Contemplation begins with mastery of the body.
Ordinary people who know nothing of it see contemplation as simple meditation, but to those who study martial arts, it holds a slightly different meaning.
It is the act of heightening one's senses to the very extremities of the body, allowing control over the aura and mana inherent within.
Among these, aura—being an innate power—is an energy that must be handled with extreme caution. It demands the most delicate manipulation and balance, making it a highly advanced task.
Naturally, even skilled martial artists cannot complete their first contemplation alone without the guidance of an exceptional master. Only a tiny fraction of geniuses with extraordinary aptitude can perform it intuitively.
Even they, however, reach their limit at sensing crisis midway and completing it only partially.
'Even those geniuses couldn't finish it alone... yet he did it at such a young age...'
That was why the Clan Head couldn't hide his trembling eyes as he watched his son continue his contemplation right before him.
The aura that even geniuses who dominated eras had only awakened at the age of understanding—around ten—he had awakened at just six years old.
'A talent worthy of looking down on the world.'
The Clan Head himself had been hailed as the greatest prodigy of the Yeon Clan, but even he couldn't fathom the depths of his son's talent.
Wooong—
Even as the Clan Head watched, aura ceaselessly swirled within his son's body, eyes closed in focus.
Starting from the dantian, the aura extended throughout the body before returning to the dantian.
Though control was still lacking, leaving some immature spots here and there, it was undoubtedly tracing the principles of circulation.
"..."
Meanwhile, a number of maids stood by the side of his son, who was immersed in meditation with eyes shut, remaining vigilant and ready to intervene at any moment.
Swooo—
"This is..."
How much time had passed?
Suddenly, aura leaked from his son's breathing, and his body began to emit a faint glow.
It was still just a weak shimmer, but the Clan Head knew this phenomenon all too well.
The stage where the aura roaming the body gains direction and manifests externally.
The first process in treating aura as an extension of one's own body.
"Awakening?!"
The entry stage of martial arts, where one truly grasps the meaning of controlling the body.
At the same time, the maids watching over his son stirred greatly, creating a small ripple of commotion.
"My goodness..."
"W-what is this..."
"Everyone, stay alert. Don't drop your guard."
Lightly admonishing the agitated maids, the Clan Head tried to conceal his trembling eyes and continued observing his son's contemplation.
'Awakening already? I didn't reach it until I was three!'
Though it was merely the threshold of martial arts, it was the realm from which one was officially recognized as a true martial artist—far from easy.
Not only awakening aura, but one must perfectly control their own body to even step into this initial stage.
It was the first major wall for many martial artists. Even the Clan Head, who had awakened at three, had grown at an unprecedented pace. His son's current realm was blatantly abnormal.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Wooong—
"...Hah."
A moment later.
Gazing at his son, who had finished contemplating and slowly descended to the ground, the Clan Head let out an involuntary hollow laugh.
'I had planned to punish the exclusive maid for lying...'
Who would have thought it was real?
After regarding his son with a complex gaze for a moment, the Clan Head turned away as those golden eyes turned toward him and spoke.
"Well done."
"...Pardon?"
A bewildered voice came from behind, but without looking back, the Clan Head left the training ground and walked down the corridor.
He sent the following maids back to his son and murmured softly as he traversed the dim hallway.
"What do you think?"
"...Truly terrifying talent, my lord."
No sooner had the Clan Head spoken than an elderly man's voice replied from nearby.
Unfazed by the sudden voice, the Clan Head addressed the elderly man who appeared at his side moments later.
"Do you think I should teach him myself?"
"Hmm. No, he undoubtedly possesses exceptional aptitude, but his body is still immature. Wait at least two years before assessing again."
Two years...
'Eight years old, then.'
After a quick mental calculation, the Clan Head spoke to the man beside him.
"Chief Steward Seo, assign a tutor to my son. He's still young, so no physical training—find someone exceptional in aura and mana utilization."
"Understood. I'll select someone well-versed in basic etiquette and inner arts."
"Mm. And give his maids appropriate punishment."
"I'll relay the order to the head maid."
"...Don't punish them too harshly. We can't afford to remove guards of their caliber from duty yet."
Normally, neglecting the inherently risky first contemplation warranted severe punishment.
