章 79: Smithing apprenticeship commencing

The mana in the crystal was congealed into a multitude of small interconnected masses that pulsated as energy flowed between them.

As his consciousness brushed past the region at the center which possessed the greatest concentration of mana, he felt the entire crystal respond like it possessed a primal awareness; an emergence of will from the interconnected web of dense energy.

Hugo slumped back onto his bed like a person exhausted after a clash with an enraged calamity beast. What he had deduced from his brief examination of the crystal had enlivened his scientific mind. He felt like a masochist that had been subjected to the tender ministrations of his mistress for hours.

The unexpected response of the intricately arranged energy in the mana crystal to his prodding created an enigma.