Claude spent his entire day practicing based on Max advice but he still failed, his next two days also got wasted.
"I should focus on sensing mana in my surroundings first."
Just as he was about to meditate Claude heard approaching footsteps sound from behind him. Claude turned his his head and saw alcoholic Max was walking toward him he could barely even walk and fall down again and couldn't even stand up anymore.
Shacking his head in disappointment Claude stood up and walked up to him to help him sit but Max shook his head, "No need for that kid."
"Tell me what do you think of being ice mage is like?" With curious gaze Max asked Claude.
Claude look at drunked Max gaze and he really want to punch his face but he controlled himself.
"I don't know maybe one who can cause avalanche and blizzard just on his whim."
"I ain't that strong enough to do that kid."
"Tell me something else then."
"I don't know much about ice mages." Claude honestly give his answer.
"Hahahahaha" Max laugh out loudly.
"You are funny kid."
"Let me show you something." While lying down Max stretch out his hand in air.
Claude look at what he trying do this time.
Suddenly Infront them tens of long ice spike materialize, ice spike had really sharp edge with one look he can tell that anyone get attack by this spike we cut apart in many parts and then ice spike crumble away in snow.
"That's.... that's really awesome magic you have, I also want to use magic like this." Claude said in excitement.
Max chuckle and said," If you think that's what ice mage is like then you are wrong kid."
Claude look confuse cause all this time here he had saw how everyone use their magic power and so far Max was the one who showed such good ice mage skill.
"Why would you say like this, so far you are the one who shown such good ice mage skill."
Max laugh and said, "Help me out kid , I want to stand up."
Claude extended his hand to Max and Max hold his hand and with support of Claude he stood up.
After standing up Max drunk whole bottle down in one gulp and start laughing at Claude face. Claude had really hard time handling this strong smell of coming out Max but since he learning from he didn't say anything to him this time.
"Claude, stretch out your both hands infront of me." Claude did what max asked for even though he really don't like being close to him.
"Hmmm, good now show me your palm."
"What now, you are going to read my palm to see what fate hold for me." Claude said with sarcasm.
"If I could read palm, I wouldn't have become like this but fate and shit ain't anything to me anymore."
Max hold Claude both hands together and place them beside eachother and put his both palm beneath Claude palms and start to recite spell.
Max expression become calm and kind his eyes were full of love and kindness whlie reciting spell.
"Ohh snow spirit of cheerful one,
Blessed me with bloomed flower of
happiness and love."
Claude can feel the air around him suddenly changing without even entering into meditation he can feel ice element mana in air are surging and gathering in his palm.
At first it was just one ice element mana was visible infront of his eyes then two, three four as many numerous mana particle started to appear completely visible to human naked eyes.
The mana above Claude palm were glowing in light blue light of ice element and it form vortex of mana it was slowly and sturdy getting brighter.
Then this mana particle start to shape into beautiful little butterflies, butterflies were fluttering above his palm.
Mana is itself is vibrating e everytime butterflies are fluttering their wings. This butterflies have beautiful curves and patterns on their wings.
Then one of the butterfly landed on his palm and just as it touched his palm, Claude can feel soft and cool breeze passing by his body and entering inside him and butterfly became single snow lotus petal on his hand.
Then second one came, third, forth, fifth like this infront of Claude eyes butterflies fluttering in circles and landed on his palm one by one and turning into petals and forming beautiful snow lotus flower on his palm.
Snow Lotus of happiness and love was on his palm.
Snow Lotus have feels alive air around it is ice element mana particle.
Claude palm felt soft and cool the this sensation is spreading inside his body. Claude felt completely relaxed, soft and calm. Feeling like wounds that can't be seen is healing Inside him. Claude heart and soul became completely relaxed.
He fall into trance like state infront of him is small circular pond and butterflies are flapping their wings in cheerful manner around the pond, single Lotus flower is blooming infront of his eyes.
As lotus flower bloom butterfly are dancing cheerfully and beautiful.
Claude felt like he spends hours at standing near this beautiful pond that has snow lotus in its water but in reality only minute has passed.
Slowly snow lotus petals start to disappear from Claude palm as petals disappear one by one the snow lotus on pond become blurry and start to become invisible.
Finally Claude find himself standing and staring at the ice element mana that slowly disappearing from his palm.
Claude had sweet smile on his face that never truly appeared since he arrived at this world three months ago.
For few minutes Claude just stood on his position just like he was before without moving at all, the thing that he experience he never what to forget it.
Claude slowly retracted his hands and look at Max infront of him, for the first he saw him happy, relaxed without any worry.
"This is what true magic is Claude."
"The things that you saw before were nothing more than trick, skill and poor imitation of magic spell."
"You need to recite complete spell to activate its true power."
"Yes, thank you."
"Now, I know difference between magic spell and skills." Claude said with calm and relax tone.
"Now, that you understand that's good."
"I'm going sleep for sometime, don't wake me up kid."
Even though Max is complete sobar now as snow lotus remove all alcohol negative effects on his body, he still fall asleep.
Claude didn't object his words this time too.
Claude look at his palm while thinking, 'Its really hard to believe that I just had snow lotus in my hands few minutes ago.'
Claude set on snow again andin few minutes he started meditate with complete focus.
Claude saw Ice element mana particle in air.
He slowly bring single glowing mana particle towards his palm just as it gets into touch with his skin, it disappeared completely inside.
But this time Claude guide mana into his body, mana circulate throughout his body.
This is first time he had circulated mana inside him, slowly with time Claude practice what he learn the biggest helped he recived was from Max today.
For next few days Claude has been practicing mana circulation in his body and with guidance of Max, he finally able to store mana into his sea of conscious.
Sea of conscious is in his soul, it doesn't exist in body but in soul.
Now, its most difficult part left for him to search and activate ice element power that he Awaken weeks ago during ceremony.
This power always been inside him in dormant condition.
Claude used mana stored in his sea of conscious to circulate inside his body his slowly guide it in thread like shape throughout his body.
From his toes to his fingersa and his heart to his brain and while circulating he came across wall that wouldn't let mana pass through it.
Claude spent next few days trying to break the wall and it was really hard to penetrate the wall with thread like mana.
After struggling back forth he finally managed to penetrate wall with thread. As mana thread came out of other side of wall the wall disappear completely.
Beyond this wall lies beautiful snow field plain Claude is standing completely naked in this snow plain, he could feel cold winds is passing by his skin here.
Its really hard to believe something like this truly exists in this world, he bent down and touch the snow below his feet.
"It feels real this snow doesn't seem fake."
"I'm not dreaming this is real, I finally found it now I can be in future."
Claude was jumping on the ground like little child.
Beyond this snow plain lies web of thread that he can't see yet but he will one day in future but for right now Claude can officially walk on path of being ice mage.