Nature

Professor Supyan's explanation surprised the recruits. Humans didn't go past the element when they studied the mana. Instead, the Niqols considered features that the Global Army didn't even bother to mention in its lessons. Khan wasn't even sure whether his species believed them to affect the behavior of that energy.

Some of the recruits were skeptical about the whole matter. Humans knew that the Niqols had a deeper understanding of mana, but there was a limit to how much those features could affect the actual functioning of that energy. 

The Global Army had achieved wonders without bothering to consider those features. The teleports, the synthetic mana, and the synthetic cores were only some of the many incredible creations accomplished with that energy. The Niqols appeared unable to match those feats with their spiritual methods, which made some humans underestimate the test.