Chapter 5 : Magic Training

Lee Min-Ho had recently awakened his magical circuit, and for nearly two months, he had been diligently training in the arts of magic. However, to be honest, he was frustrated by the slow progress despite his efforts.

The reason for this sluggishness was due to the lack of mana in the air, making it difficult and time-consuming to recharge his magical energy reserves passively. It took him almost a week to fully recharge the magical energy his body could currently contain.

Active recharging wasn't any better; it took him long hours just to fill his reserves halfway, and it also risked overheating his circuit, requiring rest to avoid injury.

For comparison, in his previous world, passive recharging took only a few hours, and active recharging took seconds at most.

Because of this and the imprecision of his circuit, he was losing energy unnecessarily. For the time being, he couldn't train for long periods and had to focus on controlling energy and precision. Fortunately, he wasn't far from the ley line passing through the city, so the surrounding mana was slightly denser than elsewhere, although still slower than he preferred.

He realized that at the rate he was progressing, it would likely take him two to three years to reach a good level in using his magical circuit and another two years to use complex spells without preparation. However, he was aware that his relatively rapid progress was mainly due to his innate talent. He understood that someone with an average circuit would need ten times longer to achieve the same results and that his magical circuit relied more on recalling what he had learned rather than starting from scratch.

His current training involved basic magic such as reinforcement, self-suggestion, and hypnosis, each of which would serve him relatively quickly.

Reinforcement, one of the most basic magics, was both complex and simple to learn, which was quite paradoxical. On one hand, it required only control of magical energy to be used, making it simpler than most other spells that required interference with the external world and the laws of nature. On the other hand, the more one reinforced something, the more precise control of energy was needed to avoid damaging the object, which made it the spell every beginner mage learned as it helped train circuit precision with great ease.

Next came self-hypnosis, also known as self-suggestion, a fundamental practice that every mage must master to use complex spells. Autosuggestion allowed him to place his mind in a state where he could control his magical circuit optimally and efficiently.

And finally, he trained in hypnosis, also known as suggestion, with the goal of hypnotizing his father to obtain various materials and substances for his training. He needed many materials to reshape his body for combat, and thanks to his soul retaining the blueprint of his past life's body, it made things even easier for reshaping. Additionally, being still young, his body was even more malleable than if he had already been an adult, allowing him to use certain rituals he couldn't use in his past life due to his age being too high.

As Lee Min-Ho finished his training session, he got up to prepare for his next task: going to the kindergarten. Despite needing to train longer, he couldn't afford to overexert himself as it would have detrimental effects on his potential. Every mage knew how easy it was to exceed their limits; however, surpassing those limits for a mage often meant long-term disabilities. Overworking the magical circuit could cause internal damage, nerve damage, or even brain damage.

He was faced with balancing his magical learning; he knew he couldn't neglect his daily responsibilities.

After dressing carefully and having breakfast of rice, Lee Min-Ho headed towards the front door, ready to face a new day of learning and obligations. The driver was already waiting outside the house, ready to take him to the kindergarten.

Lee Min-Ho got into the car without greeting the driver. The vehicle started slowly, making its way through the bustling streets of the city. During the journey, Lee Min-Ho immersed himself in his thoughts, reflecting on his magical training and future plans.

He knew every moment counted in his quest to master magic, so he circulated his magical energy throughout his body, strengthening it beyond what a normal human could do at his age, granting him improved physical capabilities, heightened senses, etc. Although not as effective as using a reinforcement spell, it was still useful as it didn't require as much concentration and could be done continuously.

The journey continued peacefully, and soon they reached the kindergarten where Lee Min-Ho would spend part of his day teaching and interacting with the young students.

As Lee Min-Ho stepped out of the car, he didn't bother to greet the driver and made his way towards the entrance of the kindergarten. He spent a normal day until the break.

Quietly slipping away from the group of children, Min-Ho sought a quiet spot where he could immerse himself in his reading. He found a shaded bench under a tree, the perfect place to settle down and lose himself in the pages of a book.

Taking a book out of his bag, he slumped onto the bench with a sigh of relief. The tranquility of the surroundings was comforting, offering a welcome respite after the challenge of pretending to be an ordinary child.

Opening the book, he delved into its pages, absorbing the words sprawled before him. It was a book on modern history, detailing wars and significant events of the 20th century. He scrutinized every piece of information, searching for anything that could be useful to him.

Among the data he had already gathered, he discovered the existence of the Ahnenerbe Research Institute, founded in 1935 by the Third Reich. This institute, among its many research endeavors, delved into occult and esoteric realms. However, it was now dissolved following the defeat of the Third Reich. Lee Min-Ho found no further information on other countries seriously exploring occult domains.

As Lee Min-Ho immersed himself in his reading, absorbed in the pages of his book, he was interrupted by a soft and familiar voice. "Lee oppa, what are you reading?" asked Park Eun-Ha, timidly approaching him.

Surprised by her interruption, Lee Min-Ho lifted his eyes from his book and saw the girl standing there, a curious look in her sparkling eyes.

"Hi, Park," he replied with a small smile. "I'm reading a book on modern history."

Park Eun-Ha sat down beside him, her cheeks slightly blushing. "Do you mind if I stay a little with you? I mean, if you'd rather be alone, I can leave..."

Lee Min-Ho shook his head. "No, it's okay. You can stay." He closed his book, indicating that he was ready to engage in conversation.

"So, could you tell me a bit about this book?" asked Park Eun-Ha, her face lighting up with enthusiasm. "I'm curious to know what you're learning."

Min-Ho smiled at her eagerness. "Sure, I can give you a brief summary." And so, he began to explain the main events and characters of modern history, knowing full well that the girl couldn't care less about what he was saying, but it allowed him to spend time with her.

Lee Min-Ho knew that what he was doing now didn't interest the girl, but what he was doing would be greatly beneficial to him in the future. He was only laying the groundwork that would allow him to have a grip on her in the future.

And so, Lee Min-Ho and Park Eun-Ha spent some time together.

"Do you think we should talk to Eun-Woo Oppa about it?" one of the boys asked.

"No, it's pointless. She's the one who talks to him every time," replied another.

"I know Eun-Woo cares a lot about his sister, but do we really have to watch over her all the time?" added the third.

The other two turned to the third as if he had said something absurd.

"If something happens to Eun-Ha, Eun-Woo will really make us pay dearly. Do you really want him to beat you up like last time?" one of the boys replied, with a serious tone.

However, as the two were about to scold the third, they were abruptly interrupted when they heard a new voice calling out to them.

"Jun-seo, Ji-hoon, Sung-min, what are you doing?"

Turning around, they saw Min Ji-Hye.

Jun-seo immediately spoke up: "Nothing special, just wait, we're coming." Without waiting, they acted as if nothing had happened and hurried to join her, quickly walking away.