“Starting today, you will all take a break from taking classes for a while.” 

The students gulped when they heard the words of the High Beast Theory professor. 

“At the same time, we will be ending the basic martial arts that we have asked you to practice and train diligently.” 

The professor looked at the students gently before continuing his words.

“Today, we will be helping you reach the 3rd Stage faster. The process is extremely dangerous and painful so it will only be recommended to those who are willing to take this chance. Please raise your hands if you want to participate.” 

The professor nodded heavily when he saw that all of the students, without any exception, raised their hands to participate.

“Your mana circuit will be forcefully stimulated today. This process is extremely painful. So, those who want to quit halfway can always speak out. You also have to tell us if you feel like your body is rejecting the mana stone. This is a matter of life and death. Not speaking out might end with you losing your life so you have to speak the truth. Understand?” 

“Yes!” 

The professor nodded his head in satisfaction after hearing the students’ agreement. 

“Then, let’s move on to the special room now. It will be painful but you won’t die so you don’t have to be too nervous.” 

“Yes!” 

The professor took the lead after giving the students sufficient warnings.

However, even if the children were told not to be nervous, their faces were still covered with fear. It seemed like they were well aware of the pain that they would soon go through.

Rumors about this process were circulating around the academy. However, the information mainly came from the writings on the furniture in the children’s dormitories. The pieces of furniture in their dormitories were littered with desperate words that retold the painful experience that they went through during this process. This was the reason why all of them felt fear.

The writings could be found on the inside of their closets or on the headboards of their beds. They were densely-packed as they informed their successors about every detail of the process. With such grotesque and highly descriptive explanation, it was only natural that fear started to brew among the students. And this brewing fear has reached its peak right now.

However, there was one person among them who knew better about the pain of this process. And it was none other than Jaiden.

Thanks to his dunce body, undergoing this process was an unconditional necessity for him. Back then, he needed to do this process just to be able to reach the 3rd and 4th Stage. If he actually remained still, he would not be able to break the walls of the 3rd Stage at all. He assumed that he would only be able to reach that level by the time he reached 40~50.

Back then, he had done a lot of crazy things just so he could increase a bit of his strength. From inserting mana stones to injecting high-ranking monsters’ refined blood into his body. He did everything. He even went as far as placing a fragment of a dragon’s heart, an item that he received from the Imperial Family, in his body.

So if he compared the pain of this simple mana circuit stimulation to the pain that he went through back in his previous life, he could estimate and rank it at the level of a child’s prank.

“First, number 1.” 

“Yes.” 

“Go in.” 

Jaiden entered the special room.

Upon entering the room, he saw a huge magic circle as well as other hideous devices that were used for mana circuit stimulation.

“Nice to meet you. Uhm… Don’t be too scared. I’m not going to hurt you.” 

If he was just like the other children, he was sure that he would definitely not be able to hide his fear once he saw those devices. However, Jaiden was not like them. He was already used to these things so he just looked around nonchalantly.

“You’re calmer than I thought?” 

The question was not made to be answered so he just waited for the doctor to continue his words.

“We’ll stimulate your mana circuit today. There are also other choices like inlaying mana stones and another procedure but those need your careful consideration and explicit approval. Please pick one among these.”

There were three options listed on the paper that the doctor had given him. The first option was simple. One would only need to stand on top of the magic circle to get their mana circuit stimulated. Then, there was the second option. This was a more painful procedure. In this procedure, they would forcefully inject mana into your body to induce a stronger stimulation in your mana circuit. And finally, there was the third option. This one was considered to be the most painful among all of the procedures. In this procedure, they would temporarily insert small mana stones all over your body. The mana stones would then act as a trigger and explode almost half of the mana in your body. Your mana would continue to explode as long as the mana stone was still on your body. This procedure had the strongest stimulation but it was also accompanied by a great risk. Basically, the higher the level of stimulation, the greater the pain they would experience and the higher the probability of dying.

Because of these factors, most people would choose the first option. Those who were aware of their lacking talents would try to choose the third option but plenty of them would hesitate. The risk of dying was so high that the others would decide to choose other methods instead of this one. There was no use for this once they died. So for those who were desperate, they would normally choose the second option and never the third. 

