Chapter 12: Foundation!

Chapter 12 - Foundation!Elysia let out a slow breath, her eyes already closed, posture relaxed and natural. The moment she reached inward, mana responded. Like water flowing down a path it had taken a thousand times before, it surged smoothly through her circuits, lighting them with a quiet hum only she could feel. (Boring!) Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For someone like her, who had almost reached the pinnacle of power, this kind of basic exercise was something she didn't even need to practice anymore. Her control over mana was near perfect; there was no need to train it any further. Most students sat quietly, brows furrowed in focus. Some were sweating—especially those whose specialty was close combat and who didn't rely much on mana. But all of them could at least access their mana, even if they did so inefficiently. Then her gaze landed on Kael Ashford. He looked like he was struggling—as if he didn't even know how to sense his own mana. His face was pinched, eyes shut tight, his back slightly hunched as if the mere act of sitting was a monumental task. It was almost comical. Elysia let out a quiet snort. (Good acting!) Of course, he'd put on a show like this. Pretending to be weak. Helpless. Like someone who couldn't even feel his mana, let alone control it. And yet... Her snort faded, and her expression darkened. She remembered. Just yesterday—Kael Ashford hadn't merely accessed mana. He had wielded it with terrifying precision. Facing that Kael Ashford had made even her—someone who believed she had nearly perfected her own control—feel like a beginner. Mana bent to Kael's will as if it were part of him. Fluid, adaptive, coldly efficient. There were no wasted movements, no flashy displays—just brutal, calculated application of force. That control was what made him so deadly. And now, he was pretending to struggle with the very basics? (Liar!) She narrowed her eyes, lips pressed into a thin line. (What are you scheming, Kael Ashford?) She glared at him. But Kael had no time to return her glare, because at that moment he was focused entirely on trying to sense the thing known as mana. He definitely felt something in his body, although he wasn't sure whether it was truly mana. Ten minutes passed! Although many students thought Professor Orwen's class was boring and pointless, Kael Ashford couldn't have been more grateful. After trying again and again, he definitely felt a strange sensation—subtle, faint, but consistent. And although he couldn't say for sure, he thought it was mana. He became more certain each time he tried, as the sensation repeated itself. Something like a cool breeze seemed to emerge from what Professor Orwen called the Source, spreading slowly through the rest of his body. Kael couldn't use it yet, but he was satisfied that he could at least circulate it somewhat. Finally, Professor Orwen opened his eyes and tapped his cane on the floor, the sharp clack snapping several students out of their meditative trance—or light nap. "That will be enough for today," he said, voice dry but steady. "From tomorrow onward, the first ten minutes of every class will be dedicated to this exercise." He paced slowly in front of the students, his cane tapping rhythmically with each step. "Mana control is not something you gain through shortcuts or brute strength. Even the most talented must polish it endlessly." A few groans echoed around the room, though most students were too tired to complain out loud. "Now, onto something that requires less physical exertion," Orwen added, a faint glimmer of amusement in his pale eyes. "Let's talk about the origin of mana." Kael blinked a few times, fighting the weight in his eyelids. He was tired—exhausted, really. His muscles still screamed from the morning hell Sylvia had put them through. His bones ached. His back hurt. Even sitting still was painful. But he didn't let his head droop. He couldn't afford to. This was the kind of information he couldn't figure out on his own. If he wanted to survive here, he had to understand this world—and mana was its foundation. Orwen flicked his fingers, and the glowing diagram shifted—replacing the human silhouette with a sprawling map of the continent. He began explaining how mana was tied to the land itself—how it pooled in natural formations, changed by region, and aligned with different elemental affinities. He spoke about places rich in fire-aspected mana, areas where water-based magic weakened, and how one's surroundings could amplify or suppress certain mana types. Kael tried to keep up, scribbling notes as best he could, but much of it sounded like dense theory layered in unfamiliar terms. Concepts like aspected flow, resonance fields, and geological mana tides went completely over his head. He caught fragments—enough to understand that magic was tied to geography and elemental affinity—but the deeper theory might as well have been in another language. And it was only thanks to the knowledge he had from the novel that he could follow it at all. Otherwise, none of it would have made any sense. Around him, students had begun to drift. Some rested their heads on their desks. Others sat upright, their eyes glazed with exhaustion. Sylvia's brutal training had drained them all. Kael felt the pull of fatigue too, but he forced his eyes to stay open. Even if he didn't understand everything now, he knew this knowledge could be vital later. Only a few still seemed alert—Elysia, of course, sat with perfect posture, her expression unreadable. Edwin looked bored but awake, lazily twirling a pen between his fingers. They weren't tired, but it was clear that this kind of information was nothing new to them—and they had little interest in hearing it again. "That's the end of this period. Let's continue tomorrow!" As Professor Orwen exited the room, the next instructor arrived soon after—tall, composed, and sharp-eyed. She introduced herself with practiced ease, gave a brief outline of the subject, and—just like Orwen—began with a recap of the fundamentals. Each new teacher followed a similar approach: introductions, a basic overview of their subject, and a review of concepts most students already knew by heart. And while the rest of the class grew increasingly bored or drowsy, Kael Ashford listened with unwavering focus. For them, it was repetition. For him, it was a completely new knowledge. By the end of the day, Kael's hand ached from note-taking, his brain felt full to bursting, and his body still hadn't recovered from the morning's hellish training. But despite it all, he felt something he hadn't in a long time. Progress!