*slam*

-19hp

I'm launched high into the air, landing perfectly in a dense bush softly enough to not lose any more hp.

"Owwwwww"

So maybe I can't take everything he has to throw at me.

Specifically, Syzslic seems more than happy to throw walls of pure and very hard mana at me.

(Boy, you need to need to adapt to the formation. You must replicate it. This is the first step in defensive magic.)

I sigh, falling out of the tall shrub and flexing my cramping wings. I stumble back to the indicated training area where Syzslic is waiting with his clawed hands tucked behind his back.

(We will repeat this until you can do it right. Now, watch how the shield forms, and intercept it with your own.)

I ease into the stance I've been told is common among novice casters. Slightly crouched and leaning forwards with both my hands held loosely out in front of me, palms facing my target. It's a position that embarrassed me at first, standing in such a way in front of someone who can do much more standing normally, but after getting thrown around a few times by his infuriatingly solid shields, I couldn't give less of a shit.

(Ready?)

I nod, focusing on drawing mana into my palms. There, it's ready and waiting to be formed into whatever spell I command it to. It would be all too easy to cast Fast at him, but it would likely result in further injury.

Without any indication of effort on his behalf, Syzslic gathers mana in front of him. A square of transparent blue that grows into a large wall, visibly thick.

No matter how many times I've seen him make the mana do this, I don't know what he's done. But that's not the vital part. I'm not supposed to be growing a shield in the same way as him.

He tilts his head forwards, and the wall starts moving towards me, picking up speed. When it's no more than a meter in front of my hands, I force the mana out of my palms, imagining an instant and perfect shield to appear in front of me.

-25mp

A blue flash bursts from my palms, but nothing else happens.

*slam*

-41hp

"Fuuuuuuuuuuu-"

-36hp

My flight in rudely interrupted by a branch that blows the breath out of me and breaks at least one of my ribs.

I land under the tree in a broken mess. Both of my arms are sporting at least one break, and the branch messed up my ribcage. The pain is bad, but gasping for breath makes it worse.

(You lack the focus necessary. You might be able to envision your mana, and you can expel it easily enough, but the missing link is focus.)

I try to get to my feet, using my wings more than my arms to push me up, but they aren't strong enough, and I fall forwards, painfully grinding broken bones against each other.

-25hp

"Ughhhhh."

(*sigh*. Next, I must teach you some healing if your body insists upon being so fragile.)

+100hp

Instantly, my ribs are intact again, and my arms are healed with only a little stiffness remaining.

I check my status as I stand up, noticing that the 20 or so health I'm still missing must be due to the muscles around my ribs being damaged.

Instead of angering me with the pain, I'm just motivated further. If I have such a powerful mind, I need to focus on the task at hand. I can't keep my mind hung up on the all too recent history. As much as it pains me to, I have to forget those who were so welcoming to me. For a little while.

Entering the ring drawn in the dirt, I re-enter the stance and draw mana into my palms. I imagine the wall of mana that Syzslic is already forming. My own wall; Thinner, but every bit as stable. I can picture it as a perfectly square barrier of transparent blue extending outwards from my palms.

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(Ready?)

I shut my eyes, trying to sense the mana instead of seeing it, then realise I'm worse off than before because I don't have that kind of ability, and open them quickly.

Ready.

The mana wall accelerates at me again, and I and I draw my focus almost entirely to my hands, and the mana held within.

Focus...

The wall. The mana. Nothing else matters.

Again, just before the mana wall hits, I push out what I'm holding, willing it to defend me.

-30mp

I scrunch my eyes shut tight, preparing myself for an impact. And...

-2hp

I stumble back a few steps, falling backwards as my heel hits the boundary of the training circle.

My eyes fly open as I fall, catching a glimpse of a bright blue screen floating just in front of me.

Congratulations

You have learnt the spell: Lesser Physical Shield.

Your perk (Shapeless Magic) has simplified the spell to Barrier.

Barrier: 

Prevent physical force by negating impact with a mana barrier. 

