Arthur closed his eyes as he thought.
He recalled everything he understood about his system.
His power responded to intent.
Skills formed when intent shaped behavior repeatedly. The system didn't just react to actions, it responded to will, to focus, to what he truly aimed to achieve.
And he had already learned something from his earlier training.
Intent could influence how he interacted with mana.
Not directly controlling it, but shaping his awareness of it.
At the same time, he had noticed another fact.
Creatures affected the mana around them.
Battles disturbed it.
Presence distorted it.
Even movement left traces.
Putting those ideas together formed a simple logic.
Untouched areas should have smooth mana flow.
While areas with activity should show disturbances.
And large groups…
Should create larger distortions.
Arthur slowly opened his eyes, excitement flickering within them.
"If that's true," he said quietly, "then I don't need to search for goblins."
