021 Your Mana...Its So Small

The striking of Otto's hammer echoed in the background as I held the book up to my chest. I closed my eyes willing for the sound to be drowned. It didn't take much effort thankfully and soon it melted away, blending itself with the background and becoming nothing.

I needed to have complete focus for the next step. To acquire the essence of magic from these books. It was not as easy of a task as anyone made it out to be.

In truth being able to use any sort of magic is incredibly rare and difficult here in Luna.

The Pure Magician Class that Ventus belongs to is an endangered species. Being able to actually manipulate the mana within oneself is a skill that you're either born with naturally or pick up after many innumerable failed attempts.

If you were going down the secondary route and attempting to obtain the skill, you needed to invest months of your life to training. After that In order to find out know if you succeed and not wasted your time, you would just need to get a magical tome.

One can learn magic from books like these but the process of obtaining the magic within them is what hinders and halts most who attempt it.

There is magic essence is sealed within the book. In order to extract it, one would have to focus their mana and gently flow it from their body and pour it into the book.

It's almost like if you were enticing a fish with bait. The concept is the same, you're attempting to attract the essence using your mana.

Slowly you use your mana to draw out the magical essence residing within. Visualize the gentle spread of your mana within this domain.

It takes patience but you have to allow the essence to naturally be drawn to your mana. If you force the connection then the essence becomes useless as it transforms itself into your mana.

You have to allow it to not become one. Instead maintain it as two working like one.

Once the essence draws near your mana slowly increase the flow of your mana. Pour more of it out to completely surround it. Encapsulate it without overwhelming it.

Finally drag it back within you. Will the mana to move and be brought back.

If one succeeded then they should be able to get-

[Success. Magic: Light Essence Acquired]

A notice from the system.

I smiled. After years of manipulating mana and fighting through all these floors with both sword and magic, this came too easy.

I put the book down with a grin.

"One down Ven let's keep going."

With another book already in hand I continued and repeated the process until all the magical essences within the tomes had been absorbed. It was a surprisingly tedious labor but now it's been accomplished.

Ven looked at me after the job had been done.

"So what are you going to make now that you have all the basic magic?"

"Well I honestly need a combination of support and offensive magic. So I'll jump in the pool somewhere there."

"Is there anything I can do to help?

I nodded.

"Actually there is, I need you to cut me."

Ventus was so surprised at my words that she fell backwards.

"What did you just say!?"

She recovered her composure.

"I need you to cut me."

"Why!?"

"Well a big part of spell crafting resides in the will of the user right?"

She nodded.

"I'm going To be making extra powerful healing magic. We didn't buy any health potions just Mana ones when we went to the market. This means that In order to cover all our bases, healing magic is required. For the best results I need to be injured so that my will can truly be passed on into the spell."

"Ok I understand that well enough I guess but what am I to cut you with. I don't have a blade of any kind."

"Oh that's an easy fix don't worry about it."

I turned and yelled at Otto.

"Hey old man Ven needs to borrow a blade!"

He pointed to the massive room of his prized weapons, without verbalizing his response he continued on with his work.

"See not a problem. Go and choose something you feel comfortable with."

Ventus left and came back in a matter of moments. She was holding a very elegant dagger.

The blade almost looked like a feather. Delicate yet captivating. It's green hilt was decorated with several gemstone and was bound with black leather strips on the handle.

She approached me.

"So ummm, where should-I mean how do you want me to-"

I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Ven calm down it's ok, just slash me across my back."

I turned away from her to expose my entire back.

"And you are positive this is what you want? Are you completely sure about this?"

Her hesitation began to exasperate me.

"Yes I assure you tha-Ahhhhhhhh!"

She slashed away at my back fiercely before I had readied myself. I fell to the floor in agony. Blood blossomed across the new injury and began to flow onto the floor.

"Ven!!!! I wasn't ready!!"

"You told me to though..."

"I did but I hadn't readied myself...never mind."

In the background Otto's perverse laugh echoed through my eardrums.

