“So, what do you know about barriers?” Alec asked once they were inside and seated on opposite couches. The room wasn’t very big, but it looked pretty homely. There was a bed on the right side with a dressing table next to it. In the center were three white couches placed around a table. They were currently occupying two of them.
“Barriers are somehow created by mana and are incredibly useful for blocking and deflecting.”
“But how are they made?” Alec questioned with a smile, seemingly enjoying the casual exchange.
“Umm… mana?” Lev lamely drawled.
“That is only partially correct. What you are going to learn today is just how varied barriers can be in their formation. I would explain it to you myself, but I brought something with me for this exact purpose.” Alec announced and put a book on the table with a thump. He motioned for Lev to pick it up, which he did, and read the title.
‘Beginner Barrier Theory’
‘By Senior Artificer Alec Zar’
“Yes, I had it published for future apprentices and any aspiring barrier user out there who would need it. I need to get back to my work now, and I’ll come back to you in 4 hours. Also, snacks are already prepared in the kitchen if you feel hungry,” Alec answered his silent question and prepared to leave.
“It should be easy to find me on the second floor if something comes up,” with that reminder, Alec left, and Lev found himself alone with a book in hand. Having nothing better to do, he started reading.
****
True to its name, the book described the basics of barriers with a simplicity that anyone could understand. It covered the formation and manipulation of barriers at a novice level, allowing Lev to grasp the basics easily.
I still need to get the general Mana Manipulation skill before I can do anything with this knowledge.
The book primarily focused on two things—the formation and uses of barriers. The uses of barriers were pretty much everything that Lev already knew, such as blocking or deflecting attacks, protection artifacts, and warding off monsters. Hints to higher forms of manipulation were present, but the topic was left mostly untouched. The formation of barriers, on the other hand, was a completely new field for Lev.
The formation of a barrier was straightforward yet extremely customizable. Normally, whenever a barrier mage formed a barrier, they used their mana to interact with ambient mana in the atmosphere while also making use of elemental mana types to introduce different properties into the barrier. The elemental mana normally came from skills, it could be taken from the environment or created by specialized mana converters. While elemental barriers had their own unique advantages, such as water barriers being supremely effective at stopping fire-based attacks or earthen barriers being able to absorb massive amounts of damage or alter the terrain to the fighters’ favor, these were not the ones Lev had his sight on. The type of barriers that Lev aimed for were Arcane Barriers. These barriers were made entirely out of pure mana and usually obtained elemental properties through uncanny methods, generally dictated by class skills.
A few hours later, Lev’s reading was interrupted by the door opening and Sir Alec striding in. Moving straight towards Lev, he asked with a casual smile, “I hope you found the book enlightening?”
“I really did. Most of the things I was curious about were addressed. Nothing was particularly difficult to understand either.”
“Well, that’s great to hear. Anything you would’ve wished to see in the book?”
Lev thought about it and shook his head. “Not really. Pretty much all of my questions were answered.”
“But not all of them?” Alec raised an eyebrow.
“It didn't mention anything about Mana Manipulation, so…” Lev trailed off, leaving the unvoiced question hanging in the air.
“Aren’t you eager? Don't worry. We will get to that soon. Let me change into more casual clothing before we depart.”
Not long after, Lev and Alec made their way to the classrooms. Entering the room labeled as Practical Lab, Lev found himself surrounded by tools that he couldn’t make heads or tails of. The room stretched on for about 30 meters and was wide enough to accommodate half a dozen large equipment tables of different professions side by side. At the end of the room were three cylindrical tubes with a length of 5 meters and a radius of half a meter. They were placed horizontally on the ground, spaced equally, so that two of them were next to the walls and one was in the middle of the room. In front of them were comfortable black padded chairs with high and long armrests, clearly designed for lengthy sitting periods. The armrests were connected to a hole in the tube, sealed by a transparent barrier.
“That barrier you see is pretty unique, as it does not have any physical substance. Instead, it is pure mana. Its visibility comes from a property that stems the flow of mana, both from going in or getting out.”
What does the property have to do with visibility? Lev thought, but Sir Alec had already moved on.
Placing a hand on the rightmost tube, he gestured for Lev to sit on the chair while he explained, “These things are called Awakening Ducts. And as you may be able to guess, they are used to obtain Mana Manipulation, marking the beginning of a mage’s journey. Since there’s not much time left before the classrooms are closed, let's get started. The first thing you want to do is find a comfortable sitting position.”
Following his instructions, Lev eased into the chair and put his hand through the duct's opening. The hand passed through the barrier without any sensation, the only indication his hand entered at all being entirely visual. Inside, the air felt weird, as if it was putting slightly more pressure on his hand.
Huh, is the tube full of mana? Lev thought, to which he asked Alec the same thing.
“That is correct. You figured it out pretty quickly, even if it was obvious in hindsight. Most people don't. Now, I want you to focus on moving the mana inside the container. Remember, your core can control ambient mana even when unconnected to your own mana. Just think about moving the mana inside.”
Taking a deep breath, Lev closed his eyes and focused on his right hand inside the container. The passage of time lost meaning as he tried to observe the mana in contact with his hand. When he couldn’t find anything there, Lev tried to make the mana move away from his hand. At first, nothing happened. The mana stubbornly clung to his hand, refusing to move. But slowly, ever so slowly, small amounts of mana stirred. First, small bits of it started to move away from his hand, only to be instantly replaced by others. Lev moved his attention to a much smaller area above his palm, trying to create a bubble devoid of mana. As the first dregs of mana started to move away from the area, a notification broke his concentration.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
[
General Skill Learned
Mana Manipulation - Level 1
The basic skill required to become a mage. The skill allows the user to exert control over mana.
