After an entire day of training and studying Professor Date’s Mana Shaping book, I stumbled to my bed and fell down. My body sank into the mattress like a stone into an ocean.

But even as my body begged for rest, my mind kept wandering.

Mana… bend mana like this. Hasten the flow of mana in your arm. Mana is like that, mana needs to be shaped. Mana, mana, mana. For a book that talks extensively about how to manipulate this mysterious force, it didn't directly specify what it is. People in this world spend their entire lives without questioning its true nature, simply because they understand how it behaves, its properties, its uses, and how to absorb it from the atmosphere.

In a way, it can be compared to darkness. ‘Darkness is the absence of light,’ one might say. But does that truly explain what ‘darkness’ is? No, it doesn’t. Similarly, one can describe mana’s properties and behaviour when interacting with the natural world. But they cannot point to it and say, ‘This is mana.’

Drawing comparisons is difficult. I simply don’t understand it.

What I do understand is that mana acts like energy that can carry data. But the book said it is not energy. It can encode instructions into matter and other forms of energy. But shaping something I cannot even comprehend...feels beyond me.

I could not say how long I spent pondering over the subject. Before I knew it, darkness enveloped me.

And…

I.

Something.

Something sharp tugged at the edge of my awareness, a dull ache in my ribs.

A silence too loud to ignore pressed against my ears, pulling me from the dark. My eyes snapped open, landing on the ceiling.

I didn’t move. My body wanted rest, but my mind was already spinning with fragments of shapes, circuits, and unfinished thoughts whirring like a machine that refused to shut down.

I groaned, rubbing my face with both hands.

How long did I sleep? An hour? Two?

The wall clock glared back at me: 3:00 a.m.

I reached for the remote, and the TV blinked to life with a buzz bathing the room in an artificial glow.

The anchor’s chipper voice pierced the stillness:

“Coming up next: Teen Pop Sensation Airi Sato Spotted with Rumored Boyfriend!”

I squinted at the screen.

“A pop sensation? Airi Sato?” This world has celebrities? I wondered.

Curiosity tugged at me, despite myself. Leaning back against the headboard, I stared at the screen. The image of a girl filled the frame, her smile radiating that practiced, too-perfect charm.

“Cute,” I muttered. The word felt hollow, more a reflex than a thought

The anchor’s overly enthusiastic tone was almost comical in its absurdity.

But then:

“Uh... I'm sorry but we have to interrupt this broadcast with a Breaking News. Reports are circulating about the prestigious Arcanum Blades Academy—”

I tensed, my brows furrowing.

“—about a student with an unprecedented white mana core and potential to reach the coveted S-rank. Sources indicate interest from high-ranking officials—”

My thumb hovered over the remote. Aeravat’s news is already out?

The screen shifted to the academy gates' stock image. Gross.

I muttered, “Shouldn’t this be confidential or something?”

The anchor carried on:

“Stay tuned as we uncover more details about this extraordinary—”

CHEWB! The screen went dark as I threw the remote onto the bed.

“Tch. What a waste of time.”

Stretching out my arms, I felt the tightness in my shoulders loosen. Barely.

Sleep wouldn’t come now... not with my mind clawing at the edges of itself.

I dragged myself to the desk, where the worn book waited like a smug tormentor. My fingers traced the cracked leather, flipping it open to the diagrams I’d stared at for hours without progress.

“Let’s see if I can make sense of you tonight,” I muttered, bringing my palms parallel, a gap between them big enough to cradle an imaginary orb.

This was the mana-shaping exercise called Light Sculpting. If done correctly, a glowing white orb would appear between your hands. Simple in theory. All you had to do was hasten the mana flow in one palm, slow it in the other, then alternate while mentally sculpting a geometric shape.

I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. A faint tingle spread across my palms, familiar but maddeningly faint. My hands hovered over the void, willing something, anything, to appear.

Nothing.

The space between my palms stayed empty.

I stared at it, jaw tight, forcing myself to try again. My arms trembled. My head pounded. My will frayed.

Nothing was happening.

“Fuck this shit!”

I slammed my hands onto the desk, standing abruptly. The book shuddered under the impact.

Almost immediately, I sat down, glaring at the diagrams.

“Alright, then,” I muttered.

This time, I tried again. Not with patience, but with raw focus. The kind that came from sheer spite.

* * *

The night was productive, even though I wasn't able to produce anything. Now, it was morning.

Dragging my exhausted body, I finally reached the door of the classroom—it was the classroom, right?

