Zara, speaking with confidence and authority, provided instructions on how to perform manakinesis. "To engage in manakinesis, release your mana through the regular blood veins in your arm, rather than the mana vein," she explained. "Once you have done so, we can proceed. Now, let's begin by manipulating the ingot that is in front of each of you."
Everybody started releasing their mana through the regular veins in their arms. Blaze did the same as he had no choice.
As Blaze concentrated, he gradually began to sense a connection forming between the surrounding mana and his mana core. However, he noticed that the extent of his connection was limited to a radius of only half a meter around him. When he attempted to extend his reach, a sharp pain emanated from his core, serving as a warning sign to halt his imprudent endeavor.
Furthermore, Blaze became aware that simply maintaining a connection with the mana in his vicinity was already demanding on his mana core. The strain of this connection was evident, causing him to realize the importance of conserving and managing his mana resources wisely.
"It is crucial not to stretch your connection beyond what your mana core can handle," Zara warned the students. "Pushing beyond your limits could result in damage to your core, which can have severe consequences."
She continued, "Additionally, you may feel the strain of maintaining the connection with the surrounding mana. Remember, mana is a wild and ever-shifting force. It requires constant focus and control to keep it in balance. Overexerting yourself or attempting to control an excessive amount of mana can put undue stress on your core."
Blaze nodded to himself and waved his hand towards the ingot on the table. After the first test, Blaze already noticed that using the hands to control mana, provided him with a greater sense of control and ease. It was akin to a child learning to read by pointing at the text, allowing for a more tactile and intuitive connection.
As Blaze exerted his control over the mana, the steel ingots levitated in an unstable manner. They floated through the air, displaying a wobbly motion as they made their way towards the fire. Blaze's concentration and effort were evident, as beads of sweat began to form on his face in a short span of time.
"You've to be quick. Remember, your mana veins are injured, and you replenish your mana core slowly. Exhausting your mana at this moment is unwise," Aphrodite suddenly whispered in Blaze's ear, but Blaze remained calm.
As Blaze continued to apply his manakinesis to the steel ingot, he skillfully turned it, ensuring even heating throughout. The slow and steady increase in temperature allowed the metal to gradually reach the desired level of heat.
Aurora wasn't having it easy as the first practical test. Sweat streamed down her face, a testament to the intensity of the test.
As Blaze continued to exert himself, he began to feel the strain of simultaneously supplying the universal flame inscription on the table and controlling the steel ingot. The demanding task required him to allocate his mana resources effectively, balancing the manipulation of both fire and metal. At times, his focus wavered, leading to unintentional releases of excess mana that caused the flames to flicker erratically.
Meanwhile, Aurora encountered her own challenges, struggling to maintain control over her flame. Her mana fluctuations resulted in her flame going haywire multiple times, adding to the difficulty of the task.
In observing these difficulties, Blaze recognized another purpose of the partitions that were in place. Apart from their intended function of keeping the students separated, they served as a safety measure to prevent unintentional mishaps or accidents caused by uncontrolled mana. The partitions acted as a barrier, ensuring that the students' flames and manipulated objects would not interfere or harm one another.
Blaze could hear multiple explosion from his back, he had no extra head to look at them, as he had focused on his steel ingot.
"What I hate about the Professors is that they made it look easy," Blaze muttered as his uniform began getting soaked from his perspiration and beads of sweat rolled down his face.
As the steel ingot gradually melted under Blaze's control, a new challenge presented itself. He now had to prevent the molten liquid from dripping off as individual droplets and instead maintain a cohesive collective blob. The task required precise control and the ability to keep the molten steel components fused together.
The strain on Blaze intensified as he focused on simultaneously manipulating the ingot and preventing the droplets from separating. The effort demanded his full concentration and physical exertion, causing his breathing to become ragged and his face to be drenched in an increasing amount of sweat.
Meanwhile, Aurora encountered a sudden setback when her flame went haywire, causing her own steel ingot to fall into the flame inscription.
The unexpected, deafening explosion from Aurora's side jolted Blaze, momentarily disrupting his focus and concentration.
Summoning all his willpower and honing his concentration, Blaze redirected his attention back to his task. With a determined effort, he managed to stabilize his molten steel, preventing it from losing control or splattering due to the disturbance caused by the explosion.
More explosions came from different corners of the lab, but Blaze was prepared the second time.
"If you failed, pick the next ingot and continue till you empty your core or the class is over. We have an hour more," Zara's voice boomed through the lab.
'Can they let somebody concentrate? Okay, let's go to the next phase,' Blaze cursed before deciding to begin the phase of reshaping his molten steel. He had sent his mana into the molten mass of metal to inspect it for impurities so many times and found some blockage. After trying to heat it to remove the blockage without any success, Blaze gave up and moved to the next phase.
'Let's go with the Ka-Bar model.' Blaze chose to shape the molten metal into the form of a Ka-Bar knife, the only knife that came to his mind at that moment.
