Scáthach had no intention of correcting Cha Hae-In's naïveté. It stemmed from the limits of her perspective, something mere words couldn't fix.
There was no need to rush, either. There would be plenty of chances to broaden her view later.
"By the way, do you want to become my disciple?"
The sudden topic change blindsided Cha Hae-In.
Weren't we practically at each other's throats just moments ago? How did this suddenly become about discipleship?
"…"
Cha Hae-In refused without hesitation, despite witnessing Scáthach's terrifying strength.
Her reasoning was the same as Sung Jinwoo's back then—it was their first meeting, and she didn't know this woman at all.
Scáthach expected the rejection, but it still left a strange taste in her mouth…
In Celtic myth, countless heroes had risked everything just to become Scáthach's student—to learn even a single technique, breaking into the Land of Shadows overflowing with death.
Yet here on Earth, when Scáthach actively offered discipleship to Sung Jinwoo and Cha Hae-In, both refused without hesitation.
It truly bruised her pride.
"Don't reject me so quickly. Even little Jinwoo is my disciple…" Scáthach said. "Little Jinwoo is Sung Jinwoo. You know him, right?"
"Huh?"
Cha Hae-In—previously indifferent—turned sharply, shock openly visible on her face.
"Hunter Sung… is your disciple?!"
As mentioned before, Cha Hae-In's nose couldn't tolerate the smell of mana. The stronger the mana, the worse the stench—so intense it became difficult to breathe.
Hunter or monster, it didn't matter. Cha Hae-In could always smell that foul odor clinging to them. That's why she always kept a handkerchief over her mouth and nose—to dull the symptoms.
She'd suffered for years, until… until she met Sung Jinwoo.
Only Sung Jinwoo was different.
Normal people without mana naturally didn't smell, but Sung Jinwoo wasn't merely odorless. He carried a clean, pleasant fragrance instead.
For Cha Hae-In, who had endured this torment for so long, discovering him was like finding an oasis in the desert. On top of that, Sung Jinwoo had once saved Hunters Guild members in a Dungeon.
It was impossible not to have a favorable impression of him.
…Wait.
No smell—but an actually pleasant scent?
"Sorry! Could you… not move for a moment?"
Suddenly remembering something critically important, Cha Hae-In's earlier calm evaporated. She hurriedly pulled down her handkerchief and approached Scáthach.
If Scáthach hadn't been supremely confident—and if Cha Hae-In hadn't been radiating zero hostility—Scáthach might have given her the same treatment as the skeletal giant.
Cha Hae-In closed her eyes, delicately raising her nose to breathe in.
Immediately, she caught a refreshing, soothing fragrance from Scáthach's hair.
No smell!
Truly—no smell at all!
Exactly like Hunter Sung Jinwoo!
It was as if starlight lit up Cha Hae-In's eyes. They sparkled with an indescribable joy.
"You really are Hunter Sung's master?"
"Mhm."
Cha Hae-In began to believe her.
Only two people she'd ever met—Sung Jinwoo and Scáthach—didn't carry that nauseating odor.
Instinctively, she wanted to draw closer. The awful scent from the skeletal giant still polluted the Dungeon air; only beside Scáthach could Cha Hae-In truly relax.
"So… Hunter Sung was originally just an E-Rank Hunter. Then he suddenly became so strong—like the S-Rank Hunter he is now. Was that because of you?"
"No, not that." Scáthach shook her head, her waterfall of hair gracefully swaying with the motion. "Little Jinwoo grew quickly because he's special. Honestly, that's precisely why I accepted him as a disciple. If you're thinking of following Sung Jinwoo's path, you should abandon the idea now. His method of growth can't be replicated."
Cha Hae-In stood so close that Scáthach's moving hair sent another rich wave of fragrance her way, leaving Cha Hae-In slightly intoxicated.
Before she could stop herself, she leaned closer again, filling her lungs with that sweet, pure scent. Her body felt weightless—almost floating. A faint flush tinted her cheeks, barely noticeable to others.
"I… I see. Ahem!"
