Chapter 10: I Survived!
Day 4 – The Meaning of Magic
My body still ached from the last three days of torture—I mean, training—but Reina wasn't giving me a break.
"Magic is not about flashy spells," she said coldly. "It's about control. And your control is pathetic."
I gritted my teeth. "Then teach me how to fix it!"
Reina nodded. "Fine. Create a flame."
I raised my hand and channeled my mana. A fireball flickered into existence.
And then—
BAM!
Something hard smacked me on the head.
"OW! What was that for?!" I shouted.
Reina was holding a wooden stick. "Your flame is unstable. Try again."
I tried again. Another hit.
And again. Another hit.
Eris, watching from the sidelines, crossed her arms. "At this rate, Lorien's gonna get brain damage."
Reina ignored her. "Focus. Don't just force the mana out. Control it."
I took a deep breath. This time, I focused—not on making fire, but on feeling the mana within me.
A small, steady flame appeared.
Reina finally put down the stick.
"Good. But still weak."
Great. She really didn't do compliments, huh?
---
Day 5 – Meditation or Death
I was expecting more magic practice today. Instead, Reina had me sit in the middle of the training ground.
"Don't move. Don't use magic. Just feel the mana around you."
"That's it?" I asked.
"That's it."
Easy, right?
WRONG.
The moment I closed my eyes—
BOOM!
A fireball exploded right next to me.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" I jumped up.
Reina sighed. "I told you not to move."
"Yeah, BECAUSE YOU JUST TRIED TO BLOW ME UP!"
"This is part of your training. If you truly connect with mana, you will sense danger before it happens."
Eris groaned. "Lorien's gonna die before he learns anything."
But something unexpected happened.
Eris stepped forward and sat next to me.
"If he has to do it, then so do I," she muttered.
I blinked. "Eris…?"
"Shut up and focus," she grumbled.
For the first time, she wasn't laughing at me.
She was helping.
---
Day 6 – Water, Water Everywhere
Today, Reina took me to the river.
"Make the water rise," she ordered.
Easier said than done.
I focused, trying to lift the water with my mana.
The result?
SPLASH!
A giant wave crashed down… on ME.
Eris cackled. "AHAHAHAHA! Nice water spell, genius!"
Reina wasn't amused. "You used too much force. Try again."
I tried again. This time, I made a small, controlled stream rise into the air.
It was weak, but steady.
Reina nodded slightly. "Better."
And that almost felt like a compliment.
---
Day 7 – The Ice Test
"Freeze the water."
That was today's challenge.
I focused my mana, trying to change the water's temperature.
Nothing happened.
"Your control is still lacking," Reina said. "Try harder."
I gritted my teeth and tried again.
Nothing.
Eris sighed. "Okay, let me try."
She raised her hand—BOOM! The entire river turned to ice in an instant.
I stared. "…Are you kidding me?!"
Reina looked at Eris. "Good. But you wasted too much mana."
"Wasted?! That was awesome!" Eris protested.
Reina's gaze turned back to me. "Learn from her. But don't rely on brute force."
I clenched my fists. I had to get better.
---
Day 8 – A Small Victory
I kept practicing ice magic all day.
And finally—after hours of struggle—
I froze a small puddle.
Eris clapped. "Yay, tiny ice cube! Maybe one day you'll make a full ice cube tray!"
I glared. "I hate you."
Reina, meanwhile, simply nodded.
"You're improving. Slowly."
For her, that was practically a standing ovation.
---
Day 9 – Faster, Stronger
Reina changed the training again.
"Speed is essential in battle," she said. "You will cast spells while running."
"…What?"
"Start running."
I hesitated.
BAM! A fireball nearly hit my head.
"RUN!"
So I ran.
I had to dodge, focus, and cast spells at the same time.
It was chaos.
But by the end of the day, I was getting better.
---
Day 10 – The Turning Point
Ten days of brutal training.
Ten days of pain.
But today was different.
Because for the first time…
I landed a hit on Reina.
It was weak. Barely a scratch.
But I did it.
Reina's reaction?
She actually smiled.
"Not bad," she said.
That was all.
But it meant everything.
Because for the first time… I felt like I was truly improving.
And I wasn't going to stop now.