Magic Fundamentals

The bell rang again as Shinji, Maya, and Kenji reached the next building.

Unlike the martial arts facility, the Magic Fundamentals classroom looked more like a laboratory.

Tall windows lined the walls, and metal pipes ran along the ceiling. Small crystal lamps were embedded between the pipes, glowing with a soft blue light. Every desk had a circular metal plate built into its surface, surrounded by engraved symbols.

Shinji slowed down as he entered.

"What are those?"

Kenji looked at the desk. "Mana regulators." Shinji stared at him. "What's that?"

Kenji raised his head slightly.

"They are used for learning how to imbue things with mana."

Think of mana as energy that belongs to your body. You can circulate it through yourself to strengthen your muscles, improve your speed, or cast spells. But the moment you try to transfer that mana into an object, things become more complicated.

Kenji held out his hand.

A faint green pulse passed across his fingers.

“Your body naturally handles your mana. You can feel it, direct it, and learn to control how much you release. An ordinary object doesn't have that connection to you. If you simply force mana into it, you might waste most of your energy, damage the object, or cause the mana to disperse before it does anything useful.”

He pointed at the regulator in Shinji's hands.

“That's where these come in.”

Shinji examined the device again.

“So they teach us how to transfer mana into things?”

“More or less. They help you learn how to channel mana into an external object, maintain that flow, and control how the object receives it. Instead of letting your mana spill everywhere, the regulator gives you feedback so you can recognise when your flow is stable and when you're forcing too much into it.”

Kenji says with a serious face replicating a Chud dude.

"I know it's knowledge to you, just call me your knowledge bank!!"

"Nobody likes a someone smart ass Kenji."

Shinji looking at her with big eyes while interested in the subject. "But I am interested..".

Maya looks at Kenji like she wants him gone. "I'll be sitting now."

"Let's talk about more after class Shinji, I'll explain everything to you." Shinji looks at her with appreciation. "Thank you so much." "No need to be so formal" They took their seats.

Shinji sat between Maya and Kenji.

More students entered.

Humans.

Demi-Humans.

Half-Borns.

The whole class had different artificial tattoos.

some had markings that curled around their wrists and disappeared beneath their collars.

Shinji noticed that no two tattoos looked exactly alike.

Some resembled vines.

Some looked like geometric patterns.

Others looked almost like writing.

His own tattoo could only be compared with Maya and Kenji.

Then the instructor entered.

A middle-aged woman wearing a dark academy coat placed several books onto the desk.

"Good afternoon."

The students answered together.

"Good afternoon, Instructor."

She turned toward the blackboard.

MAGIC FUNDAMENTALS — FIRST YEAR

"My name is Instructor Aria Vale." She picked up a piece of chalk.

"Before any of you learn spells, skills, elemental manipulation or advanced magical techniques, you need to understand one thing." She wrote a single word.

MANA

"Mana is the energy that exists within every living being." She tapped the word.

"Your body produces it naturally." Shinji looked at his hands. "So everyone can use magic?" The instructor looked toward him. "Everyone possesses mana." She paused.

"That does not mean everyone can use it effectively." She continued writing.

"Your ability to manipulate mana depends on three things." She wrote:

CONTROL

CAPACITY

STABILITY

"Control is your ability to direct mana." She pointed to the second.

"Capacity is how much mana your body can safely contain, having more stamina increases that the threshold." Then the third.

"“Stability, suppressing your mana isn't the same as losing it. You are learning to keep your power within you instead of constantly releasing it into the world. With consistent training, proper recovery, and improved mana regulation, this practice can contribute to the development of your capacity while helping you waste less energy.”

Shinji listened carefully.

"Because mana is not harmless." She held up her hand.

A faint glow appeared around her hands but the light wasn't concentrated in her palm. It surrounded her entire body.

Her hair lifted slightly.

The air around her seemed to ripple. 

"This is Mana."

The glow faded.

"Mana released outside my body but I have also restricted it to stay close to me." Shinji watched carefully.

"Is that some kind of spell to unleash or restrict?" 

a student asked. 

"No, me outputting mana is not a spell."

 "Then what does it do?"

"It allows me to produce spells or imbue myself with maybe hardening or speed"

 She raised her hand again.

The Mana thickened around her arm.

"Strength, she stomped the ground and the table flew up."

She walked around it.

"Speed."

She faded and disappeared

A sudden gust swept across the classroom.

"Durability."

The Mana disappeared.

"But uncontrolled Mana is dangerous."

