Chapter 21: Mana Theory
Shit, how did I forget about this when I was just talking about it? The last skill, Manipulation, which enhanced the emotion, helped Abyss Walker to achieve their desired result, and the same thing happened to me.
I could still sense Serlynthia's eyes on me; I knew it was my mistake for succumbing to Weaver's power. Normally, she's cold-hearted, appearing emotionless, but today, it's different.
I could feel a blend of annoyance and worry emanating from her, and it bothered me; it felt like she was trying to act like someone else.
Realizing I was deep in thought, Serlynthia arched an eyebrow, "So, you've finally realized?" There was a hint of a smile on her face.
"Do you even know what the outcome of your action would have been?" I blinked, momentarily unable to find my words as the chill of realization settled in.
'If I had killed him, then all the future events would have changed.'
'It's not that I don't wish to alter the events, but Ethan had saved Dylan many times during the start of the novel; if Ethan had died here, the outcome could have been unpredictable. .'
"Yeah, I... let myself be overwhelmed," I said, looking down at Ethan, who was still struggling to breathe on the floor.
'But still, I don't like the way she is now pretending that she cares for me, just after I told her I would accept her offer if she genuinely wants to ask me.'
Ethan coughed, slowly pushing himself off the floor. "This… isn't over," he wheezed, shooting me a glare. "You'll regret—"
"Enough," Serlynthia's voice cut through the air like a blade, chilling Ethan into silence. "Ethan, if you want to waste more of the academy's time, feel free to continue, but remember, if you behave like this every time, then you can forget about being my disciple."
Looking at him, I can guess what he is thinking right now.
'His father had asked him to become her disciple, and if Ethan's father knew about that, Serlynthia would not accept him as her disciple, then he would not tell him about his mother.'
'You know the common trope about the main character's mother being missing and he knew something about her, and he will only reveal the information when the main character does what he asked him to do.'
Ethan bit his lip, glancing away in frustration. With a final glare, he walked back into the class.
Once they were gone, Serlynthia turned back to me. "I need you to be smarter than this, Samuel, if you want me to do what you asked."
"Now all of you also go back to class; your teacher is already waiting for you all to continue his class." She spoke and walked away.
Ren clapped a hand on my shoulder. "We all overreact sometimes; don't worry about it. Just try to keep that Void mana under wraps next time. Might not be a good look for the academy that 2nd ranker crushed 1st ranker only by his foot."
Ren spoke, thinking that I was still worried about Ethan's words.
Theros chuckled. "Or you can at least try breaking a leg if he annoys you, like she suggested."
****
[Class S+]
Mr. Liam is teaching the class like the incident that happened a few minutes before, which never happened.
As this was the first class of the Mana theory he was introducing us to the basic things, how mana changes humanity, and how the mix of mana and technology is so revolutionary.
Even dwarves who started to hate the humans after the summoning of demons, started to trade their products again in return for humans sharing their mana technology with them.
Needless to say, a part of me was excited to learn more about Mana and the uses of magic.
Even if my soul has a greater impact on my personality, there is part of Alex still present, and if you are a fan of fantasy novels, you will surely want to learn more about magic.
"Mana, as you all know, grants us the ability to freely manipulate the elements of the universe however we want."
He continued, "Many of you have already learned about how to cast spells, but can you tell me how you command mana to form a certain type of attack, and why do we need spells for it.? Can anyone answer?"
A hand shot up from the back of the classroom, and a confident voice rang out.
"By visualizing," Ethan answered, "we channel mana through a mental construct to give them a form, which then casts the attack we want. The spells work as the blueprint to form the mental construct.
Mr. Liam nodded, approving his answer. "That's part of it. The intent is indeed crucial, but that is just casting mana, there's more to commanding mana than just visualization. Anyone else care to elaborate on this point?"
Another student raised their hand this time, and it was Varina.
"It also has to do with the way we align our mana flow with the natural frequencies of the elements we want to control, and that is called resonance."
"Which is fundamental in commanding mana, the term commanding is not like forcing our will on an element."
"It's about harmonizing with the universe. By tuning your mana to resonate with specific elements, you're then able to command them with precision in whatever way you want."
A smile appears on Mr. Liam's face. "Great answer as expected from the Snow family."
He continued, "Like student Varina, just explain to command the mana in whatever way we want. First, we need to achieve resonance."
He paused, then explained, "However, achieving resonance requires not just your understanding of your elements but also practice, patience, and a deep connection to the mana in your surroundings."
'triiiiiiinnnnnng'
"Looks like time's over. That's all for today's class. Tomorrow we will discuss how the effect of mana on wildlife, for today's class you all can go to your house/drom."
He spoke and left.
"Finally!" Theros groaned, stretching his arms dramatically as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "I swear, Samuel, if I have to sit through another lecture about mana without using any actual magic, I might lose my mind."
Samuel chuckled, rising from his seat. "Patience, Theros. Not everything is about throwing fireballs or summoning storms. Understanding mana is just as important."
Ren, who had been quietly packing up, spoke, "Theros does have a point—when are we going to start hunting in the wilderness?"
As the three of them stepped out of the classroom and into the sunlit corridor, Samuel glanced at his friends with a small grin. "Trust me, you'll get your chance soon enough. But if you're that eager, how about we go to the training grounds? We can practice a few spells there."
""NO,"" both of them shouted at me.
"Chill, dude, I was just asking if you guys are interested; why are you both shouting? It's not like I will just beat you black and blue.
Hearing my words, Theros and Ren stopped in their tracks and turned to give me identical looks that said, You-can't-be-seriously-asking-this.
As we walked toward the dorms, I glanced at Theros and Ren.
"By the way, are you two planning to stay in the dorms, or are you heading back to your houses?"
Theros shot me an incredulous look like I'd just asked if water was wet. "Stay in the dorms. Why would I miss out on the convenience? Besides," he added with a sly grin, "you'd be lost without me to liven the place up."
Samuel hit on his side "What are you making excuses for? I know you want to stay in the dorm because of Amelia."
In SOL Academy, every student has their dorm room. It is up to the students if they want to stay in the dorms or not.
And calling dorm is an understatement, as students get a villa to share between five students, and care to guess who the five students are?
Yes, you guessed it correctly. Amelia, Aisha, Ren, Theros, and I, while I was in the infirmary, this idiot had already submitted our name.
It's not like I am mad or anything; at least this gives me a chance to apologize to my cute sister.
Ren rolled her eyes at his theatrics but gave a small nod. "Same here. It's easier to focus on classes and training. Not to mention, my house is too far to keep going back and forth."
I smirked, unable to resist a little jab. "Good to know. I was starting to think I'd have the whole place to myself. It wouldn't feel right without you two there."
Theros threw an arm around my shoulder with an exaggerated grin. "You're stuck with us, buddy. Get used to it."
Ren chuckled softly and added, "Don't let him fool you. He's probably just excited about not having to clean up after himself."
"Hey!" Theros protested, clutching his chest like he'd been mortally wounded. His mock indignation drew a round of laughter from both Ren and me.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone