Chapter 277: The Preparation

[Gritonnia Academy]

Time passed by quickly ever since the second half of the final semester had started. During this time aside from the students below 3rd years who are leisurely having fun and enjoying their academy life, all the 3rd year students from each section from the Alpha Class to the Eta Class, are heavily invested into preparing for the final practical exam that will be the final requirement for them to graduate from this academy.

All they know is what type of an exam it is, however it's mechanic and goal for the exam are still being held off till the day of the exam itself. Since no one knows what it was, not even the crown prince from the Alpha Class, everyone then had no choice but to prepare thoroughly in order to graduate and not embarrass their respective family's reputation.

This time, Shun had only two jobs till the start of the exam. Studying his lessons and preparing for the 1 month long practical exam. With it he goes to the library in the day and spends the night practicing and accomplishing some feats worthy to monopolize wukong's achievement. Unfortunately he is hard stuck on the ki control which he needed to attain in order to recreate the scene of wukong becoming a Taoist or cultivator.

Since mana itself is similar to ki which is only less profound, Shun has no problem in acquiring ki through the use of his mana. Unfortunately his ki itself is disruptive with nowhere to go or direction it should head. If Ki is like a neatly compiled files, mana on the other hand is like a messy file left alone in the working desk. Even though they are the same, it's principle and fundamentals are quite different.

"Hey!"

"Hmm?"

"You look exhausted, what's up?"

In that moment due to Shun being both tired physically and mentally, Sephiria just couldn't help be worried, whether he was getting enough rest from the pressure of the upcoming practical test. After all the pressure for this test was an all time high as it was incomparable to the six academies competition held between 2nd years.

With the whole new level of pressure, one just can't afford to laze away even if one wanted to.

"Yeah? Yeah! I'm really tired tho"

"Cant you atleast take a rest? You know, a break"

"I really wanted to, but I also have something to do... Akito and Lorius are getting stronger way faster than I do, so in order to contend against them on equal grounds, I need to get stronger too"

"But your plenty strong tho"

"Not strong enough"

"Well what are you learning to get stronger?"

"... Ki control"

"Ki control?"

Naturally faced with this, Shun had to explain to her what ki control is. Ki control, often associated with martial arts and various forms of energy manipulation, involves harnessing and directing one's internal energy, known as "ki" or "chi." It's a concept found in various Asian traditions, including Chinese qigong, Japanese martial arts like Aikido and Karate, and practices like yoga. Practitioners believe that through training and discipline, they can enhance their ability to manipulate this energy for various purposes, such as self-defense, healing, and spiritual growth.

Ki control in combat can offer several advantages. Increased Power by channeling ki, practitioners can enhance their physical strength, speed, and endurance, enabling them to strike harder, move faster, and endure more punishment. Improved Focus and Awareness ki control techniques often involve deep concentration and heightened awareness of one's surroundings, allowing practitioners to anticipate their opponent's moves and react more effectively.

Pain Resistance, through ki control, practitioners can mitigate pain and discomfort, enabling them to push through injuries and stay in the fight longer and many more. There are many things that li control helps in battle, but the most important of all is that this is a basic necessity for him in order to achieve atleast a fraction of Wukong's capabilities.

"That's all there is I can explain about ki control"

"Wow, but in order to do that you will ki right? As far as I know, there is no such energy such as ki, all I know is mana"

"Well that's the thing... they are similar both mana and ki, but also at the same time different"

"Huh?"

"Mana and ki are similar in some ways but are generally distinct concepts in different cultural and philosophical contexts... its somewhat hard to explain"

"I see"

"What about you? What are you practicing in preparation for the practical exam?"

"Well me and Aria are practicing our basics, basically mana control and mana burst"

Mana control typically refers to the ability to manipulate or harness mana, which is a spiritual energy or power found in various Polynesian cultures. In these cultures, mana is believed to permeate all aspects of existence, including people, objects, and natural phenomena, and it is associated with authority, prestige, and spiritual potency. While mana burst typically refers to a sudden release or surge of mana, which is a spiritual energy or power found in various Polynesian cultures. In these contexts, mana burst may manifest in different ways depending on the cultural beliefs and practices of the community.

Overall, mana burst represents a sudden and powerful manifestation of spiritual energy within Polynesian cultures, often associated with moments of significance, whether in combat, healing, spiritual practice, or social rituals.

Mana control is fundamental to improving the basics of magic in several ways, by mastering mana control, a magician can optimize the use of their magical energy, ensuring that spells are cast with minimal wastage. This efficiency allows for more sustained spellcasting without exhausting one's magical reserves quickly. Mana control enables finer manipulation of magical energies, leading to more precise spellcasting. Magicians can direct their mana with greater accuracy, resulting in spells that hit their targets more effectively and produce desired effects with greater consistency.

With proficient mana control, magicians can adapt their spells to various situations and challenges. They can adjust the intensity, duration, and range of their magic more easily, allowing for greater versatility in spellcasting. Alongside it many more are not stated as the benefits of mana control is fundamentally helpful for mages.

"Looks like you guys got your own struggle"

"I know right? Well this is a good luck to us in order to succeed in our own training"

"Huh?"

In that moment, before Shun could even react, Sephiria then kissed him on the cheeks, causing him to turn bright red from this sudden intimate contact.