Chapter 16: Mana and the Physical World

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Inside the guestroom, Kael sat cross-legged on the floor. His arm rested on his leg, and his eyes were closed.

After discussing things with Aurelia in the training hall earlier, no suspicious points had been found.

Continuing to make assumptions without evidence wouldn't lead anywhere, so the matter was dropped right then and there.

Kael slowly opened his eyes, a serene smile touching his lips.

"Not just anyone can tamper with the soul so easily..." he muttered.

He had only arrived at the Dawnblade estate today, yet he had already formed a clear picture. He understood the power dynamics, gauged the clan's overall strength, and even identified a few potential suspects behind the girl's situation.

As for the reason why he was willing to help a stranger?

There was none.

Building connections, human compassion—these held no weight with him.

Imparting a fragment of his knowledge to someone who might make use of it hardly counted as helping. He was simply slightly amused.

Kael closed his eyes again, breathing in slowly as his mind grew still. The world around him faded away until only the rhythm of his breath remained. Focused and calm, he gathered his thoughts, focusing on a single point.

Mana.

A force as old as the world itself, yet ever-changing in its complexity. A mysterious energy, pulsing through everything and everyone, shaping the flow of life in ways even the most seasoned could never fully grasp.

Mana can be used in many ways and is divided into various types, each mirroring the effects of the physical world.

The most basic type of mana is called attributeless, and its most well-known characteristic is its ability to attune itself to the forces around it.

In a sea of flames, attributeless mana will mimic the effects of fire and, over time, transform into fire mana.

In a river or ocean, attributeless mana will follow the flow of water and, eventually, take on the properties of water mana.

And just as mana is influenced by the physical world, the world is also shaped by mana.

When fire mana is used, there will be heat and sparks.

When water mana is used, there will be humidity and vapor.

Air mana will stir a breeze, and lightning mana will discharge as static or residual electricity.

Each type of mana leaves a trace on the physical world, and through the balance of these different mana types, a climate is formed.

It could be said that each ecosystem is a brilliant stage where mana and earth create a sort of symphony.

However, an ecosystem is incomplete without life.

Each creature interacts with everything around it, both physically and metaphysically, striving for survival in its own way.

But these interactions are not always intentional.

Some creatures can only interact willingly with mana. These are called elementals.

There are also creatures with no affinity for mana who live at the bottom of the food chain; these are animals.

Then, there are creatures who possess a physical body but can also interact with mana. These are called mana beasts.

Naturally, humans and other intelligent humanoid species are also a type of beast. Mana beasts are the most versatile lifeform and the most commonly found.

An important question soon arises: How can physical creatures interact with something intangible?

"Through their will," a girlish voice floated through a well-decorated, dimly lit room. It was Aurelia, and across from her sat Yselda.

The young girl gazed out the window beside her, her eyes drifting to the stars in the sky.

The night sky was truly beautiful. Next to the bright, round moon, countless stars shimmered, some with a green hue, others red and blue, though most were white—creating a breathtaking view.

She layed back, still sitting on the edge of the bed, and her back gently pressed against the neat bedsheets behind her.

"I already know this. What's the point of repeating it so many times?" she complained, staring up at the ceiling.

Yselda, seated in a chair across from her, frowned slightly.

"Just answer this question, and I'll leave for today."

A long sigh filled the room, and a vein throbbed on Yselda's temple, ready to burst.

She smiled coldly and reminded her apprentice with a meaningful tone, "Didn't you and Storm sneak off toda—"

Before she could finish, Aurelia sprang up, a serious expression now on her face.

"Through will, we can subtly guide the mana around us." She immediately began her explanation with great confidence.

"Although we can't see it, we can feel it, and eventually, control it. For convenience, we separate the levels of control into ranks, from 1 to 6."

She glanced briefly at the window before her gaze dropped to her bare feet, moving rhythmically back and forth.

"Each person has a certain affinity for specific mana types, and their control over those elements tends to be stronger than the rest," she finished, her face darkening.

Yselda observed the girl with a complicated look, understanding her worries all too well.

("This is the weight of expectations,") she thought.

If Aurelia had been born into a commoner's family, her talent would have been of little consequence. However, with status comes certain expectations.

