Roughly a week passed after my outburst, and my condo unit was as good as empty, but I didn't mind since I needed the space.

Besides, I don't want to spend money on things that will only be used for display since I am on a budget.

I was researching the current state of Vanteer with the laptop I bought. I was filling in the gaps of information I may not know since there are still a few years before the story actually happens.

If this was any other novel or world, I would be ecstatic with the amount of leeway I have, but here, the truth couldn't be further than that.

The Cleansing. An event that happened two years before the story started. It revolves around the evil organization, Pandora, making its debut in the world by massacring countless people, civilians and Mavens alike, worldwide.

Why this event started the story was because the mother of Max Hutton, the protagonist of my story, was put into a comatose state. As Max was grieving and cursing his powerless self, he awakened as a Maven.

And coincidentally, a powerful and well-known Maven was passing by and saw his potential, so he took Max in as his disciple and trained him for two years before letting him go to the prestigious academy, the Aurea Academy, where he met the other main characters.

And (un)surprisingly, his master was the director of the academy.

Pretty much everything about him was lucky, aside from his comatose mother. Maybe that's why I rained hell on him.

Anyway, that is not the point. The point is that I'm screwed.

Although I did say that I would become strong, I don't have an idea of how to accomplish that.

I could sell weapons again and become an influential figure like before, but there are two main problems with this: the market is too saturated for those types of weapons, and I don't want a target on my head again.

Don't get me wrong, I'll still be creating weapons using this world's technology, but I won't be selling them. I'll just be using them myself if the need ever arises.

Another concern is money. I have millions in my bank account, but that won't last long due to how expensive the materials are here.

My current age is the problem; jobs that children my age can apply for have low pay. The best way I got for now is through investing and trading.

I had already seen a few companies I wrote about in the story that took off really well, so I invested in them while also diversifying my investments by investing in companies I believe have potential.

For trading, I literally just created a trading bot using my experience to do this. Although I'm currently only reaping a few creds worth of profit for each successful trade, I don't mind since it'll grow at one point.

If I do want to become strong, then I have to adapt to this world and to do that, I have to become a Maven.

In this world, there is a form of energy present everywhere, especially in living things--mana, which is life energy.

This energy can be transformed and utilized by certain humans to create a supernatural phenomenon called magic. We call these people, Mavens.

The thing is that I do not know if I could even become one. There is a reason why I said 'certain humans' instead of humans in general.

The people here have a different constitution than the people on Earth. They have two additional things present in their bodies: the pruvia and meridians.

The pruvia is an organ hidden deep in the heart, which is what circulates, generates, and stores the mana. However, it doesn't generate mana on its own. In fact, it uses the mana in the surroundings to do so.

The meridians, on the other hand, are special pathways that connect the pruvia to every part of the body for the mana to circulate through. They are usually dormant but can be awakened through meditation.

Most of the people here were born with them, but not everyone can awaken them.

And, forget awakening; I don't even know if I have any of those.

I wasn't reincarnated or transmigrated since I'm sure this was my body when I was younger. So, I'm positive I was transferred here, and my physical appearance is somehow a side-effect of it.

So, I really do doubt that I have the same constitution as the people here.

However, it wouldn't hurt to confirm since anything can happen in this world.

After getting dressed, I went out of the condo and walked to the nearest hospital here.

'Why a hospital?' One may ask.

There are three reasons:

1.) Because hospitals in Vanteer usually have a department that specializes in Mavens.

2.) Because those doctors have taken a serious oath to not harm their patients since, in other places, the person examining you may screw you over.

3.) And lastly, because it's cheaper and closer.

Fortunately, the nearest hospital was within walking distance, so I arrived there within a couple of minutes.

Going in, the unchanging smell of antiseptic lingers in the air. There were people patiently waiting as they sat and nurses scurrying around with papers in their hands. Haa, this is one of the few things that never change, no matter where you are.

Walking up to the desk, I smiled as I said to the receptionist, "Good day; I know it's fairly late, but would it still be possible to make an appointment today for an examination of my physique with one of the specialized doctors?"

The receptionist was shocked, but it only lasted for a moment. She slowly nodded her head with a gentle smile as if she understood the reason. "Yes, sir, I can do that, but I need your information first."

She probably thinks it's just me being youthful or excited about the prospect of potentially becoming a Maven.

Anyway, she held out a paper that I needed to fill in, and I wrote down all the relevant information.

Since it was simply an examination, there is no need for consent or anything like that.

