Seo Jiwoo

  “I guess the hamadryades blessed the elves with at least something,” I remarked as I drew closer to the glowing moss at the shore, seeing Camus roll his eyes in annoyance as he walked closer to the shore himself.

  “Well, it’s better than having nothing. What do the humans have, huh? Only old stories how they saw some long necked monster in a lake and made an entire conspiracy about it?” Camus jabbed from the side, my face now mirroring his previous annoyance as I shrugged.

  “You seem to know some things about the humans?” I questioned, adding a scoffing edge to my words, crossing my arms as I looked down at the glow the healing water of the pond produced in a rhythm.

  Camus crossed his arms, his expression grew smug as he turned to me. “Well, I did visit the human world for a while when I was curious about your people.” He paused, bringing his thumb and index finger forward with a small gap between them. “But that curiosity was simply as wide as this gap, I got bored real fast to be honest. I mean, your kind has an interesting history, but it lacks certain grace.”

  I scoffed again as I saw Mordain walk from in front of us and enter the pond as the water rose to his shins, as he walked deeper, until he was submerged to his knees.

  “Heh, says the nonchalant gramps who was taken in as a student on the pity of a hamadryade.”

  “We should start. You both can quarrel all you want about your differences afterward.” Mordian deadpanned, and his indifferent expression was like the cherry on top as we shared a glance and with a mutual nod of understanding entered the pond one after the other.

  I followed Camus as I entered the pond myself, and immediately my body started to feel warmer, not the kind which left the body full of discomfort, but soothing, like someone had wrapped me in their embrace.

  “Move to the middle of the pond and take a meditative position.” Camus ordered as he pointed, heavy waves and ripples strayed across the water with each movement we made as I felt the mana grow more dense and potent as I moved deeper into the cave.

  “And, Jiwoo,” he suddenly called from behind, and I answered.

  “Strip down,” Camus said with an innocent smile.

  My expression twisted as I wrapped my hands around my torso, pulling a few steps away from him. “Honesty, whatever the hell you’re thinking, I don’t swing that way.”

  He sighed as he grabbed his forehead. “It’s so that I can better observe the way your body reacts to the mana in this broken state you're in. And I'm not one bit interested in your body.” He added for clarification and I hesitated for a moment before compiling, stripping down to nothing but my undergarments, storing the clothes in the inventory.

  With a sigh, I sat in the middle of the large pond, the water pulsing with silent ripples that radiated outward as I was submerged up to my abdomen in the healing water. Its teal surface shimmered under the faint glow of golden-blue moss growing along the shore. Behind me, Mordian crouched, sitting cross-legged, while Camus stood a few feet ahead, arms crossed as he regarded me with a knowing expression.

  “Alright, from what we discussed earlier, your mana channels are in a dormant state,” Camus said, tilting his head slightly, his voice grew more serious and observant. “All that enormous amount of filtered mana inside you is just waiting to be reawakened. Sort of like...”

  I met his gaze and finished for him. “Sort of like jump-starting them with a force strong enough to push the mana through my channels. And while that happens, the springs’ healing essence will enter my body simultaneously, reinforcing the damaged pathways and fixing the cracks in them.”

  I spoke as if it was a simple process, but we all knew better what laid ahead.

  “But it’s not as easy as it sounds,” Mordian added from behind, his voice steady as he concentrated his own mana, sending a calm ripple through the water.

  Camus nodded. “Exactly. To spark your mana awake, you need to force a tremendous amount of mana through yourself while maintaining enough balance to keep it flowing steadily until your body can stabilise. And that’s just the easier part. Once you reach that phase, allowing the springs’ mana to seep into your body will be even more taxing than awakening your own—it’d be like trying to write two different things with both of your hands at the same time . You’ll have to guide it actively; not just let it happen. That’s where we come in.”

  “You mean, Mordian?” I shot him a grin as he shrugged.

  A smirk tugged at Camus’s lips right away, and I cringed at his expression before shrugging it off.

  “Well, that isn’t a problem because Lord Astrionyx has already taught you mana rotation. If you use that, you can shift and process the mana while controlling the burden over your weak constitution. Well, being the old gramps I am, you wouldn’t need my help in that, would you?”

