Chương 26: A Day Without Lessons

For the first time in weeks, Leo's morning began without a bell. No professor calling students to attention. No training schedule. No lectures. No examinations. The academy had granted the students who participated in the Fog Forest expedition several days of rest. The official reason was recovery. The unofficial reason was obvious. Too many students had nearly died. Leo sat alone in his room. The curtains were drawn, leaving only a narrow strip of morning light across the floor.

Three Mana Stones rested in front of him. Two were medium-grade. The third was different. A first-grade Mana Stone. Its surface carried a deeper blue glow than the other two, and the mana contained inside it was dense enough that Leo could feel its pressure from where he sat. He picked up one of the medium stones. His fingers closed around it. Then he began. Mana flowed from the stone. It entered his body in a steady stream, spreading through his magical pathways. Leo breathed slowly.

The sensation was familiar now. Heat. Pressure. A slight tingling beneath the skin. He continued drawing the mana inward until the stone's glow weakened. Then it cracked. A faint sound. The stone broke apart in his palm. Leo opened his hand. Fragments fell onto the table.

"One." He reached for the second. This time, the process was faster. Perhaps too fast. The moment the mana entered his body, his expression changed. The pressure rose sharply. His chest tightened. Leo immediately reduced the flow. He had learned that lesson before. Mana was not something he could simply swallow. His body needed time to accept it. He slowed the absorption until the pressure became manageable again. Minutes passed. The second stone eventually lost its color. Leo placed it beside the first.

He leaned back against the chair. A thin layer of sweat had formed along his forehead. Two medium-grade stones had already pushed his body close to its comfortable limit. His eyes moved toward the final stone. The first-grade Mana Stone. Leo picked it up. The difference was immediate. Mana pressed against his palm like water held behind a dam. His fingers tightened.

"So that's the difference." He didn't begin immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes. His breathing became slower. Then another energy began moving inside him. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Internal Energy. It traveled through the pathways he had spent years rebuilding in this new body. Unlike Mana, it did not feel foreign. It was his. He guided it through his body once. Twice. Then he opened his eyes. The stone touched his palm. Mana entered.

Leo immediately felt the difference. The pressure was immense. His muscles tightened. His breathing stopped for half a second. He pulled the flow back. Not because he couldn't handle it. Because forcing it would be stupid. He tried again. This time, he drew only a fraction of the stone's power. The mana moved through his body. Leo directed it toward the same point where his Internal Energy was circulating. The two energies approached each other. His heartbeat quickened. Closer. Closer. Then— They touched.

Pain shot through his chest. Leo's eyes snapped open. The connection shattered. He pulled both energies apart before they could interfere with each other further. His hand trembled. He waited. The pain faded. Leo stared at the Mana Stone. He didn't look disappointed. Instead, he seemed thoughtful.

"So they can interact." That was enough. He tried again. This time, he changed the circulation of his Internal Energy first. Instead of allowing it to move directly against the mana, he created a wider path around it. Mana entered. Internal Energy followed. For a brief moment, they moved together. Not as one. Not yet. But they were no longer fighting each other. Leo's eyes narrowed with concentration. One second. Two. Three— The connection collapsed. He immediately stopped. His breathing was heavier now.

The room was silent. Leo looked down at his palm. There was no visible change. No dramatic surge of power. No miraculous transformation. Just a slightly increased sense of control. He smiled faintly.

"Three seconds." He placed the first-grade stone back on the table. He could continue. He didn't. There was no reason to destroy his body simply to gain a few more seconds. He had spent an entire lifetime learning that patience could be more valuable than strength. Leo stood. His legs felt slightly heavy. He stretched his shoulders. The experiment was over. For today. By noon, Leo had changed clothes and left the dormitory. The academy grounds were almost empty.

Students who normally filled the corridors had scattered throughout the city. Leo walked toward the main gate. A familiar voice called from behind him.

"Leo!" He turned. Amon was approaching with Masha beside him. Amon had changed into ordinary clothes rather than his academy uniform. Masha carried a small bag over one shoulder. Alice followed them. Her long white hair moved gently in the afternoon breeze.