Mana cost dependant on the quantity and strength of casting. (Max mana per barrier: 10)

(Congratulations, you've learnt your first own spell. A physical shield will be useful for a weak bodied individual.)

I stand, flexing my hands which are tingling slightly.

Apparently, my shapeless magic changed it. It's just called barrier for me.

(I'm not surprised. Shapeless magic is a perk that has altered both your body and the composition of your mana itself. Both have adapted to suit each other better. Your body will not restrict the flow of mana, and your mana will not ignite the flesh it travels through.)

Wait, what!?

A shocked expression covers my face as I step back into the ring.

(Yes, it is fairly common for young magic students to be scarred as they cannot control the proper routes and forms that mana must take to be able to safely traverse the body.)

I've never seen anything like that.

(That is understandable. It is something of a mark of shame to be scarred by poor control. As they grow though, they will most likely learn enough healing or illusory arts to be able to remove any evidence of their past failure.)

Did you ever get burnt by your mana?

It's a petty type of revenge I'm aiming for here, but as the ancient Skalean is every part my superior, this is all I have. And from the irritated look on his face, I can tell I've struck a nerve.

(Absolutely not. You humans might be ridden with scars of mistakes, and while I understand it is a brutally effective lesson for budding magicians to learn, we skaleans learnt properly.)

Subconsciously, I can see him rubbing at his forearms behind his back. I manage to keep from smirking, but my mood is slightly lifted further.

(Well, enough about me. Try your spell!)

In the magic ready position, I pull mana into my hands and imagine a shield forming.

"Barrier."

Spell cast (x2)

-20mp

In each of my hands forms a completely square barrier of mana roughly a half meter tall and wide.

Bringing my hands closer together while keeping them parallel, the squares practically jump to each other, creating a rectangle instead, this one tall and wide enough to protect me from threats in front of me.

"Wow."

(Just like with your offensive spell, you will very quickly be able to cast this with almost no thought; the image of protection forming as you cast it.)

Still staring in wonder at the shield that is trying to keep my hands parallel regardless of how I move them, I don't notice as Syzslic picks up a ball of dirt with magic. A thin membrane of blue giving away how he's doing it.

(Control of your shields will be an invaluable asset. Motion, control, strength. We will spend the remainder of today refining your shield. Because as you can see-)

The ball shoots towards me at incredible speed, shattering the shield effortlessly and hitting me in the chest. I don't take any damage, but I still felt the impact was much less than it should have been.

(-your shield is still rather weak.)

Agreed.

----------------------------------------

Despite his earlier insisting that I learn healing magic, all my efforts of the day are spent learning how to control my barrier. Through the constant repetitive making and breaking of my basic shields, I slowly get better at controlling my mana too. I can't really move it any faster than before, but it's easier to keep up a constant stream from what Syzslic calls my core to wherever I'm casting from.

By mid-afternoon, I'm hit by a debuff.

Mana Sickness (360:00)

I don't bother trying to ask the system what it means at first, as I've been able to power through sickness before, but as soon as I try to force the mana from my hands, I can feel the difference. The mana is sluggish.

Instead of leading a stream of water through my flesh effortlessly, it feels like I'm trying to dig through hard dirt with only my hands. I can still channel the mana, but it's far more of an effort.

Syzslic notices my discomfort, and from the satisfied look on his face, I can tell he's been expecting this.

(Ah, mana sickness, huh? A death sentence for most while fighting, but not so for the Forest kings court, and neither will it be for you. This is where your training really begins.)

Something tells me this is what separated the Skaleans from the rest of the sentient forest citizens.

(In a way you are correct, but in another, there was much that made us different. We were not superior in any way, as our own physical abilities are not as impressive as many others.)

I don't know, those hunters I saw yesterday seemed pretty physically able.

(Yes, but as far as they have come, they would have no chance against any of the body-focused guardians of the court. I will forge you into a guardian reminiscent of my own brethren.)

I laugh weakly. Sure, I've been tested before, but I'm sure this is going to be a whole other calibre of painful. But I can do it. I'm ready.