  Ignoring Camus’s remark, I took a deep breath, bringing my hand forward and withdrawing an old item I’d almost forgotten about. I looked at the item I’d gotten as a quest clear reward back when I’d explored the inhabitant dungeon in Japan.

  The item bore into my hand out of thin air as I looked at its peach like surface—I’d remembered giving the first one to Jiyoung back in the basilisk dungeon to help her break through to the subsequent stage of her rank. Just as I withdrew the mystic fruit from the system’s inventory, it immediately drew curiosity from both of them as they observed the item.

  “This is something I obtained a long time ago,” I said, holding up the black, peach-shaped fruit with golden leaves sprouting from its top. “It enhances the mana of the one who consumes it, strengthening the channels, and allows the body to refine and filter mana at an accelerated rate, boosting their innate capacity”

  And if I remembered correctly, it could give me a twenty level increase upon consumption, boosting my strength in all overall aspects.

  Through the gaps of his long bangs, Camus peered at the fruit, his eyes still appearing closed, but I could feel his interest seeping through the shift of his expression. “You’re quite resourceful, kid. The mana packed inside that thing is enormous. It might help more than we initially thought.”

  He raised a brow before nodding. “Alright, if the princess is done with his magic tricks of pulling items out of thin air, let’s begin.”

  I inclined my head with a smirk, as I exhaled and settled into a meditative position, biting into the fruit without hesitation. I didn’t even leave the leaves untouched. Almost immediately, a raging storm of mana surged through my body, intertwining violently with my own as the foreign energy of the mystic fruit threatened to overwhelm me.

  I gritted my teeth and started rotating my mana, but the process felt like trying to run on broken legs—agonizingly slow, painfully difficult.

  From the side, I saw several windows pop open as I felt my level and strength increase in one single shift.

  The released mana from the fruit seemed like steam escaping from a pressure cooker, as I felt like I’d been zapped with lightning, the mana moved through my channels at once, giving me no chance to regulate it.

  Just as the sheer pressure of the mana threatened to crush me, a warmth pressed against my back. Mordian’s hands. A golden aura seeped into my body, guiding the turbulent energy with precision and bringing it back into control. His mana wrapped around mine, reigning in the chaos, and moving it according to how it should flow. At the same time, he poured his own energy into me, bridging the gaps where my strength faltered. The burden on my body lessened significantly, just enough for me to breathe again.

  The water around me pulsed with energy. A gentle warmth trickled through my body, reminiscent of wearing warm clothes on a snowy evening.

  The blessed springs’ healing essence seeped into my mana channels—each pore on my body seem to open as I felt my channels absorb the mana around me in a rush—, weaving itself into the damaged pathways. But even with this support, controlling the intertwining forces—the mystic fruit’s mana and Mordian’s dragonic mana travelling through me—was a daunting task. The weight of their combined power pressed down on me, relentless and unyielding.

  “Kid, you’re doing good. Just a little more. You’re close to fixing the more severe tears in your channels, keep it up, push, you can do it,” Camus’s voice cut through the haze, and I almost felt like he was enjoying this moment, but I couldn’t see his expression under the strain of the process. “Push the mana a little faster and with more strength. Oy damsel, I know you can do better.” He cheered, but with sarcasm laced to his words.

  His words spurred me on. I clenched my jaw and forced the mana to move, threading it through my channels with newfound determination. Slowly, agonizingly, the chaos dulled. The mana, though sluggish, finally began to circulate properly. My channels, once dormant and fractured, stirred, responding to the influx of energy as the foreign mana started to intermingle with my own, transforming the raging storm into something less of a disaster.

  “That’ll do for now.” Camus exhaled, his usual nonchalance returning. “The real part of your recovery starts here. You’ll need to stay in the blessed springs to refine your channels and fully heal the tears.”

  Mordian withdrew his hands, and I felt the shift in my body—my mana, though still slow, was no longer stagnant. It moved in a steady, rhythmic flow, not yet fully restored but undeniably alive. I stretched my senses outward, and for the first time in what felt like forever since I’d woken up, I could perceive everything around me as I once did.

