After 5 months of implementing the Sovereign Grid plan, Zaemon sat alone in the dim room, meditating more diligently since he first sensed mana twenty days before.
For the past twenty days, the ambient mana of the Sanni Forest had felt like an oily fog pressing against him. It was external, "other." But as this energy hit his system, the feeling of "separation" turned into assimilation. The energy was now not a guest in his house but a part of him.
He achieved the first requirement in a step towards forming a mana core, which is to make oneself familiar with mana before an attempt towards the formation of a core.
Opening his eyes, he stared at four tiny pieces of meat, each slightly bigger than a garlic clove from his previous world, taken from the weakest monster known for having low mana reserves in the region.
As an auditor, he now had accessed these from the Mana meat processing center secretly. He believed his mother forbade him from such places, fearing his curiosity might lead to harm previously.
Despite their size, these meat pieces contained mana, making them valuable. Mana users consumed such meat, along with plants and other products from these creatures, to restore their reserves. This meat was crucial in alchemy and manufacturing, where its properties were harnessed for creating potions and other valuable items.
Zaemon hesitated, contemplating the meal's significance. A calculated step he had decided to take. He picked up a piece, feeling the faint energy pulsing through it. Placing it on his tongue triggered hypergeusia—a sensation beyond taste that provided a detailed chemical readout. His heightened taste buds stripped away the "honey-sweet" mask of the moba resin, revealing the raw, ozonic sting of monster protein. He distinguished the metallic "sharpness" of traces from the "dense" minerals of earth-aspected fibers.
To a normal child, it was a snack; to him, it was data. He entered a meditative state to track the metabolic uptake, observing internally as mana circulated through his bloodstream.
He focused his consciousness on sensing stray particles like with the divine particles, ignoring everything but the mana's microscopic friction. He needed to study this energy before it dissipated, taking a risk for future mana core formation.
Gritting his teeth, his internal temperature spiked. Forming a core wasn't just "shaping" mana; it was a battle of containment. He understood that to create a mana core, he needed a high-pressure zone in his chest—a vacuum strong enough to condense mana into a solid form.
He consumed the second and third pieces, the feeling of burn intensifying. He wasn't just eating; he was studying. The particles moved within him—raw energy out of control.
The sensations were overwhelming, reminiscent of his first birthday ceremony despite the firewall's presence. Reaching for the final piece, he sorted the sensations and memorized them. Swallowing the last clod, he closed his eyes, the "foreign" feeling overpowered by determination.
The foundation was laid; the software was ready to compile. Now, he just had to survive the "hardware" installation. The heat spread to his marrow. He initiated the ocean breathing technique to govern his nervous system.
His firewall screamed warnings, which he manually suppressed to avoid a seizure. Through hypergeusia, the lingering aftertaste acted as a sensory anchor, allowing him to trace the mana's path as it threatened his capillaries.
He wasn't forming the core yet—he was stress-testing. He forced the energy into a loop around his solar plexus, feeling like he was holding a fast-spinning whirlpool. The mana traces lashed out, causing pain, but he didn't yield. He used his father's "earth-rooted" boar style to brace his organs.
With eyes closed and his face a mask of sweat-streaked stone, his heart hammered against his ribs. He was burning, feeling the mana's weight. He didn't stop, pushing the "studied" energy into the loop's center, creating a microscopic vacuum.
For a moment, the internal "static" went silent. The installation was complete. The "hardware" held, barely. He opened his eyes, the amber glow fading. He hadn't formed a core, but he had mapped the blueprint with monster meat and stubborn will. He exhaled, the firewall dormant again.
His body felt scoured, but the "software" compiled. He knew how mana felt and moved, as well as the pressure needed to contain it. Looking at the boar necklace, he considered using life mana to heal but decided to let the tiny injuries heal naturally to aid his mana study. His prenatal experience still helped him. After the ordeal, he decided to sleep, knowing his mother would teach him about forming the core tomorrow.
As Zaemon settled into a comfortable position, exhaustion finally settled over him. The flickering light danced across the walls, casting shadows that reminded him of the threats on himself and his family.
In the silence of the night, his thoughts turned to mana manipulation and his potential. He hated the day he discovered that spirit power activation would be far more challenging than mana. With determination coursing through him, he closed his eyes and imagined the vibrant energy flowing through his body, ready to be harnessed.
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Olford looked at the person in front of him with a determined gaze. He was one of the "contracted muscle" named Garren. He got caught because of his activities from forming a black market for the exchange between Kingdom coins and Hatar coins to actively sowing seeds of dissent in the nobels' recruits. Most of all, promising a high reward to Hammet for providing crucial information on the General.
When Garren regains consciousness, he finds himself seated in a heavy metallic chair, his hands and feet securely restrained. After a moment, the memories of what happened flood back to him. How Olford appeared out of nothing and defeated him after three moves.
Olford sits two feet away, surrounded by a few hooded figures. Seeing Garren awake, he stands and approaches a brazier. Without a word, he picks up a red-hot branding iron in the shape of a house Hatar symbol and presses it against Garren's chest. The iron burns through the fabric instantly, followed by the sizzling sound of flesh meeting metal. The smell of scorched cloth mixed with burning flesh fills the basement.
Garren proved himself to be tough nut to crack, enduring the branding without uttering a single sound. However, his tense, trembling body and the sweat beading on his forehead reveal the immense pain he's enduring.
The Steward places the iron back in the brazier and turns to the team. "Look! This is a perfect subject! Unlike those spineless ones you've encountered before, he's undergone more rigorous training—not just in combat, but also in resisting interrogation. Getting someone like him to talk isn't easy. Now, I'll teach you new interrogation techniques."
