NOVEL WEB Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Iron Body
“Greetings, my lady.”
Upon returning home, a group of attendants was already waiting in the estate’s garden.
“Shall we prepare dinner?”
Serena stepped out of the car and silently gazed up at the sky.
Dusk. In the fading glow of the sunset, the moon had already revealed its face, with satellites slowly rotating around it. Clouds spread like pigments on a painter’s palette.
It was a truly fantastical scene.
The butler stepped forward with a silver tray, moonlight flowing across its surface like winding streams.
“Shall I prepare dinner for you?”
Serena did not respond immediately, continuing to gaze up at the otherworldly night sky. Though the last rays of the sun had yet to fade, three moons already hung in the sky, with the smallest satellite gliding along a mysterious trajectory. Clouds, like spilled magical potions, stained the heavens in magnificent purples and reds.
“My lady...?”
The elderly butler gently extended his hands, holding a velvet cloak.
“No need.”
Serena walked straight through the marble colonnade. The gilded handrail left a chill on her fingertips. The mansion’s interior was even grander than its exterior; the dome frescoes depicted ancient magi seemingly casting judgmental glances down upon Serena.
──「Iron Body」──
◆ Rank
: Unique
◆ Description
: Innate physical capability and attributes.
: The body’s potential is truly of a top-tier classification.
──────
“Iron Body” was one of many traits Serena had acquired. As a result, physical fatigue was minimal, and mana recovered quickly.
However, mental exhaustion still existed. So Serena first went to take a bath. With her trait “Cleanliness Obsession,” bathing itself was both a pleasure and a means of restoration.
After bathing, Serena sat in the study’s reading chair and had Allen bring the magic book she had borrowed earlier.
Fundamentals of Manipulation Magic
Today, Serena planned to study manipulation magic most directly related to telekinetic sword control—Psychokinesis.
Of course, Serena was not the original Serena and thus had no prior magical achievements. Her foundation as a mage was practically barren.
However, what gave her confidence was the trait “Understanding.”
“······.”
Serena opened the book with determination.
[Preface: The Value and Purpose of Manipulation Magic]
The thick book’s contents were divided into four sections: basic wind manipulation, basic umbrella manipulation, basic camouflage, and basic psychokinesis.
Naturally, Serena skipped straight to the psychokinesis section.
[4. Basic Psychokinesis: Understanding Psychokinesis (Telekinesis)]
: Strictly speaking, psychokinesis belongs to a non-mainstream magic category. Of course, the manipulation series itself is already niche among the eight major magic types, but it still serves as a useful stepping stone to enhance a mage’s abilities. Now then, let us examine the incantation formula below...
...Serena was momentarily speechless.
To her, this looked like a record from some distant alien world.
Each page deconstructed “psychokinesis” stroke by stroke, much like how complex Chinese characters were broken down into individual components.
Even the mana required for each stroke, and how mana flowed from one to the next, were precisely explained and calculated. Each stroke description exceeded ten lines. The entire section spanned 60 pages.
“...As expected.”
Was her “Understanding” trait really applicable to magic?
Could she comprehend such a complex supernatural operating system?
Uncertain, Serena closed her eyes.
After flipping a mental ‘switch,’ she reopened them.
Her vision was awash in cyan-blue. The room’s lighting flickered like starlight.
In this impressionistic world, Serena focused on the magic book.
Eyes fixed on the incantation formula, “Understanding” activated.
Her mind surged with heat, a wave of excitement crashing through her skull.
Her consciousness rose to a higher dimension beyond sight and sound.
──Psychokinesis.
The spell’s formula detached from the book, floating in midair.
Curves and straight lines interwove into a complex sigil-like diagram.
Along these subtle lines, Serena’s mana glowed with cyan-blue light, slowly flowing.
From a single point, the beams of mana formed lines, filled the surface, and finally manifested as magic.
This was the magical visualization constructed by Serena’s “Understanding.”
A mental image.
The magic circle of “Psychokinesis” radiated brilliantly above the mansion, then sank into Serena’s mind.
──Inject mana into the object’s interior, condense it into a core, and thus allow the caster to control the object.
In other words, the caster did not control the object itself but its internal “mana core.”
