The first week of classes began.
Arthur became a celebrity, though not for the usual reasons. He was the "Boy Who Sleeps on a Cloud" (due to his mattress) and the "Boy Who Drinks Mud" (coffee).
But the real challenge was Practical Magic Class.
The instructor was Professor Silverwind, an elf who looked like she hadn't aged in four hundred years. She taught Mana Manipulation.
The class gathered in the training arena. Vivian was there, standing with the other top-tier students. She gave Arthur a small wave.
"Today," Silverwind announced, her voice melodic, "We will learn to store mana. Focus on the crystal in your hand. Pour your energy into it. Feel the vessel."
Arthur held the clear quartz crystal.
Feel the vessel? Arthur thought. Vague.
He looked at the crystal. It was a capacitor. It stored energy.
[Heaven-Defying Understanding Active.] [Object: Quartz Crystal.] [Capacity: Low.] [Leakage Rate: High.]
"This is inefficient," Arthur spoke up.
Professor Silverwind paused. "Mr. Pendelton? Is something wrong?"
"The crystal structure is flawed," Arthur explained, holding it up to the light. "It has micro-fractures. The mana leaks out as heat. It's like trying to carry water in a sieve."
"It is the standard vessel," Silverwind frowned. "Only High Elves can craft perfect gems. For humans, this is sufficient."
"Not for me," Arthur muttered.
He reached into his bag and pulled out a device he had been working on in the dorms with Zack.
It wasn't a crystal. It was a Leyden Jar—a glass jar lined with copper foil, with a metal rod sticking out the top.
"What is that?" Vivian asked, stepping closer.
"A Mana Battery," Arthur said. "Or a capacitor. Instead of storing mana in the stone, I store it in the potential difference between the metal plates."
"Show me," Silverwind challenged, amused.
Arthur placed his hand on the rod. He didn't "pour" mana gently. He pushed it.
Zap.
The copper foil inside the jar glowed bright blue. It hummed. The air around the jar crackled with static electricity.
"It's full," Arthur said. "And it's not leaking."
"Impossible," Silverwind walked over. She sensed the jar. Her eyes widened. "The density... it's ten times that of a quartz crystal. But it's just... glass and metal?"
"Conductors and insulators, Professor."
Arthur looked at the target dummy at the end of the hall.
"Discharge test," Arthur announced.
He pointed the rod at the dummy. He flipped a switch to bridge the connection.
CRACK-BOOM!
A bolt of concentrated blue lightning exploded from the jar. It struck the dummy. The dummy didn't just burn; it exploded into splinters.
The class screamed. Vivian shielded her eyes.
Professor Silverwind stood frozen, her hair standing on end from the static.
Arthur checked the jar. "Discharge successful. Recharge time: 3 seconds."
He looked at the stunned Professor.
"I can mass-produce these for the army," Arthur said casually. "They are cheaper than crystals. Would the Academy like to license the patent?"
Vivian walked up to him, brushing sawdust off her shoulder.
"You blew up the dummy," she said flatly.
"I overloaded its structural integrity," Arthur defended.
"You are terrifying," she grinned. "Do it again."