Epic Of Caterpillar

Chapter 2783 2784: Cultivating The Arcane Path

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”So Doctor Frankenstein doesnʼt know about Consciousness?” I asked.

”He does! He simply uses it differently. Youʼll learn about Alchemy later,” she laughed. ”Itʼs a unique art that isnʼt solely Arcane Path. It can blend with all paths, even Heart Path.”

”Hm…” I nodded. ”So that person I fought was likely a Heart Path Cultivator?”

”If he was such a master of Consciousness, yes,” Medea nodded. ”Young lady, who was this man?”

”Remember that Vampire Teacher from before?” I asked.

”T-The one who attacked you?!” Medeaʼs fury surged, her long black hair writhing like angry tentacles. ”I see! So that monster was a Consciousness Master! That explains why he slipped past our surveillance and nearly killed you… Weʼve been trying to track him, but heʼs also skilled in the Arcane Path, and we suspect he practices Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation too.”

”So heʼs an all-around master?” I asked.

”He must have a weakness…” she growled, gnashing her teeth. ”Grr! Just thinking about him makes my blood boil! If we ever meet him again, Iʼll ensure his demise!”

”No, heʼs incredibly strong. Medea, please donʼt do anything reckless,” I sighed. ”Anyway, can we continue our Arcane Path Cultivation? How many Mana Strands do I need to entangle with my Consciousness?”

”Oh, right! My apologies,” she said, calming herself. ”The Quintessential Mana Entanglement Method is never fully mastered. Its uniqueness lies in the ability to stack Mana Strands infinitely! However, the highest realm Iʼve achieved is the twelfth stage, with thousands of Mana Strands.”

”W-What?!” I gasped.

”To complete the first stage, you must entangle one hundred Mana Strands with your Consciousness. Not too hard, right? It shouldnʼt take more than a few days,” she said.

”E-Eh? It took immense effort to do it once…” I sighed. ”I never thought learning Magic would be this challenging…”

”Well, to start learning the spells Iʼve prepared, you need to master at least the first stage,” she said. ”Most magicians bypass this process by forming a contract with a higher being, but we wonʼt do that here.”

”I suppose weʼre taking the long path…” I nodded. ”Okay, letʼs get to it…”

Unlike practicing Martial Arts, where I was constantly subjected to pain and fighting for my life against Wasp, practicing the Arcane Path was serene.

I sat cross-legged, bathed in starlight, focusing entirely on transforming my Consciousness into strands and entangling them with Mana repeatedly.

Medea, meanwhile, activated a special formation that accelerated my mental processes, allowing me to entangle thirty Mana Strands by the end of the day.

”Well done, young lady! Thirty on the first day is exceptional!” she said, clapping. ”It took me a month to reach thirty myself.”

”A month?” I asked, incredulous. ”T-That long? How?”

”It seems Mana favors you, making it easier,” she said. ”In my case, Mana was always wary of me because I dealt with Demons.”

”So the more Mana trusts someone, the easier it is to cultivate the Arcane Path?” I asked.

”Yes, sometimes Mana can dislike someone. In those cases, the only way to manipulate Mana freely is through Artifacts or special Alchemy Methods,” she explained.

”Is there no way to increase Manaʼs affinity for someone?” I asked.

”There are many ways, but if a person persists in actions Mana disapproves of, they may never reconcile with it,” Medea explained.

Geez, sheʼs describing Mana like itʼs a grumpy person!

”Ugh, Iʼve done enough. Iʼll keep practicing in my room.”

”Please do! Oh, wait, no goodbye kiss?”

Medea hugged me, kissing my forehead and nose.

I couldnʼt help feeling a bit embarrassed. She was such a striking woman, it was hard not to be flustered.

”Heheh, whatʼs wrong, young lady? You seem all flustered.”

”W-Well, youʼre too touchy!”

”Iʼm sorry~! Itʼs just how I am with you, fufu.”

As she giggled playfully, I sighed, leaving her Domain.

Back in my vast room, more akin to a hall, I flopped onto my bed and sighed.

While resting, I continued entangling Mana Strands.

I tried to make it automatic.

But I failed instantly.

Without focus, it was impossible. This wasnʼt something I could delegate to an automatic function.

So I concentrated, staring at the ceiling while entangling Mana Strands very slowly.

At some point, my maids arrived, bringing dinner.

Several hours had passed, and Iʼd only managed seven more…

”I see, so youʼre learning that special method from Lady Medea…!” Ismena nodded.

”Itʼs hard, right? We tried it once but couldnʼt do it,” Acelina sighed.

”Yes, itʼs tough. Iʼve barely made 38 Mana Strands,” I sighed. ”I need a hundred!”

”38?!” Both gasped in shock.

”Ah, yeah…” I muttered.

”We struggled to make even a single Mana Strand!” Acelina said.

”After a week without success, we gave up. We werenʼt suited for it,” Ismena laughed.

”Well, I guess this Method suits me better,” I said. ”Donʼt feel discouraged! You two are plenty strong in your own way.”

”Thank you, young lady,” Ismena smiled.

”Weʼve been busy preparing for the upcoming entrance exam,” Acelina said. ”Sorry weʼve been a bit absent.”

”Thatʼs fine. As long as youʼre here in the mornings and for dinner, Iʼm happy,” I said with a gentle smile.

”Shall we take a bath now, young lady?” Ismena asked. ”Iʼm sure you need to wash away your exhaustion.”

”That would be perfect, thank you,” I nodded.

The two promptly prepared a soothing bath with special salts and medicinal herbs, which helped my body relax.

Soaking in these magical herbs somehow enhanced my ability to perceive and manipulate Mana, allowing me to entangle Mana Strands faster than usual.

After the bath, I felt refreshed and ready to continue, but…

Well, my two maids bathed with me, and after seeing their glistening, bare forms, I could hardly restrain myself.

Noticing their encouragement, I channeled the desire I felt for Medea toward my two lovely maids.

That night, I didnʼt sleep—I didnʼt need to unless I overexerted myself physically—so I continued entangling Mana Strands until morning.

”Sixty! Finally!”

It was slow yet fast simultaneously. To others, it seemed swift, but to me, it felt agonizingly sluggish.

Perhaps I was too accustomed to use Skills through the System.

Doctor Frankenstein was likely waiting in his Domain, so I quickly rose and prepared to learn about Alchemy from him.

Alchemy was the subject I was least eager for, but perhaps I could glean something valuable from him.

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