From Today, I'm a Player

Chapter 88: Mana Stream

Trickle.

Tea filled the teacup as it sloshed about.

Lee Jun-Kyeong silently took the teacup and drank without a word.

“...”

His expression was one mired in bewilderment.

“...”

It was the same for Hua Tuo as well.

The person that he had been looking for pointed toward Lee Jun-Kyeong’s pulse.

‘Internal Qigong?’

Hua Tuo had asked him if he had studied qigong. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked the physician if he had learned mana stream.

Although the method that Hua Tuo had used seemed a little different from his mana stream, there was something similar in the principle that they used.

‘Just how…’

Lee Jun-Kyeong found it interesting and strange that Hua Tuo had even known about the principles behind the mana stream.

“It seems you are flustered,” Hua Tuo said.

“It seems you’re just as flustered as well, Hua Tuo,” Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

“Please, call me Won-Hwa.”

Apparently, the physician still felt uncomfortable with the title Hua Tuo.

“I still haven’t reached that level of skill yet. That title just feels like a burden.”

“...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to say something, but he just ended up drinking his tea without any comment.

“How did…”

“How did…”

The two then spoke at the same time, and Won-Hwa motioned for Lee Jun-Kyeong to continue first.

“Have you learned the mana stream?”

“Mana stream? Here, we call it internal qigong.”

“We…?”

What Lee Jun-Kyeong had paid attention to was the word ‘us,’ not the reference to internal qigong.

“The mana stream—no, you mean that there are other people that have learned internal qigong?”

“Yes. They are…”

Won-Hwa’s face hardened abruptly.

"They are with the Nar."

It was clear that he was referring to the humans that Jeong In-Chang had met.

There definitely was something strange.

‘There’s some sort of secret.’

Especially considering that there were people that knew about mana stream.

For now, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to focus on why he had come this far to find the physician.

“Have you noticed anything special after having read my pulse?” he asked eagerly.

“Your blood flow is turbid and…”

Won-Hwa explained what he had felt from when he had read Lee Jun-Kyeong’s pulse earlier.

“The flow of energy is unnatural. It looks like something is clogging your pathways. I couldn’t tell exactly what it was earlier as I only had taken a cursory read, but do you have a specific problem?”

Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it. This person definitely had skills.

He decided to confide in the physician about his situation.

“I had a problem as I was cultivating my mana stream—no, my internal qigong. Do you know anything about demonic mana?” he asked.

The physician responded, “I’ve heard that it's the energy that is emitted by monsters.”

He nodded. “Yes. It ended up flowing into my body.”

Won-Hwa seemed surprised by Lee Jun-Kyeong's words as his expression was both bewildered and interested.

“Therefore, in some parts of my body, the demonic mana, along with some other foreign energy, combined to form some bead-like shapes. The aura of the beads is becoming stronger, and I sometimes feel pain.”

"…”

Lee Jun-Kyeong described his condition in detail as if he had been asked a question.

“I have absolutely no idea what the beads could be. Even if I use internal qigong, nothing changes.”

“If that’s the case…”

Won-Hwa got up from his seat and approached Lee Jun-Kyeong.

“Do you mind if I measure your pulse again? This time, it won’t be a cursory read, but rather, a measurement taken properly…”

Won-Hwa's eyes twinkled.

"It can be dangerous."

To think that the physician would say that it could be dangerous even though it was just simply taking one’s pulse.

“Great.”

However, that was exactly what Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted.

***

Sweat dripped down Lee Jun-Kyeong, and the sheets on the bed where he was lying were soaking wet.

“Grrr…”

Fenrir’s expression wasn’t good either, as if he could also feel his owner’s pain.

Moreover, it was the same for Jeong In-Chang.

“Mr. Lee…”

Won-Hwa—no, Hua Tuo.

It had been more than ten hours since Hua Tuo’s treatment had begun. Jeong In-Chang, Fenrir, and the princess had blocked anyone from accessing their residence.

“Ugh…” Lee Jun-Kyeong moaned.

The treatment continued on.

Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though it really was a hellish experience.

‘I’m going to go crazy.’

He realized that it hadn’t been an exaggeration when Won-Hwa had said it would be painful. It felt like something was tearing through his flesh and digging through his intestines.

