Aloe, Kuzon, and I spent the whole day catching up and discussing many things. We were supposed to go about our businesses that day, but by the time we realized what was going on, it was already late in the night.
As a result, we decided to postpone our activities to the next day.
The moment that arrived, Kuzon left for his adventures in the S Class Dungeon nearby, while Aloe made her way to see Director Baek for her next assignment.
With only me left, I decided to reach Sung Han Soo through Telepathic Magic. Thanks to the link I already established with him two nights ago, it wasn't very difficult.
... Not that it would have been any harder to do it normally, especially with my current level of proficiency.
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"You came faster than I expected." I smiled at the enthusiastic young man who stood before me.
We were currently occupying one of the training halls within the Hunter Association. However, since I was the one who requested to use a training room, they gave me the largest that was available.
As a result, Han Soo and I were standing in a very magnificent hall that would otherwise contain thousands of people.
'How generous.' I smiled.
"It's because I want to get stronger. You told me you could do that. I was... also curious about what you said back then."
Ah, yes. The night I told Han Soo to be my disciple, he was very puzzled by my request. Considering how he lacked anything really special, he considered himself unworthy for some reason.
However, it all changed when I told him one thing, and also promised him strength.
"You're special, Han Soo." I repeated the words I told him that night.
I didn't mean he was very special beyond what I had seen before, but in this world, he was an anomaly.
And that was something that intrigued me. To pass time, I wanted to see how far I could go with this young man.
"You have something called a Mana Core within you. It's an intangible, incorporeal energy source within you that grants energy for you to perform supernatural feats."
In this world, there was nothing like Magic. Skills and Special Abilities took the cake. There were a couple of people whose abilities resembled Magic, but they didn't refer to them as the actual thing.
'Which is why Han Soo is special. I can actually teach him Magic.'
"Mana Core? I have something like that in me?"
"Yes. Usually Mana Particles in the body gather over a period of time to form a Mana Core. However, in this world, it seems the Mana Particle flow has become stagnated. As such, Hunters merely harness power directly from Mana Particles and not the Mana Core."
Compared to using a Mana Core, the power and efficiency of such a method was greatly inferior.
"The reason you seem weak and talentless, Han Soo, is because you are an exception. Your Mana Core has been pulling in your Mana Particles, leaving very little for you to use directly. And so, it seems you don't have an aptitude due to the smaller amount of Mana Particles outside your Core." As I was speaking, smiling with every word uttered, I noticed Han Soo was already breaking into tears.
He seemed so dazed, like he was dreaming, and the tears flowed down his cheeks.
"I... I really... had something like that...?" His tone contained disbelief, but also something reminiscent of hope.
I could tell he was overjoyed to hear what I was telling him, even though he couldn't completely comprehend it yet.
"That's right, Han Soo. You have the potential to become very strong. If you learn to harness the power in your Core, you'll develop a power that can exceed any Hunter in Korea—no, even the whole world!"
One of the major reasons why absorbing directly from Mana Particles was so crude and inefficient was the limit it placed on the under.
Every person had the rate at which their bodies produced and distributed Mana Particles. As a result, once Awakened in this world, the present amount of Mana Particles and the rate of recovery were seen as affinities, and Ranks were given based on that.
'From F Rank to S Rank. Those in the upper ranks have higher recovery of their Mana Particles, and a greater number. But isn't that simply too arbitrary?'
Rather than relying on something as stagnant as that, someone who had a Mana Core could keep growing as time went on. Eventually, he would be able to manage a higher energy output than an S Class, and that wouldn't even be the limits of his growth.
'In a world where those at the bottom remain powerless, and the strong occupy the top, stagnation is bound to occur.' Hopefully, my actions would shake the status quo for the best.
"Your grandfather told me a bit about you before we met, Han Soo. I know you want to help your Country, especially your grandfather and the Hunter Association. You want to save people, don't you?"
"Y-yes! I want that more than anything!"
I smiled and nodded at him. Chairman Sung was right. He had the makings of a hero. Weakness had simply clipped his wings.
"So, what will you do now that I've told you all this? Make your choice."
"I want to do it!" I had barely finished speaking before Han Soo responded with fervour.
His eyes glowed with extreme determination, and I could see his fists clenched with fierce desperation.
"I will give it my all! Please help me become stronger!"
Of course, I was going to that. It was also good that he agreed upfront. This way, I had gotten consent from my test subject.
'Now I can freely use his body for more research.'
We would both get what we wanted, so everyone would end up happy.
It was a win-win for the two of us.