"The first step is to use physical techniques before jumping to magic, as most are trained in those areas. Humans find it hard to betray their own bodies. Pain is a natural response of the human body, making it unbearable for most. But what you need to learn is how to inflict maximum pain without causing fatal damage."
With that, Olford opens a small box placed on a chair. It's a multi-layered box, each layer filled with delicate tools. There are small knives, rows of steel needles of varying sizes, tweezers, tiny hammers, ointments, powders, and alchemical solutions. Many will find these items appear intricately crafted, almost like works of art, but to Garren, they seem terrifying.
Olford selects a thick steel needle about the length of a hand and dips it in a purple solution. "You know, I've always believed that a person specializing in interrogation magic only he/she can become a good interrogator. But they don't know much about pain and which parts of the human body are most sensitive to pain and how to avoid causing fatal harm. So what I'm about to say is important—take notes!"
The Old man moves to Garren side, placing a hand on his head, causing Garren to shiver involuntarily.
"Pain in humans is transmitted to the brain by something called nerves," Olford begins to explain. "Simply put, inducing pain involves targeting these nerve locations. The area with the highest concentration of pain nerves is the head. However, since our target here has value, I won't demonstrate on him. The head contains many critical areas, and a mistake could be fatal. You can experiment on less important targets later."
Holding the steel needle, Olford continues, "The head has denser nerves and is near the brain. We can stimulate the jaw without causing any obvious harm. However, it could be problematic if you allow them to bite off their tongue. Typically, you want to focus on the area just below the ear. Stimulating here will cause the target excruciating pain.
He gently inserts the steel needle into the spot below Abe's ear, near the jawbone. As the needle goes deeper, Garren's body convulses violently, and he screams uncontrollably. The solution had increased the sensitivity. He remained unfazed, patiently instructing the trainees. He even repeats the process on the opposite of Garren's head.
After withdrawing the needle, he allowed the man to take a moment to recover, his gums bleeding from clenching his teeth too hard. He tears open the fabric on Garren's shoulder, pointing to the area near the armpit. "This is another area densely covered in pain nerves. However, because there are so many blood vessels here, exercise caution when stimulating."
As the needle penetrates, Garren again convulses and screams in agony. After demonstrating on both sides, he calls the trainees to the back of Garren.
"The back also has a lot of pain nerve clusters. Anyone who's pulled a muscle in their back knows how unbearable back, shoulder, and neck pain can be."
"Now, the chest. It contains vital organs, so it's also rich in pain nerves. However, I recommend stimulating here with caution."
"Next, the abdomen. It's filled with nerve endings. You need to know what they are, and that it hurts a lot. I suggest targeting organs like the kidneys and spleen, as the pain is usually unbearable for many. If you encounter a tough guy, inflict damage around here."
"The lower abdomen houses the bladder, where urine is stored. Stimulating this area can bring tears to the eyes. I recommend using solutions that cause burning sensation. It connects to the reproductive organs which have a immense psychological value. Look, Garren here is already in tears from the pain! Also, in causing harm here, kindly remind the target that you have capabilities to permanently affect their manhood!"
After enduring over six hours of torment, Garren's mouth is now filled with blood. His bloodshot eyes glare at the old man as he growls, "What do you want to know?"
Olford sets down the knife and picks up a thin steel needle. He heats it over the flame and coats it with another solution. Ignoring him, Olford addresses the trainees: "When using force to extract information, always ensure your tools are sterilized. We're after intel, not trying to kill them. If they die from an infection, all our efforts would be wasted!"
He crouches down, holding Garren's hand as he slowly inserts the needle under the fingernail. "Fingers and toes are packed with nerve endings. Finding the right spot can cause immense pain, like under the nails!"
Garren was crying uncontrollably after demonstrating. All of a sudden, Garren throws blood in Olford's face. "Haha, it seems that the expensive slow poison antidote is effective. I believe the report regarding your assessment needs to be revised.
"You crafty swine," Garren said in a voice showing his surprise.
Calmly avoiding the blood, Olford tells the group, "Remember, our objective is to obtain intelligence. An interrogator must remain professional and refrain from being offended by taunts or insults. We need to maintain our own pace and not be swayed. The target will obviously attempt to enrage us into doing more serious harm in circumstances such as today. He basically wants to end the suffering, but we can't allow him to get what he wants."
"Now, remember at this stage, most people can't endure any longer. They hope for a quick death by provoking us. It's vital to stay calm and proceed according to the procedure. We're the ones conducting interrogation, so there's no rush. Usually, after this level, it won't be long before they open their mouths and start talking. However, our guest here isn't just anyone. Even if he confesses, it could be false information or even a deadly trap."
Garren's face flashed with a murderous look.
Olford continued, "To identify what is false information or traps, there are generally two approaches that are generally more effective."
"First, if the target cares about someone, we can guide or use them to have that person verify the information."
"Second, when dealing with reckless individuals who care about nothing, we can record the information, shuffle its order, mix in some fabricated details, and compile it into questions. Ask them one by one, probing for inconsistencies."
"By asking multiple times and altering the sequence, we can disrupt their logical chain of thoughts. When people lie, they follow a clear logical thread. If this thread is disrupted, they have to recall rather than speak spontaneously. If we detect lies, it means their will hasn't been broken yet. Then we follow the established interrogation process again."
Gareen couldn't control himself and roared, "You motherf*****, you're going to hell!"
Olford replied in a mocking tone, "Of course!" A man like me where else would I go after death? Let's stop here for tonight. There's plenty of time ahead; we can take it slow. I imagine you won't be getting much sleep tonight, so use the time to craft some flawless lies. Just make sure they're airtight! Because, personally, I hate lying people; it'll be quite the ordeal if you get caught!"
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