Chapter 21 - Cheating?

Melisa and Moona began to teach Mikail about each Path they had mastered.

They didn't waste time. Not anymore.

Moona took the lead first.

She stepped forward, raising her hand as raw mana began to swirl around her fingertips. There was no chant, no flourish, just precision. Intent. Control.

"This is Magic," She said, her voice steady, eyes locked on Mikail. "Mana shaped through will and knowledge. It's about formulas, elemental harmony, and focus. When you learn enough, it becomes second nature, but only if you have the mind for it"

With a flick of her wrist, a floating glyph appeared in the air. Not drawn, not carved, but woven. It hummed softly, its lines intricate and elegant.

"Magic isn't just power," She added, "It's language. Every spell is a sentence. Every caster speaks differently. But speak it well, and the world listens"

The glyph burst into a stream of water that danced around her arm before vanishing into the air like mist.

Then Melisa stepped in.

She tossed the magic pistol she summoned earlier into the air, catching it without looking. Her stance shifted, a warrior's ease, built from countless hours on the field.

"Magic Weapon Users blend mana with technology or ancient relics. Guns, blades, even gauntlets. We channel spells through tools, extending our reach and versatility. My specialty is Imbuing, putting mana into weapons to enhance their function"

She pointed the gun at a rock nearby and pulled the trigger. A pulse of compressed force shot out, not a bullet, but pure mana shaped like one, and shattered the rock into dust.

"Imbuing is about trust," She explained. "Between you and your gear. You pour yourself into your weapon, and it answers. It becomes part of you"

Then she looked over at Mikail.

"You? You don't even need a weapon. You are the weapon"

Moona nodded. "And that's what makes your path so different. Because what you did… That sigil, the reaction, it was beyond any school we know"

Mikail stayed quiet, absorbing every word. The world was opening up before him, layer by layer, and every piece made his skin tingle with anticipation. And doubt.

"So what's the plan?" He asked.

Melisa holstered the gun and grinned.

"We train you in all three. Magic. Imbuing. Enhancement... Once the Old Man's ready. You need to learn the rules before you can break them"

Moona added, "And if you truly are a Harbinger, you'll need more than raw power. You'll need understanding. Because people will come after you. Come to worship, and some, come to kill"

Mikail clenched his fist. The Mana inside him stirred, eager. Hungry.

"Then let's get started"

Melisa raised an eyebrow.

"You sure? Training with me isn't gentle"

Moona smirked.

"Neither is mine"

Mikail gave them both a crooked grin.

"Good. I'm tired of holding back anyway"

And so, under the open sky, with mana shimmering through the air like a second heartbeat, Mikail's training began.

The Path wasn't clear.

But it was his.

And that… Was enough.

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With his Skill [Instant Learning], Mikail didn't just absorb knowledge... He drank it, like a man crawling through the desert who had finally reached water.

Every demonstration from Moona, every explanation from Melisa, sunk into him as if his mind had always been waiting to be filled.

And the effect was terrifying.

Moona began with foundational theory. Spell matrices, mana harmonics, glyph architecture, concepts that took scholars years to internalize.

She'd conjure complex diagrams midair with glowing sigils, breaking down elemental interactions and layering them like poetry. Most would have been overwhelmed.

But Mikail? He demonstrated what he was taught not like someone who had just learned but like someone who had mastered it for years.

Moona stared at Mikail, her lips slightly parted in disbelief.

He had just recreated a complex spell she'd spent years perfecting, flawlessly. The glyphs, the mana flow, and even the timing. Everything was perfect.

And he'd only seen it once.

It wasn't just talent. It was something else. Something beyond normal.

Moona took a slow breath, her heart pounding.

He didn't act like a student. He acted like someone who had known this magic his whole life. Like a prodigy born once in a thousand years or maybe not even that.

"This… This shouldn't be possible"

Moona murmured. Watching him, she felt a chill. Not from fear, but from the realization that Mikail was more than just gifted.

He was dangerous.

While Moona is questioning herself, this time is Melisa's turn to teach Mikail her Path, Imbuing Path.

While Moona was still quietly questioning herself, stunned by Mikail's unnatural grasp of magic, it was now Melisa's turn to teach him her Path, The Path of Imbuing.

She watched closely as Mikail held the magic pistol, adjusting the flow of mana through it with calm precision. His fingers moved with practiced ease, syncing his energy with the weapon like someone who had trained for years, not minutes. The pistol hummed faintly, reacting to his touch, not resisting, but responding, as if recognizing its new wielder.

Melisa narrowed her eyes. That shouldn't be possible.

She had expected awkwardness. Trial and error. Maybe even a bit of mana backlash.

And yet, he already moved like a seasoned fighter, no hesitation, no doubt. The mana pulsed cleanly through the weapon, stable and strong like he'd forged the bond with it himself.

Melisa's grin faded slowly, replaced by a furrowed brow.

This wasn't normal.

She'd trained others before. Taught dozens how to channel mana into their weapons. Most took months to understand the rhythm. Others never quite got it. But Mikail?

He made it look effortless. Like it was in his blood.

"This is not learning…" She muttered to herself, barely audible. "This is… This is cheating"

Melisa took a step closer, observing the way the pistol shimmered faintly with energy under Mikail's control. She could see it.

How the Mana moved in tune with his thoughts, how it adjusted in real-time to the weapon's shape, its purpose, its very nature. It wasn't brute force. It was harmony. Instinct.

And Mikail wasn't even trying.

He looked up, meeting her gaze.

"Like this?"

Mikail asked as the pistol glowed softly in his hand.

Melisa blinked. There was no strain in his voice, no pride either. Just a genuine question, like he didn't realize what he'd done.

She forced a nod, masking her unease with a smirk.

"Yeah… That's it"

But inside, her thoughts were racing.

'What kind of monster learns Imbuing this fast?!'

Moona had called him a Harbinger. Melisa hadn't been sure what to make of that word before. Now, watching him stand there. Weapon in hand, power flowing through him like a second heartbeat... She was starting to understand.

Mikail wasn't walking the Path.

He was the Path.

And if that was true…

Then the world wasn't ready for what was coming.

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[Skill]

+ (New! ) Magic [EX- Grade #Must meet certain criteria for Further Upgrade]

The ability to manipulate Mana through will and knowledge. Spells are cast using glyphs, incantations, or raw intent, depending on the caster's skill. Power scales with Mana Pool, Control, and Affinity.

+ (New!) Imbuing [EX- Grade #Must meet certain criteria for Further Upgrade]

The art of channeling Mana into weapons, tools, or objects, enhancing them, or unlocking magical functions. Imbuing requires precision, intent, and a deep bond with the item. Stronger results come from repeated use and synchronization.

+ Mana Sensory [EX- Grade #Must meet certain criteria for Further Upgrade]

+ Beginner Magic Affinity [EX- Grade #Must meet certain criteria for Further Upgrade]

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SP: 999.999.999+

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