("This external pressure can sometimes become overwhelming, clouding one's thoughts. But only by overcoming these obstacles can you grow,") Yselda cheered for her student in her heart.

"Good, let's stop here, then," Yselda said as she stood. With a graceful motion of her hand, the chair she had been sitting on levitated off the ground and slid into place beside the desk.

She walked toward the door, pausing just before leaving, and said to her distracted apprentice, "Have a nice rest."

Aurelia let out a noise of approval, still not looking away from the window. The moonlight streamed into the dimly lit room, illuminating her face, making her azure eyes seem almost mystical. Combined with her youthful vigor, her beauty in that moment was mesmerizing.

Click.

The door closed.

"So beautiful, yet so far away. If only I could touch the stars one day..." the girl murmured to herself before falling back onto the bed, turning to her side to gaze out the window.

"An injured will..." she muttered again, her thoughts drifting.

Meanwhile, in one of the dark corridors, Storm moved stealthily. His white paws barely made a sound against the carpet, and his eyes gleamed in the shadows.

Several meters ahead, Lyssara rounded a corner.

Storm quickened his pace to catch up, but just as he was about to turn—

"You're following me again."

Lyssara stood motionless, having apparently anticipated his approach. Her eyes were cold, colder than Storm's.

The lack of light cast the upper half of her face in near-total darkness, but her eyes still stood out—two bottomless, unsettling voids.

A tense silence hung in the air, broken only by the swish of Storm's tail, moving back and forth like a restless serpent.

Despite the tension radiating from her, Storm sat still, his tongue hanging out, as if he were waiting for something with a calm, almost playful demeanor.

Then, Lyssara moved slowly, reaching into one of her pockets.

"Fine," she said flatly, her voice emotionless, as she pulled out something resembling a small brown bone.

It was a treat she had made for Storm and fed him countless times before.

She extended her arm, and Storm delicately placed the edge of his mouth on the biscuit to avoid biting her gloved hand.

He growled softly, content, his satisfaction clear. He had completed his mission.

Turning to leave, his gaze flicked back, and Lyssara's eyes followed his silhouette as he disappeared into the darkness of the corridor. Moonlight filtered through the windows along one wall, casting a pale glow over his deep blue fur and white tail, which continued to wag happily as he disappeared.

A left turn, then a right.

After a few more moments of walking, Storm paused, stepping far from the scene of the earlier interaction.

He was standing outside.

The moonlight bathed his entire body, casting long shadows as he tilted his head toward the sky, his eyes gleaming with intelligence.

With a sharp, almost violent twist of his head, he threw the treat into his mouth, tearing into it with savage force. His jaws snapped together with a bone-rattling crunch, devouring the treat with a ferocity that starkly contrasted his earlier playfulness. Bits of the treat flew, scattering into the night air before falling. His tail, which had been wagging with carefree joy just moments before, was now stiff, thrashing back and forth in irritation.

His eyes, unusually calculating, glimmered with a cold, predatory light. His ear twitched, a subtle but telling sign of his agitation.

A low growl rumbled from deep within his chest, the sound low and menacing. With a final glance toward the night sky, he turned and began making his way back inside.

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The sounds of birds happily chirping drifted in through the window.

Aurelia's closed eyes squinted against the light.

"Heavy..." she groaned, still half-asleep.

She finally opened her eyes, only to immediately squeeze them shut again as something hit them.

It was soft and fluffy, almost like...

A tail.

Storm was lying across her, forming an arc with their bellies pressed together. The only barrier between them was the thin bedsheet.

Seeing that Aurelia had woken, Storm wagged his tail happily, occasionally tapping her on the head. As a crepuscular beast, he was already awake and eager to start the day.

"Can you... get off?" Aurelia mumbled, still groggy. She weakly tried to push his rear end away, but it was no use.

The number of times she had woken up like this was too many to count. Though she loved Storm, his size and fur made her uncomfortably warm, and his weight didn't help either.

In a smaller room farther away, another pair of eyes opened.

"It's dawn already," Kael murmured, having remained in the same position since the previous night. If his legs had any sensation, they would be incredibly sore after so many hours of sitting in the lotus position.

He turned his head toward the doorway, and smiled vaguely.

His expression remained thoughtful as he spoke aloud, "Three... How thoughtful."

With a controlled motion, he placed his hand on the ground and pushed himself up.

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