Chương 102: Mana Control

The break passed far too quickly. When the bell rang again, the group was already moving toward the next building. This time the class would be in the theoretical practice hall, a wider space with the floor marked by containment circles and several elevated platforms. — Now this actually looks like a real academy — Astrid commented, cracking her knuckles. Harley laughed quietly. — I still haven't seen anyone bleeding. It's tame. Joker simply shoved his hands into his pockets and observed the hall as they entered.

Kuroe came right behind him, silent, her eyes already analyzing every corner of the place. The teacher this time was different. A tall woman with short silver hair and a thin scar cutting across her left eyebrow. She didn't smile when she entered. She simply stopped in the center of the hall and crossed her arms. — I am Professor Vireya. You are in Fundamentals of Mana Control. If you were expecting theory while sitting at desks, you may be disappointed.

She raised a hand and a sphere of pure mana formed above her palm, rotating slowly. — Mana is the foundation of almost everything you will do from now on. It doesn't matter if your power comes from a mark, blood, a contract, or anything else. If you don't know how to control the flow, you will burn yourselves from the inside or kill someone by accident. The sphere dissolved into thin threads that danced in the air for a second before vanishing. — Today I want to see the basics.

Each of you will demonstrate the minimum control you can maintain without losing the form. No elaborate techniques. Just stability. The students began spreading out across the marked circles on the floor. The orphanage group naturally stayed close to one another. The first ones called were ordinary students. Most managed to maintain simple but unstable forms. Some trembled. Others let mana leak from the edges. Then it was the turn of a young man with carefully styled blond hair and an arrogant posture.

He introduced himself as Darian Voss. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. — Watch carefully — he said, loud enough for half the hall to hear. Darian created a golden mana lance, well-defined and bright. The form was beautiful, almost artistic. He held it for several seconds, slowly rotating the lance in the air with a confident smile. Vireya observed in silence. — Above-average control. You may lower it. Darian smiled as if he had just won a tournament.

When he returned to his place, he glanced at the orphanage group and murmured low, but loud enough to be heard: — At least someone here knows what they're doing. Shortly after, a girl with dark green hair named Elowen was called. Unlike Darian, she said nothing. She simply created a dense sphere of green mana that floated in an extremely stable way, almost without any oscillation. Vireya lingered on her a little longer. — Good control. Very good. Elowen simply nodded and returned to her place without showing off.

When it was the orphanage group's turn, the atmosphere shifted a little. Astrid was one of the first. She concentrated raw strength around her fists, and the air around them trembled. Vireya observed for a few seconds and simply nodded. — Rough control, but stable. Next. Marina created a small sphere of vapor that changed shape without dissolving. Rina did the same with short, precise currents of wind. Sylvara made a thin vine grow from her own palm and wrap around her wrist without losing rhythm.

Lirien hummed softly and a gentle light formed in front of her, stable. When Kuroe's turn came, the hall became a little more attentive. She stood still for two seconds, eyes half-closed. Then a mark on the back of her left hand glowed very subtly. A small illusion formed in the air: just a perfect circle of shadow that rotated slowly, without trembling. Simple. Clean. Controlled. Vireya observed her longer than most. — Acceptable. You may lower it. Kuroe simply let the illusion dissolve and returned to silence.

Darian, on the other side of the hall, let out a low little laugh. — That's all? No one from the group responded. Harley was next. She snapped her fingers and a small controlled pink explosion formed in her palm, the size of a coin, spinning as if it were a toy. It didn't expand. It didn't tremble. It just stayed there, stable, until she closed her hand and extinguished it. — Controlled — Vireya said. Finally, Joker. He didn't do anything flashy.

He simply extended his hand and let a thin shadow rise from the ground, forming a small, motionless silhouette in front of him. The shadow didn't move. It didn't oscillate. It seemed almost too solid for something made of mana. Vireya remained silent for a few extra seconds. — … Stable. She looked away toward the rest of the class. — Most of you still let mana leak from the edges. A few understand the concept of limit. Her gaze passed quickly over Darian, then Elowen, and finally the orphanage group.

The class continued with simple maintenance exercises: holding the same form for an extended time, changing intensity without losing control, and finally dissolving the mana without leaving residue. Darian continued showing off whenever he could, increasing the brightness of his own mana more than necessary. Elowen, on the other hand, executed everything with silent precision. The orphanage group simply did what was asked, without drawing too much attention — which, ironically, drew even more.

When the bell rang again, Vireya simply made a gesture with her hand. — You may go. Tomorrow we start forcing the real limits. As they left the hall, Darian walked past them and commented loud enough: — Try not to drag down the level of the class. Harley turned her face toward him and smiled in that overly sweet way. — We'll try — she answered, voice light. — But I don't promise anything. Darian frowned, but didn't reply.

While walking through the courtyard, Joker spoke quietly: — That one thinks he's the center of the stage. Kuroe, walking right behind, added without raising her voice: — He still hasn't understood that the show hasn't even started. Astrid laughed through her nose. — Let him think that. The longer it takes them to understand us, the better. The group crossed the courtyard toward the cafeteria. For the first time since they had entered the academy, some gazes truly followed them. Some of curiosity.

Others of challenge. And at least one, Darian's, of someone who still believed he was the best in the class. The second class of the day had ended. And the circus, little by little, was beginning to be noticed. End of Chapter 102