“Endure it.”

However, Won-Hwa continued to instruct Lee Jun-Kyeong as his mana circulated around.

‘Is this how Jeong In-Chang had felt back then…’

If, by chance, Jeong In-Chang had felt the same pain that Lee Jun-Kyeong was undergoing currently back when the Hunter was being trained…

‘I should be better to him.’

The treatment was so painful that it was making Lee Jun-Kyeong consider those types of thoughts.

“The zhuo qi is in disarray. I’ll have to continue to stimulate it to try to disperse it.”

Won-Hwa referred to the black beads as zhuo qi.

He said that the zhuo qi had aggregated together and formed into disordered masses, and the energy they continuously emitted was causing pain.

“Ugh…”

“Keugk…”

The two both moaned in exertion, and the treatment continued.

“Ugh…”

Eventually, Won-Hwa released his hand.

A long day had finally ended.

Won-Hwa sat down heavily in his seat.

“Is… is it… is it over…” Lee Jun-Kyeong asked the physician as he got up painfully.

“You really are amazing…”

Won-Hwa had been exhausted by Lee Jun-Kyeong’s mental strength. The method he had used on Lee Jun-Kyeong definitely must have felt as though his intestines were ripping themselves into pieces.

It was an experience of pain that had to be endured without any anesthetic due to the method stemming from an internal manipulation of mana.

Nevertheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn’t faint a single time during the process. Furthermore, he hadn’t made him stop due to the pain.

However, no matter how impressed or how much pity he felt, Won-Hwa wasn’t able to lie about the situation.

“I’m sorry… it’s too much.”

“...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong's face hardened.

“However… the beads of zhuo qi that you have, Mr. Lee, are incredibly unique.”

"…”

“Originally, zhuo qi is something that eats away at a person’s very being and causes rapid depletion of someone’s vitality. However…”

Won-Hwa’s eyes lit up.

“The source of the zhuo qi in your body is something different. Oddly enough, it instead stimulates the flow of energy, Mr. Lee.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means that the zhuo qi isn’t causing much harm to you, Mr. Lee.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn't understand what Won-Hwa was saying.

“But what about my pain…” he protested.

“It’s similar in nature to the treatment you’re undergoing. Because it forcibly stimulates the flow of qi in your pathways, it is inevitable that it would cause you pain. Still, even if we say that it’s a good thing, zhuo qi is still something dangerous.”

Won-Hwa brushed off his pants and stood up, continuing, “Just as your power is being strengthened by the zhuo qi, the zhuo qi is also becoming stronger through your strength.”

“...”

“If the zhuo qi ever becomes stronger than you, one day, there’s a chance you could be devoured. You will have to work diligently… if not…”

Won-Hwa’s voice changed.

“You could very well become a madman driven insane with bloodlust.”

“...”

“However, strangely enough, your intense mentality seems to work to suppress the zhuo qi. Still, I can’t be completely certain as I don’t know for sure myself.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered to himself.

The mana stream that he used was the Demon King’s method..

‘Maybe–could it be related?’

Lee Jun-Kyeong asked one more question, “When you say a madman driven insane with bloodlust…”

Won-Hwa was started by Lee Jun-Kyeong’s abrupt words.

“Are you referring to the Nar that are abandoned in the icy wasteland?”

“..."

Won-Hwa stayed silent in response to Lee Jun-Kyeong’s question.

***

‘Insane slaughterers, internal qigong… the humans on the side of the Nar.’

Moreover, that wasn’t all of the new information he had gathered either.

‘Thjazi and Thrymr. Even Utgard… the giants…’

There were more problems here than he had expected. Furthermore, they hadn’t been able to find an answer to them yet

The only answer that he had found so far was that the black beads within him weren’t dangerous for now.

Lee Jun-Kyeong had originally thought that they may eventually become a problem, which was why he had come to find Hua Tuo, so it could be said that he had found the answer to that problem.

Furthermore, the physician had told him: “It may be a little dangerous, but your mana stream is currently stimulating your growth, Mr. Lee.”

If that was the case, then his situation was even better than expected.

