The Beginning After The End Chapter 2: The Encyclopedia of Mana Manipulation

Once, I ruled as a king. With a mere snap of my fingers, the entire military might of my nation would assemble at my feet, bowing in submission. Whether it was against foreign rivals or my own subjects, I emerged victorious in every duel to settle conflicts and secure my throne. My mastery of swordsmanship and the art of controlling ki was unrivaled, for in my previous life on Earth, personal martial prowess was a requirement for leadership. Kings were not simply born into power; they were forged through discipline. Despite those past glories, I couldn't recall a moment in either of my lives that filled me with more pride than this very second.

I can finally crawl, baby!

Up until this point, I had to satisfy my curiosity with the tales my mother recounted while trying to coax me to sleep. Whenever she stopped her storytelling too soon, I would let out disgruntled noises in protest. Occasionally, my father would hold me on his lap and ramble about his younger days, providing me with valuable clues about the nature of this world and its inhabitants.

Reynolds Leywin, a former adventurer—an actual, legitimate profession in this land—possessed a wealth of experience. He had been a member of various parties that embarked on expeditions to hunt for treasure and complete tasks assigned by the Adventurer Guild. His traveling days ended when he met my mother in Valden, a city located on the Kingdom’s frontier. He often boasted that my mother fell for him the moment he stepped into the Adventurer Guild hall where she worked, though I suspected the reality was quite different. Usually, my mother would respond by slapping the back of his head and telling him to quit feeding me lies.

By the way, my name is Arthur Leywin now. People call me Art for short. As a former King, it feels a bit too precious, but after catching my reflection in the polished metal sheet we use as a mirror, I have to admit I am incredibly cute. I inherited my mother’s vibrant auburn hair and my father’s brilliant azure eyes. I’m not sure how my features will settle as I grow, but as long as I don’t end up obese, I’ll be satisfied.

Ladies of the future, watch out! Prepare for some serious heartbreak!

After weeks of trying to crawl and only managing an uncoordinated wiggle, I finally succeeded. I even managed to slip away into the family library while my mother was busy with the laundry outside. My newfound mobility was a source of stress for her; she would sigh and lament, "I swear, you’re going to be just as much trouble to handle as your father."

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I shut the encyclopedia and adjusted my position on the floor... which really meant I just slumped onto my stomach because the effort of crawling and sitting up was exhausting.

Reflecting on the text, this world appeared relatively primitive. Based on my observations, there was a distinct lack of technological progress. Transportation seemed limited to horse-drawn carriages of various sizes for land travel and sailing vessels for the rivers.

There were few regulations regarding weapons; people carried them openly unless they were in the presence of royalty or high-ranking officials. It still shocks me to see people casually armed while they go grocery shopping.

In my old life on Earth, soldiers and security personnel carried hidden weapons, but those were primarily for deterrence rather than active killing.

In contrast, I recently saw a thief steal from an armory, only to be cut down from behind by a bald mercenary wielding a polearm. What was even more disturbing was that the crowd actually cheered for the massive warrior while the thief bled out on the street.

One commonality between this world and my last was the monarchical system. The continent of Dicathen was divided into Kingdoms, each governed by a king and a royal bloodline. Unlike Earth, however, the crown was hereditary, passing from the King to his son in a continuous line.

My search through the encyclopedia yielded almost no information regarding other continents. This struck me as strange, especially since river-faring ships were common. I could only assume that naval technology hadn't advanced enough to conquer the open oceans yet.

The most difficult adjustment for me was the concept of magic. If we were talking about superhuman abilities, Earth’s nations certainly utilized such individuals.

On Earth, practitioners were taught to condense and harness the innate ki within their bodies. It functioned much like a muscle; by pushing the ki center to exhaustion and then allowing it to recover, the center would grow, granting the user a larger reservoir of ki. This ki would be moved through the body via meridians to enhance physical strength or empower a weapon.

In this world, they called it mana instead of ki, and the shocking difference was that it existed in the atmosphere itself. Practitioners, known as Mages, would draw this environmental mana into themselves to condense it within a mana core. In my previous world, ki was strictly internal. Whether ki never existed in Earth's atmosphere or was destroyed by human pollution is a mystery I'll never solve.

On Earth, while training was vital, the natural size of one's ki center was the deciding factor, as you were limited to what your body could produce. Does this mean the size of an innate mana core is less important here since mana is everywhere in the air?

Then again, a larger cup can always hold more, right?

Back home, even though my ki center wasn't particularly large, I was hailed as a prodigy because of how efficiently I could channel and manipulate it. My ability to utilize every drop of ki allowed me to rise to the top of the elite Duelists and claim the throne.