I lifted my head to look at the nameplate: Class A1, 1st Year.

Yeah, it’s the classroom.

“Move aside.”

A sudden, familiar voice interrupted me from behind.

I turned around to see a girl standing there. I stared at her face. Emily Reed.

She's got nothing on Airi Sato. Heh…

Emily scowled. “Done gawking? Move.” Her tone was laced with irritation.

I didn’t even realize I was gawking, but her frown suggested otherwise. Her frown deepened.

I stepped aside. She went past me, muttering something about ‘this idiot again.’

Déjà vu.

Anyway… The class began as Professor Date walked in.

“Let's start with Artifacts,” Professor Date said.

The classroom was full now, and the class had started. The first class of the day was ‘Concepts,’ a unique subject that dealt with the concept of magic.

“I’m sure all of you have heard about mana cores at some point in your life,” Professor Date said.

I nodded.

“A mana core is something like an organ that absorbs and refines atmospheric mana,” a voice answered. I turned around to see Takahashi Aoi standing and answering the Professor. There was a smug smile on his face.

“Thank you, Mr. Takahashi, but unless you’re asked to answer, I suggest you remain quiet.” Professor Date dismissed him, and he settled back into his seat with a frown.

“Now, returning to the subject, a mana core, as you all know, is something akin to a suction engine. But it has other purposes. For example, it allows your mana veins and arteries to contract or expand. Mana veins and arteries are similar to blood vessels, except they carry mana particles instead of blood and are smaller in size. The mana core is also the organ that regulates the speed of mana inside your body.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Other than that, a mana core is like a smart machine that can learn things over a period of time. We'll come back to this point later. But essentially, the mana core shapes the orbitals of mana particles that ultimately form into a spell. And since the mana arteries and veins are densest in the palms of your hands, they’re the place you launch a spell from.

“The most basic kind of spell you can think of is a fireball spell. A fire-affinity mage can train their mana cores to create proper orbitals for the mana in their body, resulting in fireballs. But learning such a simple spell might take beginners at least six months, if not more. There are spells far more complicated than fireballs, which could take an unknown amount of time to learn on your own. That brings us to today's topic: Artifacts!”

I noticed students jotting down what she was saying with intense focus. I pulled out the notebook I always carried in my pocket and started doodling circles to feel part of the group and avoid being questioned about why I wasn’t taking notes.

Professor Date continued her explanation: “Artifacts act like computers that shape your spells for you, eliminating the need to learn how to shape each spell manually. But you still have to learn how to control the Artifact and carry enough knowledge about the spell to cast it.

“To use an Artifact, you need to learn an Art. You can think of Art as the software and the Artifact as the hardware—they go hand in hand. There are five levels to Artifacts, from Level 1 to Level 5, with Level 1 being the least potent and Level 5 being the most potent. In theory, there could be Artifacts higher than Level 5. Think of it as a computer: the Artifact is the hardware, but it won’t run without software, which is the Art.

“Just like Artifacts, Art also has 5 levels. Later, your training instructors will provide you with your Arts and Artifacts.” Professor Date finished.

So… that’s how magic works in this world? I wondered.

Makes sense… and if Art is something akin to software, then… can I develop one myself? I wondered, considering my expertise in Synaptic Network Engineering. Synaptic Network Engineering, after all, was a multidisciplinary field involving the design and programming of systems inspired by biological neural networks. It bridged the gap between human cognition, computational technology, and engineered biological systems. Encoding data in biological substrates, such as DNA, or developing devices that allowed people to control machines with their thoughts was part of the work. Although I never pursued the career professionally, I believe my theoretical knowledge was very strong.

“Professor, then what exactly is a relic? My father told me Relics are just like Artifacts,” someone asked with a raised hand, interrupting my thoughts.

Professor Date nodded at him and launched into another explanation: “Relics, as many of you may know, predate Artifacts by a significant margin. While both serve comparable functions, Relics stand apart in one crucial aspect: they require no ‘Art’ to activate or complete them. They are inherently whole, self-sustaining, and vastly more potent than their Artifact counterparts.

“They have existed since the age of the gods. Although no gods roam Draeth anymore, these ancient remnants were left behind by them. Over time, humans have also contributed to their creation, with bloodlines and families shaping them over centuries.

