Testing the technique (1)

Derrick and his goons met their demise at the hands of Sebastian, and now two weeks have passed since that event took place.

It wasn't until the thirteenth day that their death came to light, yet the identities of the victims remained a mystery to the authorities thanks to what Sebastian did to their bodies.

The young man, for the time being, hadn't found himself under the glare of suspicion.

However, given the public altercation with Derrick at school, he knew it was only a matter of time before the police would come knocking on his door with questions.

In the meantime, Sebastian devoted every spare moment to a singular goal: to find a way to absorb mana in the absence of mana clusters.

In the early stages, Sebastian attempted to harness mana straight from his environment, devising a method to achieve it. He successfully reached his goal, although the process of accumulating mana was quite sluggish.

This sluggish pace suggested a possible scarcity of mana on Earth, particularly in the atmosphere, which seemed to lack the abundant reserves one might hope for and that Sebastian thought were abundant on Somnium.

But then Sebastian observed that, upon eliminating Derrick and his friends, the mana in the area experienced a substantial boost.

The ability to absorb mana directly from the atmosphere was a revelation that held promise for his endeavors in Somnium.

This skill was going to be useful. While using the mana in the atmosphere, Sebastian could increase his strength even when not fighting.

If he ever found himself in a situation where he couldn't hunt, he could at least reduce the missing gains by using this method.

This was for sure going to be useful in Somnium, but on Earth, Sebastian realized that the most efficient method to gain mana was through the act of taking lives.

The technique to absorb mana from the surroundings was too slow here. Of course, this didn't mean it was going to be fast in Somnium.

The amount of mana he could gather from the atmosphere over hours barely equaled what he could get instantly from a single individual at the moment of their death on earth.

All of this made Sebastian think: If he killed someone and used his technique for absorbing the surrounding mana, could he enhance his mana gains and get mana from the body since it got released into the surroundings?

<In theory, it should,> he thought.

To test this theory, he chose a member of the Cobalt Serpents as his subject, applying his method to capture the surrounding mana released upon the individual's death.

The experiment yielded results in line with his hypothesis.

Sebastian absorbed a larger amount of mana than what atmospheric absorption alone provided until that point.

But he quickly observed a significant limitation—much of the mana dissipated before he could harness it.

<Fuck… >

That made it clear that although the technique worked and enhanced his mana gain, a significant amount of the potential benefits were negated due to the influence of the surroundings.

Mana dissipated too fast after death. This inefficiency highlighted the need for a more refined technique if he hoped to increase the gathering speed and avoid dissipation.

<I need to make something specific for absorbing mana from bodies.>

For that reason, Sebastian started hunting gang members. He not only targeted the Cobalt Serpents but also other two small groups he knew he could manage with his current strength.

After two weeks, the young man successfully created a technique that focused on absorbing mana from his kills, thanks to the memories he gained from absorbing mana clusters and his years of fighting experience in Somnium.

I still lose a bunch of their mana, but at least in theory I should keep about 25% of the mana they have. The question is: is this the mana from the mana cluster, or the unprocessed mana that stays in the body before being compressed? >

The essence of Sebastian's technique lay in the nuanced process of mana storage and formation within creatures.

Before mana clusters formed, the gathered mana existed within the body in an ethereal state.

When a creature made a mana cluster, it signaled the start of a fresh mana absorption cycle.

The mana, when compressed into a cluster, attained a tangible form, allowing for complete extraction upon the creature's death.

The mana that was in the process of being gathered for the next compression phase remained in a less tangible, almost gaseous form.

When a creature with a mana cluster died, it released not only the solidified mana cluster but also the unconsolidated mana into the surroundings.

Thespians, usually, could only get the mana cluster, and no one, at least based on what Sebastian knew, was aware of the gaseous mana released by the body.

A dual opportunity unfolded for Sebastian with this revelation. By defeating a mana cluster-possessing monster, he could collect both the cluster and the released mana, maximizing his rewards.

But there were two problems. Despite obtaining the mana cluster, Sebastian would only receive a small fraction of the creature's total mana, approximately 1%.

The reason for that was the internal operations of the system, and he was unaware of how they worked.

Second, Sebastian was going to get that 1% plus what the body held. But that was variable, and it was based on how much the creature absorbed. This made his mana gains extremely volatile.

However, that would for sure allow him to reach the required amount of mana to get a mana cluster sooner.

Originally, on Earth, his primary means of acquiring mana should have been limited to extracting mana clusters from Thespians.

Of course, he couldn't kill them yet, and he didn't have to do that since it would mean putting a target on his back.

However, this approach opened a broader horizon—allowing him to derive mana from any individual, regardless of their Thespian status.

Despite the quantity of mana gained through this method was less compared to that from a mana cluster, it represented a significant advantage over having no gain at all.

When not actively pursuing individuals for their mana, Sebastian was going to turn to the slow, yet steady, process of absorbing mana from his surroundings.

Despite its sluggish pace, this method provided him with a continuous, albeit modest, supply of mana, ensuring that he got a constant stream of this crucial resource. At least on earth.

This was going to enhance Sebastian's ability to increase his mana reserves.

Sebastian was in his room at that particular moment. To make the technique, he had to go hunting, and then at home he had to refine the technique if it didn't work as intended.

It was a slow process, but Sebastian had always been keen on sensing the nuances in his surroundings, mana included, and he achieved his goal in a very short time frame.

He still had time before the awakening time arrived, but he had to make haste.

<Now it should work as intended. The only thing I need to do is try it. After that, killing gang members and stealing their money become easier.>

"Sebastian! Dinner is ready!"

"I'm coming, mom!"

Sebastian then went downstairs. Tomorrow would be an important day, as he was going to hunt for the Cobalt Serpents and see if the technique worked as it should.