Mana control

I sat peacefully on the grassland, my eyes closed as I meditated. The soft breeze caressed my face, carrying with it the earthy scent of the forest. My hair swayed gently, the movement soothing in its simplicity.

Two days had passed since I began refining my Mana Circuit and Mana Heart. It had been an arduous process, but the effort had paid off. They were now stable—strong and solid, capable of handling the next stage of my training.

Exhaling softly, I opened my eyes. The world came into focus, and I saw my brother Faust standing before me, his arms crossed. He gave a nod of approval.

"You seem ready to take another step forward," he said, his voice steady and filled with anticipation. "Now, it's time for you to learn mana control."

With that, he raised his hand, palm open. A faint shimmer appeared, and a small, white orb began to take shape in his palm, glowing faintly.

"This," he began, "is mana in its raw form."

He paused briefly, then moved his other hand in a practiced motion. A glowing, intricate pattern appeared in the air—a magic circle. I recognized it immediately as a Tier One Water Magic Circle, one I'd read about in the Fundamentals of Mana book.

Faust guided the glowing mana orb toward the magic circle. As the orb was absorbed into the pattern, the circle flared briefly with light. A moment later, a sphere of water materialized in the air. Without hesitation, Faust launched the water ball toward a nearby tree. The impact was explosive, leaving the tree a shattered mess of bark and splinters.

"Well then," Faust said, turning back to me with a slight smirk. "Did you catch all that?"

I nodded, taking a moment to process what I'd seen. "I think I get the gist of it," I said. The process seemed straightforward: summon mana, shape it, and feed it into a magic circle to activate the spell.

"It's not as complicated as it might seem," Faust explained further. "What I did was draw mana from my Mana Heart and channel it through my Mana Circuit. I directed it to my fingertips, where I manifested raw mana in my palm. From there, I formed the magic circle and poured the mana into it to activate the spell."

He paused, his expression turning more thoughtful. "Of course, it's not necessary to manifest mana in your palm before transferring it to the circle. I only did that for demonstration purposes. In practice, you can pour the mana directly into the magic circle from your body."

His explanation was detailed but clear. Even though I knew I wouldn't be able to use magic circles the way others did because of my unique affinity, the knowledge was still valuable.

"Even if magic circles aren't compatible with your abilities, knowledge is power," Faust continued, as if reading my thoughts. "Who knows? You might find a way to adapt it to your needs someday."

"The way to control mana," Faust began, "is similar to how your heart pumps blood through your body. Mana follows the same principle, but unlike blood, you have conscious control over its flow. Your Mana Heart acts as the pump, and your Mana Circuit is the network that channels it."

He crouched down, placing a hand gently on my back to guide me again. "Feel the Mana Heart," he instructed, his voice calm but firm. "Visualize it pulsing steadily, like a heartbeat, sending mana coursing through your circuit."

At first, it was challenging to focus, but as I settled into the process, something clicked. The sensation was unlike anything I had felt before. The mana coursed through my body like a faint, warm current. It was oddly pleasant, reminiscent of the adrenaline rush one feels in moments of excitement, but softer, subtler. It left a slight tingling sensation wherever it flowed, a constant reminder of its presence as long as I kept it moving.

"Good," Faust said, his tone encouraging. "Now, let's narrow the focus. Try channeling your mana to your index finger alone."

I nodded and closed my eyes again, focusing on the flow. It took a few moments, but gradually, I directed the mana toward my fingertip. A faint, marble-sized flicker of light appeared at the tip of my finger.

Faust smiled, a satisfied nod accompanying his approval. "Not bad. But this is only the beginning. Practice until you can form an orb of raw mana in your palm, like what I showed you earlier."

With renewed determination, I concentrated again, refining the flow and control. Each attempt was a small step forward. The flicker grew steadier, brighter, until finally, I was able to form a small, glowing orb in my palm.

"That's it. You've done well," Faust said, his voice warm and reassuring. A soft smile played across his face, but it didn't mask the heaviness in his eyes.

He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Today will be the last lesson I can give you for now. My holiday is over, and I have to leave tonight."

The words hit me harder than I expected, but he continued. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you more, especially given how unique your affinity is. It's out of my league and beyond my knowledge. But if there's anything I can assist you with later, don't hesitate to ask."

I returned his smile, a mix of gratitude and understanding on my face. "Thank you, brother. For everything."

Faust nodded, and suddenly, an item appeared in his hand, summoned from his dimensional bracelet. It was a silver watch.

"This isn't just any watch," he explained, holding it up for me to see. "It's also a communication device. Pour a bit of mana into it and press this small button here," he said, demonstrating with a tiny click. "The use is unlimited, but just know that there might be times when I can't respond immediately. If there are something you need help with, just give me a call."

I took the watch, slipping it onto my wrist, and nodded in appreciation.

Faust then summoned another item, this time a simple bronze ring. "This is from Fakrie. He asked me to give it to you since he didn't want to interrupt your training and had to leave this afternoon. It's a dimensional storage ring, and there are a few items inside. You can explore it later."

Sliding the ring onto my finger, I felt a swell of warmth—not from the item itself, but from the gesture.