Saava, despite her ruthless reputation, proved to be a highly skilled trainer. She pushed him to his limits, challenging both his physical strength and Mana control.
"Remember, you're not just wielding your Mana. You're connecting with it, understanding its flow and direction," Saava explained, watching as he tried to build a shield made of Mana.
Reinhart concentrated, pouring his Mana into the shield. However, the Mana was jumbled, and couldn't form the large enclosed barrier around them. He stumbled back, feeling a strain in his Mana circuits. He was pushing too hard; he needed a break.
Saava was instantly by his side. "Pushing too hard without control will only strain your circuits. The stronger they are, the more Mana you can channel. You can only make them stronger by pushing them to their limits, yet you must learn to control its flow. Now, again."
Reinhart sighed but then began to concentrate again. This was just another 16-hour day on the job because it had to get done. For him, having a job and a goal to work towards felt good, so he would do whatever Saava told him to if it made him stronger.
"Your greatest weakness right now is your ability to stay in this form. While 4 hours is a good amount of time, the condition for your transformation could pose a problem. If you and the Queen, or someone else that has already eaten content were to become captured, or lost somehow, you would be limited to how you could help," Saava explained as she walked around Reinhart.
Reinhart thought over Saava's words while releasing his Mana into another barrier, this time managing to make it shimmer slightly before it shattered. Indeed, his transformation condition, though useful under certain situations, was also restrictive. If he had no one to consume his contents and revert his transformation, he would be unable to defend himself or others effectively.
Saava observed his expression, "Contemplating on the problem will not help. Let your mind roam free. Remember, Mana manifests as your thoughts and feelings. Recall those memories from your previous life where you felt truly alive and on the edge, where everything was a challenge, and yet, you surged ahead. Use that feeling to fuel your Mana."
Reinhart absorbed her words and, after taking a deep breath, closed his eyes. He reached deeply into his memories, traipsing through both the good and the bad, the mundane and the extraordinary. He remembered his days on the construction site, breaking ground on a new project, the thrill of seeing a building rise from nothing but a simple blueprint, and the satisfaction of seeing the completed structure, knowing he'd helped create something that would last for generations.
He remembered the thrill of solving particularly complex problems, the satisfaction of seeing a project through to the end, and even the camaraderie shared by those on the job. His mind wandered down its own path, and soon he was surrounded by those emotions and feelings he had forgotten, swirling around him like an energy vortex.
His Mana responded, surging forth stronger than ever. It began to form a barrier around them, but it was something much more. Reinhart finally understood and started to treat the Mana like job site materials that would always be within his reach. Instead of just a barrier, a small fortress made of individual bricks started to build three layers. Saava observed in silence, her expression betraying her satisfaction.
"Fascinating," she murmured after Reinhart finished the most intricate barrier she had ever seen. She turned to the human and eyed him. As amazing as this was, it would collapse soon, just like him by the looks of it. "How long can you keep this up?"
Reinhart took a deep breath in, and then let it out as he stood up straight, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Hold it? I was able to complete it, so it will stay until I stop it, or someone breaks it I guess... Do you want me to take it down?"
Saava narrowed her eyes at the human. 'Impossible!' She raged in her mind. She knew that there was no way this could just be without him feeding it Mana, but it was clear as the Mana-rich air around them that Reinhart was not fuelling the barrier anymore. Yet, the structure held, strong as ever, its three-layered pattern flickering with an iridescent gleam. For a moment, she was baffled, unable to comprehend how a novitiate Mana-user could accomplish such a feat.
"Impossible... what are you exactly, Reinhart Glast?" she mumbled, her icy blue eyes gleaming with curiosity and confusion.
Reinhart, despite his exhaustion, chuckled lightly, "Well, I am a construction worker. I might not fully understand how to use Mana, but I surely know how to build things. By treating the Mana like the materials I used to work with, I instilled permanence into it. So, instead of perpetually fuelling it, I created it to last...just like a building. Plus, I set it up like the retaining walls we use to hold back dirt on job sites. A three-tier system, where if the first fails, the second is still holding, and if that one fails, then there is still one more."
Saava scowled at his explanation. "Regardless, it is unprecedented. The very nature of Mana is temporary alteration...creation appears to defy its elemental essence." She gestured to the fortress-like barrier that pulsed with its own rhythm.
"Actually," Reinhart mused, "I think the essence of Mana is based upon perception. If your world believes it's temporary...that's what it will be. I've seen it as a raw material, with a fixed property, and that's how it behaved."
Saava fell silent at that, studying him pensively. Certainly, Reinhart's unique background provided a fresh perspective that neither she nor any traditional Dralkon had ever witnessed. Resuming her shrewd persona, she nodded curtly, "Impressive work, pet. But there's still more to learn and little time to spare."
Reinhart chuckled at being called pet but squared his shoulders confidently. His unique view of Mana amazed Saava, and that fueled his determination to train harder and learn more about his abilities. Even if the practices were grueling, He was ready for whatever challenges Saava had in store.