Valerie sat cross-legged, watching Amir struggle to catch his breath as he lay on the ground, drenched in sweat. The scene before her was almost unbelievable. He had never seen anything like what had happened just an hour ago.
'It's astounding that he absorbed that much mana and forged such an intricate mana circuit. At this pace, he might just outshine those nobles.' she thought
Amir, waking from what felt like a nightmare, groaned as he tried to push himself up, every muscle in his body aching.
"Ughhh..."
As he finally stood, Amir noticed an immediate change in himself. His body felt stronger, more alive than ever before.
'So this is what mana feels like,'Amir thought, awestruck by the surge of energy coursing through his veins. For the first time, he could sense the mana around him—tiny, vibrant orbs of light, hovering in the air.
'They look like little glowing orbs,' he mused, reaching out, mesmerized by their ethereal beauty.
"You seem to be fine after the procedure," Valerie said, rising from the floor. "
"Yea I feel ok, just a bit of soreness," he said
"Okay good we should get into the next step. I'm going to teach you a cultivation technique."
Amir's eyes widened after hearing what she said. He felt that accepting that mana contract was a blessing a little now.
Cultivation techniques were what both mages and martial artists used to gather mana and nourish themselves. They broke into higher ranks mostly by cultivating. Techniques were very common all over the world but depending on the technique you could breakthrough faster.
"But this won't be enough to close the gap between me and the others," Amir said,
"Will you also teach me how to use magic."
Even if she gave him a high-quality cultivation technique, Amir knew he was still too far behind in skill and rank to be a serious threat to the other contenders.
"No I won't teach you magic, but it do plan on having you learn something else" she said plainly
"You're already at a disadvantage," Valerie replied, "Closing that gap in two months is nearly impossible. What you need is a martial technique, something that can help you overcome the skill difference."
"Martial techniques... I remembered Elijah using different moves on me during those beatings that hurt more than others. That must have been it.
Martial techniques allowed warriors to manipulate mana in unique and powerful ways, unleashing devastating effects. Whether they were sword masters, archers, or bare-knuckle fighters, these martial artists wielded mana with extraordinary skill, each technique tailored to their specific style.
Amir felt a pang of disappointment at not being able to hurl massive fireballs at his enemies. But the idea of slicing a mountain in half with a single strike? That was pretty cool too.
"So, let's begin with the cultivation techniq—" Valerie started, but Amir collapsed to the floor, passing out before he could finish.
Two hours later Amir woke up, groaning as he rubbed his temples. "This is becoming a really bad habit," he muttered. Passing out or getting knocked out was becoming a regular and annoying occurrence.
He realized he was still in the training grounds, but now lying on a comfy blanket with Valerie sitting nearby, watching him.
"Kid, when was the last time you ate?" Valerie asked, her tone calm but with an edge of concern.
It hit him then—why he had passed out. He hadn't eaten or drunk anything in two days. He'd been so consumed with his newfound powers and thoughts of revenge that he'd completely forgotten.
"Uh... I'm not sure. Maybe two or three days?" he replied sheepishly.
Valerie raised an eyebrow, baffled by how he was still standing, let alone alive. To her, it was clear he hadn't even missed food enough to realize how long it had been.
"A growing boy needs food. Going so long without eating is reckless," she said, raising her hand slightly. Multiple containers of food appeared before him. "Before we start training, you need to eat."
"But I'm not even hungry. I'll eat later, I promise," Amir tried to argue.
Valerie's eyes turned icy as she fixed him with a stern gaze. "I said eat the food," she commanded, her voice cold.
Nervous and not wanting to anger her further, Amir quickly grabbed the containers and opened them. The aroma of the food hit him immediately, making his mouth water and his stomach growl. Without hesitation, he tore into a large piece of chicken.
"Oh my God! Th...is...is...delicious," he mumbled through a mouthful of food, his eyes wide with delight.
He tore through the containers, devouring more and more food, showing no signs of slowing down.
