First Time (1)

With nothing else to do after checking his status window, Ellis recalled that his mental strength was fully restored after using two chance of healing. Now back in top shape, he could easily practice mana sensing and circulation.

After taking some time to calm and focus his mind, Ellis crossed his legs to get more into position. Activating the mana sensing skill, he carefully looked through his body, catching the presence of mana within him. He then began to move it using only his mental strength, without relying on the Mana Circulation skill.

It didn't take much time before something changed. While circulating the mana within him, he suddenly sensed something new. Previously, he could only feel the mana inside his body, but now he could sense the mana in the air around him as well.

Although its presence was much fainter, he still felt that it would open many new paths before him.

He tried to concentrate more on the outside mana, and just activated the skill Mana Circulation, so it could work on its own.

As he felt his mental strength dwindling, he didn't care and continued to focus his mind on the surrounding mana, trying to extend his reach, the distance he could feel the mana off. However, he failed miserably.

Persisting in his efforts but still not achieving the desired results, he decided to change his approach.

As he was now concentrating on sensing every trace of mana possible, he decided to let go and tried to just let his perception extend in every direction.

Perhaps it was the right approach, because when he let go, something really did change. His reach, which had been limited to just half a meter around his body, suddenly extended to nearly the entire room. Now, not only could he sense the mana, but he could also detect his surroundings, though somewhat blurry.

Nonetheless, it was progress, and it made him happy. And he realized this new-found ability could be useful in many ways, one of which using it in battle, and another in avoiding ambushes. He could even discover other uses for it later on.

After persistently using and training his skills, Ellis finally felt a bit tired and noticed his mental strength was somewhat depleted. He stopped, and finally opened his eyes.

[Your skill Mana Circulation has become Lv.5]

[Your skill Mana Circulation has become Lv.6]

[Your skill Mana sense has become Lv.10]

[Your skill Mana sense has become Lv.11]

[You have learned the skill Basic Detection Lv.1]

[Your skill Basic Detection has become Lv.2]

[Your skill Basic Detection has become Lv.3]

[Your skill Mana sense has become Lv.12]

[Your skill Meditation has become Lv.4]

[Your skill Mana Circulation has become Lv.7]

Looking at the system messages before him, and reading them carefully, Ellis immediately understood what had happened. His Mana Sense skill, which he had originally thought was only for sensing the mana within him, had changed. Now, at level ten, it was also capable of sensing the mana around him.

As he persisted in using it, the level of his Mana Sense skill increased. However, the important point comes next, the Basic Detection skill. He likely acquired it because he shifted his focus from the core function of Mana Sense to just expanding his perception, making a new skill in the end.

Ellis couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness, especially knowing how useful this new skill was. Like despite focusing on what he thought were his otherwise useless? ordinary skills, he had managed to develop something valuable.

Then feeling a bit stiff, Ellis stood up and stretched a little,

"Knock, knock."

But suddenly, Ellis heard a knock on the door. Thinking it might be his mother like yesterday, he went to the door and opened it.

Standing outside the door was not his mother but his sister. With a touch of makeup adorning her face, and while she didn't change her clothes still wearing sweatpants and a tank top with thin straps.

Her small mouth, with its pink lips, appeared more delectable. Her sky-blue eyes, hiding some shyness behind them, had a seductive quality under the faint light. Then the slight flutter of her eyelashes added an extra touch of allure to the scene.

Perhaps because he was a bit mesmerized by her appearance, and even more by her presence now, Ellis stood still in silence for a moment, but Clara, while still feeling somewhat nervous thinking of what she came to do, said.

"Can I come in?"

Snapping him out of his reverie, Ellis quickly agreed and said,

"O-of course."

Moving to the side a little to create a more dramatic entrance for her, his sister stepped in and entered. She paused briefly, glancing between his desk chair and the bed before quickly making her way to the bed and sitting down on it.

Clara felt her nervousness rise slightly as she saw her brother close the door and sit down next to her. However, her anxiety eased a bit when he gently held her hand and began to massage it while looking into her eyes, seemingly waiting for her to speak.

She felt herself calming down. Then as she remembered the events of the day, After what happened during their raid at the dungeon, and the little argument they had. She remembered how she had resolved herself, to embrace her feelings and advance her relationship with her brother, not wanting her mother to get ahead of her.

However, there were still some doubts lingering in the back of her mind. And that last doubt had vanished after speaking with her mother. She herself who had always tried to make excuses for their relationship, and this time, also tried to shift the blame to her mother, accusing her of disrupting their relationship. Clara even recognized the jealousy burning inside her.

But her mother's strong reply and how she acknowledged that their relationship was wrong, yet still went ahead with her decision, to pursue her happiness, that stance opened her eyes, and for the first time she felt herself even more weaker that her supposedly weak mother.