 She looked around the class.

"Your body must learn to contain it before you attempt anything more complicated." 

She walked toward the desks.

"That is why first-year students are restricted to two basic applications, during your second year and third year you will either develop spells akin to yourself or master the ones your house covers."

She wrote them on the board.

AURA ARMOUR SPEED ENHANCEMENT

Shinji looked at the words.

A student said.

"That's all?"

"That is all you need to know for now, yes."

A few students looked disappointed.

The instructor smiled.

"You aren't where you need to be yet."

Her eyes moved toward the Half-Born students which are, Maya, Shinji, Kenji. "And your tattoos don't make you magically skilled or special.

" Several students became quiet.

“Mana release is that first step.”

She walked to the centre of the classroom.

“Everyone, stand.”

Chairs scraped across the floor.

“Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Relax your shoulders. Keep your hands loose at your sides.”

The students followed her instructions.

Shinji adjusted his stance, glancing briefly at the student beside him.

“Stop leaning on me,” the student muttered.

“I'm not.”

“You literally are.”

“Maybe you should improve your stability.”

“I'm going to improve your face in a minute.”

“Wonderful. Let me know when the lesson starts.”

“Shinji.”

The instructor's voice cut through the room.

He immediately faced forward.

“Yes, ma'am?”

“Would you like to demonstrate the exercise for us?”

Shinji straightened.

“Absolutely not, ma'am.”

A few students snickered.

The instructor gave him a patient smile.

“Excellent. Then you'll have plenty of time to concentrate.”

Shinji closed his mouth.

She's terrifying.

The instructor returned her attention to the class.

“First, close your eyes.”

The room fell quiet.

“Do not attempt to create mana. It already exists within you. Do not force it toward your hands, your feet, or any particular part of your body. For now, I want you to become aware of your reserve.”

Shinji closed his eyes.

He breathed in slowly.

At first, he noticed only ordinary sensations: the air entering his lungs, the pressure of his feet against the floor, and the distant hum of the machinery outside the academy.

Then he concentrated more deeply.

He felt it.

The mana within him.

It wasn't a physical substance, but he could sense its presence, like a current moving beneath the surface of a river.

His natural tattoo rested beneath his clothing, its dark markings running across his palms and continuing up his arms.

He remembered the sensation of casting Velum.

The brief pulse of mana.

The energy travelling into his legs.

The sudden acceleration.

He had always thought of mana as something he called upon when he needed to do something extraordinary.

Now, he was being asked to recognise it before using it.

“Good,” the instructor said. “Once you can sense your mana, imagine bringing a small portion of it toward the surface of your body.”

She paused.

“Do not push. Do not strain. Simply allow it to rise.”

Shinji focused.

Nothing happened.

He frowned.

Come on.

He concentrated harder.

Still nothing.

Around him, several students began shifting impatiently.

“Ma'am?” someone asked. “What if we can't feel anything?”

“Then you continue practising. Awareness comes before release. If you cannot recognise your mana, you will struggle to determine how much you're releasing.”

She walked between the desks.

“Now, once you can sense your mana, imagine opening a valve. Allow a small amount to pass through the boundary of your body.”

Shinji tried again.

This time, something changed.

A brief pulse travelled through his palms.

He opened his eyes.

A faint pink haze appeared around his fingers before disappearing almost immediately.

He stared at his hands.

Was that it?

“Do not chase the sensation,” the instructor warned. “If you felt your mana emerge, remain calm. Releasing mana is not about forcing the largest possible burst from your body. It is about making the release happen when you choose.”

Shinji looked around.

Several students had managed similar results. A few had produced coloured wisps around their hands, while others were still struggling to feel anything at all.

One boy near the windows suddenly released a large burst of blue mana.

The air around his body rippled.

His classmates turned toward him.

The boy grinned.

“Did you see that?”

The instructor looked at him.

“Yes.”

“Was that good?”

“You released far more mana than the exercise required.”

His grin faded.

“Oh.”

“And now you're breathing heavily.”

The boy looked down at himself.

“Oh.”

“Sit down if you feel dizzy. The objective is not to exhaust yourself.”

The boy reluctantly returned to his seat.

Shinji pressed his lips together, fighting the urge to laugh.

At least I'm not the only idiot in this class.

“Now,” the instructor continued, “we're going to practise releasing mana in controlled stages.”

She held up three fingers.

“First, a minimal release. Second, a moderate release. Third, a stronger release. You will not attempt your maximum output today.”