Thus, the key was compressing the core as much as possible to make the control circuit more stable and efficient.
Serena grasped the secrets of this psychic link, and the spell was ‘memorized’ in her mind.
“...Hoo.”
As soon as “Understanding” deactivated, Serena let out a held breath. Pain throbbed in her temples, her eyes felt like they would burst.
Serena pulled a pen from her inner pocket and infused it with mana. The mana seeped into the pen, and under Serena’s will, the long pen shaft floated gently into the air.
“Got it.”
Just a minute ago, Serena had known nothing of “basic telepathy.” Now, she could cast it without recalling incantations or finely tuning mana.
This proved the entire spell had been ‘memorized’ in her mind.
─A fully understood spell is committed to memory and can be used without manually deploying the incantation. The brain ‘automatically’ activates the formula. This is called “Memory Imprint.”
In that moment, Serena experienced what she had only read about in system descriptions.
“All right...”
The pen continued to float at Serena’s will.
But if basic psychokinesis was only at this level, even mastering advanced psychokinesis wouldn’t reach her envisioned sword control realm.
“Seems like there’s a reason this is called non-mainstream magic.”
Was there a way to amplify the effect? Of course, given Serena’s limited talents, anything would be difficult...
As she rubbed her chin in thought, a sudden idea flashed in her mind.
“What if I engraved the magic circle across my whole body?”
In this world’s magical framework, a common premise was: “The larger the magic circle, the greater the power.”
“Then—”
Using the “Understanding” trait to comprehend Serena’s entire body.
Not just the brain, not just the heart, not just the dantian.
What if she could inscribe a magic circle across her entire body?
“...Worth a try.”
Of course, the body would suffer immense strain, with undoubtedly unexpected side effects.
But think again—Wasn’t this body an “Iron Body”?
Only someone with that trait could attempt the insane feat of full-body “memory inscription.”
“Tch... hoo.”
Despite her excitement, Serena calmed herself with deep breaths.
Remaining mana: 800.
It was only a light test—this much would suffice.
Serena activated “Understanding” and directed mana to flow through her entire body.
“······!”
Unbearable pain surged through her.
It felt like her bones and muscles were being shattered by a hammer—or twisted and torn against each other. The agony was indescribable.
Crack...! Crack...!
Those sounds came from Serena’s own body.
Joints distorted. Heart shattered.
Ribs broke, bone shards pierced lungs.
At least, that’s how it felt to Serena.
──And yet.
Despite the overwhelming torment, her body did not make a sound. She didn’t even clench her teeth.
Though she couldn’t stop the sweat from pouring, she never bent her spine.
A posture of pride and resolve.
Unwavering determination.
Dignity.
Acting with almost fanatical vanity and noble pride—this was the most primal understanding.
She seized complete control of the mana within her body, surging through her blood vessels.
With that mana flow, she imbued every part of her body with her will.
Not just the heart, but muscles, bones, organs. Inscribing psychic control sigils inside her skin...
Snap—!
With the sound of something breaking, a wave of fatigue struck.
She failed.
Mana depleted. “Understanding” timed out.
Serena opened her drowsy eyes, her whole body flushed from rashes, blotches, and burning sensation.
Of course, she did not scratch. That would be unseemly.
“...I’ll finish the rest later.”
「Mana: 1 / 3,375」
She had failed due to insufficient mana. Only the shoulder region had been lightly inscribed.
Fortunately, failure did not mean starting from zero.
In game terms, she had cleared stage one. Even if she failed stage two, she would resume from there, not the beginning.
“Two weeks.”
Neck, shoulders, arms, hands, abdomen, thighs, calves, feet. Serena roughly estimated how long it would take to “comprehend” each region.
“Basic Psychic Control” would require two weeks.
To reach higher levels, like “Intermediate Psychic Control” or “Advanced Psychic Control,” would take even longer.
“······.”
After organizing her thoughts, Serena rose from her chair. Soaked in sweat, she went to take another bath.
She washed her body with natural bath gel, donned a robe, and lay in bed.
“Pajamas...”
Though she felt about to faint, her body demanded pajamas. She absolutely could not tolerate sleeping in a bathrobe.
“Damn it...”
Serena forced herself to change into pajamas.