"The first step is to believe that it's possible. Once I had a taste of success, you start to believe in it a little more."

Jarome Iginla

“Thank you.” His voice was small. He used two hands to cup the ring. It was small enough that half of his palm would do, but he didn’t want to take the chance.

“There are only a few mana stones and some basic books on magic in there.” Sophia laughed, amused by his behavior. There was worried happiness when she looked at her oldest son. The pursuit of magic was the goal of everyone, but few could have real achievements. It was also a long and dangerous road.

As her son learned. Would he be discouraged by the danger and challenges? “You can look at those books tomorrow. Head straight to bed.” Her voice was stern. It would be three years before he would go to school. They could allow him to enjoy this time without burdening him with reality.

Nathair was too focused on the ring in his hands to realize something was wrong. He missed the odd tone of his mother’s voice. Even if she told him to go to bed, there was no way he could comply.

“Yes,” he shouted. They both knew he was lying but were content to ignore it.

Sophia got up with a groan. “You still have to get up and do your chores tomorrow.” The purpose of infusion was to fill the child’s body with magic. Nathair’s capacity was the largest she had ever seen. Taking more than half of the mana in her body.

He would awaken quickly. She would need to talk with Argus about this more. They would have to make better plans to facilitate his learning. The quality of the mana being infused and the capacity of the child would influence the strength of the Manifested M-gem.

The next challenge would be to see how his body adapted. She couldn’t contain her worry as she watched him running down the hall to his bedroom.

He just remembered that he hadn’t said anything even though he’d been given so many gifts. “Thank you, mom.” Nathair shouted over his shoulder.

He quickly closed his bedroom door and jumped onto his bed. He didn’t know where to start first. That wasn’t true. He knew that organizing the energy in his body should be the most important. The information would be more accurate the earlier it was collected. Yet, the allure of the books in his possession was almost too much to resist.

SENA, did you record the process of infusion and the effects it had on the body?

Yes, Nathair.

SENA, what happened?

Unknown anatomy detected and developing. The appearance is similar to blood vessels. The body contains foreign energy. This energy is forming a globule in the abdominal cavity.

Nathair took a deep breath. SENA, show me an image. Leave out anything not related to the mana system that is developing.

The picture flashed in his mind.

He was right. This developed closer to a new organ. It had a setup that was identical to the circulatory system. The entire system was internal except for three points. These veins led to the back of both hands and the center of his chest.

These places were where his M-gems would Manifest. His knowledge was limited, but he found any information that indicated a person could have more than two M-gems. After looking through the books he was given, if he could not find an answer, he would ask a theoretical question of his parents.

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Thankfully the extra M-gem in a spot hidden under his clothes. If it was an anomaly, he didn’t want any extra attention.

SENA, compare the energy infused to tonight to the energy infused at the woods.

Yes, Nathair. 50% similarity.

SENA, give specifics.

Varying levels of compatibility and concentration. The energy source by the woods is 50% more concentrated and there is a 30% higher absorption rate.

Those were shocking numbers. The energy he encountered by the woods was just the residual levels. If he went further in, what would the readings be?

The purity of the energy was one thing, but if he could absorb mana faster, didn’t that mean he would Manifest earlier?

He would ask Argus to infuse him once before he made a judgment. He didn’t know how mana actually functioned or what happened during the infusion process. He was just glad that he came in contact with that unknown energy source.

It was instrumental in him regaining his awareness. There was a chance that it acted as a primer for him to be able to absorb mana. Veins could be brittle, and they needed to strengthen as they developed. The energy he absorbed was a base for him to build on.

SENA, is there a way to preserve and improve the flow of the energy in my body?

Yes, Nathair. Three viable plans were found: 1. Eat supplemental food. 2. Increase the energy absorbed. 3. Circulate the energy in the body.

Eat supplemental food? Had he come across anything that his body could use to strengthen itself? SENA, expound on methods one and three.

Those were the only two he could actively act on. The second one would depend on his parents and how much deeper he could venture into the forest. For all he knew. The energy level that he already absorbed was the limit.

For method one. Err wheat improved the flow of energy in the body. Shmell mushrooms purified the energy. Please taste other foods to test the effect on the body.

For method three. Energy is stagnated in the developing veins. Please move energy in a designated pattern to help the development of the organ and circulatory system.

SENA, did the energy Sophia infuse follow a pattern?

Yes, Nathair. This pattern is ineffective. For better management and development, this pattern has been extrapolated from existing data and assumed needs.

A motion diagram appeared in his mind. If he followed this pattern, what would be the effects? Wasn’t this the same as saying he needed to eat right and exercise? It was like he was strengthening his heart.

SENA, would it be most effective for me to start now? How long should I circulate the energy?

It makes no quantifiable difference. Energy loss is unavoidable. The system should be practiced for 5 minutes with a three-hour break in between. Should an alarm be set?

SENA, set the necessary alarms for mana exercises. Also, monitor and make adjustments to the plan as necessary.

As he got stronger and more efficient, the times he needed to practice and rest would change. He also wanted to work on a plan to strengthen his body. It would take time, the muscles of a child were not developed enough to handle that.

There was no need to rush anything. It was better to move slowly and get acceptable results than to rush and end up with bad results.

Taking the light gem, he hid under his blanket. His parents knew he was awake, but there was no need to be blatant about it.

This reminded him of when he would hide and read his physics textbooks, long after he was expected to be asleep.

Nathair focused on the storage ring in his hand. It was a simple gold band with a gem-set on top. Looking at it from every angle, he inspected it. There was nothing special about it from what he could tell. The inscription on the band was written in a language he did not know. Also, he knew the gem on to was needed to power the spell.

Taking a pin, he pricked his finger. When a bead of blood pooled on his finger, he rubbed it on the gem of the ring. He felt a pulling sensation in his abdomen. In the next moment, he could ‘see’ what was in the ring. It was more a case where he was aware of what was stored.

Experimenting a bit, he figured out how to put and take things out of the ring. How to ‘see’ the items stored.

Taking everything out of the ring, he organized them on his bed. There were ten books and thirty multicolored stones. They looked like magic gems but were opaque. He picked one up and rolled it around.

An alert went off in his mind.

Nathair, the energy contained in the stone can help increase the effectiveness of the mana circulation technique.

He thought that might be the case when he heard the name, but how did he use it. He didn’t even bother to ask SENA.

He put the stones back into the storage ring and focused on the books. He assumed their contents from the titles. Five books introduced the basics of magic and the theory of magic behind it. Three books covered ancient languages. One book focused on magical plants and their effects. The last book was about the history of magic.

The books on the basics of magic were what he needed the most. The language books would teach him about the language that was used to inscribe the ring. However, the most important was the book on herbs.

Hadn’t SENA pointed out that certain foods would help with his development? It was what he could apply now to get the best results.

He didn’t waste any time.

SENA, scan the contents of the books and add them to the knowledge database.

Yes, Nathair.