The Legendary Old Man Becomes a Dungeon Streamer: When the World's Strongest Tried Streaming in His Second Life, He Instantly Went Viral and Gained S-Class Disciples. - Chapter 10

Since Kaede had returned to work, it was finally time for me to teach Reina one-on-one how to guard with mana. Mana-based guarding is a fundamental technique that any awakened individual can perform to some degree, even subconsciously. However, refining it into a shield capable of blocking all attacks is far more challenging.

To put it simply.

If someone suddenly tries to punch you, raising your arms to shield yourself is the basic level.

Engaging in sword combat without sustaining even a scratch that’s the level we’re aiming for.

“First, focus your mana into your palm.”

“Got it, I’ll try.”

“Bring your hand up to eye level, take a deep breath, and concentrate on the palm in front of you.”

At first, it’s easier to grasp the sensation by watching. Or rather, focusing mana into an invisible part of the body is just that much harder.

“Ugh, hnnn!”

Reina furrowed her brows as she gathered mana into her palm. As expected of someone with an S-class license her fundamentals were already solid.

“Alright, I’ll gather mana in my palm too and touch yours. Whatever you do, don’t lose focus.”

“Understood.”

I stood in front of Reina, raising my palm to eye level as well.

Clear mind, still waters.

The ingrained circulation of mana throughout my body. In an instant, mana gathered in my hand. A faint whistle was that Karin? Reina shot her a quick glare, but this much was harmless. A little noise was actually good for training.

“Here we go.”

Slowly, I pressed the back of my hand against Reina’s palm. Just that was enough to send the mana in her hand rippling wildly, destabilizing. She was overreacting to my mana. If this happened in a real fight, her defense would crumble instantly.

“Stay calm, stay calm.”

“I know, but—”

“By the way, you’re actually doing really well. If this is your first attempt, you’ve got serious potential.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, no doubt.”

For some people no, for most novice awakened individuals, just consciously gathering mana into their palm could take a full year. That’s how difficult it is to actively maintain a mana guard.

And then, holding it while carrying on a conversation? That could take another six months. Keeping a mana guard up while focusing on something else is even harder.

Right now, we were at the third stage whether she could maintain it while another person’s mana made contact. Reina was somewhere in the middle of this stage. The time it takes to master this varies wildly, but at minimum, it’d take two years.

As I kept talking, I gently brushed my hand against Reina’s palm. Her mana wavered, then stabilized after a moment. I repeated the motion over and over.

“How long have you been an awakened individual, Reina?”

“Sixteen years.”

So, over a decade. No wonder she reached the third stage on the first day. People in their twenties also tend to learn mana guarding faster than teenagers. Probably because defensive techniques don’t mesh well with the recklessness of youth.

“So, I just need to do this quickly and precisely, right? I get the theory and the sensation, but it’s still so hard!”

“Well, you can’t master it overnight.”

A quick glance to the side showed Karin sitting cross-legged, mimicking Reina’s movements. But compared to Reina, she seemed to be struggling.

“Hey, I’ve been wondering, why isn’t mana guarding emphasized more? Even Rosen Maiden doesn’t teach it seriously. The Awakened Association doesn’t include it in their curriculum either.”

The Awakened Association, as the name suggests, is a mutual aid group for awakened individuals. Their main roles are dungeon oversight and knowledge dissemination. They do a little bit of education too, I guess.

“That’s true, why is that? If you gather mana, you can block enemy attacks. Is it because it takes too long to learn?”

“That’s part of it. Mastering every stage could take around ten years.”

“But I still think it should be more widespread.”

Truthfully, there’s another, far more critical flaw in mana guarding. That’s why Rosen Maiden and the Association don’t teach it.

“Mana concentration techniques have a major downside. A really big one.”

“Eh? What is it?”

“There’s more to it than just taking time to learn?”

“You know how the amount of mana an individual has grows the more they use their specialization abilities, right?”

“Of course, that’s basic knowledge.”

The more you use your specialization, the more your mana capacity your “vessel” expands. Or, alternatively, spending time in dungeons works too. Either way, mana quantity scales with specialization usage.

This is common knowledge, and not a complicated concept. If you challenge dungeons and fight magical beasts, your mana naturally grows.

“But concentrating mana isn’t a specialization. It’s a technique. So no matter how much you use it, your mana won’t increase.”

“Ugh, seriously?”

“That’s a pretty huge downside.”

“The period where an awakened individual’s mana grows is roughly the first ten to fifteen years after awakening. After that, growth almost stops. If you’re going to learn mana concentration, it should be after that point.”

“That sounds perfect. My mana hasn’t grown much in the past few years either.”

“Same here. Ohhh, so that’s why!”

They both seemed convinced. Despite being a fundamental technique, mana guarding carries a major drawback, it’s ill-suited for newly awakened individuals.

Mana quantity is an absolute factor in combat. Without mana, you can’t even use your specialization. Prioritizing mana growth makes sense.

Back in the era when the world was shrouded in chaos, I once heard this:

“In times like these, this technique will never spread. Increasing mana is the top priority. Time is more precious than anything.”

Those words were true. There was a time when the world was on the brink, when no one had the luxury of years to spare.

“Specialization compatibility also plays a big role. Kaede really struggled with it.”

“The boss did? That’s surprising.”

“Kaede’s specialization is ultra-regeneration. That kind of full-body specialization doesn’t mesh well with mana guarding apparently.”

According to Kaede herself, she could never get used to the conflicting sensations. Using it in parallel with her usual specialization was just too difficult, or so she claimed.

My specialization, Desperate Strength, also affects my entire body, but since it’s conditionally activated or maybe because I’ve gotten used to it it doesn’t interfere.

Reina’s gravity manipulation is a consciously activated specialization. She shouldn’t have much trouble learning mana guarding. Karin might struggle a bit more. Using it alongside her liquefaction ability would take even more time.

“But hey, if we take it step by step, we’ll get there.”

“Right. Time is something we make. All that’s left is to practice.”

Hearing that, I felt relieved.

The times really have changed. We’ve entered an era where we can afford to take our time learning.

Are you listening, all of you? Finally, the world has enough breathing room.

Back then, I couldn’t argue. But now, things are different. We live in an age where we can train for ten whole years.