I gave her the paper, and she took it and began doing her work.

After she was finished, she asked, "Do you want anyone specific, or do you want to choose from our list?"

I obviously don't know any doctors in this hospital, or any hospital for that matter, so I chose the latter. "I'd like to choose."

"Alright." She took out a transparent tablet and handed it to me. "Just filter out what qualifications you want for your doctor, then simply select."

I went to grab a seat and turned the tablet on. The functions of the tablet were pretty much the same as the ones on Earth, so it wasn't hard to use it.

A structured list of doctors and their information appeared.

"Hmm." I nodded my head as I went through the list. As I expected, I have no idea who they are, so I don't know to what extent their capabilities lie.

So, I simply filtered out the list until someone caught my eye.

About five minutes have passed by, and I still haven't found a single good doctor.

Of course, that's not to say that the doctors aren't qualified or anything for that matter. As a matter of fact, they are more than qualified. It's just that those doctors don't really impress me with what they've done over their years as doctors.

Now that I think about it, do I really need someone that qualified? I forgot that these doctors don't have much to their names because they were minor background characters.

Besides, my purpose wasn't to find a doctor that suited my qualifications but to get examined, so there's really no need for that.

I went through the list one last time to see if I missed anyone.

Just as I was about to go back and choose a random doctor, a familiar name entered my vision, making my eyes widen as a smile started to form.

I tapped on her profile and read through her information, and the more I did, the more my smile began to widen.

"Haha… I didn't think she would work as a doctor here!" I swept my hand through my hair as I said in disbelief.

The name was Dr. Sophia Hodges.

In the story, Sophia wasn't a doctor but a prodigy scientist and researcher that took the world by storm at the young age of 29.

Although her character was introduced somewhere in the middle, her existence was as strong as the main supporting cast.

Even presidents and guildmasters would have to respect her!

What did she do that would make her widely respected?

Well, it is said that no matter how hard you train, no matter how much effort you put in, you can never achieve 100% of your full potential as a Maven.

The reason for this may vary; it may be because of an illness, it may be because of a disability, it may be because you've reached your limits, and it may even be because of bad luck.

The point was that achieving 100% of your potential was impossible.

Until Sophia managed to research a way that could allow Mavens to unlock that 100%.

Well, in theory, at least. She was only able to unlock up to 90% of one's potential, and she deduced that the remaining 10% would exponentially make a Maven stronger than before. However, she never got to complete it.

However, even so, unlocking 90% of the Maven's potential was already a shocking feat, and the difference between the strengths of one who hasn't much unlocked their potential and one who has unlocked 90% of their potential was as different as night and day; the differences in strength was just so huge.

Hence, because of her discovery, she became a world-renowned scientist and researcher.

And now, that prodigy woman is here?

And working as a doctor, no less?

I would be the world's biggest fool to let the opportunity of making connections with her slip by!

I went up to the desk and showed the screen to the receptionist as I said, "I want her: Dr. Sophia Hodges."

*****
***
*

I was sitting shirtless in the office of Soph—I mean, Dr. Sophia Hodges.

She was currently behind me with her hands rubbing all over my back, and it felt good, not in a perverted way, of course!

Every time her hands pressed on my back with slight pressure, I could feel a cooling yet warm sensation radiating off it. That's what made it feel good, I promise!

Anyway, she could become a professional masseuse if she wishes with how good it feels.

As her creator, would it be conceited for me to say that I'm a huge fan of her? Because I really am!

However, dousing myself in cold water was the fact that I didn't understand why she was working as a doctor and not a scientist. Then again, I am living in a time before the story has happened.

She's currently in her early to mid-20s, so there's still time before she actually becomes the prodigy scientist that I wrote.

Disrupting me from my thoughts was Sophia as she stopped rubbing my back and sat in front of me.

She had long and slightly messy black hair and amethyst-colored eyes. She wore the standard uniforms for doctors—a light blue short-sleeved scrub and pants with a white coat worn over the top.

She looked at me with a solemn expression. Clearly, she has bad news.

"Sir Bennett," she sighed softly. "It seems that you don't have much chance, if any really, to become a Maven…"

Hmm, it's just as I expected.

Honestly, it would've been more surprising if I could.

However, what she said next completely shocked me.

"You have a condition where your meridians are too narrow that it wouldn't be able to properly circulate through your body," she said.

…I have meridians? Seriously, I have it?! Holy crap, I can't believe it!