"You actually came," Amon said. Leo raised an eyebrow.

"You invited me."

"I wasn't sure you'd remember."

"I remember most things." Masha looked at him for a moment.

"You look tired."

"I'm fine." Alice immediately gave him a skeptical look.

"You said that last time." Leo glanced at her.

"I was fine last time too."

"That's not what I meant." Amon laughed.

"Leave him alone. If Leo wants to spend his vacation looking like he hasn't slept in three days, that's his choice."

"I slept."

"How much?" Leo paused.

"Enough." Masha sighed.

"That answer means no." Alice smiled.

"Let's just go before they start arguing." They passed through the academy gates together. For once, none of them carried weapons for a mission. There was nowhere they needed to be. No enemy waiting beyond the road. No professor waiting with an assignment. Just a city. And four students with an afternoon to waste. The streets were crowded. Vendors called to passing customers. Children ran between market stalls. A carriage rolled slowly through the main road while its driver shouted for pedestrians to move aside.

Amon stopped at nearly every food stall. Masha complained about it. Alice laughed. Leo simply followed. The difference between the academy and the city surprised him. Inside the academy, every hour had a purpose. Outside, people lived without caring about magical rankings or examination results. A blacksmith argued with a customer over the price of a sword. Two merchants negotiated over a shipment of fruit. A group of children chased one another around a fountain.

None of them cared about the mysterious man whose picture had recently appeared throughout the city. None of them cared about the events in Fog Forest. For a few hours, the world felt ordinary. Leo found himself enjoying it. They eventually stopped at a small restaurant. Amon immediately ordered more food than anyone expected him to finish. Masha stared at the table.

"Are you feeding an army?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

"Exactly." Leo shook his head. Alice laughed. The conversation moved from food to classes, then from classes to the upcoming academy schedule. Eventually, the subject returned to the forest. Amon's expression became more serious.

"I still can't believe that masked man appeared when he did." Masha nodded.

"Neither can I." Alice became quiet. Leo noticed. Amon continued.

"The teachers said he was responsible for taking down the criminals."

"Most of them," Masha corrected.

"And freeing everyone." Alice looked down at her cup.

"He saved us." Leo said nothing. Amon looked at him.

"What do you think?" Leo considered the question. Then he answered honestly.

"I think whoever he is, he knew exactly what he was doing." Alice looked at him. There was something in her expression Leo couldn't quite read.

"Would you want to meet him?" she asked. Leo took a sip of water.

"No." Amon laughed.

"Why?"

"Because people who wear masks usually have reasons for doing so." Masha nodded.

"Fair." Alice remained quiet. Leo looked toward the window. Outside, sunlight reflected from the rooftops. The masked man was already becoming a story. A rumor. A face printed on paper. That was exactly what he needed. He had no intention of letting that story become connected to his real life. They spent the rest of the afternoon walking through the market. Amon challenged Masha to an arm-wrestling match. She accepted. He lost. He demanded a rematch. She refused. Alice bought a small ribbon for her hair.

Leo purchased nothing. Eventually, the sun began to descend. They returned toward the academy. At the gate, Amon stretched his arms.

"Tomorrow?" Masha nodded. Alice looked at Leo.

"You coming?" Leo thought about the unfinished Mana Stone waiting in his room. Then he looked at the three of them.

"Sure." Alice smiled.

"Good." They separated shortly afterward. Leo returned to his room. The first-grade Mana Stone remained where he had left it. He sat down. The experiment had given him three seconds. Tomorrow, perhaps four. He placed his hand above the stone. Darkness gathered faintly around his fingers. Not enough to attack. Not enough to form a weapon. Just enough to respond to his will. Leo watched it carefully. He didn't give the technique a name. Not yet.

A technique deserved a name only after he understood what it could truly do. The darkness disappeared. Leo leaned back. Three seconds today. That was enough. Tomorrow, he would try again. And somewhere beneath the surface of his magical power, two different energies had begun learning how to coexist. Not as one. Not yet. But no longer as strangers. End of Chapter 26.