novelraw Chapter 80 : Chapter 80
Chapter 80 : Chapter 80
Chapter 80. Physiquesio (2)
A few days later.
Riman's apartment.
"……."
Riman was looking down at round things placed on the dining table with a complex expression.
A pitch-black bead about 1.5cm in diameter was placed on a white cloth.
These were exactly the medicine Ji Byeong-seo made, Physiquesio.
"So it looked like this……."
A smooth surface that made it hard to think of it as medicine at a glance.
It was like looking at a large black pearl.
But putting aside that the visual was pretty…….
"How do I eat this?"
Unlike other medicines where you just have to eat them, you die if you don't follow the medication guidance properly for this one.
And with all the muscles of the body hardening like stone at that.
There was one way to take Physiquesio correctly.
Maintain exercise keeping the heart rate above 150 for 3 days after eating.
Simply put, he had to run like crazy for 3 days after taking the medicine.
Without stopping, without sleeping.
Naturally, if a normal human body does something like this, medicine or whatever, one just
dies.
One goes insane just from not sleeping for 3 days, but to have to run without resting even for 1 minute on top of that.
Of course, Ji Byeong-seo did compound the medicine considering all this.
-Don't worry. The stimulant component in the medicine will hold onto your mind.
However, there was one thing Ji Byeong-seo overlooked.
Thanks to the drug effect of the stimulant, the mind can stay awake for 3 days.
But what about the body?
How should nutritional supply be handled during those 3 days?
To this, Ji Byeong-seo answered like this.
-Modern people are basically in a state of overnutrition. Burning just the accumulated fat in the body is enough to starve for a few days…….
The moment he said that, Ji Byeong-seo realized he made a slip of the tongue.
He only then realized that Riman was an exception there.
A skinny and bony physique.
A body doubtful if nutrients even stayed, let alone overnutrition.
Surplus energy or the like hadn't accumulated in Riman's body in the first place.
Eventually, the conclusion Ji Byeong-seo reached regarding this was…….
-…Do you want to run with an IV hooked up at least?
Well, anyway, he received the medicine and brought it.
Even if he worries, it's better to receive it and then worry.
‘I’m trying to strengthen my body with medicine because my body is weak, but to say it's a medicine I can't use if my body is weak…….’
What kind of irony is this?
Because of this problem, Riman pondered for a long time.
‘…Should I take Physiquesio after building up my body a bit more?’
No, what kind of talk is that?
It's a medicine taken to build up the body, but what use is it if taken after building up the body.
‘Isn't there another method of intake to see the same effect?’
Riman searched thoroughly through the information he acquired during his gamer days in his head.
Then.
‘…There is.’
Come to think of it, there were those who saw stronger effects even from taking the same potion.
By applying some manipulation to the body to change the mechanism by which the drug effect acts on the body.
‘Mages from the Gnosion Magic Tower were skilled at such things.’
In short, if one applies some manipulation to the body, the way the medicine acts on the body also changes.
‘If only I can do that, I don't necessarily have to follow that medication guidance. I can even reduce the time dramatically.’
But there was still a problem.
Because Riman didn't have magic to modify or manipulate the body.
Currently, what Riman could use were only magic spells of the natural element lineage.
Information related to body enhancement or body manipulation magic, from somewhere…….
‘…I can obtain it.’
Riman sprang up from his seat.
Information related to magic?
He had already opened a route to obtain it.
And a route that ordinary people couldn't even approach.
The virtual library of the Sanhae Magic Tower.
Riman put on his outer clothes and ran outside.
* * *
An Info Shop near his house.
Riman put on a VR access helmet.
And immediately connected to the virtual library of the Sanhae Magic Tower.
Kiiing-
Soon, a library where countless books were stored unfolded before his eyes.
Every single one was a precious collection that couldn't be obtained outside.
Of course, the field Sanhae Magic Tower specialized in was Outer Arts.
Things like Summoning, Necromancy, Puppetry, Spirit Arts.
But that didn't mean there were absolutely only books related to Outer Arts.
There were many books in fields other than Outer Arts here too.
Just like a university famous for engineering doesn't mean its library only has engineering-related books.
The book Riman had to find here today was a book related to body enhancement or manipulation.
What Riman found like that was…….
"Right, it's a Magic Tower located in China after all, there's no way this wouldn't be here."
It was exactly a book related to martial arts (Wuxia).
Martial arts.
Martial arts that strengthen the body or allow exertion of superhuman power through absorption, circulation, and emission of Qi.
In the world of his previous life, martial arts was a concept that appeared only in martial arts novels or fantasy, but this place was different.
Because it was a world where mana really existed.
If one thought by equating mana with Qi, it was a world where martial arts could sufficiently exist.
‘But there isn't as much material as I thought.’
In a way, it was natural.
The main field of Sanhae Magic Tower was Outer Arts.
However, martial arts and Outer Arts were fields quite far apart.
Furthermore, the Gnosion Magic Tower had a tight grip on body enhancement lineage magic.
From Sanhae's perspective, there was no reason to go out of their way to bring in martial arts.
Nevertheless, Riman could obtain the information he wanted just with the materials here.
Because he didn't want some rare ultimate technique or profound mystery.
What Riman needed was just one thing.
Just the basic principle of Ki Circulation used by those who learned martial arts when absorbing elixirs.
Those who learned martial arts don't end with just eating when they consume elixirs.
They perform Ki Circulation to accept the energy of the elixir as intact as possible.
To control the power of the medicine by circulating the Qi inside the body as intended.
‘Found it.’