If I can apply the same principles of ki manipulation to mana—using both the core and the atmosphere—couldn't I potentially double or even triple my former strength?

I pulled another book from the bottom shelf, which began to answer my growing list of questions.

"Beginner’s Guide for the Privileged Mage"

"While the ability to command mana is largely hereditary, children of Magi are sometimes born unable to sense it. Recent data suggests that about 1 in 100 children can sense mana, though their true potential cannot be gauged until their mana core fully forms—usually between early adolescence and the late teens. An awakening is signaled by a mana core manifesting, which briefly repels the surrounding mana. This creates a visible, translucent shield around the mage that persists for a few minutes."

As I turned the pages, a specific section caught my eye.

"...Mana utilization typically falls into two categories: the enhancement of one's own body (augmenter) and the manifestation of mana in the external world (conjurer)..."

"...Augmenters are usually warriors who move mana through their bodies to boost their physical power and the force of their strikes."

"...Conjuring is the path of Mages who use mana to cast spells that affect the environment or a specific target."

Weaknesses and Limitations

"While augmenters boast incredible physical attributes, their primary disadvantage is their lack of range..."

"Conjurers wield immense power, capable of reshaping their surroundings. However, this power has its costs. Unlike augmenters, who primarily use the mana in their cores, conjurers must draw mana from the environment and combine it with their own to manifest a spell."

"While both classifications of Mages—or Mana Manipulators—are defined by their mana core, they are measured by different criteria."

*flip*

"An augmenter’s skill is determined by the strength of their mana channels, which dictates how quickly and efficiently they can move mana from their core to their limbs..."

"...Conversely, a conjurer’s talent is measured by their mana veins, which determine the speed and effectiveness of absorbing external mana for spellcasting."

*flip*

"...Mana Manipulators usually specialize in one of these two paths, as mastering both early on is incredibly inefficient. Most individuals are born with a natural bias toward either mana channels or mana veins..."

"...Augmenters have little need for powerful mana veins since they rely on their cores, while conjurers don't require strong mana channels because they don't channel mana through their own bodies."

"The gap between these two roles naturally closes as a practitioner reaches an advanced level..."

I see... so my father is likely a capable augmenter but a subpar conjurer.

But what about that healing light? What category did my mother fall into?

*flip, flip, flip*

There it is!

"There exist rare individuals known as deviants. The most famous are elemental deviants and Emitters. Emitters, or healers, are highly prized for their ability to apply restorative mana directly to others, mending wounds and curing ailments."

Wow... my mom is amazing.

Fundamentals of Conjuring

"For a conjurer, the process involves gathering ambient mana, drawing it into the body, and circulating it through the mana core to purify it. It is then channeled through a conductor—such as a wand or staff—using incantations to focus the user's will and shape the mana into a spell..."

*flip*

"...The complexity of a spell dictates the time required to absorb, purify, and release the mana..."

*flip*

"Because conjuring focuses mana into specific forms, conjurers usually have a natural affinity for one of the four elements (Air, Water, Fire, Earth), though they can learn the basics of all elements with enough study."

*flip, flip*

Fundamentals of Augmenting

"Unlike conjuring, augmenting requires much less time for gathering external mana. Success depends on the speed and precision of using mana from the core rather than the atmosphere..."

This made perfect sense... augmenting was almost identical to using ki, with the added benefit of external mana. The reason conjurers didn't exist on Earth was simply because there was no atmospheric mana to fuel their spells.

I focused intently as I continued reading.

"...Augmenting demands the precise distribution of mana throughout the body. While it sounds straightforward, it requires deep knowledge of one's own anatomy. Mastering mana channels takes years of dedicated mental and physical effort."

*flip*

"Since augmenters use pure mana from their cores, elemental distinctions aren't significant in the early stages. However, because they can control mana more fluidly, they develop very diverse combat styles."

*flip*

"A phenomenon known as 'Backlash' affects both types of users. For augmenters, it occurs when the mana core is drained, leading to intense physical pain. For conjurers, backlash happens when the core is overfilled by attempting spells that exceed their capacity."

I closed the book and sat up, processing the massive amount of data.

Given the striking similarities between ki centers and mana cores, I found it hard to believe one had to wait until adolescence to start. In my previous world, children could meditate to sense the ki within them. Once that ki was gathered into one spot, the center would form.

To test my theory, I began to meditate, reaching out to sense the mana within my seven-month-old body when...

"There you are! Art, sweetie, are you having a hard time going potty?"

Mother! I am trying to embark on a quest to become the world's most powerful mage! Please don't treat me like a constipated baby!

She scooped me up and carried me off for a diaper change—which, as it turned out, I actually needed.