"We need to talk about your ability," Selene said, her voice calm but edged with something sharper.
I looked up from my desk, meeting her eyes. They were steady—serious, almost unnervingly so. The classroom had gone quiet after the exam; only the faint hum of mana crystals in the lamps filled the silence.
"What about it?" I asked.
She didn't answer right away. Selene stepped closer, the faint scent of her perfume brushing against me as she leaned forward, resting her hand on the table. "Your ability isn't like anything we've seen before," she said. "Not in the database. Not in any record. It's… unique. Completely."
My brows furrowed. "Unique, how?"
"You're the only one who can use it," she said simply. "There's no precedent. Even I can't analyze it properly. It's as if the system itself refuses to label it."
That got my attention.
Selene straightened up, her gaze searching my face for any hint of recognition. "Lucien," she said softly, "you'll have to figure it out on your own. No one can teach you how it works."
I sat there for a moment, her words echoing in my head. Then, without meaning to, I closed my eyes and tried to feel it—the strange pulse that had been resting under my skin since the awakening ceremony.
It was faint at first, like ripples beneath still water. Then stronger. Warmer. My heartbeat seemed to synchronize with it. And suddenly, I felt it—mana, dense and alive, expanding through every nerve like flowing light.
Mana expansion.
The name came to me instinctively. Like the world itself whispered it in my ear.
I opened my eyes slowly. "I get it now," I murmured.
Selene tilted her head. "You… what did you feel?"
"Mana," I said quietly. "But not like before. It's different—it moves. It doesn't burst out or scatter like most do. It flows."
"Flows?" she repeated.
I nodded. "Like water."
She stared at me, lips parting slightly. I could tell she was trying to process it, maybe connect it with some theory. But nothing came. Because this—this wasn't in the game. I knew the game like the back of my hand. Every class, every ability, every hidden stat. And yet… this one didn't exist.
That realization sent a thrill down my spine.
I stood up, brushing the dust off my uniform. "Thanks, Selene. I'll figure out the rest myself."
"Lucien—wait," she called as I walked to the door.
But I didn't stop.
Behind me, I could feel her gaze on my back, lingering. Maybe she was thinking about the fight at the arena, or the moment our hands had brushed when she checked my mana flow. I remembered the brief warmth of her skin against mine, too—but I pushed it aside. No distractions. Not now.
As I reached the door, it opened—revealing Laura standing right in front of me.
She froze. "Ah—Lucien!"
Her cheeks turned pink, and she looked away so fast I almost laughed.
"Hey," I said, smiling a little. "You waiting for me?"
She fumbled with her hands. "I-I just… wanted to talk. But if you're busy—"
"Nah, you're fine," I said, stepping out. "Let's walk."
She nodded, relief flashing across her face, and fell into step beside me.
The corridors were quiet now, sunlight slanting through the tall glass panes. Our footsteps echoed faintly on the marble floor.
"Laura," I said after a while. "You wanna train together later?"
She blinked, surprised. "Train? With you?"
"Yeah. I've got something I need to test."
Her eyes lit up. "Then… yes! Of course!"
The way she said it made her voice rise an octave, and I couldn't help but grin.
We made our way to the training hall. Rows of weapon racks lined the walls, swords, spears, and staves glinting faintly under the blue mana light. The smell of polished steel mixed with faint ozone—it always gave the place a sharp, focused atmosphere.
I reached for a sword, testing its weight. Balanced. Not bad. Then I tossed another toward her. "Catch."
She yelped but caught it perfectly, gripping the hilt tight. "You could've warned me!"
I chuckled. "You caught it, didn't you?"
"Hmph." She turned away, pretending to be annoyed.
I took my stance—a basic sword pose I'd practiced a hundred times before, one used for the Tree Slashing technique. But this time, something felt different.
Laura noticed it too. "That stance…" she murmured, eyes narrowing. "It doesn't have any gaps."
Her instincts were sharp. I focused on my breathing, reaching for that quiet pulse inside again. This time, I guided it, letting my mana flow—not burst, not surge—but flow gently, like water through cracks in stone.
A faint shimmer spread across my arm, then down to the blade.
The sword glowed faintly blue, not flickering or unstable like a beginner's aura—but smooth, even, liquid.
My heart pounded. "I did it," I breathed. "Laura, look—look at this sword aura."
It wrapped around the blade perfectly. If anyone saw it, they'd think I'd been training this for years. But this—this was the first time.
Even Vahn, the protagonist in the game, had taken a full year to reach this point. And I'd done it in a single attempt.
I couldn't stop the smug grin spreading across my face. "Heh. Guess I'm a genius after all."
Then I turned—and froze.
Because Laura's sword was glowing too.
"What—how—?!" I blurted out.
She smiled, shy but proud. "It's thanks to my ability," she said. "Mana Copy. I can replicate the mana techniques of people who trust me."
I blinked. "Wait, you mean… you copied this?"
She nodded earnestly. "You trust me, don't you? That's why it worked."
I scratched the back of my head, awkward. "Yeah… something like that."
Truth was, I only trusted her because I knew her from the game's story—one of the most loyal companions of the main character. But she didn't need to know that.
Laura lifted her sword beside mine, comparing the two auras. Her expression fell slightly when she noticed the difference—mine was dense, compact, wrapping the blade entirely. Hers flickered at the edges, thinner near the tip.
She puffed her cheeks, glaring at me. "Go on. Say it."
I tried to keep a straight face. I really did. But then—
"Pfft—hahaha! That isn't a sword aura, that's a candle flame!" I burst out laughing.
Her face went bright red. "Wha—Lucien!"
I kept laughing, almost doubling over, until she smacked my arm with the flat of her blade.
"Alright, alright! Sorry!" I said between laughs, raising my hands in surrender.
She huffed and turned away, muttering something under her breath that sounded dangerously like idiot.
Still smiling, I looked down at my sword again, watching the mana ripple softly across it. The liquid shimmer, the calm pulse—it felt alive, like it was breathing with me.
But then….an Idea hit me
What if I used that stone too, would I have solved my mana reserve problem?
And if I could control the same quantity as the mana in that black stone, how much would I get stronger?