Chapter 36

“It was a good idea to bring these, just in case.”

Carmelo spread out the research materials and calmed his expression. These were documents pertaining to the ancient study of mana sensitivity.

“Hmm…”

Having awakened all five senses, Carmelo was a high-rank magician. However, he was not satisfied with this. Although this was a realm achievable only by those with genius talent, it was nothing but a faded shell compared to a single superior talent.

‘If I had been born during the time magic was discovered, I would have been just an average magician.’

Even though he was recognized in the Magic Tower, he was ultimately an acquired genius following in the footsteps of the innate geniuses. Compared to those who awakened their senses on their own without learning, his talent was insignificant.

‘There are babies who can see mana as soon as they’re born. That’s already a natural gift, and among them, those who awaken five senses before the age of ten are truly extraordinary.’

Especially those who self-awakened all five senses were on a different level. The moment they became interested in magic, it was their fate to awaken the sixth, almost transcendent sense, like a caterpillar naturally becoming a butterfly. Those who fell into this category were the noble beings recorded in history as great magicians.

Carmelo, who was obsessed with magic, knew it was impossible to reach that level, but he harbored a peculiar anticipation as he scrutinized the old documents.

“As expected, even the average geniuses born thousands of years ago were the same. They must have also wanted to awaken the sixth sense, like me.”

Were there always similar people in every era? There were those in the past who engraved spells into the bodies of living humans to forcibly awaken the sixth sense. It was the dream of geniuses regardless of the era.

And maybe, the hypothesis that had remained theoretical for nearly a thousand years might finally be proven, Carmelo thought with a shiver of excitement and a sly smile.

“Hehe, this is exciting. If he survived the breath, he would be a much better test subject than mere prisoners.”

He meticulously reviewed the research journals and awaited the arrival of tomorrow. According to Carmelo, it took about a month and a few weeks to imprint 70 lines onto the body. Half of that time had already passed.

***

Fifteen cooldowns. I had avoided death a total of fifteen times.

“Thirty-seventh line… This is usually the critical point, but the young master is handling it very well.”

Although I felt like a lab rat, I had agreed to this, so I couldn’t complain. Therefore, I enjoyed it.

“Is it a new record?”

“You could say that.”

“That’s good news.”

Let’s stop this. I feel sorry for myself for pretending to be okay.

“But it’s strange, isn’t it? After reaching halfway, I should feel some noticeable change, but everything’s the same.”

“That’s natural. The 69 spells are processed separately without being connected. It’s only normal that you don’t feel any different until the seventieth spell, which links everything together, is engraved.” Ȑ

“Is that so?”

Just as I picked up a cup of water, my arm trembled slightly, causing a drop to splash onto the back of my hand. It happened often lately, so I didn’t think much of it, but I asked Carmelo just in case.

“But is there any chance of side effects from the experiment? I don’t know why, but I can’t shake off this fatigue, and my body feels a bit heavy.”

Carmelo’s eyes sparkled.

“Side effects? Please describe your symptoms in more detail.”

“Well, it’s like feeling lethargic. I fall asleep early and eat a lot more.”

It’s strange. I fall asleep as soon as I lie down, and my usual portions aren’t satisfying, so I eat twice as much. Especially craving meat.

I voiced my concerns, but Carmelo chuckled dismissively.

“I thought it was something serious. That’s probably due to changes in your lifestyle. It has nothing to do with magic, so I won’t address irrelevant matters.”

“Take it seriously. It could be something harmful to my body.”

Carmelo, looking annoyed, waved his staff. The curtains drew back, revealing the falling leaves outside.

“It’s autumn. Does this answer your question?”

“Hmm.”

Autumn is indeed a season of laziness and increased appetite. When I lay back on the bed, I thought about it again. There’s something I don’t understand.

Let’s say my sudden increase in appetite is due to autumn as Carmelo said. But isn’t my body feeling unusually tired? Could I be ill? My brow furrowed with unease when the in-body machine spoke to me.

– Hersel, your body is in a state of fatigue. You should sleep.

Yes, I should ask it.

‘I was going to sleep anyway. Before that, can you check my body? Eating twice as much, sleeping early, and waking up late feels off. Am I not healthy?’

– Hmm, you are actually in better condition than before. So don’t worry and get some sleep.

Donatan’s words reassured me a bit. However, realizing that this machine was not a doctor, I got up from bed.

“Ha!”

I stood in front of a full-length mirror, checking my body. I hadn’t gained weight. However, there seemed to be some faint muscles I hadn’t seen before. It might be a trick of the light since they weren’t that noticeable.

“Maybe it is a side effect of the experiment.”

When I said that, Donatan shouted with joy.

– Yes, it could be a side effect. There are all sorts of strange things in the world of magic. Do you know about sadomagic? It’s a hodgepodge of pursuits without any expertise. Even if he is from the Magic Tower, unproven experiments are nothing but hodgepodge.

Though his reaction was odd, his words weren’t wrong. I had never heard of such bizarre theories while playing Asares.

Indeed, I should visit a professional doctor tomorrow and get a proper check-up. With that thought, I lay back on the bed.

‘I don’t know. I’m too tired to think. I’m going to sleep, so don’t talk to me.’

– Yes, sleep well, Hersel. Sleep soundly.

As Donatan’s words murmured like a lullaby, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

***

It had been three months and a few days since Donatan made a contract with Hersel. It was enough time to understand the neural circuits tied to his body.

After much effort, he learned how to move through electrical impulses when Hersel was asleep.

