Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Intentions.

Mr. Ross took out his fist and then smiled at the stunned crowd.

"My punch broke through the steel sheet when even a hammer can only leave a dent! The reason is simple."

"Mana."

"As Mr. Emcee said, you do not need to fear mana because mana can allow you to do things like this and more!"

"As long as you are absorbing mana the right way, you would not turn into a mana zombie and we will teach you how to do exactly that!"

The crowd woke up from their stupor and they began to boil with discussions and even some excitement started to brew.

"Settle down, we are not done yet. Remember what I said? Mana allows you to do things and more!"

"So please welcome Ms. Jager to demonstrate to us another way mana could be used!"

At this moment, someone from the crowd suddenly stood up. It was the red haired model that was in the same van as I am!

She walked to the stage in a calm manner. Upon climbing the stage, she was greeted by the Emcee and Mr. Ross. After a short exchange of pleasantries, she stood in front of the stage and loudly announced.

"Pleased to meet you all! I will now show you another way to utilize mana."

She extended her right hand forward with her palm facing upwards in a cupping position. Then, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

As soon as she reopened her eyes, a wisp  suddenly appeared on her hand and it soon turned into a ball of fire that's the size of a tennis ball!

If Mr. Ross' punch was unbelievable, then what Ms. Jager's showcasing is simply absurd.

 Magic?

They are able to use magic?!

Some couldn't help but daydream about welding such power and entered into a daze. Though, Ms. Jager's next words woke them up from their fantasies.

"I see that I don't need to do any more explanation on what this is, yes?"

"So instead, I'll start with how you can achieve it. First, let me get this out of the way. Talent is important!"

"You can still use mana and strengthen your body like what Mr. Ross did but you need an affinity with mana that has elements to cast magic!"

"For example, I have an affinity with fire element mana hence I am able to cast a fireball-like magic."

"In order to absorb mana you need to meditate. You can also do it by working out, though as observed by our team, only normal mana is absorbed this way. You need to meditate and actively absorb elemental mana."

"Only when you accumulate enough elemental mana will you be able to cast magic!"

"As for the type of utilization that Mr. Ross did, it's the same. The only difference is that the normal mana you absorb will only strengthen your body and you wouldn't be able to cast magic. Unless, someone makes a breakthrough in this field in the future."

"The specifics of both types of usage will be discussed tomorrow in a training session that will be held here tomorrow! Since we don't have a concept of time and not all have a sundial, just be sure to be present right after the sun rises. To the butlers and maids, inform your employers about this training session."

"Moreover, we predict that once your body is strong enough or got used to holding the mana, you wouldn't have to worry about turning into a mana zombie. Though it only applies to getting injured and the mana taking advantage of your weakened state. I can't say the same if you deviated from meditation and absorbed too much mana."

"Now, any questions?"

Coming here is indeed a good choice, especially regarding magic. Although I sort of knew that there are elements and stuff, the clarification and further insights is nothing but beneficial. 

I should start experimenting with magic soon. My current physical training should still take quite some time to reach the next obvious strength gain.

Though I don't know if the accumulation of my fire element mana is enough. After all, it is only a secondary type of mana with normal mana being the most prominent.

It's quite fun actually, this mana and magic stuff. It really makes me nostalgic of my childhood. Though hard and painful, the training and new discoveries are satisfying.

At this time, the young man wearing a blue shirt stood up and asked bluntly, "Why are you giving out this information?" 

"Sure, informing the masses about these discoveries is great and all but from the way you presented the news, why does it seem like you want people to start using mana? What are your intentions?"

Mr. Ross took a step forward and smiled. His eyes couldn't help but flash appreciation towards this young man. He said, "Simple, to recruit manpower!"

"As stated before, reclaiming the area from the hands of the mana zombies is hard. And the reason for that is, the mana zombies started showing evolution."

"Just like how humans can use mana to strengthen their body. Mana zombies, in their own way, can also do the same even if it's just driven by instinct or just continuous absorption of mana. We need to expend more bullets to kill a mana zombie, not to mention that bullets are limited. The efficiency is getting lower and lower."

"Magic is much more effective and for those brave enough to fight head on, one trained in mana can easily crush the mana zombies' skulls with their enhanced physique."

"I know what you're thinking, why not just the military take care of it right? The problem is, direct combat is hard to those untrained and the reclamation process would take longer because the matter regarding efficiency is still not addressed."

"Although there's magic, there's not that many Mages. Mage is the term we used to describe those who focus on wielding magic. At most they can only send 1 or 2 area type magic attacks before needing to rest and recover their mana. Hence, we are seeking more manpower from the people to help us! 

{A/N: Area of Effect or AOE in gaming terms}

"Warriors, the term we used to those who focused on the body like me, is also more than welcome to enter our ranks. The question is, do you have what it takes? After all, unlike Mages, you need to face mana zombies directly!"

Mr. Ross then looked at the young man and asked, "Does this satisfy your question?"

The young man nodded before replying, "Yes, but there is one more thing..."

"What's in it for us?"

Mr. Ross couldn't help himself from grinning, "This is why I like talented people like you, young man!"  

{A/N: Basic power system introduction is almost done. Action, waifus and fluff is coming soon!}