I sat down on the ground, breathing heavily, and wondered if I was going crazy. We have been in the chamber for a month now and I came to the conclusion that this place was somehow worse than the training I received to become a super soldier which was saying a lot since it sucked really bad.

The chamber itself was as big as an average-sized house which gave us a relatively wide area to move around or at least that’s what I thought at the beginning but now it felt way, way smaller. The place had no windows and even if it had windows, I doubted I would be able to see refreshing things.

Artemeni was handling it about as well as I was, which was to say, not great. She was a warrior, used to being out in the open, moving freely, feeling the wind on her face. Here, she was caged, confined to this suffocating space, and it was wearing on her. She tried to keep her frustration in check, out of respect for me, but it was obvious in the tightness of her jaw, the way her eyes would narrow at the slightest provocation. She was a ticking time bomb, and I could feel the tension radiating off her like heat from a fire. She tried to hide it but it was hard to hide things from others when you were locked in the same limited space.

Gökbörü constantly whined, pestering me to play with him at every chance he got. I couldn’t blame him, though. He was used to running free, hunting, and playing. Being cooped up in here was driving him nuts, and his incessant need for attention was starting to get on my nerves.

Aurora was the only one who was handling herself well. She was reading her books and taking notes when she wasn’t teaching me or helping me train. Maybe it was expected since she had previous experiences. But to me, it was almost annoying. It was as if she had built an invisible shield around herself, protecting her from the oppressive atmosphere that was affecting the rest of us.

I sighed and looked at the weird straw thing in front of me. It was insanely thin and twisted in weird shapes. The goal, just like the many exercises I did before was simple enough. To thread a thin strand of mana through the twisted straw without touching the edges. It reminded me of a game I played as a child, where you had to guide a loop through a wire without setting off a buzzer. Except this time, the stakes were much higher, and the "buzzer" was my frustration building up to dangerous levels.

Just like a lazy student, a voice in my head asked me how what I was doing would be helpful. I pushed it back of my head and focused on my task. Slowly, carefully. Then, something shifted.

I felt a change in the flow of mana, a subtle but distinct improvement. The mana moved with more precision, more ease as if my previous frustrations had been a necessary part of the process, honing my control to a finer edge. The strand of mana slipped through the twists without touching the sides, a seamless flow of energy that felt almost effortless.

(Mana Manipulation ranked up to B rank. Your control over your mana has sharpened, granting you smoother and more refined dominance over your mana.)

“Fuck, yeah!”

I threw my hands into the air, startling everyone. Aurora looked up from her book, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she observed my sudden outburst. Artemeni raised an eyebrow, her expression caught somewhere between curiosity and amusement. Even Gökbörü, who had been lazily sprawled out in a corner, perked up at the sound of my voice, his ears twitching.

"Finally," I muttered, feeling a rush of relief wash over me. The grind of training in this claustrophobic chamber had finally paid off. The system notification echoed in my mind, affirming the breakthrough in my Mana Manipulation.

“I assume that your Mana Manipulation ranked up?”

I nodded to Aurora’s question.

“B rank. It is actually nice that this world tells you about improvements to your face. It makes the training more satisfying.”

Aurora closed her book with a soft snap, her smile widening. "Congratulations. Achieving B rank in Mana Manipulation is no small feat, especially in such a short amount of time. Most would take years, if not decades, to reach that level of control. I am actually a little bit jealous.”

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Gökbörü trotted over, sensing my excitement. He nudged my hand with his nose, a clear sign that he wanted to share in the moment. I gave him a pat and suddenly he flipped in the air, dropping a piece of ice into my palm. I tilted my head as I inspected what he created and noticed that it looked like a… Wolf? It looked like a children’s drawing of a wolf but it was surely a wolf. I looked at him and he was wagging his tail, waiting for my praise. Was he training too while I was focused on my task? While it was still primitive, his ice manipulation was never this precise.

I looked at his status window to see if his Ice Wolf’s Breath was ranked up but it was at the same rank. However, I noticed a new skill: Mana Manipulation E.

“Ha ha! You lazy fleabag! You were training too?”

I flipped him over and scratched his belly. Gökbörü's tail wagged furiously as I scratched his belly, his excitement infectious. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of him squirming under my touch. Aurora observed the interaction with a thoughtful expression, her book now forgotten in her lap.

“What is that Champion?”

I showed her the ice sculpture Gökbörü made.

“He learned Mana Manipulation! Look at this.”

Her eyes widened.

“Are you sure, Champion? Even though he is a familiar, it is very difficult for monsters to acquire Mana Manipulation.”

Well, Gökbörü wasn’t really a monster. Both Wolf King and his sons were intelligent and sapient so was Gökbörü. Aurora studied the ice wolf with a mix of curiosity and admiration.

“It’s not just the skill that’s impressive; it’s the way he’s applied it. Most monsters use mana instinctively often through their natural born skills, without much thought or precision. For Gökbörü to focus it into something as delicate as this... it suggests a level of intelligence and discipline beyond what I’ve seen in most familiars.”

Gökbörü, still basking in the attention, let out a soft bark, clearly pleased with himself. I couldn’t help but grin, ruffling his fur.

“Don’t compliment him too much or his ass will leave this planet behind.”

Aurora ignored my joke, nodding thoughtfully as she adjusted her glasses.

“I heard that you can share each other’s senses?”

She asked, sounding like she wanted to confirm something. While sharing all of my abilities was something I wanted to avoid, I trusted Aurora and Artemeni.

“Even more than that. Feelings, mana, and skills too.”

She froze before starting to murmur. I could hear gears turning in her mind.

“Unlike civilized species, monsters have a more innate relationship with mana. Their ability to “sense” mana is greater than ours however, they usually lack the understanding or self-awareness required to achieve the same mastery as us. This. This explains your growth. Both of you.”

I glanced at Gökbörü, who was still wiggling on his back, enjoying the belly rubs. Hmm. Gökbörü could sense mana in a way I couldn’t and I had the maturity and self-awareness necessary to control it. By sharing our sensations we acquired things we lacked.

“How did you manage to form your familiar bond?”

The sparkle in Aurora’s eyes told me that she really hoped she could replicate what I did.

“I don’t think it is replicateable. Plus, even I am not sure how it happened.”

Well, she could start by finding the heart of a Calamity Candidate and try to create a new offspring by fusing your mana into it and nearly dying in the process. But I wouldn’t say that.

“Shame. Many mages would kill to acquire something like that. May I perform some tests on him?”

Tests. The word didn’t awaken nice memories. When scientists told me they wanted to perform tests it usually involved them cutting me open or putting something in my body. Aurora must have noticed my hesitation because she quickly added, "Nothing invasive, of course. Just some non-intrusive tests to understand how he's developed this level of control. It could help us all grow stronger."

I weighed her words carefully. Aurora had been nothing but supportive, and her knowledge had been invaluable to our progress.

“It is Gökbörü’s decision.”

Aurora turned to Gökbörü, her expression softening as she crouched down to his level. “What do you say, Gökbörü? Would you mind if I ran a few tests? I promise it won’t hurt. Just a few simple exercises to see how much you've grown.”

Gökbörü looked at me, his bright eyes seeking my approval. I gave him a nod, trusting that Aurora wouldn’t do anything to harm him. He let out a small bark and stood up, signaling that he was willing to go along with it.

“Alright then,” Aurora said, standing up and brushing off her robes. “We’ll start with something simple.”