A sharp pain spread inside his bones, so he decided to stop.
Two days passed, and Noah decided to try again. This time, the mana pushed slowly, feeling for the shape of the resistance instead of breaking through it directly.
Three mysterious barriers appeared before his perception.
Three gates.
A lightning bolt struck his mind, reminding him of what he had read in the anatomy book.
Low, medium, and high. Without realizing it, all the ideas now began to connect logically.
Perhaps the ranks of mages were not merely classifications set by the nobles based on their apparent strength. Perhaps they represented the number of open sections of the Magic Marrow.
He rearranged his conclusion on paper.
Before the first gate is opened, the mana remains confined to the blood and the outer passage of the marrow. Its owner can use magic, but the amount he carries is limited.
After the first gate is opened, the first space becomes available for storage. Its owner then enters the low mage grade. The stored magic allows him to continuously replenish the mana in his blood, which makes the mage feel that his blood contains more mana.
When the first space is completely filled, the pressure of the mana allows the second gate to open, and he enters the middle mage grade.
The same thing happens with the third gate and the high mage grade.
For the third space, Noah could not foresee what would happen. It was enough to progress slowly since he had plenty of time.
That explained the differences between mages of the same grade.
Two low-grade mages did not carry the same amount of mana. One might have filled a small part of the space, while the other was close to opening the second gate.
That was why the book said that the one with more mana was stronger without explaining the reason.
Noah theoretically divided each space into 100 smaller parts.
He did not yet have a way to measure the percentage accurately, but he could record the amount of mana he pumped and compare his ability to use magic over time. The closer he came to the next gate, the more he would be able to correct his calculations.
With that, he had a better measure than describing someone as weak or strong within the same grade.
The problem remained with the first gate.
The outer marrow was capable of hiding mana, but it did not have enough space for an amount sufficient to force it open. Whenever Noah pushed more, his body returned the excess to his blood.
Noah tried draining his mana and allowing it to regenerate directly in his marrow, but it didn’t work.
This made Noah realize how the nobles had reached the top of the barrier and broken it. They continued to replenish the mana without stopping until the vessels were filled to their maximum capacity, forcing the marrow to open.
However, Noah was not convinced by their method because it most likely required an enormous amount of time, as well as a great accumulation of mana and resources, especially in the later stages.
After organizing his thoughts, Noah gathered as much mana as he could into his blood. Then, he pulled it all at once toward the Magic Marrow and compressed it against the first barrier.
His body shook.
The pain spread from his spine to his limbs, and he tasted blood inside his mouth. A red line flowed from his nose, but Noah did not stop.
The gate moved.
It did not open, but he felt it shift for a moment before returning to its place.
His control collapsed immediately afterward before he fell almost unconscious.
Time passed, and Noah rose half-conscious, wiping the blood from his nose and mouth before recording the results.
He needed a large amount of mana and enough control to compress it at the same time. Once the outer marrow reached its limit, the first gate would open, allowing the first space to begin filling.
Attempting to break it before then could destroy his marrow instead of developing it.
Noah closed his notebook, but he did not leave the training room.
There was another question he wanted to explore.
Until now, he had only used mana after turning it into ice. However, since it existed independently in his blood and marrow, he should be able to release it from his body without giving it an elemental form.
Noah extended his hand, moving the mana from his marrow back into his blood. Then, he pushed part of it through his palm without freezing the surrounding moisture.
Nothing happened at first, but after increasing the amount, a faint blue light appeared around his fingers before dissipating.
He repeated the attempt and maintained a steady flow this time.Blue threads gathered around his palm. They were neither fire nor ice. They moved through the air like a visible wind, causing the pages of his notebook to shake and the flame of the lamp to lean away from them.
Noah’s eyes widened slightly before he sank into thought.
Without him realizing it, the mana in his blood decreased very quickly, even faster than when he used magic.
The ability was useless in combat in its current state. Its consumption was high, and he did not know whether it was capable of causing any damage.
But it proved something important. There was something that needed to be investigated: the relationship between mana and the elements, and whether elemental affinity needed research.
He did not intend to tell Robert what he had discovered. He did not trust Robert, in addition to doubting his hypotheses before their success. In Noah’s opinion, his first priority at present was increasing his strength and preparing to develop his own forces away from the control of House Charlemagne.
If his hypotheses were correct, then searching for true talents among humans might allow him to create a force that surpassed the nobles and helped him provide the power and resources for his own development.
He had one year before the Charlemagne caravan passed.
At first, he saw that year as a waiting period that would be long and delay his arrival at his goals.
But now, he saw it as enough time to open the first gate and gain an additional trump card during his journey.
He looked at the drawing of the Magic Marrow that he had made before placing his finger over the first barrier.
Noah closed his eyes before falling asleep from exhaustion.