Chapter 29: Cultivating

Krizel and Josh entered the training ground. The first thing they saw, just like before, was the sci-fi-like miniature of the building that serves as a map and floor assignment of the building. They were instructed at their last meeting on Friday last week that they will be holding another class discussion in the gymnasium in the center.

They sat on one of the benches on the sides of the basketball court-like venue. Rico was standing in the middle and was looking at students.

"It seems that most of you are already here. Then I will make things short so you can proceed to borrow rooms for training."

"Our agenda for today is cultivating. Or in other words, increasing your magic presence reserve and your spells prowess."

"What's the easiest way to cultivate?" Rico asked with his right hand in 'check-mark position' holding his chin.

A student raised her hand and when she saw Rico nodded she said, "Sir, it's by exhausting mana from magic presence reserve and pouring it into marks."

"That's right. Just pour mana into your marks. It's the safest way possible. By using this method, only half of the mana you poured into your mark will be consumed and half of it will be recovered into your magic presence reserve."

"Remember this! In this society, having half of your whole magic presence reserved at all times is of utmost importance. You will never know when you will need to fight."

"What is the fastest way?" Rico then asked again, now his right index finger tapping the side of his head gesturing his students to think.

Josh, although shy but with his earlier accomplishment of understanding half of Luigi's lecture, tried raising his hand.

Rico looked at the raised hand and nodded at Josh.

"Uh-uhm… it's to exhaust mana by using spells, since only by using spells will mana get siphoned easily to our marks. But without spells, the mana that goes in my mark just flows very slowly…"

"You have already gotten your wind spells? Oh well, it's about a week already, so you should have it already by this time. But, CORRECT. Using spells is the fastest way to cultivate."

"But in your case, young ones, doing it with a spell is just a little advantage, since you still can't cast your spells without having any wasted mana expelled in the environment from the process."

"The same goes for me, using my newest healing spell continuously is not much better compared to just exhausting my mana in my mark. But I still do it. Why? To PRACTICE, OF COURSE!"

"But what if I tell you there's a faster way to cultivate compared to what I said 'fastest' which is using spell?"

"Maybe I should call it 'fastester'" Rico said while rubbing his chin.

"But it's too early for you to do this. It's by absorbing mana from dead magical beasts or treasures." Rico said with his eyes narrowed toward the students.

"And when I said magical beasts, it includes us, humans… And by magical beasts' perspective, our magic presence, it is much easier to absorb compared to other species'."

"BUT, if I just ever heard that one of you suddenly became a maniac killing other humans for their cultivation… Let's just say that I'll put your genitals in your forehead and make it so that you will live like a monster in your whole life with my healing element. I can also request for eternal torture punishment through the government…" Rico said, now his voice is deep with a hint of anger residing in it.

The students in front of Rico visibly trembled upon the words they heard and the anger that Rico is showing subtlely.

When Rico saw this he sighed and said, "Haaa… I'm sorry. I think I got emotional again."

And, just like reprimanding himself, Rico closed his eyes and muttered inaudibly, "Rico, you're now a teacher. A teacher for god's sake, don't scare children too much."

He looked again at the students and seeing that it will be awkward to continue teaching, he said,

"Okay, go to the receptionist and ask for the second floor's rooms for the starters. I will go to the control room to supervise everyone."

He left the auditorium.

…

Josh and Krizel entered the room assigned to them with a little scared looked on their faces.

"What do you think is the best way to cultivate?" Krizel asked Josh with her hands on her hips, like that of models.

"I think using spells…"

"You think so? Isn't killing beasts better? You get to pour mana in your mark while using spells, and also absorb the beast's mana afterward"

"Well, it's definitely the 'bestester', but just like Sir Rico said, in might not be I who consumes, but the other party…" Josh said while rubbing his chin, mimicking Rico, to somehow lighten the tense mood they both have.

"Hahahaha~ What's that! You're hilarious~" Krizel laughed freely while holding her stomach.

'I wanna hug him.' She thought… semi consciously.

"But yeah, for me, without kidding, it would actually be the best to practice spells and cultivate at the same time… well, if I have no agenda for the day," Josh said.

Then he continued, "But if I have things to do, then I will just pour mana to my mark gradually improving it by at least little by little."