  My channels had begun to heal. Now, it was only a matter of time before I fully recovered.

  I breathed heavily, feeling sweat drip from my forehead as I focused and allowed the atmospheric mana to seep into my body as I felt my physique assimilate better with the mana of the mystic fruit.

  I continued on for hours, not sure how long I stayed in the water as I kept doing the process of absorbing, purging and refining, until I felt the pangs in my stomach which shifted the attention of my mind.

  I think I’d barely eaten anything since waking up, and after everything that happened, one thing leading to another, I didn’t have the time to concentrate on hunger.

  I opened my eyes, slowly, adjusting to the light of the cavern, looking at Camus who was lying on the ground outside of the pond, I focused on his breathing as I stretched my senses and saw he was sleeping, his snores visibly heard.

  My gaze then jumped to Mordian, my bond leaning against the wall of the cave, as he opened his eyes and looked directly at me.

  ‘How is your progress?’ He sent, as he shifted, walking closer to the shore as his golden eyes observed me.

  I looked down at my fingers, full of wrinkles after staying in the water for a prolonged period of time as I grinned—osmosis at work. But, Mordian was right, in just a few hours, I had started to feel the recovery of my mana channels fasten, the damage was still there, but with my fast recovery, it might not take me that long to recover with my own healing factor.

  ‘Yeah, I can now somehow move and shift the mana, but it will still take some time to do it like I used to before.’ I said as I rose to my feet, seeing the water dripping down my exposed skin. ‘But, it’s at least good enough, for now that is.’ I finished as I slowly strode out of the spring, touching the wet mud, producing a squelching sound.

  ‘Mordian,’ I said, taking each step carefully, as I approached near my bond. ‘Thank you, for what you did inside the void—I know it's late, but thanks. If you haven’t done what you had, I don’t know what more I could've done.’ A breath, and our eyes met, and all I saw was deep understanding and trust in his eyes which made me feel reassured.

  A think smirk played on his lips, a gesture somehow getting common on him. ‘Just like how you try to protect the people you care about, I was doing the same. I was protecting my bond.’ He whispered, but the care in his voice was genuine.

  I couldn’t help contain my own smirk as I inclined my head in mischief. ‘Oh, how grateful I am to have such a wonderful dragon bond, you cares deeply for me. Lord Astrionyx, I don’t know if I could ever repay the favour.’ I took a funny bow as Mordian’s lips pressed into a thin line, his face turned indifferent immediately as my smirked widened to a grin.

  We spoke for a few more minutes, but then, I could already feel Mordian’s next words coming, something he was hesitating to tell me. But, I didn’t press as I gave him space to consider it.

  “Can you fare along the training on your own?” He suddenly asked, his voice echoed slightly inside the cavern.

  I gave a second for his words to sink in, as I replied. “Yeah. I think I can do it on my own from now on.”

  “Good,” he sent back, as I nodded, understanding what Mordian wanted to do. “Then, I’ll be going.”

  “Who’s going where?” Camus said from the side, his body straightened as he stretched his arms with a yawn.

  “Mordian is,” I answered for him.

  “I believe I’ve forgone on my training and growth long enough. From what challenges we’ve experienced and might in the future, I believe even my strength might come in short at times. And, I can’t always be reliant on Jiwoo.” He said, his voice oozing with determination, but there was an undercut so some complicated emotion in his words.

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  Camus nodded, his bangs dishevelled from sleeping as he straightened his bangs from ahead and spoke after a moment. “If you are thinking of going into the mountains of the blessed springs, then I wouldn’t stop you, but,” Camus said, but there was some underlying warning in his tone. “I must warn you, the dangers lurking here are something that not even I’m fully aware of. After living here for half my life, I can say, that these mountains are one of the most dangerous spots in the elven world, there might even be some mana beasts here that are strong enough to give an integration stage mage a run for their money.”

  Mordian calmly listened to Camus, there was no shift in his demeanour. “Then, that is better. Because, I can’t hope to triumph in my future battles, if I don’t have the will to better myself first. While Jiwoo does his own training, I will try to master my own abilities.” He placidly said, and I think I knew what he was talking about.

