Mammon was determined to learn magic at any cost, and now that he was on his way, nothing could stop him.
"We shall start with a new concept first." Astranor said.
"What is that?" Mammon asked.
"First, try to calm your body and focus completely," Astranor replied, closing his eyes.
"Don't talk, just relax until you hear nothing, as if the whole world has been shut off from your ears."
Mammon closed his eyes and did as the old man told him to. After couple of minutes, he was already fed up and was considering bailing out.
"Come on, don't give up now. I thought your resolve was as solid as a rock."
With that, Mammon refocused and followed the old man advise. Minutes later, he could hear nothing and feel nothing. He was getting the hand of it.
"Now, try to take in every bit of sound and distinguish them."
Mammon tried, but it was like multiple speakers were blasting in his ears at once. He lost concentration and grumbled.
"Try again," The old man said.
Mammon tried once more, achieving total concentration before attempting to apply what Astranor had told him. Again, he failed.
"Try again!" He insisted.
"I'm trying! Can't you just give me a hint?" Mammon replied, opening his eyes and stretching his body.
"If I do, will I be the one thinking for you in battle? Use that brain of yours, you little mortal," Astranor said, eyes still closed.
Mammon lowered his head in disappointment before resuming his meditation pose. This time, he paused. He had been trying the same approach repeatedly. It was time to change tactics.
He recalled a high school practical involving a tap filling identical buckets labelled differently. His brain clicked; he had an idea worth trying.
In his trance-like state, where ordinary sounds were amplified due to deep concentration, he had previously tried to listen to everything at once, which overwhelmed him. What if he focused on them bit by bit instead?
He began to release his heightened hearing gradually, separating the amalgamated sounds into fragments and differentiating them. He muted some sounds while concentrating on others.
He then unmuted the fragments altogether, making sure he could identify each and every sound fragment among all the other fragments. After several attempts, he managed to switch between sound fragments seamlessly.
Astranor, noticing the change decided to test the boy, he created a small puddle of water, suspending a droplet in the air above it before he let it fall.
Mammon was still fine-tuning his sense of sound when he caught a faint noise that wasn't part of the familiar fragments. Focusing on it, he felt as though he was pulling every detail out of the noise. He spoke.
"It's a water droplet, falling onto something," Mammon said just as the droplet splashed into the puddle.
*Clap*
*Clap*
*Clap*
"Impressive. I guess you're not a weakling after all," Astranor said as the puddle evaporated.
*Ding!*
*You have created the skill 'Absolute Concentration,' Congratulations! *
Mammon was thrilled. He had created a skill all on his own.
"I was going to tell you. Of course, if after you failed your third attempt." Astranor said with a smile.
"I was going to tell you after you failed a third time," Astranor said with a smile.
"Yeah Yeah, why also do you like more of a mage, rather than an old man who is just a librarian?" Mammon asked.
"And why would you say that?" Astranor replied.
"Because the first thing you suggested to me to learn was magic, Sir Veylin had a book on hidden magic swordsmanship, and here you are using water magic to create and evaporate a water droplet. Is that enough evidence?" Mammon said.
"Wow, I never thought you'd notice that."
"Well, you underestimate me, Sir Astranor," Mammon replied, laying emphasis on the word 'Sir Astranor'.
"Alright, I get it. I'm a mage," Astranor admitted.
"Then why did you say you were just an ordinary old man?"
"Do you think I'd reveal my true identity to a random person who shows up at my door asking for guidance?" Astranor asked.
Mammon thought about it and had to admit the old man had a point.
'I wouldn't do that if I were in his shoes,' he thought.
"Now, do you want to learn magic?" Astranor asked.
"Yes, I do."
"We'll start with wind magic. Imagine a gentle breeze and control it until you can manipulate it firmly," Astranor instructed, as a light wind began to swirl around him.
Mammon heeded Astranor's guidance, envisioning gentle breezes around him. They began to form but dissipated immediately.
Astranor frowned slightly. Mammon's failure didn't seem to stem from weakness; it felt like something else.
For Mammon, it was as if he was trying to hold a slippery glass of water. Each time he tried to bring it to his lips, it slipped from his grip and shattered.
After several more attempts, Mammon was clearly discouraged. He checked his status.
---
Status:
Name: Mammon
Race: Half-Elf
Class: ???
Stats:
HP: 10
MP: 0
Stamina: 50
Strength: 1 Agility: 1 Constitution: 1 Dexterity: 1
Wisdom: 1 Intelligence: 1
Attack Power (Str): 5 Attack Power (Agi): 5 Magic Attack Power: 1
Luck: 0
Available stat point: 0
Available skill point: 0
Mental Condition: Normal
Physical Condition: Normal
Skills Available:
-Absolute Concentration.
---
Then he realized what the problem was.
"Hey Sir Astranor…"
"Hey, don't call me 'Sir' Astranor. Just Astranor," the old man said calmly.
"Okay Astranor, what enables people to produce elements and skills?" Mammon asked.
"Well, it's mana."
"So, without mana, one can't perform magic skills or produce elements?"
"Yes, except in rare cases where skills don't require mana, like your 'Absolute Concentration.'"
Now Astranor understood why he had felt something strange when he first met the boy, he couldn't sense any mana within Mammon.
"Then I guess it's over." Mammon said.
He finally understood why the old elf during character creation had warned him against choosing the Half-Elf. But it was too late.
"No, it's not over," Astranor replied.
Astranor had once encountered a half-elf who, like Mammon, was born without mana.
"How? What's the use of a mana heart if it can't produce mana?" Mammon asked.
"Your mana heart is useless, yes, but there's another way to use mana," Astranor said, studying Mammon's reaction before he continued.
"There are potions called Mana Potions. They restore a certain amount of mana based on their potency. In your case, they would temporarily grant you a mana pool, which would vanish once all the mana is used up."
Mammon's eyes lit up. This was hope, a way to use magic despite his lack of innate mana.
"Mana Potions are ranked from A to E. An A-rank Mana Potion is the rarest and most potent. It can even boost your health," Astranor explained.
"How many times have you used an A rank mana potion?" Mammon asked.
"Well, let's see… about five times," Astranor said, scratching his chin.
'If it's that rare, it must be valuable,' Mammon thought.
"As I was saying, relying on Mana Potions will create a temporary mana pool. The catch is that if you rely on C, D, or E-rank Mana Potions for too long, your body will become resistant, reducing their effectiveness over time," Astranor said.
"Pardon me, I understood until the part about potion resistance. Can you clarify?" Mammon asked.
Astranor smacked his forehead lightly.
"What happens when you keep eating the same food every day?" he asked.