“I’ll go with the third option.”

“What? That’s just written to fill in the options. If it’s you, then the second… No, I think the first one is enough?”

The doctor believed that Jaiden was a genius so he tried to persuade him to choose the first option. But Jaiden just shook his head firmly. 

“The third option. I’ll take that.”

“Ha… You know what kind of procedure it is, right?”

“Yes.”

“This will be terribly painful. The procedure that you chose is practically a dead technology. It’s only for those who desperately need it.”

“I know.”

The doctor could no longer stop him after seeing that Jaiden remained steadfast in his decision even though he was fully aware of the consequences and pain of the procedure. 

“Go out for now, I will start with the other kids first.”

“I understand.”

Number 2 looked at Jaiden, who came out with his head down, wondering why he came out so fast. But number 2 was already being called inside so she had no choice but to just look at him for a while before hurrying inside. Then, number 3 approached him and asked him quietly.

“You didn’t do it yet?”

“Yeah. I’ll do it after all of you have finished.”

“You… Are you going to do a procedure?”

Jaiden did not answer number 3’s question.

In fact, those procedures were not very good for those who were talented. Any kind of procedure done on the body would definitely have an effect on their future. This was the reason why the doctor and the professors only encouraged them to simply stimulate their mana circuit. Even if the stimulation was light, it was more than enough for them to create the foothold that they needed to grow quickly. In addition, such a simple procedure would have little to no impact on their future.

However, things were different when it came to the 2nd and 3rd options.

“Why did you…”

Number 3 stared at him as if he couldn’t understand his choice. The other students standing behind also couldn’t understand why he made such a choice. Even the professor that was supervising them was frowning.

But no matter what their reaction was, Jaiden just silently waited until the end. 

Since most of the children chose the simplest mana circuit stimulation procedure, they were able to finish quickly. Even those in the lower half of the class chose the first procedure. Out of the 300 students in their year, there were only about 10 who chose the second procedure.

“Number 178. Come in.”

“Huh? Me first?”

He looked like he couldn’t understand why he was entering first when Jaiden was still there. But 178 just looked curiously before going inside. Then, screams of pain rang loudly from the inside.

“Keuaaaaaaack!”

The remaining students’ faces were filled with fear after hearing the painful struggle of number 178 inside. However, all of them were desperate for strength, what was fear when they could gain enough strength? Determination slowly filled their eyes.

“As expected… Rumors about someone dying after taking this procedure were not false.”

“Hoo…”

“But we still have to do it.”

Regardless, fear and anxiety remained in their system as they continued to listen to the painful screams while waiting for their turn. They had chosen the 2nd option so the pain that they would experience was no joke. It was not just a stimulus, they would be forcefully injected with mana to stimulate their circuits strongly.

If the first procedure was painful enough to make people scream then one can only imagine how painful the second one was from the howls of the students who chose this option. It was painful enough to make them faint. Those who were weak in mind and body would not be able to endure this pain. Some were even forced to retire after turning dumb from the pain and trauma of the procedure.

This was also the reason why only those who were desperate and resolute could take this procedure. Fortunately, those dozens of students that chose the 2nd option were all strong-willed and desperate enough. They were able to grit through the pain and stumble out of the room intact.

“Hoo… Number 1.”

“Yes.”

Jaiden went inside after hearing the doctor’s call. 

“Are you really sure that you want to do the third option?”

“Yes.”

“Why would a kid like you do something that dangerous? It will be good for the future of talented people like you to go easy on things related to the body.”

“I have no talent.”

Jaiden replied firmly to the doctor’s statement. The doctor faltered before asking him again.

“You?”

“…Yes.”

When the doctor saw Jaiden smiling bitterly, he shut his mouth and stopped asking.

The doctor knew that this child had a story. There were only a few people who came here without any secret so this was something that was normal.

“I understand. Since this is your choice, then I have to respect it. Just remember… This is a high-risk procedure that can kill you. You have to tell me to stop when you can’t endure the pain anymore.”

