Lena adjusted the hem of her intricately embroidered cloak, a rich, deep blue that contrasted with her delicate, pale skin. She smoothed the fabric of her tunic, a light gray with subtle silver threads woven through. The crystal pendant around her neck caught the light as her stormy gray eyes regarded me.

[ Human Lvl 41 ]

Everything was within his expectation, except for the stuffed bat she held in her hand.

"First things first," Lena began, her voice steady, "as this is a mana class, I would require to know if you have any attunement to better plan the lecture."

Mana attunement was still a murky concept, something I hadn’t fully grasped. Should I ask now? Perhaps she had the answers I needed. "Spac—"

But before I could finish, the bat swung towards me, landing a soft but firm hit on his head. The surprise left me momentarily stunned. It didn’t hurt, but the message was clear.

"Fool," She scolded, her eyes narrowing. "Never reveal your attunement casually. That would put you in grave danger. And if you had to do that, keep a few of your skills a secret for contingencies."

I nodded, accepting her reasoning. I glanced at the bat, now resting innocuously in her hand.

"Don't worry; if you make the same mistake twice, the bat will hurt for real." She gave an innocent smile that sent a shiver through me.

"It's a cutthroat world out there, and being in Obsidian is like targeting yourself," she continued her tone grave. "Now, with that out of the way, there are two ways this lecture could go. There are two parts: basic mana training and basic mana knowledge. You can choose whichever you want to start with."

"Is there a difference?" I asked, curious about her approach. I half expected the bat to swing for asking a question, but there was none.

"Depends. Most new students are impatient to use mana for the first time, but if you can control your desire, it would be helpful to get the lecture first."

"Let's go with the lecture,"

"So, first and foremost, what is magic?"

"It's energy to use skill?"

"Your answer is wrong, of course, but the closest one to the truth."

"Magic is the act of ethereal energy, turning physical. Ethereal energy, also known as mana, is invisible to the naked eye yet very much real. The Realms produce mana naturally. While some creatures absorb it inherently, only a few humans could manipulate it as mages."

"But what about skills? Don't everyone have some skills?" The question had been bugging me for a while.

"Skills are a separate matter," she explained with a patient smile. "There are physical skills like running or woodcutting, and then there are mana-based skills. Physical skills have a cap; they cannot be enhanced without mana. But with mana, your potential grows exponentially."

"Now, back to mana—"

In the end, she provided a booklet with all the details that the lecture covered, and I was amazed that the lowest lecture would give anything other than verbal teachings.

Overall, I would consider the lesson 10 points well spent. Especially the advice.

The most essential point was that everyone had the system in one form or another. But mana could only be used by a selected few. Only if you have the stats could you use mana.

Second, the mana you use is vital as it could affect your physical body. Magic is mana turning physical. Each time you activate a Skill, the mana courses through you, leaving behind traces in your body.

That statement was more accurate than at first glance. How you use the skills and the mana type the skills produce will affect you physically, making your mana attune to the element you most use.

Having an attunement is both a curse and a blessing. You could lock into a specific attunement if you are not careful, which could be hard to remove, but being attuned also provides easier skills usage related to that same path.

Mostly, acquired attunement is the goal of every skill path people take, but if you are naturally attuned, then it would be better to use skills only related to that area. Having an assortment of different mana in your body would be more detrimental than good.

Third, to absorb mana, you have to practice mana filters. The mana in the environment is chaotic. Your body can produce your total mana capacity once a day. That means if you want more, then you have to absorb the mana from the environment.

There are as many filters as attunements, but the initial step is to convert chaotic ambient mana to pure mana. Pure mana is not attuned to any attribute, which makes it easier to absorb. The purer the mana, the more effective it would be. Extremely high mana purity could result in mana that was several times as effective as low purity mana. This was why a robust and pure foundation was crucial.

After gaining basic knowledge, it was my time to practice mana.

—

After connecting to my armband, I watched as Lena adjusted her blue armband, adorned with three same-colored gems, with the ease of someone who had done it countless times.

"Remember," she began, her voice a soothing balm in the tense silence, "the armband will act as a conduit that would suck your mana and release it to the environment."

Lena placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "Close your eyes. Feel the mana around you. It's like a current flowing through everything. The armband will help you sense it, but you need to let it resonate with your own energy."

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Taking a deep breath, Nova closed his eyes. The world around me faded into darkness, leaving only the soft hum of Lena's presence beside me. I focused on the armband, feeling a faint, pulsing warmth emanating from it.

"Good," Lena's voice guided me through the darkness. "Now, imagine the mana as threads of light.

My brow furrowed in concentration. I pictured the mana as Lena described—delicate strands of light weaving through the air, invisible to the naked eye but palpable in my mind's eye. I reached out mentally, feeling a slight resistance at first, then a sudden rush as the threads responded to my call. They flowed towards the armband, which seemed to drink in the energy.

A gasp escaped my lips as I felt a surge of power rushing through me, leaving a hollow feeling inside. My eyes snapped open, and I saw the armband ablaze with a soft, ethereal glow.

[ Mana: 117 / 130 ]

"That should be a tenth of your mana. The armband will store the mana, and you can try to absorb it. Try the same method but in reverse. Imagine a natural force that could easily suck it back in. You might—"

Force? Now that I knew how easy it was to imagine the mana threads, my mind raced with a natural phenomenon that might help.

I started with a gentle image, a slow and steady drain. A street drain came to mind, the kind that slowly pulls in rainwater during a gentle storm. I pictured the mana threads as tiny rivulets of water, gently flowing towards the drain, each one moving languidly, almost reluctantly, towards its new home.