However, manakinesis was not a handcraft. Instead of achieving the intended curves and edges, Blaze unintentionally created a 'linear curve' due to his lack of finesse and precision.
Given the circumstances and the need to adapt, Blaze decided to follow Aaron's explanation for shaping the molten metal. Taking into account Aaron's guidance, Blaze chose to start molding the knife from the straight and plain part connected to the handle. He recognized that this section would be the easiest to shape accurately.
As Blaze continued to shape the straight part of the Ka-Bar knife, he gradually moved towards the tip, where a gentle and smooth curve was required. However, he began to feel a sense of frustration and self-doubt creeping in.
Blaze couldn't help but curse his own decision, questioning why he had chosen such a challenging knife shape. He realized that a simpler, regular knife might have been a wiser choice, considering his current skill level and the difficulties he was facing. Unfortunately, Blaze had gone too far to return and his mana was already running low.
As Blaze persisted in his efforts to shape the curve of the Ka-Bar knife, the intensity of the task began to take its toll. Sweat poured from his face. Blaze knew he dug a pit for himself. He persisted in battling with the molten metal, carefully reshaping the angles he had previously made in an attempt to achieve the desired gentle curve. However, his efforts resulted in a sharp curve instead, deviating from the intended design.
In an unexpected stroke of luck, Blaze realized that, fortunately, nobody in the lab was familiar enough with the exact appearance of a real Ka-Bar to recognize the discrepancy. This provided a brief respite from the pressure of meeting precise expectations. The pointed tip gave Blaze an issue, but it was not as difficult as the curve.
After making the curve, Blaze finally stop supplying the inscription with mana and quickly moved the blade to the platform beside him, allowing it to cool a little.The physical and mental strain he had endured during the process had taken its toll, evident from the sweat that drenched his ears, eyes, and uniform.
It was at this moment Blaze noticed Aurora staring at him intently. However, Blaze had to hammer the knife before it cooled and solidified or expanded out of shape.
Picking up the hammer, Blaze started hammer rythimically and smoothly. This attracted Zara's attention. The way Blaze handled the hammer was too smooth for a student. After hammering for thirty minutes, the blade of a Ka-Bar was formed. The only difference of Blaze's blade from a regular Ka-Bar was the one-sided, short, steep curve that was close to the tip, instead of a gentle curve.
Blaze picked up the pen with a solid grip, ready to complete the final step in the creation of the Ka-Bar knife. Infusing his mana into the pen, he positioned it carefully on the edge of the blade, preparing to inscribe the sharpening inscription.
As Blaze began to draw, his mana flowed through the pen, leaving a trail of energy behind. With focused precision, he meticulously etched the sharpening inscription onto the blade, ensuring each stroke was deliberate and accurate.
Once the sharpening inscription was complete, Blaze moved on to the next step—the hardening inscription. With careful consideration, he guided the pen along the surface of the blade, skillfully forming the intricate patterns of the hardening inscription.
As the final strokes of the inscription were drawn, a soft, blue glow emanated from the engraved lines, before it dimmed down.
"Ahh! I guess that's all," Blaze exclaimed before slumping on the ground, next to the table. Multitasking while using mana was too much for his brain and mana core, but he managed to pull through.
Meanwhile, Aurora had been observing Blaze's progress throughout the entire process. Her keen eyes were fixed on him, silently observing his every move. She abandoned her work.
As Zara approached Blaze, her curiosity was piqued by the sight of the black blade he had created. Its unique shape and design caught her attention, drawing her closer. With a sense of intrigue, she reached out and ran her fingers over the surface, exploring the texture and contours of the blade. Feeling the solid and smooth craftsmanship beneath her touch, Zara's fascination grew.
Driven by her curiosity, Zara decided to put the blade to the test. She noticed a steel ingot nearby and, with a deft motion, picked it up. With a firm grip on the black blade, she positioned it against the ingot, ready to cut through the metal.
As Zara applied pressure and moved the blade across the surface of the ingot, it sliced through, but got stuck when it nearly cut through it. Blaze's face contorted at the sight. After which, Zara removed the knife from the ingot and put it in a cylindrical device that was in front of her.
The device looked like a cup. After a little vibration, a figure popped up, hovering over the device – 80%.
"Purity: 80%; sharpness: 70%; hardness: 80%; texture and smoothness: 95%;" Zara graded his knife after testing it.
Zara then turned to him and commented, "You got 95% in texture and smoothness, a testament of your adept hammering. However, you need to work on the rest," before she yelled while facing the class, "4 marks to Blaze Draven."
"Excuse me, Professor Zara," Liam's voice came from the back.
"Yes, what's wrong Liam?" Zara questioned.
"I think Blaze cheated," Liam said with confidence.
"Any evidence?" Zara asked with a smile.
"Yes." Liam nodded.
It made Blaze's heart jump. The punishment for cheating in the Dragon Light Academy is expulsion.