Cha Hae-In coughed once, cheeks faintly pink, but it did nothing to ease the rapid beating in her chest.
If it's her… could she have a way to cure my condition?
The moment that thought appeared, it ignited like a spark in dry grass—spreading uncontrollably.
"Um… do you have a solution for my constitution?"
When Scáthach turned toward her, Cha Hae-In pressed on, voice tense with anticipation.
"Whether it's Hunters or monsters, anything with mana smells horrible to me… except you and Hunter Sung."
Even if Cha Hae-In hadn't mentioned it, Scáthach already knew. When South Korea's S-Rank Hunters had come to the Land of Shadows to raid the giant spider, Scáthach had noticed Cha Hae-In constantly covering her mouth and nose.
Scáthach also knew exactly what was wrong with her.
"If you mean mana allergy, then yes. I'm familiar with it."
"Mana allergy?" It was Cha Hae-In's first time hearing the term.
Yet it made her hope soar even higher.
If Scáthach knew what it was, surely she'd also know how to fix it?
"Then… can my mana allergy be cured?"
She wasn't sure whether joy or anticipation was stronger. The condition had plagued her for two years. On every mission, she endured an unbearable stench she could never grow accustomed to. It didn't heavily impact her combat skills, but it continuously wore down her mood and mental state.
She was an S-Rank Hunter—the Vice Guild Master of the Hunters Guild. Taking breaks whenever she wished simply wasn't an option. If there was a way to resolve it, she had to pursue it.
Scáthach found this somewhat amusing.
To her, mana allergy was a minor issue. Yet on Earth, it had become an "incurable illness," baffling countless specialists.
That absurdity existed because mana itself was an "outsider" that had appeared only within the past ten years. Humanity simply hadn't had enough time to meaningfully research it.
Scáthach understood the true reason for Cha Hae-In's condition: most Hunters' mana wasn't their own—it came from the Rulers. Cha Hae-In's body was rejecting this borrowed power like a severe allergic reaction.
But Scáthach couldn't reveal this directly. Such a revelation would incite panic.
For example, after learning his powers came from the [System], Sung Jinwoo had spent a long time suspecting it of sinister intent. People as suspicious—or even more so—were hardly rare.
If the public learned Hunters' powers originated from entities beyond the stars, even Scáthach couldn't predict what would happen.
As for why Cha Hae-In couldn't smell anything foul from Sung Jinwoo—he was now the Shadow Monarch. The mana he wielded wasn't borrowed power.
It originated entirely from himself.
"First, I should clarify something. Mana allergy isn't a disease in the usual sense," Scáthach said. "Medically, 'allergy' and 'sensitivity' are often confused. Mana allergy is closer to a sensitivity than a true allergy."
Scáthach spoke slowly and clearly, making her explanation more credible. Cha Hae-In's gaze—and full attention—were drawn in.
"In medicine, sensitivity isn't the same as an allergy, which involves an excessive immune response. Sensitivity is a direct nervous system reaction. When something stimulates you, you immediately feel pain, burning, or discomfort. It's instantaneous and temporary. Remove the stimulus, and the reaction disappears immediately."
"A mana allergy is the body overreacting to mana. It usually occurs in individuals with extremely high mana affinity."
"Extremely high mana affinity…" Cha Hae-In frowned deeply, confused. "That sounds like… talent? But there are plenty of Hunters stronger than me who don't have this problem…"
"The reason those people are stronger is that their 'vessel' is of higher quality," Scáthach replied calmly. "They can endure more mana without harming themselves. That has nothing to do with affinity. It's a completely different kind of talent."
She spoke as though answering any question was the most natural thing in the world.
"If mana affinity determines how quickly and efficiently someone can become stronger, then a person's 'vessel' determines their upper limit. However, very few people ever reach that limit. Some never even approach their ceiling in their entire lives. Others seek ways to expand their 'vessel's' capacity before reaching it."
DIO once said humans had limits. The more you relied on schemes, the more vulnerable you became to the unexpected—unless you transcended humanity.
