After opening my eyes, I looked to my left and saw Mr. Auger standing like a statue. He was unmoving, his eyes covered by the darkness of night.
"Uh, Mr. Auger? Are you good over there?" I said while sweating.
"..."
No movement... not even a slight flinch. Not knowing what to do, I stood up and walked over to him. Although I may not particularly like Mr. Auger after what he did last night… I still consider him my benefactor.
*Shake*
"Mr. Auger, did you fall asleep standing up? Did Miss Monica hit you so hard yesterday, that you truly went stupid?" I said while laughing.
Veins started to pop up all over Mr. Auger's face, and he was mumbling something under his breath. Thinking he needed to say something, I leaned in, and he grabbed my shoulder. I tried to pry loose, but he just held me there while mumbling. Just as I was about to hit him across the face, he pulled me closer and whispered in my ear.
"Disciples shouldn't surpass their Masters so quickly, brat." Mr. Auger said while looking at me with his bloodshot eyes.
"Ahhhhh let go, Mr. Auger, you're going crazy. I don't know what you mean by surpassing, because I haven't even started using the Mana Network technique." I said while pushing his face away as he rambled off the same sentence.
"Huh, what do you mean by Mana Network technique?" He said with a blank expression.
"Oh, so that's what gets you out of you're crazy trance. You're a magic junkie aren't you Mr. Auger." I said while backing away from him.
"Ahem, I apologize for losing myself there… I just heard some heartbreaking information not too long ago. Wait, why is the sky dark already?" Mr. Auger said while looking at the moon.
"I was actually going to ask you that, but it seems you've been like a statue since this morning." I responded.
"Hmmm, judging by where the moon is… I've been standing like that for around… 16 hours?! Ahhh, a whole day wasted away because of that foul woman… I curse her and the lies she tells." Mr. Auger said while clenching his fist.
'Miss Monica lied to him?'
*Growl*
"Ugh, just like you Mr. Auger… I think I've been out here for too long. My stomach is starting to kill me, all I had for breakfast was some squirrel… not exactly filling if you ask me." I said while clutching my stomach.
"Yeah, you're right brat, all I had was coffee… you know what, how about I treat you to some of the food from the Envoy?" Mr. Auger said while also holding his stomach.
After that, we both gingerly walked over to the carriages and grabbed some dry meat. It's not the best, but it'll do the trick just fine.
When we sat down in Mr. Auger's carriage, he began to ask me questions.
"Hey brat, you said something about Mana Network... what is that? Did Monica teach you some sort of weird technique?" Mr. Auger said while looking at me.
"*Gulp* it's nothing... just something I came up with while training with Mana Awareness. Unfortunately, It's still only in the testing phase... so I can't really call it a technique yet." I said while swallowing some food.
"Well, what does the technique work with? Maybe it's already been discovered and I can help you out some."
'That's true! Why didn't I ever think that someone could have already come up with this technique? It's not exactly that hard to come up with, if someone who's never touched mana before can think of it.'
"Well, it's a technique that deals a lot with external mana... so let me first start off by saying, I figured out how to use Mana Awareness to its fullest capabilities. The only problem though, was that it just wasn't enough. I only have enough internal mana to cover 5 feet around me, making Mana awareness practically useless... unless my goal is to only feel the grass around me." I said while looking down.
"No need to get upset… the good thing is, you actually started using Mana Awareness properly. First, you started off with your mentality, which drew out every portion of your sense's capabilities. Secondly, you used all the internal mana in your body to create a web that encompasses 5 feet around you. Lastly, you used that web to feel the vibrations that every living being gives off. You mastered Mana Awareness perfectly... so I'm not quite sure why you're upset." Mr. Auger said while praising me.
"I'm just upset because you're able to know where someone is from 500 feet away, and on top of that... you can tell whether they're alive or not. Although you brag about the Emperor having a massive mana pool... yours is nothing to belittle... in fact, it's so big that it encompasses this whole village, and then some." I said with an angry look.
"Oh, it seems you've come to a misconception. My mana can only cover up to around 100 feet... which is slightly above average if you ask me." He said while rubbing underneath his nose.
"What? Then how could you tell where Ulta was and if she was alive or not?"
"Simple, I just used the vibrations she produced to determine all that. You see, every living thing on this continent has mana flowing through it. Whether it be plants, animals, or humans… every move we make, produces vibrations which travel through the natural mana of this world. Although my internal mana only reaches 100 feet away from me, I can still feel the vibrations from over a thousand feet or more. It all depends on the movements that are being made." Mr. Auger said while chewing on some jerky.
"That still makes no sense... you could figure everything out by just the vibrations she was creating?! If she's not in you're 100-foot range, then how do you know everything from only vibrations?" I asked with confusion.
"I could see how it would be confusing, but it all comes with time. The more you use Mana Awareness... the more everything becomes clear. While inside my 100-foot range, I can feel every minute detail… whether it be a blade of grass, an ant, or Monica next door… I would be able to sense everything, without actually seeing them. The same goes for vibrations, whether it be height, gender, age, or movements they're doing… I can perceive it all if their vibrations hit my web." Mr. Auger said boldly.
"Awesome, so could you sense an animal in the forest if you used Mana Awareness right now?"
"Yes, but doing so would be disrespectful. If I would use Mana Awareness right now, everyone who has proficiency with mana techniques would feel it, and wake up. We call this 'Mana Sensitivity', it's when you master Mana Awareness and can feel when someone has their mana surrounding you. Watch this." Mr. Auger said while creating a small web of mana around us.
When he did that, every hair on my body stood on end, and it felt like someone was undressing me with their eyes. It was like I could hide nothing from them even if I tried.
"You see how uncomfortable it can be? Now make a small mana web around your body." Mr. Auger said while looking at me.
Listening to him, I created a small mana web around my body, and the feeling of being undressed instantly went away. I could still feel someone looking at me, but that was it.
'Blocking other peoples Mana Awareness is a thing? Every time I think I've hit a wall with mana... a new ability pops up for me to explore. I really wish I could have been able to use magic, instead of magic techniques.'
"With that... You've now learned 3 of the 4, basic techniques from the Empire. Mana Control, Mana Healing, and now Mana Awareness. The last thing that you have to learn... is Mana Telekinesis, or Manakinesis for short. Good work, Hakkar, although most people learn these techniques in a single day, you've done it in 3 and at the age of 4 nonetheless. If only you were born in the Empire... you'd probably be considered a genius, and attend one of those fancy schools." Mr. Auger said with a smile on his face.
'He called me by my name, and he said I was a genius! He's never done that before... I guess he truly means what he said then.'
"Thank you, Mr. Auger, I will never forget your teachings... and although I was born in this tribe, I will show the world my strength. I don't care what it takes... even if I don't have mana... I'll find a way to be at the top!!" I said while clenching my fist.
"Haha, first you have to worry about what's in front of you, remember? Although this does make me happy as a teacher... I'll be waiting for the day when you stand at the top... so don't forget to credit me. Also, do you want to tell me about that Mana Network technique now?" He said with pride and interest in his voice.
'Here we go... hopefully, I can gain some insight into the technique I've thought of.'