Aura is just a fancy name (Bonus)

The aura of Kim Gongja and the one I wanted to use?

Different. But the same.

His was like an underground river: flowing silently, full of controlled fury, linking body and soul.

It was alive.

The Tower's energy basically compressed people's hearts. Literally.

And with each beat, it squeezed the soul until it learned how to survive through it.

Of course, most people never noticed the existence of aura.

But if they did and started using it, the body turned into a hydraulic energy system.

You trained, opened new channels, new valves.

And if you survived, you built up enough aura to shape it however you wanted.

Here in my world, it wasn't quite like that.

The mana here… was like liquid concrete.

Dense. Thick. Volatile.

It didn't exactly flow naturally.

At least, not for me. Or for other low-ranked folks.

It resisted.

More or less, depending on how connected to mana you were.

You could force it to move — through effort, focus, training.

But the natural path?

It only existed in a good way if you had talent.

It was something inborn.

Luxxion loved to repeat that I had ''Inferior energy'' every time I failed.

But, according to him, it was still… possible.

Aura was a concept. And every concept could be adapted.

[Aura is an external manifestation of internal energy. The type of energy is secondary. Execution is not.]

So, technically, if I could make mana flow through the right paths, at the right points, and with enough force…

I could shape something similar to what Gongja did.

It was simpler said than done.

"Like a cosplay of aura," as I called it.

And like all good cosplay attempts, there was a 90% chance it would fail.

But I was trying.

By the way, that cultivation book Luxxion made me buy?

Total scam.

A festival of generic motivational quotes with titles like "Meditate with Your Kidneys" and "Scream with Your Spleen."

But… Luxxion read it, filtered it, and built a hybrid model.

He took the 2% that was actually useful, dumped the 98% of delirious mysticism, and cross-referenced it with data from Gongja's aura.

He also added some of the advice I'd asked Gongja and the Sword Emperor for in the group chat.

The result?

A hologram.

Kim Gongja — a copy of him, to be precise — floated in the corner of the room, sitting in a lotus position.

Eyes closed. Energy pulsing in translucent lines around the body.

[Observe.]

Light condensed at the chest of the hologram.

A glowing point, pulsing like a second heart.

From there, thin lines branched out through the body.

Three main paths: right arm, center of the stomach, base of the spine.

[This is the original model.]

''Got it.''

[Now observe the adaptation.]

The hologram glowed and trembled.

The pathways changed color.

The energy felt heavier, thicker.

Instead of flowing smoothly... it fought.

But it moved.

''That feels more like me.''

[Correct.]

[It was adjusted to your mediocre standards.]

Got insulted for free, but didn't fire back.

Instead, I sat down in the same position. Took a deep breath.

Again.

Closed my eyes.

Tried to feel something. Anything.

Luxxion spoke. Guided me.

Told me where to focus. When to hold. When to push.

Nothing came easily.

But sometimes… for just a second...

Something shifted.

It had been a while since we first started.

Maybe hours, maybe a whole day — time felt blurry when you filled your head with energy and sat still like a Buddhist monk with a slipped disc.

My mana had grown. A little.

But aura… was still a distant dream.

Nothing more than vapor.

Shapeless. Weightless. Colorless.

I sighed.

''One more time?''

[One more time.]

The hologram stepped back gently, like a patient master watching a stubborn student.

Its figure softened, the bluish light around it turning almost warm.

I adjusted my posture.

Crossed my legs on the cold floor.

Straightened my spine.

Closed my eyes.

And tried again.

Silence.

The kind of silence that weighs on you, that suffocates. Just my breathing and the soft hum of the active hologram, observing.

I focused.

Imagined mana flowing, just like Luxxion had described — Kim Gongja's method, adapted for me.

From the center of the chest outward.

From the heart to the fingertips.

...Nothing.

Another try. Another failure.

And again.

Once more.

Minutes turned into hours.

And I couldn't tell if the sweat dripping down was from the effort or the frustration.

Until—

A spark.

Warm.

Tiny.

Like a match struck in the depths of a dry well.

I felt it.

Right at the center of my chest, where the mana gathered.

The current was faint, hesitant, almost shy… but real. Like my own energy had, for the first time, understood what I wanted from it.

It flowed.

Down the right arm, like a thin stream of warm water brushing every nerve along the way.

Weak.

But it flowed.

My breath stuttered. My eyes opened, slowly.

The world was still the same.

But inside me, something had begun.

It wasn't much. Not even close.

But it was real.

And more importantly...

It was mine.

I let out a sharp exhale. My shoulders trembled.

My whole body felt too tense, like I'd just come out of a fight.

I looked at my phone, tossed on the edge of the thin mattress.

The screen blinked.

5:21 AM.

''Spent the whole night on this, huh...''

[Your performance exceeded the average predicted for humans with your capabilities.]

[Note: still pathetic compared to ideal users.]

''Great. So I got run over by a mana truck… and got a report card right after.''

I stood up.

Stretched my arms, felt my back pop.

The room was still dark, lit only by the System interface floating in front of my eyes.

''Luxxion. Status window.''

[Displaying.]

—

[Status Window]

[Name: Perseus (Liam Han)]

[Strength: 2 Stars (10%)] – [Agility: 2 Stars (26%)]

[Endurance: 2 Stars (7%)] – [Perception: 2 Stars (14%)]

[Energy: 1 Star (38%)] – [Intelligence: 1 Star (92%)]

[Spirit: 2 Stars (89%)] – [Luck: 3 Stars (80%)]

—

Many of the stats had reached the two stars. It was beautiful to see.

Intelligence had increased drastically due to my recent studies.

Apparently, learning about things you knew nothing about helped a lot in raising your percentage.

As for the others, it was kind of self-explanatory.

Dungeons, battles, almost dying over and over again.

''Not bad...'' I said, rubbing my eyes. ''At least I'm not running in circles.''

[Your progress is consistent. Growth since returning to your world has surpassed projections. Continue at this pace and your evolution will be exponential.]

''You talk like a gym coach with AI.''

[You act like a human who doesn't know how to rest.]

''Then we're even.''

I closed the window and grabbed my phone.

Three unread messages.

[Song Hana:]

[Still on for training later? Gonna stop by the Association first. Need to renew my license.]

I simply said yes.

Having company for the daily mission was nice.

[Kang Jisoo:]

[It's confirmed. We're entering the Rank E dungeon tomorrow at 12PM. Try to sleep tonight, Liam.]

I just said ok to Jisoo's message, and sent a stupid sticker.

And finally...

[Sung Jin-Woo:]

[Thanks for today. I can't explain it... but fighting with you guys felt different. Better. If you need help before the dungeon, I'm around.]

I stared at the screen for a while.

The bluish light reflecting off the ceiling, my eyes heavy, but my heart a little lighter.

I typed quickly.

[Liam Han:]

[We've got more tomorrow. And this time, you're buying me coffee. Consider it your main mission.]

The message sent.

And with that, I threw myself into bed.

It was time for a good nap.