Monster?

'Impossible.' Alice stared at the youth with a crestfallen expression. This time she didn't even try to hide her surprise, for the man had just done something never ever done before. Only a few awakeners have managed to feel the mana right away, and they have gone on to become tyrants that represent humanity, yet this seemingly simple cadet had just done the same thing as them.

Even the son of Windglow's family patriarch, who is deemed the most promising new awakener, has taken a few hours to feel the mana. She herself knew how difficult it was.

"Well, that wasn't too difficult. I think I felt it." Draco said, breaking her out of the stupor. He wanted to enjoy her surprise a bit more, but it was slowly turning awkward. "Now, are there any tips on how to use it?"

"Use it..." Alice repeated, almost like she was saying that to herself. "I do admit that you have felt the mana much faster than predicted, so it seems that you are quite talented with mana. You may even be able to use mana in the upcoming dungeon dive with enough persistence."

'Quite talented?' Draco thought for a moment, remembering her wide eyes.

"Using it is much harder because you have to be concentrated on its flow through your body, while also engaging in a battle," Alice said, stretching her hand out as the layer of mana on it grew bigger, then smaller, and then bigger again. "Essentially, you have to command the mana. Feel it and think of it as a being. Make it command to you."

'Once again, such a crude explanation.' Draco thought, then suddenly an interesting idea manifested in his brain.

"Captain Alice, how about we make a bet?" Draco smiled, seeing a frown appear on Alice's face.

"A bet?"

"Yeah, I just thought that a bet would motivate me a lot more. After all, me knowing how to use mana would make a positive impact on the team!" Draco said. "I believe that I can produce a mana attack in one hour. Let's make bets on that."

'In one hour?' Alice snorted. "What are your conditions?"

"Well, I was thinking that, if I was successful, we could go on a date?" Draco said. Immediately, he felt the room heating up and Alice's eyes slightly fluttering upwards. For a moment, he thought that he was fucked, but it seemed that Alice had calmed down.

"Not even the King of Destruction managed to do so, so what makes you so arrogant? Yes, you have felt it quickly, but that is a completely different thing." Alice concluded.

"I don't think I am stronger or more talented than anyone, miss. I just want to have an enjoyable life. Does trying to beat a record held by powerhouses not make you excited?" Draco answered.

Alice stared deeply into Draco's dark eyes, replaying her words in her mind. It was a fascinating way to look at things. Actually, it has been so long since there has been any enjoyment in her life that she could hardly contradict his points.

"Alright, Draco. I accept your bet."

Draco nodded, smiling to himself as he immediately went down to the business. As he closed his eyes, Draco thought. 'An hour... perhaps I overestimated myself. The King of Destruction couldn't even do it, so I will most probably fail. Whatever, I don't lose anything for trying.'

As he once again dived into his inner system, he felt the mana much clearer than before. It seemed like only the first was challenging. The picture of the pond appeared before him, and he tried gathering mana from it.

Yet, he failed miserably and was forced to open his eyes again. Captain Alice stood there, in the same place, with an expression that seemed to say: "I told you it was going to be impossible."

Draco closed his eyes again and everything repeated itself. Commanding that mana was truly much harder than he had thought. It felt like the mana was resisting it. However, on his 31st try, Draco had a revelation.

Observing the calm and translucent pond, Draco had an idea. Perhaps his approach was just wrong. Somewhere, he had heard that mana closely correlates to the personality of the awakened. For instance, Alice has a strict and orderly personality, that's why she thinks that commanding mana is the best way.

Maybe he didn't need to command it, but find another way?

'Mana? Do you hear me?' Draco asked internally, then slightly blushed at not getting any response. 'Heyyy? Beautiful pond? Would you like to lend me some mana?'

Surprisingly, he felt some unnatural movement within the water, so Draco continued talking. 'You are the most gorgeous pond I have ever seen! If you just gave me a bit of your mana, I would pray for your longevity...'

Suddenly, the pond exploded upwards, and a peculiar sensation spread through Draco's body. He opened his eyes and saw an unstable layer of mana covering his right hand. However, he felt that it was getting sucked back into the pond at quite a prompt pace.

Without even looking at Alice, Draco put his weight behind his hand and punch the ground. His fist collided with the surface, and cracks spread from beneath his feet. Draco stared at this scene for a few moments, before suddenly a deep frown appeared on his face, as he grabbed his hand.

It was fucking painful.

"You..." Draco heard a beautiful voice coming from the side, and he turned to face Alice. Yet, she said something that didn't really please Draco's ears. "Freaking monster... are you even human at this point?

"I am?" Draco answered with a confused expression, as he finally realized that he actually did it. 'Wait...I am actually this talented? Not only is my skill probably the most overpowered thing in the world, but I am also so good with mana. Was... I perhaps adopted? Are my real parents some kind of transcended beings?'

However, at the thought of family, Draco's chest got tight. The excitement of achieving something unbelievable left very soon, for he understood that just being talented didn't mean a lot. He could still die very easily on the battlefield.

"Whatever, monster, I don't feel like teaching you anymore." Alice put her hand against her forehead, walking away. "The damages on the floor will be deducted from your salary."

"Mhh...but what about the bet?" Draco mumbled, not really caring about the money.

"Oh? Didn't you know? It took you 61 minutes and 39 seconds to do it, so you have failed." Alice answered with her turned away. "Anyway, I will introduce you to your teammates tomorrow. Don't be late."

'This woman...how is this fair?' Draco thought, yet didn't press the matter further. He truly felt that they were growing closer with time. She even stopped calling him a cadet, and instead used his name. That was progress.

Probably.