****************************************************************

'Pretty or beautiful, such an everlasting debate.' Reinhold sat alone under a tall oak tree in the training yard, his mind lost in thought. The sun was shining brightly on a clear day, illuminating the lush green grass beneath him, giving it a vibrant appearance; it was as if it had been painted with watercolor. The sky displayed a brilliant blue hue, adorned with fluffy white clouds that drifted gently across its vast expanse. Birds were chirping happily in nearby trees, singing songs that filled his soul with joy and peace.

His eyes were fixed on the sky. A gust of wind blew, causing his golden locks of hair to sway along with the breeze, dancing playfully in the air before returning to rest on his shoulders. He closed his eyes, letting his mind wander aimlessly in the tranquil atmosphere around him.

'Pretty, a fleeting thought of the mind; beautiful, a heart's passionate call. We applaud the physical when we deem someone pretty, yet true beauty encompasses both flesh and soul.'

These words lingered in his mind, haunting him with their weight. 'Is love always this complicated?' he couldn't help but wonder. In this moment, his thoughts drifted to Ethelda, the woman who was his wife. She was a vision of beauty, adorned in finery and jewelry to showcase her charms. But as he tried to recall what made her stand out among others, he found himself drawing a blank. She may have been the epitome of societal standards, but was that truly enough? No, for Reinhold didn't love her for something as temporary as her looks.

Her beauty was worshiped by many, but it was merely the most superficial part of the human body—a fleeting gift meant to tempt and seduce. As Reinhold gazed at her, he couldn't help but notice the perfect symmetry of her features—the long lashes framing her deep brown eyes, the full lips that always seemed to be painted in a soft red hue, and the smooth contour of her cheekbones.

But as he held her hand and looked into her eyes, he felt a sense of emptiness, a lack of true connection. He realized that her beauty was merely a facade, masking the true state of their marriage—two souls struggling to find love and intimacy amidst schemes and politics.

'Love is not only skin-deep; I believe in true love, the kind that transcends time. The kind that lasts for eternity.'

He thought as the image of Amelyna flashed across his mind once again.

Releasing a sigh of frustration, he closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself get lost in the tranquility of nature surrounding him, allowing his body and spirit to relax completely. After a short while, however, the sounds of people talking loudly nearby snapped him back to reality. When he opened them again, he noticed a group of soldiers sparring with wooden swords nearby, practicing various sword techniques.

He watched them intently, observing how fluidly they moved through their routines without any hesitation whatsoever. It seemed effortless, like a dance choreographed by the gods themselves. They were graceful and swift, dodging attacks while delivering strikes of their own and striking at weak spots with ease.

Their bodies glistened in sweat as they continued to train relentlessly, determined to master every step. Each blow landed on the other, sending tremors through their bones and forcing them to take extra care when defending against further strikes or counterattacking.

Reinhold couldn't help but smile proudly at their dedication to improving themselves, despite their youth.

'They're young. I envy them for their youthful vigor, vitality, and ability to learn from their mistakes. I wish I could experience the joy of being alive, of living without regrets or worries.'

A little excitement seemed to awaken in his heart. He immediately stood up, brushed off the dust stains on his pants, and went to a private corner. There was only one thing on his mind right now. "Magic".

"Isn't today a perfect day for me to try learning a little magic?" He whispered.

According to what old man Armagus had told him, those with the chosen blood cannot learn magic because their blood basically always eliminates every bit of mana in their bodies.

The old man didn't explain further, but he clicked his tongue and said, "If you brats learn magic, it's such a waste anyway. Why waste your time casting your spell when you can directly crush it?"

Reinhold chuckled to himself as he remembered the old man's words. 'Well, that's what the old man said. But I'm still curious: What would it be like to use magic?'.

The old man also taught him a lot about the magic that flowed through their world like a shimmering current. He learned that mana was everywhere, swirling around them like invisible waves in the air. But not everyone could harness it; to do so, a person will have to awaken his or her heart, and when that person absorbs mana, the heart will distribute it throughout the user's body in each blood vessel. A magician refers to this as the first level of awakening.

