"It's not really an issue," I muttered to myself, "more like something that can be improved."
The way mana veins were naturally arranged inside the body worked well enough, but I was convinced there was room for improvement. The flow of mana seemed inefficient in certain areas, almost crude, like a poorly designed machine. It reminded me of outdated wiring systems back on Earth. Functional, yes, but far from optimized.
Opening my Grímaror, I flipped through several pages before finding an empty one. Grabbing a pen, I began sketching an arm. Thin lines spread throughout the drawing, representing the pathways of mana veins.
"Mana veins are similar to blood vessels," I whispered while drawing. "They circulate mana throughout the body, but they can definitely be improved by changing the pattern."
Back in my old world, I had learned basic knowledge about electrical circuits and wiring. Electricity always followed the path of least resistance, and efficient circuit layouts dramatically improved performance. Mana flow probably followed similar principles. If that was true, then reorganizing the pathways of mana veins could increase both the speed and efficiency of mana circulation.
Slowly, I began drawing a more complex pattern onto the sketch. Instead of the standard branching layout, I designed something closer to a layered circuit network. Smaller pathways connected into larger streams, creating smoother transitions for mana flow while reducing bottlenecks.
"This should work…"
At the very least, it gave me a framework to experiment with.
Leaning back in my chair, I stared at the drawing while visualizing mana moving through the new pattern. I carefully imagined the flow traveling from my core, through my arm, and into my fingertips. The image became clearer and clearer in my mind until I could almost feel it physically.
Thanks to the overclocking technique I had used earlier to force more mana through my body, my mana veins were already slightly larger than those of most children who had only recently awakened their mana. That gave me an advantage, but it also made this experiment far more dangerous.
If I failed, I could permanently damage my mana veins.
Or worse.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused inward.
Mana began flowing through my arm. Slowly and carefully, I guided it into the existing pathways while attempting to reshape them little by little. The moment the first alteration began, a burning sensation exploded through my arm.
"Ghh—!"
My muscles clenched painfully. Veins bulged beneath my skin, looking as though they were about to burst apart. Sweat instantly covered my forehead as agony spread from my fingertips all the way to my shoulder.
It felt like molten fire was being poured directly into my body.
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to continue.
The first layer connected.
Then the second.
Each adjustment felt like someone was tearing apart my arm from the inside before stitching it back together incorrectly. My breathing grew ragged as pain clouded my thoughts. Several times, I nearly stopped altogether, but I forced myself onward.
Finally, after completing the last adjustment, I lost all strength in my body and collapsed onto the floor.
"Agh… that really hurt…"
Lying flat on my back, I stared up at the ceiling while gasping for breath. My entire arm trembled violently, and every pulse of mana felt like needles stabbing into my flesh.
For several long minutes, I simply focused on breathing.
Eventually, I forced myself to sit back up and examine the results.
"I only managed to complete my fingers…" I muttered weakly.
Thankfully, fingers were easier to modify since they contained fewer mana veins than larger sections of the body. Even then, the process had nearly driven me unconscious from pain.
"This is going to take a long time," I sighed. "At least a year, maybe more. I'll have to improve everything piece by piece so I don't overload my body and go into shock."
After waiting for my trembling fingers to calm slightly, I carefully poured mana into the altered pathways.
Immediately, I noticed a difference.
The mana moved faster and smoother than before, flowing through my fingers with barely any resistance. It felt almost effortless compared to the sluggish movement from earlier.
A grin spread across my face.
"It worked."
Then pain suddenly exploded through my hand.
Crack.
"AHH!"
My index and middle fingers bent unnaturally as sharp agony shot through my arm. I stared in horror for a moment before realizing the bones had snapped under the strain.
"Damn it…" I hissed through clenched teeth. "Looks like my body still needs time to adjust to the new mana veins."
The enhanced mana flow had strengthened the output beyond what my fingers could physically handle. My mana pathways had improved faster than my actual body.
Grinding my teeth against the pain, I carefully snapped the bones back into place and wrapped my injured fingers with cloth.
By the time Master returned later that evening for dinner, my hand was still throbbing painfully.
The moment he saw my wrapped fingers, his eyes narrowed. Without saying anything, he reached out and began casting healing magic. A soft glow covered my hand as warmth spread through the injured area.
Then suddenly, his expression changed into confusion.
"Boy," he said slowly, "did you do something to your mana veins?"
I froze.
I hadn't expected him to notice so quickly.
"Uh… yes," I admitted cautiously. "I sort of changed the mana flow into a different pattern."
The moment I finished speaking, shock flashed across his face.
"That's incredibly reckless!" he barked. "If you had failed, you could have crippled your mana veins permanently—or outright died."
I blinked.
"That bad?"
"Yes, that bad," he replied sternly. "You're only lucky because you're young and your mana veins haven't fully settled yet. If an adult tried something like this carelessly, the damage would likely be irreversible."
Hearing that made cold sweat run down my back.
"So I really dodged a bullet…"
Originally, I had planned to wait several more years before attempting to alter my mana veins. Ironically, according to Master, starting early may have saved me from causing permanent damage later.
Still, that didn't make the experiment any less dangerous.
"Alright," I said with an awkward smile. "I'll be more careful next time. Thanks for the warning."
Master simply nodded before returning to his meal, though his expression remained troubled.
Later that night, I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling while mentally reviewing everything I needed to accomplish.
"The biggest priority is getting stronger," I thought quietly.
This world revolved around strength. The weak were exploited, enslaved, or killed without hesitation. If I wanted freedom, I needed power. That meant learning more spells, improving my mana veins, and increasing my control over magic.
The second problem was money.
I couldn't rely on the old man forever. Food, equipment, books, and resources all required coin. If I wanted independence, I needed a reliable way to earn money. Maybe I could use knowledge from Earth somehow, though I still wasn't sure what would actually work in this world.
Then there was my final and most important goal.
Finding a way home.
No matter how much time passed, I still couldn't completely abandon the hope of returning to Earth someday. Even if this world fascinated me, it wasn't truly my home. Somewhere out there, answers had to exist.
Closing my eyes slowly, I clenched my uninjured hand.
"First, I survive," I whispered to myself.
"Then… I find my way back."