The Witch Hunter System
chapter-417

"Now, hold on a minute!" Solana suddenly interrupted with an exasperated look and asked, "Why do I feel we are skipping over something significant here? What do you mean by exploiting the knowledge of reincarnators?"

"I thought they were just rumors. Please clarify this, Headmaster Astoria," Solana requested, feeling very intrigued and curious.

"Well, it's just as I said, reincarnators exist; people with memories of their past lives are hidden among us, Lady Solana," Astoria replied.

"I might have made a bold assumption about the Holy Knight Empire exploiting the knowledge of reincarnators, but if you think about it, it all makes sense. Think about it; before Gehenna appeared, the Holy Knight Empire was just one of many other smaller kingdoms on Pangea."

"However, the Holy Knight Empire suddenly made leaps and bounds in their advancement of martial arts, allowing them to dominate other kingdoms in battle. Now that mana exists, their martial arts must have evolved and become even more powerful. There's no other plausible explanation besides exploiting the knowledge of reincarnators."

"There were a few self-proclaimed reincarnators during the time I lived in the Holy Knight Empire. Although it was said that they were killed for offending bigshots, that might not have been the case after all," Astoria stated.

Even if the reincarnators back then were killed, it didn't change the fact that there were still more hidden reincarnators in the world.

"Great. So, we are not facing an enormous army that isn't just stronger and better equipped but also more skilled in combat," Silvaria said pessimistically before asking again, "How are we supposed to win?"

Although she had witnessed Vaan's strength, she doubted it was inexhaustible. As such, she didn't believe he could singlehandedly carry them to victory.

"I believe Vaan has a plan for us," Dahlia stated, directing everyone's attention toward him.

"We will have better equipment, magic tools, and weapons of war; my associates are producing them as we speak. The bigger issue is the difference in raw power," Vaan calmly stated before mentioning, "I have devised a mana utilization method for witches to test."

"If it works as I have theorized, it should grant witches physical capabilities similar to aura users and their aura," Vaan added.

"That sounds incredible, Sir Vahn," Silvaria acknowledged before asking, "But how would learning such a mana utilization method make up for the difference in power and numbers?"

"It won't," Vaan cooly admitted. "However, it will greatly cut down your mana expenditure and increase your survivability chance in battle at the very least."

"For example, you won't have to expend mana conjuring a sturdy earthen wall to block an attack when a single sword or shield backed with enhanced physical strength could do the same time."

"Furthermore, you don't have to waste time casting the defensive spells," Vaan added.

"I feel like this mana utilization method will greatly benefit me," Astoria commented with a thoughtful look, considering her physical strength was already high.

If she could convert mana into additional physical strength, according to Vaan's description, her physical prowess would surpass her magic power once more.

"Let us hope so," Vaan nodded.

After everything that was said and done, it was still a newly-devised mana utilization method that had yet to be tested. As a result, the reality of its effects could differ from the theory.

"I will teach this mana utilization method to Astoria first. The theory isn't complex, but its application won't be easy. Furthermore, it requires a good understanding of the body's internal structure," Vaan stated.

Considering Astoria's body was well-trained compared to everyone else, there was no better candidate than her to test the mana utilization method.

"Alright," Astoria readily agreed with a nod, feeling a sense of anticipation. "What do I need to do?"

Shortly after, Vaan pointed out the twelve main channels in her body and the sequence in which to circulate mana.

Astoria spent ten minutes memorizing the main channels and circulation sequence by heart before she was ready to put it into practice.

Vaan had warned her that a mistake in the circulation method could result in serious internal injuries. As such, Astoria made sure she fully understood the mana utilization method before she actually practiced it.

At the same time, she understood why she had to be the first candidate to test it; there wasn't anyone more appropriate for the task than her.

If there were, it would have been Solana, who had trained her body and swordsmanship for a couple of years after losing her magic.

"Well, here goes nothing," Astoria uttered after moving to an open space and taking a deep breath.

Shortly after, she controlled a portion of mana and circulated them through her blood channels according to the specific sequence. It was like she had practiced the mana utilization method dozens of times in her mind.

At first, she didn't feel any changes in her body despite the mana circulation. But after she completed a couple of cycles and increased her circulation speed, she immediately felt the effect.

At the same time, the astonishment that appeared on Astoria's face quickly told everyone that the mana utilization method was working.

"Don't lose focus," Vaan solemnly warned.

"Mm," Astoria noted.

As she continued to increase her mana circulation speed, her physical power rose like she was pumping blood through her body and experiencing an adrenaline rush.

However, the effect was much more prominent and sophisticated than the simple physical enhancement magic she had been using.

Astoria suddenly threw a strong punch at the empty air in front of her without a second thought.

Boom!

The raw physical force behind her punch caused a powerful surge of air to slam against the wall and blast it open, leaving behind a gaping hole.

"Oi…" Solana hollered, looking at the destruction of her home.

"My bad, Lady Solana. I'll fix it later," Astoria apologized after recognizing her mistake. Even so, she immediately noticed a problem. "The mana is circulating too fast. How should I put an end to it?"

"Try picking an exit point in your fist and expelling it as a magical attack with your Specialized Magic," Vaan suggested before quickly adding, "But do it outside and aim for the empty sky."

"Alright." Astoria acknowledged.

Due to the mana veins in her arms, it was easy to follow Vaan's instructions and guide the high-speed to her fist as she threw out another punch.

Rumble…!

A massive fist of light surged into the sky with lightning speed, causing the ground to quake under the might of its thrusting force as it took off like a giant rocket launching into outer space.

Solana and the others were all stunned by the power behind the giant fist of light for a long time before their minds eventually snapped back to reality.

"W-What the fuck was that?! The power behind that magical attack was definitely not something a Mid-stage High Witch could have produced normally!" Silvaria exclaimed with sheer disbelief.

The physical strength enhancement was already incredible enough, but the power of the magic attack was on a whole other level of insanity.

"Right? That was like a supercharged magic spell. It must be comparable to the attack of a Late-stage High Witch!" Hester chimed incredulously.