The process of awakening one's "mana heart" was no easy feat. It required being constantly exposed to large amounts of dense mana and breathing it in until the heart became accustomed to its presence. Many described this experience as painful, feeling like sharp needles piercing their throats and hearts on the verge of exploding.

But for those who persevered and successfully awakened their 'mana hearts', the rewards were great. They could tap into the purest form of mana, giving them incredible power and control over their magic. And in order to maintain this purity, mages often strengthened their hearts with intricate magic circles.

'The destruction that magicians bring is undeniable, but it seems like no one can escape the twist of fate.' As he tried to recall what Armagus had taught him in the past, he thought to himself.

In essence, a mage's strength depended on two factors: their innate talent for magic and their ability to control and maintain the purity of their mana. With magic slowly dwindling from the continent, fewer and fewer were able to awaken their 'mana hearts', leading to a decline in powerful mages. But for those who could, they held immense power and became the most priceless asset on this continent.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

Reinhold closed his eyes and concentrated on the energy within him. The initial step in learning magic involved accumulating sufficient mana within your body to form an 'imaginary sphere' around yourself. Once you achieved this, you could use it to cast a specific spell.

However, creating such a sphere was no easy feat; it required constant concentration and precision, and if you failed, there could be devastating consequences. So naturally, Reinhold didn't dare to start practicing magic recklessly.

Instead, he began with a basic task: trying to detect mana in his surroundings using the technique old man Armagus had taught him.

"Focus on your senses," the old man said. "Feel everything around you, including yourself. Feel how much energy you hold within your body; feel its flow throughout you."

Reinhold followed his instruction, focusing on the feeling within himself.

He concentrated on his breathing, deliberately slowing it down to ensure his lungs were fully inflated before exhaling. His heartbeat thumped louder than normal in his ears.

He felt the air rushing through his nose and throat, as well as the heat radiating from his skin, as the sun warmed him from above.

Slowly, Reinhold became aware of the subtle vibrations running through him—the tingling sensation that came from touching something soft, the ticklishness that arose from brushing against a strand of hair, the slight prickly feeling when he pressed against a hard edge.

All these details merged together into one big blur, forming a vague shape that surrounded Reinhold. It was as if a veil had lifted from his eyes, letting him see the truth of what was happening around him.

This wasn't something new to him. He'd been experiencing it for as long as he could remember. It was just that this time he was consciously doing it, not subconsciously. He could feel the difference.

The moment Reinhold opened his eyes, he was stunned by the sight in front of him. All the people and all the things around him seemed to have become transparent, like a thin layer covered them, revealing only a silhouette of them.

It was almost impossible for him to distinguish which objects were solid and which were just shadows created by the sunlight.

'Amazing! This is amazing...' Reinhold muttered in awe.

He could even see through the stone buildings' walls and wooden fences. Everything around him appeared to consist entirely of shapes and colors, rather than objects and textures. The ground beneath him looked more solid than anything else, while the sky above was filled with a myriad of colors.

"What in the world..."

The more he focused his attention on something, the clearer it looked, becoming sharper and brighter. He could see tiny particles floating in space, swirling around like miniature galaxies.

'This is definitely not what ordinary people can see.' He thought to himself. 'Is this the power of magic? The first step is actually this amazing?'.

"Why didn't the old man teach me these things sooner?" He mumbled to himself as he tried to wrap his mind around what was going on.

But right when he was excited about this new discovery, he suddenly felt every blood vessel in his body heating up as if lava ran through them.

The next moment, he felt an excruciating pain shooting through every inch of him. The intense heat spread rapidly through Reinhold's veins, burning him from the inside out. He screamed in agony, clutching his stomach tightly, trying to suppress the fire within him. He tried to calm himself down, but nothing helped. His whole body trembled violently, and his vision blurred, making him fall backwards onto the ground.

He gasped loudly, trying desperately to catch his breath and stop himself from passing out. Sweat trickled down his forehead and dripped onto the grass below. He could taste bile rising in his throat.