She lowered one finger.

“For the first stage, release just enough mana for it to become perceptible. You should be able to recognise it without allowing it to spread far beyond your body.”

The students closed their eyes again.

Shinji concentrated.

A brief pulse passed through his hands.

Pink mana emerged around his fingers, subtle and fleeting.

“Good,” the instructor said. “Maintain that release for a moment, then stop.”

Shinji tried to keep the sensation steady.

His mana wavered.

He accidentally released more than intended.

The pink aura expanded around his hands.

He immediately tried to force it back.

“Don't panic,” the instructor said, noticing his struggle. “You don't need to crush the mana. Simply stop feeding the emission and allow the excess to settle.”

Shinji exhaled.

He followed her instructions.

The aura receded.

He relaxed his shoulders.

“Better.”

The instructor moved to the second stage.

“This time, allow a moderate amount of mana to emerge. Do not simply repeat the first release with greater force. Increase your output gradually.”

Shinji concentrated again.

The pink mana appeared around his hands, then spread along his forearms.

His natural markings remained dark.

There was no crawling glow, no constant illumination—only a brief, heartbeat-like pulse as his mana passed through his body and emerged beyond his skin.

He could feel the difference.

The release was stronger, but it also demanded more attention.

His breathing became slightly heavier.

“Now stop.”

Shinji suppressed the emission.

The aura vanished.

He opened his eyes.

“That felt different.”

“Of course,” the instructor replied. “You released more mana. The greater the output, the more carefully you must monitor what you're doing. But remember: a stronger release isn't automatically a better one.”

She turned toward the board.

“Mana capacity, control, and stability work together. Capacity determines the amount of mana you possess. Control determines how precisely you direct it. Stability determines how well you contain and regulate its emission.”

She underlined the three terms.

“Releasing mana gives you the opportunity to practise all three. But if you continually push yourself beyond what you can manage, you may waste your reserves and reinforce bad habits rather than improve.”

She looked across the class.

“Now, the third stage.”

Several students exchanged nervous glances.

The instructor raised a hand.

“You will increase your output once more, but only to a level you can still manage. If you lose control, stop the exercise and return to your natural state. There is no reward for injuring yourself.”

Shinji took a slow breath.

He thought about the railway.

Kasha's arms crashing against his sword.

The pain in his wrists.

The moment he had realised that his strength wasn't enough.

I need to get stronger.

He felt his mana again.

This time, he didn't rush.

He allowed it to rise, then deliberately opened the flow.

A pulse passed through his body.

Pink mana emerged around his arms and shoulders, forming a faint aura that extended only a short distance from him.

For a moment, he held it steady.

Then his output began to fluctuate.

The aura grew stronger, weakened, and surged again.

His shoulders tightened.

No. Don't force it.

He remembered the instructor's words.

Open the valve.

Don't tear it off.

He adjusted his breathing and eased the release back to a level he could maintain.

The aura steadied.

It wasn't perfect.

But it was deliberate.

A small smile appeared on his face.

There we go.

“Stop.”

Shinji gradually closed the flow.

The pink mana disappeared in a brief pulse.

He exhaled.

Across the room, several students were doing the same. Others had stopped early, while a few were struggling to regain their composure.

The instructor clapped her hands.

“That's enough.”

The students relaxed.

“You've taken your first step toward learning mana release. Some of you were able to release a small amount reliably. Others discovered that they struggle to maintain a consistent output. Both results are useful. Knowing what you cannot yet do is part of learning.”

She walked back to her desk.

“Your homework is to practise sensing your mana, releasing a small amount deliberately, and then stopping. Do not attempt maximum output. Do not use spells. And do not turn this into a competition with your classmates.”

Her gaze settled on Shinji.

“Especially you, Sugimoto.”

Shinji blinked.

“Why am I being singled out?”

“Because you looked disappointed when I said you couldn't attempt maximum output.”

A few students burst into laughter.

Shinji looked away.

“That's a misunderstanding.”

“Of course.”

The instructor picked up her notes.

“Next lesson, we'll begin practising how to direct released mana through the body without wasting it. Until then, remember this: unleashing mana is not the same as losing control of it.”

She paused at the classroom door.

“Your mana should respond to your intention, not your impatience.”

The bell rang.

Students began gathering their belongings.

Shinji remained still for a moment, looking down at his palms.

He had managed to release his mana deliberately, even if only for a short time.

It wasn't a new spell.

It wasn't a spectacular technique.

But it was a foundation.