]
Lev opened his eyes, only to be assaulted by a headache. Grimacing, he looked around to see Sir Alec in the middle chair, reading a thick tome. Noticing movement, he looked up and found Lev gently rubbing his forehead.
“You alright?” Sir Alec asked with a poorly hidden smirk.
“Just a mild headache. Is it supposed to be this way?” Lev questioned back, not giving Sir Alec the satisfaction of noticing the smirk.
“Yep, it is one of the most important lessons for any fledgling mage. Overexerting your control will eventually give you a headache. It is not a sign of weakness but one of approaching your limit. Ignoring it will result in an increasingly painful headache before you inevitably pass out or risk mind damage.”
Lev committed the lesson to memory after noting his mentor's serious expression and humorless tone. Looking out the window, he noticed that the sun had moved considerably further from when he had started.
“How long has it been since I started?” Lev asked.
“A little over an hour.”
It felt like ten minutes. Lev mused before shaking his head. “What do I do now?”
“Pushing beyond the headache is always a bad idea. Return home for now and do whatever you want. From tomorrow onwards, we will focus on training your Intelligence and Wisdom attributes before moving on to forming barriers.”
****
Blissfully, the headache had only lasted till he got back to his room. Seeing that his room was empty, he went around the orphanage only to find it similarly vacant. Deciding that there was only one remaining place everyone could be at, he started making his way towards the park.
One of the two suns had already set, creating a breathtaking vista across the sky that, unfortunately, far too few people appreciated. The roads and homes close by were already lit by lamps. They were powered by mana during the day, allowing them to shine for a few nights. Somebody patrolled to fill them daily, not letting the mana storage dip below half. Striding through the gates of the park toward the jogging track, Lev found the teenagers doing various exercises. Most of them were doing stretches on the lush grass while a few, including his friends, were running on the track. Spotting Oriana close to the stretching group, he approached her.
“How long have they been running now?” Lev asked with a smile.
“They just started their final 3-lap set. Should be done soon,” Oriana replied, looking at the progress of the runners. “You are back pretty early. Everything went well?”
“Yeah, we already achieved our goal for today and were stopped from doing anything further because of the headache.” Lev finished with a slight grimace, making her chuckle.
“It's intentionally kept from the apprentices to make it memorable. As a mage, you will draw from that experience for the rest of your life. Better get used to it early.”
“I gathered that.” Lev quipped back with a snort. “How long will it take for Jack, Kayla, and Amelia to start their apprenticeships?”
She hummed. “Let's see, Jack and Amelia should be able to start theirs in a few months, but with Kayla being younger, she still has another year to spend in the orphanage. An exception can be made if she expresses interest in starting early. The girl has shown enough drive to warrant that.” The Director stated with a small smile, clearly proud of how far the timid girl had come from hesitating to enter the classroom on their first day. “You didn’t say what you achieved on your first day. I can tell you used mana if the headache is anything to go by. What else?” she asked with a raised brow.
“Nothing much for the first few hours. I read a book about barrier theory. Then Sir Alec took me to the awakening ducts. There I got Mana Manipulation after an hour of trying.” Lev answered in a dismissive tone, more interested in the future of his friends.
“Wait, you got the skill in just an hour?” Oriana furrowed her brow, “Most people take at least two days to get the skill, and even that is on the faster end. How did you obtain it so quickly?”
That surprised Lev. Until now, he had thought that everyone got the skill in a similar timespan, making him pretty average. His thoughts were further solidified when Sir Alec didn't mention anything about his unusually fast success.
“Why didn’t Sir Alec say anything about it then?” Lev asked in confusion, which made Oriana sigh. Looking over, he saw her shaking her head with a knowing look on her face.
“It makes sense. Alec is also a genius among his generation, so he probably saw nothing noteworthy about it,” she explained wearily, making Lev snort as well.
Before Lev could say anything, he noticed his friends making their way toward the duo. As he was about to take a step toward them, he found his hair being ruffled by Oriana before she moved over to the other children. Lev focused on making sure nothing unusual showed on his face, lest he is made fun of by his friends for all of eternity.
I absolutely cannot let anyone know how much I like this.
Luckily, neither his friends nor Oriana noticed anything amiss. Crisis averted. “If you’re gonna be home this early, then I really don't think your apprenticeship will be enough. It's barely been 6 hours since you left, and you’re already back, looking fresh to boot,” Jack said, stopping next to him. Kayla and Amelia also stopped their conversation to listen in.
“You worry too much, big guy. I have already studied all the basics and obtained the Mana Manipulation general skill,” Lev gave him a reassuring smile, taking in Jack’s stature again after some time. Where Lev was lean and tall, Jack’s clothes could hardly contain his developing muscles. He stood well over 6 feet and was almost two heads taller than the girls. His sandy brown hair and matching brown eyes accentuated his face, making his sculpted jawline stand out even more and giving him a rather menacing appearance.
Amelia, being 5 feet and 8 inches, looked tiny in comparison. With her long, lustrous silver hair resting below her shoulders and icy blue eyes, her presence demanded no less attention than Jack's. To anyone else, her relaxed expression would look dismissive and detached, but her friends were long used to her expression.
Kayla’s height matched Amelia’s, with long black hair resting against her waist. She had soft features and an oval face, constructing a delicate appearance. But in reality, she was the fiercest in their group, whether it be with training or arguing.
Lev, in comparison, looked the most unassuming. Standing 6 feet tall with black hair and a face that didn’t stand out as noteworthy, his straight posture and body features exuded calm confidence.