Magic, V

The sphere of cyan mana that had coalesced my body charged right through Selica's solar plexus as a beam, making her unable to stand.

"Wha–?" Selica couldn't finish her words as she fell unconscious.

"Huh?" Sean looked perplexed.

"What did you do?!" Luke yelled out as he ran towards the woman which is supposedly my girlfriend.

Luke's crimson hair wavered about as he crouched down, taking hold of Selica while searching for the wound on her body.

"..." He just stood, "Nothing."

"Why so panicky?" An exasperated breath left my lungs.

"Gha-" Selica's breath returned, "What did you do? My core is burning hot as heck!?"

"Your core is burning?" Luke repeated her words, a breath of relief slipping out of his lips.

"Yes, and I can feel it pulsating…"

"No way..?" Sean voiced.

"Oh, yes way," I smirked as I supported the side of my body against a wall, "Selica, congrats on passing the High-Stage."

"Wait, what do you mean?" She asked me flatly, nothing I said processed to her brain.

"I mean to say that with some help of mine and the mana that loves me, you have jumped over the High-Stage which most people get stuck in their lives, you're officially a Knight-Potential mage now, based on your core's potential, of course."

Yes, that is correct.

I used the normal, atmospheric mana to gather around to the point they became visible to the bare eye, and that amount of mana particles is what I talked to and asked of them to support Selica's story from now on because they would feed well upon the story she will experience if she stays with me.

And so, after that mental persuasion and negotiation, the mana agreed upon my request and decided to aid Selica in surpassing this blockage of mana that she was currently experiencing.

I could feel it everywhere throughout her body, the difficulty she had to send enough mana to the wide veins that had formed in her body.

If we take it as a daily example, it would be like this, a small electric generator trying to charge the whole house with energy. It wouldn't suffice for enough use, isn't that so?

So, now, with the breakthrough of her mana core to the next potential and the storage increase, she will be able to properly circulate mana throughout her body efficiently and usefully.

Although this forceful breakthrough could be used on Selica, it doesn't mean that I can use it on everyone else that has suffered a Mana Blockage, nor people that have already broken through the High-Stage.

It's amazing enough that it worked on Selica, considering she was my first experiment too.

"So, my dear disciples, we're almost done for today's lessons," I announced as I sat down crosslegged on the ground.

"You may sit." I gestured towards the dusty soil.

"Erm, I don't think this is an appropriate place for us to sit." Selica voiced awkwardly.

"And may I ask why you think so, my dear?" I raised my right brow.

"It's just…"

"You feel like too much of a low-life to sit on bare ground, is that it?"

"N-No, of course not… I just don't want to get dirty."

"Yeah, yeah. You better work on the way you see the world or you're going to be the first one to die out there." I said as I darted my eyes to Luke, who sat gracefully, then Sean who did the same with no complaints, and then up at Selica again, who was still standing.

"..." She decided to sit after seeing all of us resting nicely.

"Hmph."

"Quit pouting," I said bemusedly, "Now, let us continue, right now, I want you all to try and feel mana through meditating," I announced my goal for now.

"So, we just close our eyes and stay like an idiot sleeping while sitting?" Selica said grumpily.

"If you don't want to get stronger, you may leave my lessons. I gave you the best chance by making your breakthrough possible, and that is more than enough. I don't have time to listen to a child's complaints." I spoke with an icy cold tone devoid of expressions on my face.

It was about damn time she shut up, she was getting on my nerves too much.

"..."

"I take it as you want to stay and learn, am I correct?"

"Helis, you idiot…" She whispered with a reddened face. She was probably about to burst out crying if I said one more thing to her.

"Okay, what I want you all to do is follow my instructions."

"First up, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Calm yourselves, and get rid of any thoughts."

They followed after I did what I said.

"Now, envision yourself as a see-through silhouette in a dark subspace, where within that, inside your body, only your core and the veins protruding from it throughout your body are the shining elements."

"Now, begin circulating the mana stored within your core throughout your body, or those veins specifically."

"Can you sense how big your mana core is? What color it is shining? Oh, what? There's something else shining besides your core and the veins, and that's outside your body, if you can see that, then congratulations, you are now at the stage where you can talk to mana."

I could notice shifts of breaths between the trio during my speaking.

"You don't have to talk to it with your voice, or try to speak telepathically, you just have to convey your intention. Feel the area around you and the mana particles, and with that soft intention you make towards them, you can call the particles to enter your core, and, in other words, aid you."

"Okay, relax." I clapped my hands.

"Bhaa!" Luke fell back on the ground, "Why does consuming mana suddenly seem much more difficult than ever?"

"I know right!?" Selica agreed.

"To be honest, the explanation you did, Helis, really helps to improve the structure and way I used to meditate with."

"You're very welcome. Well, for now, those are your lessons. Since the Academy Tournament of the Strongest will begin in three months, I want you all to grab the best prize there."

"Huh? You want us to become stronger than any of the competitors that will be attending it?"

"Yes, under me, you will become."

"Now, let the training begin!"