Chapter 8

Chapter 8

[You have acquired the unprecedented Mana Circle Slot in history.]

A message illuminated Raciels field of view, akin to a radiant beam of light.

It marked a pivotal moment, signifying the successful outcome of a perilous wager. Simultaneously, it conveyed a victorious message, reporting the acquisition of an unforeseen, substantial reward.

Mana Circle Slot? What on earth is that?

Raciel kept an eye on the following messages.

[Your Mana Circle has acquired a kind of empty space, a void, in the process of forcibly tearing and expanding according to the users will.]

[This void has evolved into a storage space, a slot, that can contain matter and mana.]

[You will equip one slot in one circle.]

[The storage space of the slot expands as the level of the circle increases.]

[The slot can be filled by consuming through the mouth.]

[Slot 1 has been opened.]

[Slot 1 is empty.]

[Slot 1 maximum capacity: 10 liters]

[Slot 1 current storage capacity: 0 liters]

.

Reading the message, Raciel tilted his head.

Storage space?

Slot?

But the capacity is 10 liters?

Its like a game inventory or item slot.

He recollected some of the games he played on occasion. Drawing from his experience with game inventories, he made an estimated conjecture regarding the meaning of the message.

So, an inventory was literally created in my circle?

It seemed so when he thought about it.

By eating something, he now had a space that could store a whopping 10 liters. As he thought about it, various ways to utilize it flooded his mind.

This might be

He wasnt sure if he had obtained a more incredible potential than he initially thought. For example, within the slot of this Mana Circle

At that moment

Um, Your Highness?

Raciels ears caught a trembling, apprehensive voice. Tracing the source of the sound, he pivoted his head in that direction.

There stood Gardin, on the verge of tears.

Perplexed about whether everything was alright or if something had gone awry, his countenance and eyes resembled those of an individual who had just dropped their freshly acquired and activated smartphone on a tile floor.

In response, Raciel offered a faint smile, reassuring him that the smartphone was secure(?).

Yes, what is it?

Um, are you alright?

As you can see?

Earlier, you seemed to be in terrible pain.

My throat was just clogged for a moment.

Your throat you mean?

Yes.

Raciel responded casually to alleviate any anxiety.

I drank the decoction too hastily. The herbs got stuck.

The herbs got stuck?

Yes. Didnt it look that way?

No. It didnt look that way.

Well, then it cant be helped.

But, Your Highness.

Why do you keep asking?

You definitely looked like you were in a very critical situation.

Im fine. Cant you see? Im perfectly alright now.

Raciel found the experience fascinating. Despite clearly drinking a substantial amount of water from the bottle, he gulped it down without taking a breath, and his esophagus seemed to send the water down without a single drop reaching his stomach.

The water is being absorbed entirely into the Circle. The message was true.

After draining the contents of the bottle, Raciel placed it down, now empty. Despite having consumed approximately 2 liters of water, he didnt feel full in the slightest it was an amazing sensation. Feeling like a hippo with a thirst for water, he desired more. With renewed determination, he left his bedroom and began to explore the other rooms connected by the hallway. Eventually, he discovered a living room, where he found four additional bottles of water.

Perfect. Lets fill the remaining 8 liters.

Determined to see the experiment through to the end, Raciel picked up another bottle and began emptying it without hesitation. After finishing the initial 2 liters, he added 2 more and continued to consume the water. Despite having consumed a significant amount already, he felt no abnormality in his body or sense of fullness. Encouraged, he continued to one-shot another 8 liters of water.

Ugh.

To be honest, Raciel felt a bit proud of himself. When in his life had he ever consumed 10 liters of water in one go?

If I had, I would have died. LD50 or whatever, my stomach would have burst.

A sudden recollection from his past flooded Raciels mind. He remembered a tradition where he was from, upon receiving a promotion, individuals were required to drink water. It was considered a bad habit to one-shot water from a pitcher containing at least 3 liters. However, nobody succeeded in completing the task, as after consuming roughly 1 liter, the overwhelming scent of water would cause them to run to the bathroom and release a torrential downpour akin to Niagara Falls. Raciel was no exception to this in the past.

But now its different. I drank 10 liters and theres no burden at all. I dont feel full, and theres no water filling up my stomach.

The 10 liters of water he had just drunk were stored directly in the Circles slot.

Lets move on to the next stage of the experiment.

He returned to his bedroom and went to sleep as if nothing had happened. The next day, he didnt drink any water all day long. Instead, he slowly learned how to use the Circles slot.

When I feel thirsty like this.

Kiiiing..

As Raciel slowly rotated the Circle, the response was immediate.

Ding dong!

[Releasing stored water from the Circle slot into your body.]

[Please set the release amount.]

0.1 liters.

[Releasing 0.1 liters of water into your body.]

[Current storage capacity of slot 1: 9.9 liters]

Kiiiing-!

As the Circle rotated in the opposite direction, the water stored within was released into Raciels body with the aid of mana. The water flowed along with the mana, circulating through his blood vessels and being delivered directly to his bodys cells. Within moments, his thirst was quenched.

Wow. Im like a camel. A human camel.

Raciel mused over whether this was how camels felt, storing water and nutrients in their humps to survive wandering through the desert.

He continued to use the Circle slot whenever he felt thirsty, which prevented him from experiencing thirst throughout the day, even if he didnt drink a single drop of water.

As time passed, he gradually learned more about the properties of the Circle slot, such as the fact that he couldnt store a mixture of different foods or substances within it.

It can only store water if its water, or food if its food. Not even one menu per person, tsk. But hmm, how do I empty the slot all at once?

Midnight had once again arrived, enveloping Raciels quiet bedroom in darkness as he was lost in thought.

I have a rough idea of how to fill and use the slot, so now I want to try putting the elixir in it. But how do I empty it?

He couldnt release all the remaining water into his body at once. There was just too much water for that.

Theres still 8.5 liters left. If I released all of it into my body, Id die instantly.

So either he had to consume it slowly over time or find a way to remove it all at once.

.

A possibility suddenly occurred to Raciel as he thought about the Asrahan Core Technique, which was frequently mentioned in the novel Devil Sword Emperor and its unique characteristics.

Its a Core Technique specialized in mana absorption, amplification, and emission.

That was the characteristic of the Asrahan Core Technique.

It might be possible with amplification and emission. Lets try it.

Raciel rose from his seat and stretched out his hand, focusing his concentration as he activated the Asrahan Core Technique.

Kiiiing..

As Raciel reversed the rotation of the Circle, it responded immediately, as if it had been waiting for his command. He focused his concentration and determined to release all of the remaining water stored within the slot outside his body.

Kiiiing-!

Suddenly, the reverse rotation of the Circle intensified, causing the mana contained within to stir. The 8.5 liters of water resonated with the mana, resulting in an amplification of the water as it mixed with the mana.

[The stored substance in the Circle slot is amplified.]

[Releasing the stored 8.5 liters of water.]

As the water and mana amplified, it condensed into a potent form and followed the rush of the Circle, surging through Raciels heart and sprinting through his blood vessels.

Poooong-!

In a sudden burst, the 8.5 liters of condensed water were explosively launched in a sphere, shattering the crystal bottle his palm was pointing at instantly.