CHAPTER 67: PERFECT MANA CONSTRUCT

Max listened to everything Harley said and even asked a few questions. Taking permanent damage to his Mana Veins was the last thing he wanted.

After all, blocked Mana Veins were one thing and could be cured, but there was practically no cure for damaged Mana Veins.

His future would be completely bleak if that happened.

So, he only began when he was sure he would succeed. Well, it wasn’t hard as he had confidence in himself.

Taking a deep breath, he gulped down the entire contents of the potion in one go, feeling the strangely sweet liquid washing down his throat.

However, instead of going down to his stomach, the liquid got absorbed in the cells of his throat, giving him an odd sensation.

From there, the liquid turned into steam and mixed with the blood before turning into a mass of swirling gas which entered the vast network of Mana Veins.

Max observed everything with bated breaths. Even though Harley told him he would be fine in the beginning without protection, it still scared him slightly.

When he sensed the purple swirling gas in his Mana Veins, he knew it was time to provide protection to his body.

Closing his eyes, he focused entirely on the mana flowing through his body and shaped it to cover the walls of his Mana Veins so tightly that there wasn’t a single gap anywhere.

His main focus was on the path the gas traveled as it pulverized all the blockage in his Mana Veins. It really surprised him, as the gas was like an unstoppable force that tore down anything in its path.

Of course, as Harley had said, the gas didn’t interact with his mana at all, so his Mana Veins remained protected. It relieved him, but he still didn’t let his guard down.

The process of cleansing went on for half an hour, leaving Max sweating buckets, as this was the first time he had to concentrate on his Mana Control so much.

He usually took breaks in between, so this was hard. Still, he didn’t give up, as he would rather end up dead than having his Mana Veins damaged.

He wanted to become the strongest, and he would see through the process no matter how hard and painful it would be for him.

Finally, the gas seemed to have exhausted itself as it grew thin before dispersing in his body as if it was never there.

However, it did leave a clear, open Mana construct for Max. He could feel mana flowing within him so smoothly that it seemed like the mana had become his slave.

Of course, that analogy was wrong, but it still felt like that because of how smooth everything was to him.

He exhaled the pent-up breath and dropped onto his back, too exhausted to enjoy the rewards for his labor. He just wanted to rest.

Sadly, it didn’t seem like the world wanted him to, as a strong putrid smell assaulted his nostrils, making him retch and almost throw up.

He quickly sat up to see the source of that smell and realized it was him all along. His whole body was covered in a strange black substance that made his stomach churn.

"What the hell is this?" Max blurted out, as he quickly closed his nose.

"I expected this would happen, so I already prepared for it."

He heard Harley’s muffled voice and turned, only to see her standing at the corner of the room and pointing towards a cubicle.

He frowned, clearly remembering that the cubicle wasn’t there before. But he wasn’t in the mood to solve those mysteries.

Jumping to his feet, he went towards the cubicle and entered it. As if waiting for him, the walls around the cubicle grew larger and covered him from every side.

It was then he realized that it was a portable bathroom, making him want to hug Harley in happiness for her thoughtfulness.

He really couldn’t stand the smell any longer, as he feared he would straight up die from it.

So, he didn’t waste any more time and used scrubber, soap, shampoo, conditioner... practically everything that cleaned his body.

Max only came out of the cubicle when he was sure he was completely clean from head to toe. He was also quite thankful that he carried a pair of clothes in his CID all the time.

Coming out of the portable bathroom, he sent a grateful look to Harley and asked, "What do I do with those clothes?"

"Just leave them there. I’ll burn them later on," Harley said, as she came towards him while swiping her hand in the air.

The portable bathroom flipped on itself before submerging into the floor as if it was never there to begin with.

"Congratulations! Now you have a perfect set of Mana Veins," Harley smiled and said. "Very few of your peers have that, you know. It’s incredible!"

Max knew she was just trying to compliment him, as there were many people having a perfect set of Mana Veins since their birth. It wasn’t a rare occurrence, after all.

Still, it made his heart giddy as he smiled and said, "Thank you. This really helped me a lot, and I can perform way, way better tomorrow."

"Just one day with me allowed you to improve so much," Harley grinned as she stepped forward, coming so close to Max that he could practically feel her warm breath on his neck.

"What do you think will happen if you stay with me all the time?" she whispered near his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

His hands twitched to embrace her, push her on the ground right there, and show her the balance he wanted in a relationship.

However, he held back the urges and chuckled softly, "Harley, you know the effect you have on others, so why torture me like that?"

"I really mean it, though," Harley whispered, still remaining close to him.

"That’s the thing. You don’t mean it," Max chuckled softly. "If you were, then I wouldn’t be getting this dangerous feeling whenever you get close. I know I’m weaker than you and also receiving a lot of help from you, but it doesn’t mean I’ll submit to you."

He took a deep breath and said, "Relationships mean a lot to me, and I will never make a joke of them, even if it means my death. So, I request you to stop these teasings."