Too many things have happened these past few days. I have so many questions about the system, but it doesn't give me straight answers. Now, I'm alone in my room after years of sharing it with Lili. I hope she's okay.

The room feels uncomfortably quiet for some reason. Gustav and Sting are outside, drinking ram until they both passed out.

I'm going to have a sister soon. That still shocks me. What if she's the same sister I had in my previous life, reincarnated? That would be...fun.

When I was young, I often dreamed of having godlike powers, so I could cure her condition. If she's reborn into this world, she could finally experience what it feels like to be a normal human.

I step out of my room, the wooden floor creaking beneath my feet. It's so quiet here. Gustav and Sting are already knocked out, snoring as they sleep on the floor.

Carefully, I open the door to the basement. The hinges groan softly, and I step silently down the stairs. Each step feels like it takes forever.

I need to study magic more...

I remember what Gustav taught me earlier: everything has mana, and mana reacts like a physical object when pushed by another mana. Let me try it out.

I extend my hand, summoning a small fireball.

This fireball contains mana, using it as fuel to continue burning. But when I try to push pure mana into it to displace the fuel source, the fire doesn't go out. Instead, my pure mana merges with the fuel source, making the flames denser.

Another example is this rock I picked up earlier. It should have mana too. But when I try to push mana into it, it doesn't work the same way Gustav explained.

This doesn't make sense.

-- Leon, are you down there? -- Gustav's voice booms from above.

Yes, I'm here, Father. -

-- What are you doing down there? It's already midnight. Come back to your room. --

I'm coming. -

I head back to my room and find Gustav standing by the window, staring into the dark.

-- Leon, if the war doesn't go in our favor, I want you and your mother to escape to the Elvian continent. I've already spoken to my old relatives about this. If things fall apart, they'll arrange for you, your mother, and your sister to join a human caravan heading there. The elves are tougher than humans; the demons can't easily beat them like they've beaten us. --

Father, I want to protect humans... I want to be strong. Teach me more about the technique. -

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Gustav smirks.

-- Is that so? Then come here. --

I throw the rock I had been holding towards him as I slowly approach.

Father, you said everything has mana. Why doesn't the technique work on this rock? -

Gustav chuckles.

-- Let me explain. This rock has mana inside it, but remember—non-living things have inactive mana. Now, try using your magic to shape this rock into a sphere. --

I hold the rock, pouring mana into it, and carefully reshape it into the roundest sphere I can manage.

-- Good. When you use elemental magic, the mana inside the rock becomes active because you poured your own mana into it, right? --

I nod.

-- Here's the key: inactive mana behaves differently from active mana. Inactive mana in objects, like this rock, will mimic the structure of the mana that activates it. Think of it like this—look at my thumb. --

He holds up his thumb, showing me his fingerprint.

-- A fingerprint is unique to each person. Even though you're my son, our fingerprints are different. The same applies to mana. Your mana is unique, a kind of signature. When you pour mana into this stone, it copies your unique mana structure. That's why you can't push more mana into it—it simply merges with your own. --

He picks up the rock I had reshaped and lightly taps it with his finger.

The rock crumbles to dust.

-- See? I pushed the mana inside the rock using my anti-mage technique. Why does it work? Because my mana is different from yours. --

I look at him, still confused.

-- Let me simplify further. When two sources of mana have the same structure, like yours and the stone's, they merge. But when two sources have different structures, like mine and yours, they repel. That's the core principle behind the anti-mage technique. My unique mana forced yours out, disrupting the rock's stability and reducing it to dust. Do you understand now? --

I nod slowly, the pieces of his explanation finally falling into place.

-- Mastering this will take time, but once you do, you'll understand just how powerful unique mana manipulation can be. -- Gustav explained

How come you know all of this? You're not a secret mage, are you? - I asked, surprised by his depth of knowledge.

Gustav laughed heartily, shaking his head...

-- Well, for starters, Uncle Enchu was one of the greatest mages—not because of his raw power, but because of his mastery of technique. When he taught your mother and me magic, he noticed something unusual about me. It wasn't that I lacked talent, but my body couldn't regenerate mana like a normal human. However, he also discovered something unique—my innate ability.

My body can't produce mana on its own, but it can absorb inactive mana from the surroundings. Mana seems to naturally cling to me. My skin absorbs it and stores it beneath the surface. This stored mana, however, is different—it can't be used for casting spells or creating projectiles. At first, Master Enchu thought this ability was useless, but life has a way of proving you wrong.

When I was training with your mother, Stella, during one of our countless sparring sessions, she launched a series of magic projectiles at me. I dodged at first, but there came a point where I couldn't avoid them all. Instinctively, I raised my arm, bracing for impact. Instead of hitting me, the projectiles deflected off my body. It shocked both of us.

The mana stored beneath my skin acted as a barrier, neutralizing her spells. At that moment, I realized mana could behave like a physical object, repelling other forms of mana when they came into contact. I didn't fully understand it at the time, but with each sparring match, I began to notice a pattern.

Stella, of course, was relentless. Every time we fought, she tried different spells—fireballs, ice shards, lightning bolts—but each one was deflected as long as it hit the mana stored in my body. The more we trained, the more I understood the properties of my unique ability. Eventually, I realized that if I timed my movements and positioned myself correctly, I could dispel her spells entirely by interrupting the mana flow before it could take full form.

This discovery became the foundation of the Anti-Mage Fist. But I wasn't satisfied with just deflecting spells. I wanted to fight back. So, I pushed myself harder. Since my body couldn't regenerate mana, my stamina was limited. Doing anything physical drained me faster than it would a normal person. But I didn't let that stop me.

Through trial and error, I discovered that if I punched with enough force, the mana stored beneath my skin could shoot outward. The expelled mana would create a shockwave that disrupted the flow of magic around it. I realized I could use this technique not only to defend but also to attack.

After countless battles with your mother—and countless bruises—I mastered my innate talent. I trained my body to withstand the strain, refining my movements and perfecting the technique. Over time, I learned to control the release of mana with precision. I can now disperse it through my skin with minimal effort. Even a light tap on a stone can unleash enough energy to shatter it.

But Leon, you're different. You're a mage. You dont have this innate talent of mine but You can control your mana freely and shape it however you like. If you master this skill and learn to pinpoint the flow of mana in your enemy's body, an object, or even a spell, you could create a technique far more powerful than mine. With the right force, timing, and precision, you could develop a magic that would strike fear into any demon you face. -- Gustav explained.

I looked at him in amazement. I never knew Gustav was this knowledgeable. For the first time since I came here, it truly felt like I was talking to an adult.

-- Leon... I'll be gone for a while, so promise me you'll protect your mom and your sister while I'm away. -- Gustav said, slowly walking out of my room.

-- Now, go to sleep. I know you're already tired. -- he added.

I closed my eyes as the night engulfed my consciousness...