Chapter 18 – Mana Lessons Finally

The Captain had them settle down after he was done pressing the need for hard work and grinding to unlock your full potential without wasting any drop within their body. It was necessity in order to keep up with those that were filthy rich and those that were incredibly lucky and talented.

Max didn’t like being the center of attention that the Captain kept pointing toward. As though the lesson did not include him and Olir.

He shook his head as he sat down next to Arnie and Caleb..

His chubby cheeked friend was giving him a massive grin.

Max smiled back and turned to look back at the speaking Captain.

“…the very essence of this world. It is what helps life bloom in even the most inhospitable places. Volcanoes, dead deserts of sand, rock, ice, and snow. Places you could not imagine. It fills everything around you down the dirt you sit on now. The only difference between magical items and others without that classification is the quantity and quality of the mana within them.”

The Captain raised his hand and balled it into a fist.

The Ledger detects a surge of Body Tempering Mana!

…

Max dismissed the notification as he stared at the Captain’s glowing hand. Flecks of white light orbited around his fist, fading into it and out seamlessly. That was the first time Max had ever seen mana that could be used offensively up close. Of course he had seen the healers and parlor tricks done by the actors, but it was nothing compared to this.

“It can be manipulated, gathered, moved, and used to strengthen, speed, recover, or fortify the body. Many of the captains have unlocked the ability to use the Body Tempering skill through years of dedication and focus. The Optio is the strongest amongst us excluding the elite knights of our lord Centurion. As for him, the lord Centurion, he is the strongest individual in our entire Cursed Legion with the ability to use his mana internally better than even the Optio, but also match the mages and Royal Praetorian Knights in external manipulation. He is a legend walking among men.”

Me having six magic means I can learn to do that too, right?

The Captain continued. “Any questions?”

Max raised his hand instantly.

“Go ahead.”

“How do we learn to use mana, internally or externally?”

“In a rush, aren’t we,” the Captain said with a smile. “That is the goal for today. I will help you unlock the Mana Gathering Skill today, the very foundation upon which you shall base your ability to manipulate the heavenly energy. After is the formation of a core to house the mana, then learning to call it forth, how to move it within your own body, and lastly how to manipulate it with the skills you will eventually unlock once you have a class at level 10. Until then, we will strengthen that foundation.”

The Captain waved him forward.

Max hesitated for a second, then he rose to his feet and wound his way between the rest of the students to stand before the captain. The man was a giant now that Max stood closer to him, not as big as the Optio, but still massive nonetheless. Max only came to his hip.

The Captain kneeled in front of him. “You asked about it first, so, I will go through the process with you first as well. Face your legion brothers and sit cross legged—”

Max did as he was told. He kept his head down to not meet any of their eyes.

This was a far more important matter that he did not want to be messed up because Arnie was making a silly face or Joel giving him a look so intense and full of hate it could have skinned him clean. Nothing was worth losing this opportunity especially with the help of the Ledger just waiting for him to use.

He could already imagine how much easier all the training would become if he only moved Recovery of the Air Gladiator up one to four percent only, much less anything better than that.

“—I will use my own mana to unlock your first mana channels. Close your eyes and follow the threads and wisps of heavenly energy as they move within your body and settle into the space where your core will eventually form. Let me know when you unlock your Mana Gathering Skill. You have sixty seconds before we will need to retry, though you will have to get back to the end of the line for another attempt. Are you ready?”

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Max nodded and closed his eyes.

“I will begin now.”

Max felt the Captain touch his shoulder. Heat spread from his fingers and penetrated into his body.

The Ledger detects an external source of Mana attempting to infiltrate your body!

Warning! Warning!

Do you wish for the Ledger to rebuff the attempts?

Yes?

No?

Note that rebuffing strength is directly correlated with Ledger skill level and your personal mana reserves.

Max clicked ‘No?’ and kept focus. He could feel the heat slowly move through his body until it latched onto something he hadn’t known existed within him. A single tube or blood vessel that he assumed was the aforementioned mana channel, or one of them at least.

Sweat dropped from his face, tracking down his cheeks and dropping into his lap as he kept his full attention on the movement of the wisps of golden mana move within him through his shoulder, up and down his arm left then right arm, over his chest, and finally settling in his sternum. The five wisps locked into place in that area and began revolving around each other in a tight spiral, leaving trailing light that gave the impression a core was already there.

Max stared in awe for what felt like hours at the orbiting wisps, mesmerized by their bright luster and symmetry.