And then DIO ceased being human.
That was the most common method of raising one's limits.
Countless examples existed: people in One Punch Man turning into monsters; protagonists in Campione! reincarnating as Godslayers; Aizen in Bleach attempting to break the boundary between Hollow and Shinigami with the Hōgyoku.
Aizen had realized he'd already reached the pinnacle of what a Shinigami could achieve—that was why he'd sought to breach the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow…
Unfortunately, he ended up as a bizarre white moth-like creature. He became stronger but lost all his oppressive aura—so, in a series like Bleach, where style and presence mattered, he was predictably defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki's Mugetsu form and Kisuke Urahara's hidden trap.
"The treatment you seek is actually very simple," Scáthach said. "Increase your control over mana."
"Improve… control of mana…"
Cha Hae-In tilted her head, searching her memory—and unsurprisingly, found nothing. Even Chairman Choi Jong-In and Guild Master Go Gunhee had never mentioned "mana control" as a concept.
Then how did Scáthach know all this?
Cha Hae-In cautiously asked, "Is it really okay to tell me directly? This seems like important information."
"If you owned a treasure vault," Scáthach said, "would you care about tossing away a single gold coin?"
"???"
No—seriously, listen to yourself. How is that a normal answer?
Cha Hae-In had never met someone so outrageously arrogant.
"Just kidding." Scáthach's lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "Relax. I genuinely don't mind. I've been invincible in this world for far too long. To feel joy in battle, I have to deliberately suppress my strength. Otherwise, no matter how strong the opponent is, it ends instantly."
"So I don't mind offering a bit of help to anyone talented who catches my eye. I'm looking forward to the day someone becomes strong enough to remind me of that long-forgotten feeling—when my life is genuinely threatened."
"So if you become stronger, I'll be happy."
"…"
Cha Hae-In couldn't respond for a moment.
Scáthach's words sounded even more absurd—more arrogant—than before.
Because she was unbeatable, she wanted to help others grow stronger, just to challenge herself…
Cha Hae-In had only ever encountered logic like this in novels.
"And besides," Scáthach continued, "even if you now know you must improve your mana control—do you know how?"
"Um…" Cha Hae-In's expression tightened.
Maybe… she could ask Choi Jong-In?
"You're thinking a mage would know methods for improving mana… right?" Scáthach said without looking up, precisely nailing Cha Hae-In's thoughts. "And conveniently, South Korea's strongest mage is in your guild. You were planning to ask him, weren't you?"
"…Yes."
Scáthach raised a single finger.
"Watch this finger closely."
Cha Hae-In wasn't sure what Scáthach intended but obediently followed her instruction.
Then she saw it—
A small sphere of light slowly formed above Scáthach's fingertip.
Cha Hae-In's eyes widened.
"This is… mana?"
Releasing mana outside the body wasn't surprising. Almost every Hunter could do that.
But this…
Cha Hae-In had never seen anyone release mana while keeping it so densely concentrated at a single point without dispersal.
"Your use of mana and magic is too crude—mages included," Scáthach said calmly, ignoring Cha Hae-In's astonishment. "You activate magic, yet don't understand its principles."
"It's like handing a pistol to an ordinary person. They know pulling the trigger fires a bullet, but they don't understand how the bullet flies. Thus, they can't modify the gun to increase its power—and when it breaks, they can't fix it."
"When you can control mana like this," Scáthach said, "you'll be freed from the torment of mana allergy."
"And if something this basic doesn't satisfy you… you could try something else. For example…"
She pointed toward a distant section of the cave wall.
An instant later, the small sphere of light on her fingertip shot forward like a bullet.
The mana projectile was no bigger than a thumb—but when it hit the wall, it blew open a crater nearly two meters wide, cracks spreading outward in a spiderweb pattern.
The tremor echoed through the rock, rolling through the Dungeon. Even the mining and recovery teams felt it, thinking something had happened with the Final Boss.
Cha Hae-In stared, jaw slack. Even if a stone had fallen onto her head right then, she wouldn't have noticed.