'Not hungry, he said,' Valerie thought as she watched him eat like he hadn't seen food in years. She could tell from his gaunt frame that he hadn't had a proper meal in ages. Small tears of joy ran down Amir's face, though he seemed oblivious, lost in the sheer pleasure of eating.
Satisfied that he was finally taking care of himself, Valerie stood and decided to leave him to enjoy the meal. She left a few more containers beside him, just in case.
As she walked back through the cave, her expression grew tense. "Alex, did you find any traces of the shadow from the forest?" she asked, her voice low.
"No, my lady. He vanished without a trace, just like all the others before him," a voice responded from the shadows.
Valerie sighed deeply. "I see. And what of the situation in the village?"
"That has been handled. I've also pinned the blame for the bank robbery on the other man present that night. Legally, no evidence can be traced back to the boy."
"I'll need a 4-star sword Art. After tomorrow, you're taking over," she added, her tone firm.
"Yes, my lady," the voice replied, fading into silence.
As Valerie walked back to the training grounds, her mind drifted to the intense hour she'd spent working on Amir's mana circuit. A faint smile crossed her face as she remembered the procedure.
Creating a mana circuit was no simple task. It began by channeling mana through the body, moving it from one part to another until it filled every fiber, purifying the person's essence and stabilizing the veins to hold and gather mana. The quality of the circuit would ultimately determine how much mana the person could draw in at once—a crucial factor in any mage's potential.
As the mana coursed through Amir, his body heated up, the temperature rising at an alarming rate.
"Arghhh! What is this?!" Amir cried out, his voice laced with pain.
Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire. The veins in his body expanded, causing an agony akin to pure torture.
"What you're feeling is your body's first experience with a massive influx of mana," Valerie explained, her voice steady despite the empathy she felt. "The longer you endure the pain, the stronger and more efficient your mana circuit will be. This will determine how much mana you can handle in the future."
Amir clenched his teeth, his resolve hardening.
'This pain is nothing compared to the torture I've endured my whole life. I won't let it stop me from getting stronger,' he thought, his determination unwavering.
Valerie continued pushing the mana through his body, forming his circuit, but something strange was happening. Amir was absorbing mana at an alarming rate, like a bottomless pit.
'This kid's taking in so much mana, his body might collapse from the overload. Is it his bloodline?' she wondered, concern creeping into her thoughts.
She couldn't stop now; they were too far into the procedure. To halt would mean irreparably damaging his body. She could only hope Amir would make it through.
The rich influx of mana triggered his bloodline, causing it to suck in even more mana, like a maelstrom consuming everything in its path.
As the pain intensified, Amir questioned his sanity. The boiling of his blood, the stretching and shrinking of his mana veins, and the creation of new veins all at once made him feel like he might pass out at any moment.
'I have to endure this. If I pass out now, I might die.'
'Endure it! Endure it!' he screamed internally, forcing himself to stay conscious.
Sweat and blood began to seep through his pores, his eyes bloodshot from the strain.
'If I give up now, I'll never catch up to the prodigies at the academy. I must keep going.'
Minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity, but Amir held on by sheer willpower, barely making it to the end. He collapsed to the ground, utterly spent.
Valerie had only seen one person do anything like it in all her years. A slight laugh escaped her lips.
'The entrance exam is going to be quite interesting this year,' she thought, turning to walk back to the training grounds.
***
"That was the best thing I've ever eaten," Amir said, patting his full belly.
It wasn't until he had real food in front of him that Amir realized just how hungry he was. For years, he'd survived on scraps and stolen bites, the village rat scrounging in garbage bins just to stay alive. But now, after a proper meal, he felt like he could devour ten more containers of food.
As he was savoring the feeling of fullness, Valerie returned to the training room.
"Ready to get started?" Valerie asked.
Amir, now brimming with excitement, nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's do this."
Valerie's lips curled into a soft smile as she watched him.
"Alright, training officially starts now."