My heart steadied, my breathing even and measured. This was manageable, but it lacked the intensity I needed. I pushed my thoughts deeper, imagining a more forceful drain, like the ones that roar during a heavy downpour, pulling in everything that floated in the flooded streets—leaves, debris, anything caught in the swift current. The mana threads responded in kind, their movement quicker, more decisive, as they were drawn into the armband.

I opened my eyes, glancing down at the armband. It was entirely empty. I felt a heady rush of satisfaction, a triumphant smile spreading across my face.

Lena caught my eye and gave me a knowing smile. "Not bad for a first attempt, Nova. At least you absorbed half of the mana before it dissipated in the air."

The smile froze on my face. My eyes widened in realization as I quickly checked my status.

[ Mana: 124 / 130 ]

My heart sank. I had absorbed some mana, but not nearly enough. Most of it had slipped away, dissipating into the air. I clenched my fist, feeling the frustration rise. I almost thought I was the chosen one because of how easy it was going…

"You didn't notice half of it vanished into thin air?" Lena laughed as she saw my reaction. "Tell me, what analogy did you use to draw the mana?"

I sighed, my cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment. "I imagined a small street drain, like the kind you see during a gentle storm. I thought it would be enough to pull the mana in gently."

Lena's eyes sparkled with understanding. "Ah, I see. That makes sense for a first try, but you need something more powerful. Imagine the same analogy, but think of a storm drain during a heavy downpour. Picture the water rushing in with ferocity, pulling in everything in its path."

He closed his eyes once more, focusing on his internal energy.

I closed my eyes once more, focusing on my internal energy.

"Good," Lena said softly. "Now, imagine the mana threads as tiny rivulets of light, flowing gently towards the armband. Let your energy guide them."

I imagined it flowing from through my body, and finally converging on the armband. I felt the armband respond, its warmth increasing slightly as it synchronized with my energy.

I pictured the delicate threads of light, visualizing each one as it slowly moved toward the armband. I could feel the armband's runes warming and resonating with the mana more efficiently this time.

Opening my eyes again, I checked my status, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

[ Mana: 111 / 130 ]

"Better," Lena said, her smile encouraging. "But now, let's try with a bit more force. Imagine a storm drain during a heavy downpour. Picture the water rushing in with ferocity, pulling in everything in its path."

I nodded, closing my eyes once more. I envisioned the street drain again, but this time, it was during a torrential storm. The rain fell in sheets, the water rushing with ferocity towards the drain, pulling in leaves, debris, and anything caught in the swift current. The mana threads responded in kind, their movement quicker, more decisive, as they were drawn into the armband.

My fingers tingled with the influx of energy, a warm current running up my arm. The sensation invigorated me, but I knew I could push further. I needed more than just a storm drain; I required the drain to go deep. Almost—

I suddenly got into the rhythm and started to create a strong drain, which was going very dee—.

The armband started growing cold as the energy was expended, but I also sensed more mana getting caught in my drain as it moved inside—

"Stop this instant!" Lena's shout cut through the air before the mana could enter.

I felt an odd sensation, a slight disorientation, as if I had been yanked out of a deep dive. A thud jolted me back to reality. My eyes snapped open, and I saw Lena standing in front of me, her hand gripping the bat tightly. "What did I do wrong?" I asked, my voice tinged with uncertainty.

The earlier experience became hazy in my mind. The idea slipped through my fingers. I was so close to mastering whatever that was.

"Take a moment to think," Lena's expression was stern, her brows furrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line. "Did you realize what you were doing?" she asked, her tone serious.

I blinked, trying to understand. "Was there something wrong with the drain? I was about to pull more mana."

Lena sighed, her posture relaxing slightly as she stepped closer. "Your imagination and execution are impressive, Nova. No wonder you were selected for Obsidian. But the mana you were pulling at the end was from the surrounding environment, not just from the armband. Do you understand the risk in that?"

I paused, processing her words. My lessons came rushing back. "Because it’s not purified, right? I could accidentally absorb a chaotic mix of ambient mana," I said, realization dawning on me.

"Exactly," Lena nodded, her expression softening as a hint of a smile touched her lips. "Ambient mana can be unpredictable and dangerous. You need to be careful to ensure you're only absorbing what you've stored in the armband."

A wave of realization washed over me, and my shoulders sagged slightly under the weight of the mistake I had almost made. "So, what should I do differently?"

"That's for the next topic. First, let's go back to basics. Use the analogy of the storm drain, but make sure you're only pulling in the mana you've already stored. Visualize it clearly and focus on that. Don't try to pull more."

I nodded, closing my eyes once more. I pictured the mana as threads of light, flowing gently towards the armband, drawn by my focused energy.

I felt the armband warming up, glowing softly as they absorbed the purified mana. The sensation was different this time—more controlled, more harmonious.

"Good," Lena said softly, her voice soothingly to my frazzled nerves. "Now, try again. This time, with more control."

After filling up the armband, I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I imagined the storm drain again, but this time, I concentrated solely on the stored mana.

I felt the familiar coldness of the armband as the energy began to flow. But this time, it was different. The drain was controlled, precise. My fingers tingled with the influx of energy, a warm current running up my arm.

I opened my eyes, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over me. I checked my status, noting with satisfaction that the mana levels had stabilized.

"Excellent," Lena said, her eyes shining with approval. "You managed to absorb the mana efficiently. How do you feel?"

I smiled back, exhilaration washing over me. "I feel... like I just wrestled in the drains themselves," I said with a chuckle, wiping the sweat from my brow. "But I did it. I actually did it."

"Yeah, you did," Lena said. "Now that not much time is left before the lecture ends, let me give you a crash course on filters."