“Phew!”

Late at night.

Donatan was doing push-ups while Hersel’s eyes were closed.

After about ten minutes, he paused as sweat dripped onto the floor.

“That’s enough arm exercise for now. He’s starting to notice…”

This time, Donatan made Hersel’s body hang upside down from the curtain rod and repeatedly performed abdominal exercises. He recalled the fight with the giant bird and murmured unpleasantly.

“His lung capacity is worse than a sickly person’s. I’ll fix that for him.”

Moreover, he had nearly reached a near-death state just from being thrown once.

Thinking of the pathetic state of his body spurred Donatan on.

“This wretched fellow. And he’s obsessed with magic?”

He couldn’t accept it.

Even if his dantian was damaged, the fact that his master didn’t wield a sword was a denial of his very existence.

Seeing Hersel absorbed only in magic made him furious.

With a spark of electric current, he vented his frustration.

Crackle

“Just as you can’t give up magic, I can’t give up the sword.”

As the exercises continued, there was a knock at the door.

Knock, knock!

If he manipulated Hersel’s vocal cords, he would surely wake up.

Donatan remained silent.

Then came an impatient knock and an angry voice.

Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock!

“Young Master! What are you doing at this hour? The vibrations are reaching the lower floors!”

“If you don’t answer, I’ll come in!”

Donatan glanced at the lock on the door.

“Damn, I forgot to lock it!”

His heart sank. He prayed she would leave, but cruelly, the door swung open.

Bang!

“Young… What?”

Selly’s angry face turned to one of bewilderment. She shook her head and sighed deeply.

“Well, it’s nothing surprising now.”

“I almost had a heart attack. Why are you hanging from the curtain rod in the middle of the night?”

Selly looked at me as if he were crazy. It was a look Donatan often saw directed at Hersel. It seemed she considered this a usual occurrence.

– Indeed, this girl always treated him like a lunatic. I can get away with this.

Thinking it was a fortunate stroke of luck, Donatan descended from the curtain rod.

Thud!

Selly approached cautiously, eyes wide.

“What? Why are your eyes closed?”

“Young Master?”

“Hello? Are you okay?”

At that moment, Donatan flipped Hersel’s body onto his back and manipulated his limbs to crawl like a spider. Approaching her bizarrely with his head dangling, Selly screamed and fled.

“Aaaah!”

Watching her pale-faced retreat, Donatan locked the door and smiled contentedly.

Click!

“That should do it. She’ll think he’s crazier than ever.”

Feeling reassured, he knew it would be disastrous if Hersel discovered this.

[Subordinate Donatan must not do anything the superior Hersel does not want. If the subordinate violates this, a compulsory clause will be added. This clause is decided according to the superior’s proposal.]

The most severe unfair trade clause.

Threatened with being thrown into the river if he didn’t accept, he had no choice but to agree.

Donatan shivered at the memory from that day until now.

– Have I ever seen anyone as ruthless as him in my life?

Even in the mines, the look in his eyes when searching for money was like a wolf stalking prey.

When an assassin appeared, he was no different from a local thug who extorted pocket money from children, and when the opportunity came to score big with the mistress, he squeezed out every drop of oil.

Each time, Donatan could feel the twitching facial muscles of Hersel struggling to contain himself.

– I can’t even imagine the horrors if I fall into the hands of this ruthless fellow…

Since Hersel held the sword, Donatan carefully trained.

Moving his body to the point of near exhaustion, morning soon broke.

As he lay Hersel back in bed to return to his place, Hersel woke up.

“Oh.”

Did he get caught?

“Yawn, no matter how much I sleep, I’m still sleepy… I need more sleep.”

– Yes, sleep well, Hersel. You need to rest thoroughly.

Though he might feel fatigue, Donatan’s manipulation of his nerves meant Hersel wouldn’t even feel muscle pain.

***

The medical check-up revealed no issues.

The doctor said to keep up the new body management regime.

Since the only exercise I did was walking to learn magic, it was hard to shake off my doubts.

However, feeling slightly better lately, I didn’t think much of it.

Three weeks passed since putting my worries to rest.

Carmelo, with a tense face, took a deep breath.

Despite gulping down water, his voice trembled with excitement.

“…Finally, today is the day. To think the day would come to engrave the final, seventieth spell.”

“Does this mean I’ll officially be an intermediate magician if I succeed?”

Enjoying the moment, I asked, and Carmelo quickly looked away.

“Ahem, yes. You will meet the requirements of an intermediate magician.”

His reaction seemed suspicious. He wasn’t usually this easily flustered. Perhaps something was wrong, but I brushed it off, thinking he was just nervous.

After all, nothing had gone wrong so far.

“Let’s begin then.”

“By the way, young master, is it just my imagination, or have your clothes changed often lately?”

“Ah, these? The old ones didn’t fit well anymore, so I replaced them.”

I could still wear the old ones, but they were tight. They were so tight that the threads would tear if I moved too much, so my wardrobe was filled with newly fitted clothes.

“Hmm, you seem to have a more robust build than before.”

“Side effect of the experiment.”

I said with squinted eyes.

Carmelo, veins popping on his forehead, shouted.

“How many times do I have to tell you it’s not!”

“Hey, don’t get mad. It’s the only suspicious thing.”

“I have explained with data that none of the test subjects exhibited such symptoms. Do you know how many times you’ve said this?”

“Only thirty-seven times.”

Touchy.

Considering how much money I’ll get from the mistress, I need to stay healthy.