At least, that was the conclusion that Lee Jun-Kyeong had reached. He already had the view that it was only natural to take risks if it meant that he could become stronger even a little bit faster.

It was no different from entering a gate and hunting monsters.

He was willing to take the risk if it meant that he would get stronger.

In return, he would search for the answers.

The things he didn’t know right now were the things he needed to know.

‘The Demon King had started studying mana stream after he had visited China and the city of giants.’

Originally, Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that the Demon King had started studying mana stream because he had become stronger. However, he changed his mind after seeing Hua Tuo using what they seemed to call internal qigong.

‘He may have been inspired to use and study mana stream after witnessing the internal qigong that Hua Tuo and the other Hunters in China used.’

If so, then that meant that this was an opportunity for him to raise his mana stream. They should know the source of the mana stream, and it meant that he could further develop his understanding of the mana stream.

Finally, Hua Tuo could possibly help him.

“Mr. Won-Hwa.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong had come to find Hua Tuo as the physician was taking a break.

“Do you have some time to talk?”

Although the physician’s complexion still didn’t seem very good, he seemed to have recovered somewhat on his own.

A place for them to talk was quickly set up, and the two started conversing.

"I have a lot to ask you,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

"I have a lot too,” Hua Tuo responded.

Lee Jun-Kyeong suggested, “Then shall we each ask and answer questions back and forth?”

“That would be great.”

Both of the men thought that it was an effective way for them to have a conversation, and so they continued in that manner.

The first question that Lee Jun-Kyeong asked was about the patients.

"Why are there so many patients here? They haven’t engaged in any battles, nor have they been put in any danger. I can’t seem to figure out why there could be so many patients."

"That…"

Won-Hwa began to answer the question.

“It’s because the qi here is too massive.”

“...”

“A vast amount of originally invisible qi has wrapped itself around mainland China and transformed the place into a land of ice.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong surmised that the qi that Won-Hwa was referring to was mana.

“Hunters who had Sponsors who could help them get accustomed to the vast amount of qi and adapt to it were fine, but the others had a problem. They weren’t able to handle the vast amount of qi, and therefore got sick.”

"Then…"

Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if that could be the reason there were so many patients.

Gateization.

‘Then, if the whole world ends up undergoing gateization…’

That would mean that the land would become uninhabitable for the ordinary people.

The world from the future he had lived in had been okay because the Heroes had ended the upheaval and had slowly cleared the gated area.

“Well, I guess it’s my turn,” Won-Hwa said.

‘He probably is going to ask about mana stream.’

Lee Jun-Kyeong could see that Won-Hwa was very curious about his mana stream. The curiosity on the physician’s face seemingly betrayed his intention to ask about it.

“What was your purpose in coming here?"

The question was different from what he had expected.

“Before the gateization, I had lived in the outside. I had been studying medicine in Europe. But then, I had heard about the troubles in my hometown and forcefully brought myself here. I felt as though even my weak strength could be of some help,” Won-Hwa said.

“From the outside, this place should be called the land of hell where escape was impossible and the King of Monsters. What type of insane reason could you have for stepping foot into a place like this, Mr. Lee? Could it be…”

Won-Hwa was finally getting to his real question.

“Is there a rescue team coming?”

However, Lee Jun-Kyeong only responded with the truth he knew, “There is no rescue team right now, and there will never be one in the future, ever.”

Won-Hwa's face suddenly darkened, and it was easy to tell why.

'These people's lives...'

Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered the expression on Won-Hwa’s face when the physician was treating the people who were sick and dying in this city.

It was a face of mourning and hopelessness.

‘It seemed like…’

It reminded him of his past self.

Lee Jun-Kyeong could see the resemblance with the old him, who hadn’t been able to do anything when he didn’t have the power of a Hunter.

Just as he must have had such despair at that time, Won-Hwa’s face was stained with despair at the words he had just been told.

Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to fix that.

“That’s because the rescue team has already arrived.”

“Pardon?”

Lee Jun-Kyeong raised a finger without saying a word and pointed toward himself.

1. Literally, turbid energy, takgi, or zhuo qi in Chinese. It is often a side effect of qi derivation and leads to damaged pathways. It can also be referred to just as impurities.