading flow of mana and concentrated on the hidden, yet continuous flow of mana.
”s.h.i.+n Woo?”
”...”
”s.h.i.+n Woo, are you ok?”
Of course, it wasn't possible with just sight. He had to feel for the mana with his entire body, and he didn't submit, even though the mana threatened to carry him away; Lee s.h.i.+n Woo attempted to feel for the other flow of mana that came towards him.
He succeeded, even though it was his first attempt. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo didn't even know how much time had pa.s.sed and was able to focus entirely on the flow of mana. Though it did take him a few hours.
”Are you almost done...?”
”...Yeah, I think I'm done.”
At some point, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, who had been in deep thought, opened his eyes wide open. It seemed like a joke, as it had only been a few hours, but Lee s.h.i.+n Woo now roughly understood the concept behind the s.p.a.ce.
”Run forward, Jin.”
”That's what I've been doing.”