He wanted to cry, but the flames consumed his tears before they could spill forth. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, and he couldn't think straight. All his thoughts melted into a single word echoing through his mind: pain! He could hear his own voice screaming.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!"

Reinhold screamed in anguish, unable to contain himself any longer. He writhed on the ground like an earthworm, clawing at anything he could grab, trying desperately to put out the fire raging within. The burning intensified, searing his skin, boiling his organs, and melting his bones. Every nerve ending exploded simultaneously, sending wave after wave of torment washing over him.

A force beyond his understanding was consuming him from within, reducing him to ashes. He could feel himself dying, disintegrating into nothing but dust, smoke, and embers. But at this moment, his mind suddenly became wild and overwhelmed by the piercing pain.

'Hahahaha, do you think this little pain can make it difficult for me? It seems my blood is in conflict and fighting with my mana.' He used all his strength and stood up little by little. 'Then I just need to absorb more mana into my body, right?'.

Reinhold's eyes shone brightly, and his lips curled into a sinister smile.

"I'm not finished yet!" he declared confidently.

He closed his eyes once again, concentrating deeply on gathering as much mana as he possibly could, ignoring his pain and focusing solely on absorbing more and more.

The mana in his body started flowing faster, coursing through his veins and circulating around him, enveloping everything around him. Soon, he could feel himself growing hotter again. He gritted his teeth, refusing to give in. Instead, he pushed harder, drawing upon his inner strength and determination to withstand the infernal flames raging within.

His heart pounded fiercely inside his chest, pumping wildly against his ribs as though it might burst at any second, while beads of perspiration dripped from his forehead, rolling down his cheeks and falling to the ground below. His hands trembled slightly, and his muscles twitched involuntarily.

His entire body quivered and convulsed uncontrollably, but he refused to surrender. He clenched his fists, digging his nails deep into his palms, drawing blood from them. He bit down on his lower lip until it also drew blood.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" he screamed again, throwing his head back as the agonizing heat surged forth once more. The fire raged within him, scorching him from head to toe. His vision clouded and darkened, turning black before his eyes.

He could feel himself fading away and dying...

But then, suddenly...everything stopped. The flames vanished, replaced only by the cool, gentle breeze blowing softly across his face, caressing the hairs on his neck and arms, soothing his skin, and cooling him off.

Reinhold took a few deep breaths, inhaling deeply and filling his lungs completely with air. Then he let them go slowly, exhaling through his mouth. Gradually, he relaxed, letting go of the tension he'd built up over time. The pain subsided slowly, leaving behind only a dull ache deep within his body. He opened one eye carefully.

The world around him appeared normal once again, although slightly blurry at first. He blinks several times to clear his eyesight. Despite the lingering pain, he chose to ignore it and concentrate on the scene unfolding before him.

He looked down at his hands, noticing a slight tremor running through his fingers. He clenched his jaw tightly as he realized what had happened. His body had gone into shock.

But he couldn't afford to panic. Not yet, anyway. Suddenly, his left arm swelled abnormally and twisted violently. A loud snapping sound echoed through the air, followed by a deafening roar.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

The ground trembled violently beneath Reinhold's feet, as his arm looked like it was about to explode from the large amount of energy in his body.

"RELEASE ALL THE MANA IN YOUR BODY, YOU STUPID BASTARD," a familiar voice yelled from somewhere behind Reinheld.

Reinhold followed the instructions instinctively, unsure of who it was or how he knew. He opened his mouth wide and pushed out the enormous amount of mana in his body.

Instantly, a huge blast of energy flew from his mouth, hitting everything around it with a blinding flash of bright light. A loud bang reverberated throughout the yard, shaking the walls and causing cracks to form along some of them.

The force of the explosion knocked Reinhold flat onto his back, knocking all of the oxygen out of his lungs in one fell swoop. The impact forced him to gasp and cough as he lay motionless for a moment, trying to regain his bearings.

"Oh, you might actually have been retarded all these years."

Reinold turned his head slightly to look at the person who was now standing beside him—a tall, old-looking man wearing a white robe. It was none other than Armagus himself.