“I understand.”

The doctor stopped dissuading him and just prepared for the procedure. 

Jaiden stepped on top of the magic circle while the doctor started to apply special fluids all over his skin. The liquid contained concentrated mana that would stimulate the mana in his body. As soon as the liquid was applied, huge amounts of mana poured inside Jaiden’s body.

The doctor looked in awe when he saw Jaiden standing still and not groaning despite the stabbing pain from the liquid. Then, he prepared for the next step.

“I will be inserting the mana stones on your body to stimulate your mana circuits. I’m telling this to you again. Please tell me if you can’t endure the pain any more.”

“…Yes.”

Jaiden replied to the doctor as he waited for the mana stones to be embedded on his body. The small bluish pieces of refined mana stones slowly got embedded on his body and stimulated his mana circuit. After embedding the stones, the liquid containing concentrated mana was then injected into Jaiden’s body. 

“Keuk!”

Jaiden couldn’t help but groan when pain suddenly broke on his entire body. The doctor hurriedly tried to stop the mana injection when he heard him groan but Jaiden shook his head at him. Jaiden’s will was strong, he wanted to finish this. So the doctor carefully injected the remaining fluid in his body.

“I’m done. You have an hour to absorb the mana in this place. But… remember to tell me if you’re in pain. No. Please tell me.”

However, Jaiden couldn’t answer the doctor since all of his attention was focused on controlling the mana that entered his body. 

‘This much pain is just like a joke to me.’

This was no big deal when compared to inserting a fragment of a dragon’s heart in his body in his previous life. 

The doctor watched Jaiden clench his teeth to endure the pain. He could see that the pain was too much to the point that his teeth were clacking together. But Jaiden endured it. The doctor stared in awe at his determined expression. He could tell that Jaiden’s mental strength had already gone beyond what a human should have. That was just how monstrous his will was.

Jaiden did not moan or groan in pain for the remaining hour. Exhaustion washed over him after the hour was up. He couldn’t help but stagger on his way out.

“You can stay longer.”

“I’m… fine.”

Jaiden had no reason to stay in this place any longer. After all, he had already absorbed all the mana that he could in this place. It would be better for him to return to his room and have Baepsae help him recover.

The doctor kindly helped him out of the room when he saw his unsteady gait. When the professor saw his exhausted body, he quietly held his arm and supported him. The two couldn’t help but look at him in surprise. After all, it was rare for them to see someone survive this extremely painful process, but Jaiden just looked tired.

“Are you alright?”

“…Yes.”

Jaiden managed to blurt out an answer to his professor. He even thanked him for helping him reach his dormitory safely.

―Tweet? Tweet, tweet!

Baepsae looked at him in surprise when he saw Jaiden lying down with a painful look on his face. The owl also flew around him and looked at him curiously. 

“Baepsae-yah… help me a bit.”

Hearing Jaiden’s request, Baepsae immediately checked the condition of his body. Then, the bird helped him recover by pecking all over his body. After feeling the pain get relieved, Jaiden immediately went back to work. He worked hard to stabilize and control his mana. 

Jaiden barely opened his eyes after working hard to stabilize his mana for three hours. He looked blearily at the owl that was perched in front of him. 

“You should pay for your meals.”

―Hoot?

The owl tilted its head. It looked like it was asking him about what kind of ridiculous nonsense he was talking about. But he just forced the owl to go to the training grounds. 

“Please do it like it’s real.” 

―Hoot… Huhuhu!

Jaiden grinned when he heard the owl tell him ‘Your body’s like a tattered rag, are you crazy?’ but he just lifted his sword. 

“Stop talking nonsense and just come at me.” 

Hearing Jaiden’s provocation, the owl immediately turned it’s feathers black and looked at him angrily. Then, it immediately dived forward and attacked Jaiden as if it wanted him dead. 

Clang!

―Hoot?

The owl stared at Jaiden with wide eyes as if asking him ‘You blocked this?’. Then, for the first time since they started training together, Jaiden started to launch a counterattack.