Chapter 121 -- Spinal Research

Zane concentrated some mana into his index finger and touched Owen's forehead. Owen's eyes were moving following Zane's finger, even though he couldn't communicate, it wasn't hard to see that he was hopeful that his son might help him.

Zane furrowed his brows as he noticed the mana refuse to enter Owen's body. Panic started to overwhelm Zane as his breathing quickened.

<<Calm down Zane>> Alex said.

<<Try to change that sliver into healing mana, it's still pure>>

'But healing mana would just dissipate when it fails to find an injury in his body' Zane said, even his mental voice was worried.

<<Not if you influence it not to>>

'What?'

<<You can move the world's energy to your will. You also own mana even better. What I'm saying is, change that part of into healing but order it act like world or pure in body>>

Zane understood what Alex was talking about, however he wasn't sure if he could accomplish something like that. Healing mana was meant for healing and it's first instinct would be to find and cure an injury.

Without finding an injury, the mana would just dissipate and disappear. Forcing healing mana to stay in a body without an injury was like trying to make fire freeze.

<<Zane this is just like a mage using an element they aren't attuned with, Like fire forcing his mana to turn into water, force your healing behave pure mana.>>

"Is something wrong?" Olivia asked after seeing Zane stop moving for a couple of seconds.

"It's nothing mother, I was just thinking about something" Zane said.

He then put his finger on Owen's forehead again and changed the mana in his finger into healing mana before injecting it into Owen's head.

As soon as the healing mana left Zane's body, it dissipated and disappeared before Zane could even alter it's properties.

<<Use more mana, so that you can take control before it completely disappears>>

Zane nodded at Alex's words and changed the mana occupying his entire arm into healing mana. He then injected it while at the same time trying his best to stop it from dissipating.

Eventually he managed to stop the mana from disappearing when only one percent of it was left. Zane sighed in relief but couldn't lose focus. One moment of distraction and he would lose the little healing mana he had control of.

Zane then closed his eyes and used the mana to scan all around Owen's body, starting from the head, he moved all around the skeletal, muscular, nervous, and even the digestive system, however he still couldn't find anything wrong with Owen.

The strain of forcing healing mana to stay in a seemingly healthy body was taking it's toll on Zane as beads of sweat started to appear on his forehead, however he couldn't just give up.

<<No offense Zane, but your father is paralyzed. Why the fuck are you busy with his stomach?>> Alex said.

Zane would have slapped his own face but he couldn't risk losing concentration.

Immediately, the sliver of mana he was using to scan Owen's body moved from his intestines to his spine and the nerves in and around the spine.

Over the next thirty minutes, Zane looked all around the spine, going up and down, however he still couldn't find anything wrong with his father. Tears unknowingly started to condense in his eyes.

<<Zane you need to rest>>

'Not until my father is walking again' Zane answered with determination.

"Zane you need to rest"

"I said not until my father is walking again" Zane almost shouted, causing him to almost lose concentration.

"Listen to your mother Zane, I don't think you're doing anything helpful right now" Cora said, she was watching from the door the entire time.

Zane sighed and let go of the mana, causing it to dissipate. "You will try again, first take a bath" Olivia smiled.

It was then that Zane felt how wet he was from the sweat. Nodding to his mother he went to their bathroom and took a basin of water before returning to the room housing his father.

"Cora, warm water if you don't mind" Zane asked. Cora nodded and filled the basin with water before heating it up with fire magic.

Cora might be an earth mage, but something as simple as conjuring and warming water was nothing for a rank five Mage.

"Thanks" Zane smiled before returning to the bathroom.

"So, how did you two meet?" Zane heard Olivia ask, unfortunately Zane wasn't in the mood to straighten things out. If Cora didn't do it then so be it.

Zane removed his clothes and got into the basin (which was now too small for him) before slowly bathing. Half an hour later, he washed the Willer family uniform and went to hang it outside.

Now wearing a pair of grey pants and a white cloth shirt, Zane sat at the kitchen table.

<<Zane i was thinking of something>>

'Does it have something to do with my father?'

<<Of course>>

'Speak'

<<You're not paralyzed right?>>

'Last time i checked, yeah'

<<So that means your spine is in perfect condition and there isn't anything wrong with you>>

'What does that have to do with...Of course!!.' Zane had a lightbulb moment.

'What if I'm not finding anything wrong with father because i don't know what to look for!?' he thought.

<<Exactly, you need to know how a healthy body looks like for what defective one>>

'Alex you're a genius!'

<<Wait so you mean didn't know!?>>

Zane ignored his smug AI as he used his mana to check his own spine. Since it was his own body, Zane didn't need to move mana around his spine. He could just use the mana already residing there, making the whole thing much easier.

Zane spent an entire hour memorizing everything about the human spine, the shape of the bones, the ligaments, the nerves etc. It was to the point that Zane was confident in making a spine from scratch.

He then quickly made his way to the room and found his mother and Cora talking about something. Even Owen's eyes were looking in their direction, signaling that he was also listening to the conversation.

When Zane entered, Olivia stopped talking and Cora was looking at Zane, she seemed to be suppressing a laugh. Zane didn't have the time to wonder what was going on, the spine image in his head was still fresh and he wanted it to stay that way until his father was walking.

Zane quickly put his finger on Owen's head and transferred the sliver into his spine. It was way easier to take control of the mana this time around.

Zane once again began his rounds of Owen's spine and it didn't take long for him to find the problem.

In the region of the spine found behind his neck was a fragment of bone the size of a pinhead. This tiny bone fragment normally wouldn't be a problem, however this time it was in the way of a very important nerve responsible for sending messages from the brain to the body.