CHAPTER 10

THE SHATTERED DREAM

  The pain caused by this strange way of finding out the mana property was something he could bear. Keeping this in mind, Hans asked for the rest of the Elemental mana to be tested. But his suffering bore no fruit as he tested negative for all four of them. Not having fire, water, air and land meant that he was progressing towards his goal, a future that he had envisioned since the day he picked up a sword which was becoming a Knight. This was all because a person was less likely to have multiple mana properties of the Advanced (Thunder, Ice, Magma, Wood) or Rare (Light and Dark) mana families.

  Rudolf was hoping for the same, not because of his greed to teach the boy but because Hans showed a talent for swordsmanship. He never acknowledged Hans's talent to keep the boy's head from filling with arrogance but he knew in his heart that Hans was a prodigy. This was also the reason why Sierra never tried to teach anything to him about mages.

  When Hans recovered from pain and fatigue, Rudolf tried the Thunderstone. He was hoping the child to have the same mana property as him but Hans also tested negative for this. Both breathed a sigh of disappointment but the disappointment only increased when magma and ice were also tested false. Rudolf looked at the two stones he was holding in his hands, these were of dark and light mana. Hans yelled at him and gritted his teeth, expecting another stinging pain.

  There was no one in the world who was born without mana. But seeing him fail even in the dark and light, made him doubt this belief. A wild theory ran through his mind and he pushed a space stone towards Hans. This gave Hans a headache far greater than anything, and Rudolf's ears almost bled due to Sierra's scolding. Unfortunately, Hans was not in the right mind to enjoy the scene.

  When Hans regained consciousness, he saw Rudolf fidgeting with the last stone in his hand. The pain caused by the other stones was like an ant's bite compared to the space stone. After he had calmed down a bit, Rudolf said to him,

This is the last one, squeaky,

  Hans steeled his mind and inhaled the last powdered stone. But contrary to what he had prepared to feel, there was no headache but a pleasant feeling inside. The place where he sat suddenly blossomed, small plants and grasses sprang up, and within moments his surroundings turned into a lush green field. Hans was nervous and didn't open his eyes. If he had failed in this stone too, then it meant, god had played a dirty joke on him.

  Sierra told him to open his eyes and following her cheerful voice, Hans mustered the courage and finally opened his eyes. He saw himself surrounded by a small green field which was still growing. He looked up at Rudolf and Sierra's faces, who were looking at something amazing even by their standards.

After the blooming stopped, Rudolf mumbled,

Son of a bi..., what is this? This is not possible!

  The last stone was wood stone, but having wood mana was unheard of, at least not in non-plant species. Wood stones were mainly used to enhance crop growth or herb farming. Hans looked at Rudolf in a flurry, a sign that he had shattered his expectations, so he becomes happy with the achievement. He turned to Sierra, who was thinking the same thing as Rudolf, and looking at the child's gaze on her, she smiled at him and said,

Congratulations Hans, you became the third person in our history to possess the wood mana.

Hans asked in nervousness,

It's a good thing, right? I can be a knight, right?

Yes, but I don’t know how you could use the wood mana in swordsmanship.

  Being able to become a knight was good enough news for Hans, having wood mana was still better than not having one, so he was happy with the current result. He pulled Rudolf out of his amazement and asked him,

What now?

Yeah, you…you.. should try to convert the mana into aura now.

Hans sarcastically said,

I am a god; I know everything, right?

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Oh sorry, try feeling the mana of the surroundings, you could feel the same sensation as before.

Hans tried, and it worked. The mana surrounding him was giving him the same warm feeling as before. He got happy and asked Rudolf again,

What now?

Rudolf replied,

Just like basking in the sunlight, feel the mana with your skin and imagine it seeping in.

  Hans didn't get how it was possible, but he just did what he was told, and it happened. The mana was entering Hans like water in a dry sponge. Then suddenly Hans felt a sudden pain in his heart and he lost control of absorbed mana. His Mana came out repeating the same incident of giving birth to many plants, but unlike last time, he was in pain.

  Sierra and Rudolf were both startled; It was not something that should had happen at this stage. Hans calmed down again and was seeking the elders for an explanation. Rudolf did not realise why this was happening but Sierra knew, she said to them,

It's a cross-familiarity disorder.

Rudolf refuted immediately.

It's not possible, he tested negative for every other property…

He stopped in the middle, intensifying the suspense for Hans. The boy panicked and asked,

What are you talking about?

Sierra replied to him,

This is probably because of the divine mana within you. When a person is born with mana from different mana families (elementary, advanced, rare and unrecorded), it collides with each other. In your case, it is the wood of the Advanced and Divine from the Unrecorded family.

What are you talking about?

Sierra pushed Rudolf aside, grabbed Hans's shoulder, and spoke.

Your wood mana is struggling with divine mana inside you. So you can't form an aura.

Her words sounded nothing short of divine punishment to him. Hans became depressed, but the possibility of becoming a mage was still there until her next statement broke that prospect as well.

It's also possible that you won't be able to store mana in your heart...

Hans completed her sentence in a gloomy voice,

So I won't be a mage either?

  The elders kept silent, there was nothing they could say to make Hans feel better. Not becoming a knight was itself disastrous news, but neither being a mage was making him miserable. This meant that he could only be a powerless person in a place where power ruled everything.

  He turned to the elders. Tears were not stopping from his eyes and he kept staring at Sierra. He wanted to call her but his mouth could not hear him and he kept on wailing. Sierra could not bear to see him drowning in sorrow and hugged him saying,

When one door closes, another one will open. After giving you the blessing of life, Yudwin won't abandon you. So wait for it.

  Sierra continued to hug him, and he cried at his terrible fate, having given him life but without the tools to protect it. Hans sobbed for a long time before falling asleep in Sierra's arms. She tucked him on his bed and went with Rudolf to her chambers.

  The day was long and Hans slept the whole time. And now in the night sky, the moon and countless stars were showering the dim light. Hans had woken up in the middle of the night and from the roof of their house, he was stargazing in agony. He was trying to think of something else, but the thoughts of mana and aura kept reminding him of his misfortune.

  The main culprit of his misfortune was the divine mana within him. A power he could not use, yet this wasted power was not allowing him to use mana or aura. He tried several times to create an aura by suppressing the divine mana. He failed and keep failing but as Rudolf always said he was as stubborn as a mule and his stubbornness eventually paid off. A warm veil shrouded him and he rejoiced but his happiness was short-lived. His aura was consumed by divine mana the next moment, leaving him in pain and despair.

  Sierra and Rudolf had also woken up but decided not to hinder him from coping with the situation. Suddenly a thought emerged in Rudolf and he held Sierra's shoulder in front. Unable to control his power in excitement, and almost shaking her firmly he asked her,

Hans looks exactly like Sam, right?

Sierra responded

What is that supposed to do here?

Rudolf continued,

they look so alike that you can say they are the same person, right?

What are you blabbering, dear?

Rudolf suddenly become happy and said to her,

Maybe he still has a chance?

  Rudolf ran towards the storage. The situation reminded him of Samon's words “I will need this, so make sure you deliver it to me when there is no hope”. The loud sound of his knocking in the storeroom caught Hans's attention. He forgot his sadness for a moment and jumped straight into Sierra's arms, looking at Rudolf, who was scouring things like a madman.

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