Chapter 3

After all, I'm somewhat of a wizard.

After that incident with the truck, I began to actively "dig" into myself. The first thing that came to mind was to awaken the sensations which allowed me to create the blood shield. Without blood, but from the blood. Paradox.

Now it was summer, so I went for a walk in the morning with a clear conscience, came for lunch, left again. The Knights were not surprised. They even whispered in the kitchen that maybe I'd finally found some friends. However, I was just hanging out in an overgrown part of the park that was nearby. Although this area was well hidden from the people, well there were never any gatherings of gangs, drug addicts, drunks, or young people. The reason for this is simple - the police station across the street. Well, the suburb I live in is pretty calm anyway.

Here I just sat on a bench in the middle of the bushes and tried to awaken that magic, or whatever it was. It is difficult to describe as I do not really understand what that was. Still, after that case, I have always felt something new in myself, but I did not understand how to get through to it. It was only on the fifth day that I finally managed to connect with it.

Like on the four days before, I just sat and focused on the strange feeling, picking up mental images, commands, something to get through. I'm not sure if the right "key" had come up or if someone took pity on me, finally allowing me to access it.

There were no special effects, thunder, lightning, flashes of light, or even heat in the chest. Just on my outstretched palm, from out of nowhere, a tiny red ball appeared, which grew to the size of a tennis ball very quickly. Crimson red. The color of blood. And the material of the ball, the liquid, spoke for themselves. Well, I'm not just some lord of tomato juice in the end? Although I shouldn't deny it right away.

I started experimenting with the ball hovering over the palm of my hand. Trying to change its shape, size. It turned out frankly very bad. It required an intense concentration, and it pleased me that the ball appeared out of nowhere and not pumped out from within my body.

I finished my unsuccessful experiments only when I felt exhausted. It was necessary to stop concentrating on the ball, as it just disappeared after that. I got up, did some stretches, the body seems ready for battle, but I felt fatigue ... In my brain? Interesting…

***

All summer, I continued my experiments, immersing myself in a new discovery about myself. Blood manipulation – I tested for taste. So here we are. Manipulations every day were more comfortable and easier for me. The ball gradually grew in size based on my will. Of course, not without difficulty, I learned to turn it into needles, blades, different geometric shapes. Yes, I do not have a rich imagination, but to implement some thoughts, based on the fact that it is blood, I was frankly afraid. To interfere in the circulatory system in your body while having no knowledge, experience, or control is equivalent to suicide. While I could use it on someone else, I'm not that cruel. I'm not that black-hearted. At least not until I have the knowledge and the power and control to return everything to the way it was.

The knowing that I possess magic didn't give me any rest either, but no matter how much I focused on making it something else, it turned out only as blood.

In addition to blood's magic, I noticed another interesting point - I became a little more resilient and stronger. I started to engage in physical training more rigorously, to make an athletic body. But if my "standard" physical characteristics continue to increase, then training the body to grow and develop as I want will become somewhat problematic.

...

Autumn came, I had to go to school, and the amount of free time I had for training dropped dramatically. I still continued to go to the kendo and study music, diligently learning. Yes, I had to learn. I have the knowledge, but repetition is the mother of learning. I am not a genius, after all. Therefore, I approached with all diligence I could muster, albeit mostly the simplest things, but sometimes indulging in more complex material in the school library and at home.

In the kendo classes, I found out that I had accelerated regeneration. Although it would be more correct to say that it was detected afterward, rare abrasions and frequent bruises healed much faster. But there was a negative side. If earlier I would give it my best and be slightly above average, now I am faster and stronger than my peers, and training no longer brings the same results. The same is true for athletics. There is no progress.

...

Closer to the new year... old habit - for Christmas, something incredible happened! A standard underage magic event took place, not a bloodbath! I was sent to clean the roof of the garage after a recent snowfall. It was necessary to install a couple of Christmas decorations. That's where I slipped, standing on the edge. I wouldn't have anything to do - there's a snowdrift down there, there's land under it. But that's not what I was thinking about at the time of the fall. And oh, it was a miracle! I suddenly hovered over the ground. I started to get up. There was still a small hurricane underneath me, throwing snowflakes. It's like I had a jet exhaust in one place. There was a strangely warm feeling in my chest until I landed. Slowly and carefully. I stood and looked at my feet with a silly smile on my face.

"Long live new possibilities!" I cried out, unable to hold back, with my fist to the sky.

"Max! Have you cleared the snow?" The voice of my adoptive father sounded from around the corner of the house.

"No!"

New opportunities! I'm a wizard, not just a lord of tomato juice!