“Relics are categorized into six primary grades: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Rare, Platinum, and Epic. These lower grades are thought to have been crafted by humans themselves. At the pinnacle, you have Diamond, Legendary, and Mythical Grades. Nations have gone to war over these. Some even argue that certain Relics date back to the age of epics and heroes. For instance, Garuda’s Book of Legends has often been cited as a possible source of many of the Relics we know today, though such assertions are hotly debated among scholars. Many dismiss these claims as mere myth, lacking sufficient evidence.

“Even in recent times, their discovery has sparked great upheaval, like the relic found in the Eastern Drylands…”

Professor Date went on and on, and I found my notebook filling with abstract art. By the time the class ended, the training session had already begun.

Stumbling into the heavy weapons division, I picked up my mace, ready to swing it at Vmb El-Ferath.

“Nothing fancy. Warm up. Thirty Sun Salutations, Noah,” he said.

He wants to kill me, I thought to myself.

I wasn’t sure why he insisted on exhausting me before the real training. Sun salutations, as rigorous as he preferred them to be, were grueling, and they were just one part of the warm-up. Knowing his methods, ten more exercises would follow, along with a short lecture about proper grip and correct positioning, while also making me perform them.

My breath burned, and sweat poured down my face.

I took a small break and gulped down some water.

During my interactions with Vmb, I noticed something peculiar about him. He was always watching the surroundings, as if looking for something. He had this strange awareness about himself and his surroundings at all times.

He always popped his fingers before turning his focus elsewhere, as if registering things in his head with each pop.

He handed me the ten-kilogram mace, but my eyes fell on a scar on his left inner forearm.

“Focus, Noah,” Vmb said, taking me out of my daydream.

I returned my attention to the mace and started the standard training swings: drop and pull, as Vmb had shown me the other day.

Drop and Pull. Drop and Pull. Drop and Pull. A 360-degree swing, Drop and Pull. Even though I called it a '360 swing,' it was more like a 180-degree arc… and then restarted from the final point to the initial point behind my back. The interesting thing about this swing was that it was never a fully committed swing. It was more like an exercise. How many times did I swing?

My lats, arms, back, and chest began to burn. My breath came in ragged gasps, each one scraping my throat. My arms trembled with each swing, threatening to give out. With every drop-pull, my mind screamed to quit.

What is the point of this monotonous exercise? What kind of training is this? How am I supposed to learn to fight just by doing these exercises?

At least the training ground was helpful… the sandy soil gave my bare feet good grip and footing, but the midday sun burned into my back.

“How am I supposed to learn to fight just by doing these exercises?” I asked Vmb while still swinging the mace.

“The exercises are meant to instinctualise the mace into your being, to strengthen you enough that you can wield a mace or a heavy weapon like a warm hammer or maul. It isn't meant to teach you how to fight using a mace.” Vmb said, studying my movements carefully.

“So when will I learn to fight with a mace? When will I get a mace Art?" I asked, still doing the drop-pull.

“You won’t get an Art until your affinity test is conducted by Advika. I heard you did so badly they couldn’t figure out your affinity at all,” Vmb said.

I frowned. So he knew… of course, he's a teacher, I thought.

Vmb snapped his fingers—the index finger where he wore an exquisite looking golden ring with three lines and said, “Even with an Art, you’d struggle to fight with a mace without prior sparring experience.”

“I see…” I said.

“Well, if you’re interested, I can send you to the eastern lands. There’s a group there that use maces, so you’d learn quickly with others your age,” Vmb El-Ferath added.

“Eastern Drylands, you mean? I thought people didn't live there. Professor Date said the place is unfit for human habitation because its people destroyed its natural habitat in the past with their savage culture.”

For the first time, I noticed a scowl on Vmb's face. The kind that originated from hate. What did I say to upset him? But then, Vmb's expression immediately shifted, as though he wasn't angry. He…tried to hide his emotion? I thought.

“It's not Advika's fault, most people are ignorant of these sorts of things. They don't see places beyond the Central Union's boundaries.” Vmb said.

“Huh? The Eastern Drylands aren't under the rule of the Central Union?” I asked, almost baffled.

"It’s…complicated,” Vmb said, his tone hesitant. He didn’t say anything more, and I didn’t press further. It felt like there was some emotional weight to the topic, something personal he wasn’t ready to share with just some random student like me.

My arms were getting tired, so I stopped swinging the mace and took a breath.

“Sir, I don't think I'm going anywhere like this," I added, slowly squatting down and staring at the ground. Drop. The sweat darkened the spot where it fell. And then another drop.

