Celest smirked slightly and crossed her arms. "We start with the basics, Adam. Always."
"Grrrrrr…" I groaned as I began my routine of casting simple spells into the air.
[Rank 1 Spell: Fireball] A small sphere of fire formed in my palm before I hurled it forward. I was still new to magic, so after about a hundred feet, the fireball fizzled out—its mana spent.
[Rank 1 Spell: Gust] A sudden burst of wind whipped up in front of me, scattering loose pebbles across the ground. It lasted only a few seconds before fading.
I hated this stupid routine, and Celest barely gave me a reason for it. Something about it being "dangerous" with the amount of mana I had… but still, I shouldn't be stuck on beginner spells forever.
[Rank 1 Spell: Barrier] A small rectangular shield shimmered into existence in front of me—just big enough to cover my torso. I knew it wouldn't hold up in a real fight; it would either shatter instantly or leave me exposed from every other angle.
For the next thirty minutes, I went through the motions, unenthusiastic. Celest just stood on the sideline, watching me with a satisfied smile—which somehow made me even more irritated.
Magic was cool and all, and it was hard to get bored of it… but I wanted to keep learning new spells. What was her obsession with the basics? Sure, I knew it was dangerous to cast higher-ranked magic without proper control, but endlessly repeating beginner-level spells is torture when I know I can do more.
I kept casting absentmindedly, lost in thought.
"Alright, Adam, that's enough. Time to move onto training. How about we learn something new today?" Celest's smile was almost… playful.
I froze mid-cast and turned to stare at her.
…Did she just say learn something new? No way. She hadn't taught me anything new in ages—too afraid I'd hurt myself. She had to be joking.
"Learn something new, Mother?" I asked, my voice flat with zero hope.
"Yes. I'll teach you something cool today."
I raised an eyebrow, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were dead serious.
I hope she isn't lying.
"I'd love to learn something new, but I thought you said you wouldn't teach me anything until my control improved?"
"HAH." Celest let out a short laugh.
Why is she laughing?
"Adam, sweetie, I'm not going to teach you a spell," she said gently.
"Then what are you going to teach me?"
A slow smile crept across her face—one that actually sent a shiver down my spine.
Why is she smiling like that?
"I'm going to teach you how to wrap your body in mana and strengthen it."
Wait… strengthen my body with mana?
I rubbed my chin, imagining a glowing coat of magic surrounding me, boosting my strength to inhuman levels. Yeah… that did sound cool. Used right, it could make me a monster.
"Mother, I would like to learn this mana wrapping you're talking about."
Her smile widened, and she clapped her hands together.
Clap.
"Alright, then let's get started right now."
Wait—right now?
"Sure, Mother."
"Alright, sweetie, pay attention," she said, her tone slipping into that warm, teacher-like voice she used when she really wanted me to focus. "To wrap your mana around your body, it's actually pretty simple."
As she spoke, a faint white light began to radiate from her form.
"All you need to do is push your mana out of your body, just like you would for a spell. But instead of focusing it into a single point—like your hand—spread it evenly throughout your whole body and release it outward. Here's the tricky part…"
The white glow clung to her skin, forming a thin second layer, almost like she'd grown a sheath of magic.
"Once you release your mana, you have to wrap it back around yourself. That takes serious control. And just so you know, not a lot of people can do this—so don't be discouraged if you fail at first." She gave me her signature loving smile.
"Alright, Mother, I think I understand."
All I had to do was spread mana through my body, release it, and then wrap it around myself. Didn't sound too bad.
"Okay, I'm going to give it a shot," I said, closing my eyes.
I envisioned my mana flowing through my body like a liquid, as usual. But instead of concentrating it in one spot, I spread it evenly throughout me, like blood coursing through veins. A warm, slightly comforting sensation settled over me—like being wrapped in a blanket fresh out of the dryer.
Alright, spread mana throughout my body… now release it.
Next, I pictured my mana seeping out through the pores of my skin, flowing outward beyond my body. A faint blue glow began to shimmer softly around me, barely visible but definitely there.
Okay, last step. I told myself, feeling the mana draining away. All I have to do is wrap it around me.
This final step was tough. I could feel the mana, but it was like a force was trying to pull it away. It felt like a tug-of-war between me and the mana.
But after a while, I managed to wrestle control and encase myself in a thin layer of glowing mana.
I opened my eyes and looked down at my hand.
A faint blue shimmer clung to my skin, held together only with some effort.
"Wow… I actually did it on the first try. Though that was hard."
"OHHHH, my sweetie pie is proving once again why he's a genius! Strengthening your body with mana on your first try!"
I glanced up at my mother, and she lunged toward me with arms wide open.
Here we go again.
Celest wrapped me in a big hug, causing me to lose control of my mana. The thin layer of magic around my body flickered and disappeared.
And there went my achievement.
"Oh, my little sweetie pie, you always make your mama proud," Celest said, hugging me tightly between her two mounds.
All I could was sigh and embrace my fate to fall victim to Celest's love.
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Been growing more bored lately, so I'm probably going to post chapters less. 👌