The searing pain was beginning to spread throughout my back. She had cut me vertically from my shoulder all the way down to my hip.

Blood was pouring out at an impressive rate. My heart began to beat harder and faster which was not helping the situation.

Focus. I needed to focus. It was a battle against the pain. I tried to stand up but that would just introduce new waves of pain. Anytime I would gain an advantage a wave of searing heat would come forth and shake me. It was a strenuous mental battle but eventually I overcame and stood back on my feet.

Clasping my hands together I began to move the mana within me. Allowing it to circulate for a bit before gathering it on my back.

I could feel it start to spread and cover the wound.

This was good. Slowly I began to introduce the basic magical essences to it.

Fire to help seal the wound.

Ice to numb the pain.

Life magic to restore.

These were set as the foundation. I let them freely roam through the injury. Slowly the pain that had been antagonizing me, was starting to dissipate.

Good. This is good. I thought to myself.

Now for the next step, I had to pass on my will.

This is going to become the invocation or chant required to activate this particular healing spell.

With all the focus I could muster I began.

"Beaten and marred was the past. As I float stagnant in the present I turn towards the future to obtain constant renewal. Essence of Life restore me!"

Instantly I could feel everything come together as one. The three essences along with my mana overwhelmed my back and completely removed any pain that was there.

A brilliant light had shown forth and illuminated my injury. It's soft and gentle glow blew away all pain and damage until there was none remaining.

PIINNG

I smiled at the notice from the system. It was further confirmation that I had succeeded.

[Healing Spell Created]

[Essence Renewal] [Rarity-B]

The will of the caster is invoked to restore injuries.

Will heal 30% of Max Health

"Wow. I didn't expect that."

"What's going on?"

Ventus was quick with worry.

"Well either I'm out of touch with spell crafting or my mana seems to be lacking."

A confused look spread throughout her face.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well the spell is not as strong as I thought it would be..."

"But it worked right?"

"Yes."

"Then it's fine."

"I mean yes but no! I know I can do better than this..right?"

I was heavily perplexed. I did everything right, why wasn't the spell stronger? The only thing that came to mind was that either my mana stat was not high enough or I didn't properly pass on enough of my will.

Which could it have been? Given the situation I was in, it had to have been the lower mana value right? I mean I was physically wounded for crying out loud!

Let's experiment a bit more maybe I will find out what's going on.

Hours passed by as I furiously continued my spell crafting.

I gained a number of offensive spells but the strength range seemed to stay at or below B level rarity.

No matter how much resolve I poured in, I could not get it to go higher.

In the end I guess it was my mana stat?

I had even opened my menu and finally allocated all 90 stat points towards it. The change to the actual strength of the spells I was making was not very drastic at all.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

With an exasperated breath I threw myself onto the floor. I was too tired and frustrated to continue.

Ven looked at me in a mocking manner. At first she had been encouraging but somewhere along the line she became bored. Ventus had started teasing me, saying that it was more entertaining to do so than to figure out new ways to encourage.

"What happened? I thought you were the best there was? Didn't you say that you were the strongest player in all of Luna?"

I couldn't help but get angry at that remark.

"You know, I know you're goading me right now."

"Oh do you? Well what are you gonna do about it."

Her voice was rich with a condescending tone.

"Lay here on the floor and hate you for goading me."

"But is it working?"

"Yes it's working! Ugh!"

I slowly got back up with newfound determination. Willing all fatigue to disappear.

It was clear that my mana value was too low for proper crafting so what could I do?

Otto's hammer strikes echoed again and again. Getting louder and louder as they resonated and overlapped with each other. The ringing made it impossible to focus.

It started to bother me and I was about to tell him to stop striking so hard when inspiration hit.

I quickly turned to Ven and I began to speak using the most deep and serious voice I could muster.

Her jaw dropped and face turned the brightest red when she heard my request.

"Let's do this right this time. I think I finally figured out how to overcome my limits. Ventus come over here I need your body and I need it now!"