“It seems I won’t be learning any Art soon either. My mana shaping is going as badly as it can,” I let out.

Vmb’s gaze lingered, his expression unreadable, before he finally spoke, “What mana shaping exercise are you currently learning?”

“Light sculpting,” I said.

“How much can you do?” he asked.

“About this much,” I said, holding my hands parallel to each other with nothing between them.

“That's tragic,” Vmb laughed.

I found myself bitterly smiling.

“I suppose you're following the standard rules from the book?” Vmb asked.

“Yes…”

Vmb closed his eyes and nodded while humming. He fidgeted with the golden ring on his left hand, gently rubbing it with his thumb. Moments later, shiny dust materialized in his palm, coalescing into a teal vial that solidified in his grip.

“Here,” Vmb said, tossing the vial toward me. I caught it deftly with my free hand and examined it. There were no bubbles inside.

“What is it?”

“A healing potion,” Vmb said.

My mouth fell open slightly; healing potions weren’t exactly cheap. But I was immediately on alert. Why did he give me a healing potion? Was he planning to take the training to a point where I might get hurt?

I looked at him with questioning eyes, and he began, “Take a medium-sized bowl, big enough for both your hands to submerge. Fill it with warm water and add four spoonfuls of salt. Salt water is a good conductor when it comes to mana particles,” he finished.

Saltwater is a good conductor of mana? What? In terms of electricity, it’s easy to understand because the mobile ions act as charge carriers, enabling the conduction of electricity. What explanation does it have for being a good conductor of mana particles?

“Mana particles act like electricity or what?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Of course not. Saltwater contains dissolved ions—sodium and chloride, which create a dynamic environment where mana particles, though not completely physical entities like electricity, can travel more fluidly. The presence of charged ions allows mana to form transient "pockets" of energy in the medium, stabilizing its flow and enhancing its interaction with the medium. Anyway, then slice your palms, and let blood flow into the water. One side of your palm will release positive flow and the other will release negative. It will work as a bio-extension. Once the setup is done, start doing your mana sculpting exercises in it. It will increase the rate at which you'll learn mana shaping. Your blood will expand beyond your body acting as an extension of yourself that is ‘outside’ as you need to feel mana ‘outside’ your body and how to manipulate them. It essentially acts as a part of you that exists ‘outside,’ allowing you to sense and manipulate mana externally.” Vmb said.

“So that's why the healing potion. Won't that hurt? Does this unorthodox method even work?” I voiced my skepticism.

“It works. Don't drink the potion, apply it in the sliced areas,” Vmb said. “Now, get up.”

“Since you want to learn how to fight, I’ll teach you the fundamental techniques of hand-to-hand combat of mace fighting. Swing the mace at me,” Vmb commanded.

My heart pounded, and a smirk came across my lips.

Finally, I thought.

My grip on the mace tightened. I stood up, and with a short cry, I charged at him.

The mace whistled through the air, but before I could follow through, Vmb lowered himself slightly and caught it mid-swing. The force of the stop sent a jarring shock through my arms.

It was baffling, given the force I had behind the swing, that Vmb simply caught it. He caught it as if it were not a weapon but a ball. Before long, he launched a palm uppercut at my jaw, and I found myself on the ground.

Fuck.

By the end of Vmb’s training session, my sweat had dried, leaving behind a sticky, salty, and dusty layer on my skin. Patches of mud clung to my training wear, and my clothes were damp. Somehow, soil had found its way into my boots after I put them on. Great… now I’ll have to wash everything.

“I wish I had a maid, a servant, or even a butler,” I muttered.

[A wife will suffice much better, Master Noah.] Nano said.

Great. Now my nanomachines are turning into a dating app.

“I didn't know you could joke,” I added seriously.

[It’s my job to look after the host's mental well-being. Given Master's current state, levity seemed appropriate.]

Amusing…

I sat down on a bench in Section A’s park, exhausted. The moon hung brightly in the afternoon sky—a peculiar sight. Draeth's moon shone far brighter than Earth’s. I deduced it had a higher albedo. It dominated the sky in a way Earth’s Moon never could.

I took out the loot box gifted by Riley that day, from my barrel bag.

The loot box was black in colour, square-shaped. But there was no opening mechanism.

I channeled my mana into it…or at least, I tried, but of course.

I didn't know how to. The loot remained inside and I grumbled. After five minutes of intently focusing on it, it finally lit up and evaporated into thin air, and a message popped up in front of me:

[New skill acquired: Insight!]