That means I can use magic!

Yes, I did hear what she said next about my meridians being narrow, but the point was that I have meridians.

However, she wasn't yet finished as she continued on, "Although, surprisingly, you are a Fragmentary Maven, just barely thought."

And the good news keeps coming!

Specifically, there are two categories of Mavens: Fragmentary Mavens and Total Mavens.

Fragmentary Mavens are individuals who aren't yet complete with their awakening, while Total Mavens are those that are fully awakened.

The most prominent difference between the two would be prowess.

Being a Fragmentary Maven, you are not able to manifest or release the mana in you, so it's just stuck in your body. However, the mana circulating throughout your body makes your physical capabilities—like strength, endurance, agility, and power—stronger than the average human.

For reference, the weakest Fragmentary Maven would have the same physical capabilities as the strongest person on Earth.

However, being a Total Maven, or simply Maven, is an entirely different experience. They are obviously fully awakened, so they can manifest their mana into their magic, which can be used to attack or defend. They also have the same physical capabilities as the Fragmentary Mavens, if not even stronger.

Haha! So not only do I have meridians, regardless of how inadequate it is, but I also am a Fragmentary Maven?!

I'm genuinely at a loss for words. Though I did come here to get examined for any potential of becoming a Maven, I didn't get my hopes up.

After all, if you never get your hopes up, then you'll never be disappointed.

But why, though?

Why am I a Maven? I tried to think of several logical scenarios, but none of them were viable.

But whatever the reason is, it won't change the fact that I can use magic.

I took one deep breath to calm myself down. Let's not get ahead of ourselves; yes, I am a Maven, but just barely, as my meridians are narrow enough that my mana can't pass through.

However, I have not really done anything that proves that I'm a Fragmentary Maven, so I told her about my doubts about it.

She contemplated for a while before grabbing a cylinder-like object from her drawer and handing it to me. "This is a device that is only meant to be crushed by Mavens. Try it out. Just hold it, wait for the sting, then do your best to crush it."

I first tried crushing it normally, but it was hard as steel; not even a dent was made. I followed her instructions, and after I felt a pricking sensation on my fingertips, I put force on my grip, and I was able to crush it like a can of soda.

She walked up to me with a smile. "See? You are a Fragmentary Maven. Your body just isn't aware of that, so it's unconsciously capping your strength, so all it really needs is a visual confirmation of that. And that's what this device is for."

"Wow." I am genuinely impressed. So, I guess it's not all bad.

It would be really cool if my meridians were narrow because I somehow got this hidden potential or magic in me. So to create balance, my meridians became like this. However, who am I kidding?

I'm not Max; I'm no protagonist.

Despite the endless possibilities present in this world, there isn't any cure for my type of condition.

Although there were 'remedies' from certain 'doctors,' I didn't really want to risk my life just because some guy said it could. Or at least, there isn't a remedy that would work long-term.

However, I'm not worried at all since I have already thought of a temporary fix for it.

Though curing my condition is out of the question, I could still change the nature of my mana, specifically its power.

After all, Sophia said that the mana in me still flows through my meridians, which means that my pruvia works fine, albeit only a small amount of mana circulates throughout my body.

Why is it important?

I 'muttered,' "What if… the power of my mana is strong enough to the point that even if a small portion of it gets released, my magic would be just like every other Maven's magic?"

Sophia's eyes widened, then went into a trance as she muttered incoherent words. Right now, she should be formulating my hypothesis in her mind.

I'm sorry, but I'll be taking advantage of your habits.

She eventually said, "Theoretically… it would work, but the power of the mana needs to be several times stronger than the average Maven just to have their level of power..."

Nice! I just needed to hear a positive response from Sophia. Anything else was irrelevant to what I was about to do.

Just thinking about it makes me excited!

"Thanks, doc!" I hurriedly hugged her, which made her stiff, but I couldn't possibly care for that right now, as I had gone out in a rush.

A few seconds later, I could hear her yelling out in the corridors.

"No! Sir Bennett, you must realize that the trade-off isn't worth it. Sir. Sir!"

*****
***
*

"Oh, my god…" Sophia slouched against her office chair and sighed deeply. "I'm gonna get fired."

"No, let's stay calm. He's a kid. He can't possibly do much, right? Right?" She asked no one in particular. "Oh, no. I hope not."

As she was contemplating her life decisions, the phone on her desk vibrated. She picked it up, and her demeanor immediately changed.