But with the shock of the recent ambush lingering, major personnel shifts risked creating vulnerabilities. Avoiding harsh penalties like demotion was prudent.
The maids were fortunate.
Having issued his orders, the Clan Head opened a door and entered his study.
"A genius, huh..."
Leaning back in his chair at his desk, he recalled his son's performance.
"Indeed, the Yeon Clan's fortune... or calamity?"
The Clan Head's worries deepened as he confronted otherworldly talent.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A tutor had been assigned.
It had been a while since I saw the Clan Head—right after waking from sleep last time.
Seemed like he'd generously provided support.
According to my exclusive maid, he'd recognized my talent...
Honestly, I don't remember much, half-asleep as I was.
I mean, I'm six years old?
Prime sleeping age, right?
Telling me to meditate right after dragging me out of sweet slumber?
Expecting no sleepiness is unreasonable!
Frankly, it's the Clan Head's fault.
Of course I don't recall details...
Anyway, the reactions around me were positive, no mistakes, so let's call it good enough!
Getting a tutor is great news for me!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
And so, my first meeting with the tutor.
The teacher entered fidgeting awkwardly, appearing younger and more innocent than expected—a woman.
Dressed in attire resembling hanbok, she looked utterly unconnected to combat, and true to her delicate appearance, she mainly handled lessons in etiquette and academics.
"Now, Young Master. Shall we try solving this?"
"Oh! Excellent, Young Master. But in this situation, wouldn't this approach be even better?"
A few days into her lessons.
Unlike her unreliable first impression, she proved quite capable as an educator.
She explained complex concepts simply from a child's perspective and used engaging toys to hold a scatterbrained kid's attention. For an ordinary child, it would yield decent results.
The problem? I'm no ordinary kid.
With modern knowledge and gamer insight, academics and world history posed no issue.
The only tolerable class was recent history, but even that I dismissed the toy-based learning for higher-level instruction.
Recent history offered objective insights into events post-Failure Hero 1 and 2—too valuable to waste on pointless play.
The teacher, having prepared diligently, was flustered by my sudden demand and reluctantly proceeded with advanced recent history.
Her blank stare when I asked for the current global situation...
Excluding specific subjects, I mostly tuned out, but I took etiquette seriously.
I knew modern manners, but a prestigious clan's etiquette felt different—this I mastered thoroughly.
Still, the class I awaited most was—
"Now, let's learn how aura and mana differ."
Aura and mana theory.
No physical movement, purely theoretical.
Realizing I wasn't a normal six-year-old, she taught not just basics but advanced concepts and applications meticulously. I learned a ton.
As private tutoring, I could ask about unknowns anytime, and her vast knowledge ensured satisfying answers to any question.
"Now, shall we practice contemplation to hone your senses?"
She occasionally guided contemplation during lessons. Doing it with an aura expert made it smoother than alone; aura flowed easier.
Recently confirmed mana-less thanks to her help, smoother aura use was ideal.
"Teacher? You look worn out. You okay?"
"Ah, no. It's nothing. Really nothing. More importantly, your contemplation has become quite proficient."
"Ah, you noticed? I tweaked the aura circulation this time. Colliding the aura circulating through my body produces purer aura, so I'm cycling it during collisions."
"Wait, that's the Greater Heavenly Circulation..."
"Pardon?"
"No, nothing."
As expected of a Yeon Clan tutor.
Her academic prowess was impressive, and her aura knowledge profound enough to amaze even me. Though I couldn't learn it yet, her mana expertise matched.
Who knew she'd adapt mana cultivation to aura...
Thanks to her, I gained specialized knowledge beyond game info, fueling skyrocketing respect.
If only I had a status window to track my progress in real-time.
Sucks not being the protagonist.
Still, her tireless efforts and my zeal made me feel stronger daily.
At this rate, not only entering the original story as planned, but I might surpass the original 'Yeon Je-seong'!
Heh heh heh. Worried about no mana, but I overcame it!
A year into lessons with her.
"...I'm sorry. This is my limit."
"...Pardon?"
"Nothing left to teach. Or rather, I can't teach more."
"Wha? Huh? W-wait! Teacher? Teeeeacher—!"
The teacher fled.
...Huh?