Riman found a book related to Ki Circulation and opened it.
Fortunately, just because it was martial arts didn't mean it was hugely different from magic.
No, although the system was quite different, it was at a level he could sufficiently learn.
Because all contents of the martial arts book were written in the grammar of magic.
‘Aha… so this is why… hoh…….’
An hour later.
‘…Good. I should try arranging it in this way.’
Riman took off the helmet and got up from his seat.
Now was the time for actual practice.
* * *
A vacant lot near Riman's apartment, inside an abandoned building.
A group of young people were tilting cheap beer cans there.
This was a gang using this vacant lot as a base.
While they were enjoying the drinking party laughing and chatting like that, suddenly someone barged in.
"Hey there, let's do a job together with me."
They spat out their beer as it was upon seeing the owner of the voice.
"Uh, uh, uh, that… yes?"
They were severely flustered seeing Riman.
Because they had suffered from Riman previously.
At that time, Riman tried to use this vacant lot as his training ground, and they tried to extort money from such Riman.
As a result, a couple of them got electrocuted and knocked out.
Naturally, they had no choice but to be afraid of Riman.
"W, what brings you here……?"
"What brings me here? We agreed last time that I would use this place as a training ground."
"T, that's right?"
Saying so, the gang slowly backed away.
Because of the intuition that nothing good would come from getting involved with Riman.
Riman called them to stop.
"Where are you going. You have to work."
"Yes?"
"First, clear away this drinking party. And stand guard so no one can approach around this abandoned building. Understand?"
Saying so, Riman laid a small mat on the cement floor.
The gang couldn't say anything even while looking at that appearance with dissatisfied eyes.
Eventually, the guy acting as the leader of the gang hesitantly spoke to Riman.
"…Excuse me."
"What."
"Um… we can vacate the place for you but… to suddenly make us do this kind of odd job……."
"If you don't like it, you can leave."
"What?"
"I told you, this is a job. And for every job, a price is unconditionally given."
"Yes?"
Swish.
Riman took out a thick bundle of money from his bosom and held it out.
It was an amount that made the eyes of not only the leader but also other gang members widen.
"I'll calculate the wage in advance with this. If you have complaints, don't take this money and just leave."
"……!!"
The leader gulped down saliva.
Then as if deciding something, he shouted toward the gang.
"Guys! To the designated guard positions!!"
"Yes!!"
The gang began to move in perfect order.
Indeed, the persuasive power of a bundle of bills was much stronger than ten words.
Riman handed the bundle of money to the leader and said.
"Take care of the money distribution yourself. And if something happens, call only with voice. Don't lay a hand on my body."
"Yes!"
"Good."
"Excuse me, by the way… may I ask what you are trying to do?"
A tone of speech imbued with manners almost at the level of a henchman in just a few seconds.
Riman smirked and answered.
"To become strong."
* * *
After the gang went out to stand guard.
Riman sat cross-legged on the mat, then took out Physiquesio from his bosom.
‘Phew…….’
He ran simulations multiple times.
Now only actual consumption remained.
‘There is nothing wrong with the calculation. The situation is also set. I just have to do as I did.’
After exhaling a big breath lightly like that.
Gulp.
Riman put Physiquesio into his mouth.
Melt-
The hard medicine melted in an instant.
The drug effect that started to manifest first was the awakening effect.
Riman felt his mind snapping awake.
An intense sensation like the brain becoming hot wrapped around his head.
‘This is the drug effect of the Fruit of the Eye-opening Flower……!’
But this was only the beginning.
That moment when the edge of the mind stood sharp due to the awakening effect.
The second drug effect started to burst out.
Rumble……!
Energy enough to make the inside of the body tremble raged.
If he did nothing here, he would be overwhelmed by this drug effect, harden just like that, and die.
‘It starts……!’
Riman started Ki Circulation.
It was an arrangement of what he saw in Sanhae's martial arts book in his own way.
Riman circulated mana inside the body fiercely so that the drug effect wouldn't be absorbed in one place of the body.
Whooooosh……!
The reason he was told to keep exercising immediately after eating Physiquesio.
It was to make the medicine flow here and there in the body continuously by moving the body.
But what if there is another means to make the drug effect flow continuously?
Then there was no need to bother exercising.
And what Riman was doing was exactly that.
‘Tremendous energy……!’
Pain like hot needles rummaging through the whole body.
It meant the drug effect of this medicine was intensely strong enough to make one lose their mind.
And while circulating the torrent of that drug effect quickly inside the body, Riman held onto it so it wouldn't escape outside the body at the same time.
That was work like controlling the flow of water spewing from a burst dam.
It was a method one couldn't even attempt unless one had talent at Riman's level in the first place.
Kiiing-
Kiii-
At the same time, Riman's tattoos also began to shine.
He had constructed a formula in advance by connecting several characters of the tattoos to control the bursting power.
But even with that, he couldn't completely block the leakage of energy.
Rumble……!
The gang standing guard felt the building shaking.
The vibration spewing from Riman's body was shaking even the building.
"…What is happening?"
Of course, the occurrence of this vibration was also what Riman had calculated.
And because of this, he chose an abandoned building on the outskirts as the place of consumption, not the apartment.
If he did it in the apartment, other residents would have felt all this vibration, and interference would have been inevitable in the middle.
Furthermore, because of that, it could have been discovered that he was a mana user.
Then he wouldn't be able to use the gym in the complex either, so doing it outside like this was eventually the best.
Kuuuuuu…….
A while later, the vibration subsided heavily, and Riman's rough breathing also settled.
The end was approaching.