Cliff Brown
"Are you sure you can learn everything in a week, sire?" Akumu asked, a curious tone lacing his voice. "It took me more than a month to grasp these basics."
"I think I'll manage. I'm more sensitive to mana than the average person—maybe that's one of the abilities from the slimes I absorbed," I replied, my voice tinged with uncertainty.
We were seated in my "temporary" room, surrounded by the intricate magic circle drawn for… well, I wasn't quite sure what purpose. It was just the three of us: me, Akumu, and Cain, who was supervising my training.
"How does mana feel?" I asked, an odd excitement bubbling within me.
Akumu and Cain paused, considering my question. After a moment, Akumu spoke first. "Uhm, how can I put it? I perceive mana as a sort of natural activity. I can feel it against my skin, but I can't absorb it in its raw form. Our bodies have a mechanism to purify atmospheric mana, but only in small quantities."
"Many have tried to control their metabolism to absorb unpurified mana," Cain added calmly. "It's very challenging—though not impossible—because there are high-level creatures capable of doing it."
"Well, thanks to my 'Drain' skill, I can absorb almost anything. I can take in raw mana, but it can be lethal to my body. If I hadn't awakened my 'Purify' skill, I might have lost my skin back then," I said, recalling that harrowing day.
"It was reckless of you," Akumu admitted, though there was a hint of camaraderie in his voice. "But I can't blame you. We elves have sacrificed our bodies for magical research too, wanting to understand the advantages and limitations of our forms."
"Magic fascinates me," I remarked, my enthusiasm surging. "I remember when I first entered the Orleth clan about a month ago. I saw the barrier you installed and thought I had stepped into another dimension! The world seemed to crack, but it was just an illusion. I was amazed!"
"That's a spell that wind spirit contractors can harness," Akumu explained. "They disrupt atmospheric mana, shaping and distorting it to create a reaction in the process. After its invention, we inscribed it in rune form for magic circles."
"As you might have guessed, it's not the illusion that repels the creatures, but the mana disruption," Akumu added. "They're very sensitive to mana; this disturbance can even drive them mad."
"Ah yes! I felt it! I felt lost—I couldn't even tell my right from my left anymore," I exclaimed, excitement coursing through me.
"Mana is a fluid, versatile energy. It can only be influenced by will. There may be creatures with a higher sensitivity who can use it instinctively, like slimes. They thrive by continuously absorbing mana, using it to secrete acid—even without a brain."
"My 'Drain' skill also allows me to monopolize the abilities of creatures whose essences I've absorbed. So, I can only transform my saliva into acid. But since I lack proper knowledge of mana manipulation, I can't influence it directly," I explained, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"So far, I've only been using mana to enhance my muscle strength," I added.
Akumu looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm, so you want us to teach you how to use it correctly? I think of a quicker method to help you."
"As I mentioned, I'm more sensitive to mana than average, and I have a bit of confidence in myself, so…" I reassured him.
After my bold claim, Akumu sighed and handed me a dagger.
I took it and examined the small knife. It looked old and dull. I turned it in my hand, wondering what I was supposed to do with it.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?"
"This dagger is forged with a piece of mana stone in molten metal. Even if all the mana has evaporated, it remains highly conductive. Try to infuse your mana while giving it form," he instructed.
I gripped the dagger tightly in my right hand, closing my eyes to visualize the mana's trajectory.
Quickly, I felt the mana surge from my heart to my hand, the energy slipping over the blade, rushing to its tip.
But the mana on the dagger felt fluid and formless. No matter how hard I tried to regain control, I couldn't. Once I released the mana, it simply dispersed into the atmosphere.
"Shit," I cursed, frustration bubbling within me as I felt my energy slip away.
"You can't do it, sire?" Cain asked, his frown deepening as he moved closer to inspect my efforts.
His expression perplexed me, as if he were indicating that I had failed entirely.
"Uh… what's wrong?"
"Everything, sire!"
"Um… what do you mean 'everything'?" I raised an eyebrow, growing more curious.
"Everything… my lord, everything is wrong. You're going about this all wrong."