  It was only for a moment, but I’d felt it in the void, that distortion, that awareness which Mordian had left behind when he had used his inherited powers in the void.

  But, if this was his decision, then so be it. He had the right to do what he thought was right, and as his bond, it was mine to support him.

  “Sure, but be careful. And if you need any help, you can always call me.” I said, as he nodded back.

  Camus from the side, withdrew something from his dimensional artifact, a piece of old parchment, as he handed it to Mordian.

  “The blessed springs are as big as a small country, but after living here for a long time, I made a map which highlights the most important and dangerous parts of this place.” Camus approached and Mordian opened the map, and we saw several articulate sketched, describing the mountain terrain, the rivers, caves and in the middle of it all was marked the blessed spring.

  “You can start from here, and go where you want to.” He pointed at the map, and both of us looked at it keenly.

  I looked at Camus with a raised brow of surprise.

  He looked back and asked. “What?!”

  “Nothing, just,” I stated, a breath and I continued. “Well, you are better than I thought you were, gramps. I think I’m starting to actually respect you.”

  Camus's expression turned slightly uglier as he scoffed. “Yeah, right. When you get to live as long as me, you will understand.”

  “Yeah, yeah, sure.” I jabbed.

  ***

  My training progressed steadily, each day was just as boring as Camus had said before they would be, all I did was go back and forth between the blessed springs and Camus’s hut during the one month that passed.

  Each day was similar to the one before, going back to the hut, taking some rest as he had advised, and then coming back to dip in the magical water, sometimes my mediation lasted for days on end, but I could genuinely feel my recovery, it was slow, but steady, and I could already start to feel my connection with the mana around me and the mana within me deepen, as I had started using basic spells and attacks reinforced by augmented magic.

  While conjuring complex spells was still a tough job to do at this point, I think I could do it in given time.

  I looked at the entrance of the cave, my body submerged in the glowing water of the blessed spring, as I thought back on Mordian.

  There had been minimal connect in the last month. Mordian had fully dedicated himself to his own training, at times I worried, but knowing him, he would be fine on his own.

  Whatever enlightenment Mordian had faced inside that void had allowed him to push past his limits and given him a chance to grow stronger and better handle his powers, and I was all in for it. If my bond needed my support, I would give it to him without a second thought.

  I rose to my feet, channelling my mana as I reached for leap, my mana channels appeared rusty but they still willed my command and the dormant insight bloomed through me as I saw arches of lightning rushed through the space and water around me as I appeared outside the cave.

  I had finally started to feel and use my skill since a few days ago, but the more impactful skills were still dormant, out of all of my skills, only Acasuality was still harder to use due to its bigger draw backs and backlash, but I was somehow able to use Mind’s Eye, Leap and Ruler’s Authority with significant ease.

  I withdrew my clothes from the inventory and wore them as I ruffled my hair and tied them behind my back.

  I activated Mind’s Eye and I saw the glowing moss showing a certain path which could only be perceived by using this skill, and the mana was drawn in a certain path which led it outside the foggy area and into the path which Camus had made.

  After training under his tutelage for a month, I’d started to know a few things about the gramps. He was honestly someone worthy of his title and respect. Just by how he had displayed his skill set to me by defeating me in combat when we had sparred, quite easily—mostly due to my frustration building by his smack talk.

  I followed the path Camus had forced me to memories as I deactivated Mind’s Eye, finally, I could see the hill top after a long walk.

  I saw a smoke trail rising from on top of the hill as I climbed the steep hill and saw Camus had set up bonfire, cooking meet as he calmly sat on a wooden stool under the shining full moon.

  “A week, that’s good. But, I told you to rest while taking a break between every four days.” He placidly said, his eyes never turned to me as he tended to the meat, the sound of the wood crackling reached my ears as he finally turned to look at me, his eyes opened, a grey hollowness observed me as I approached and took a seat. “You didn’t come back so I thought something might’ve happened to you.” He added with a playful smirk.

  I didn’t say anything back. Perhaps, he had grown on me by now that I enjoyed his company, and I suppose he did mine.

  “What makes you think something would’ve happened to me, gramps?” I said, taking a seat opposite to him as I saw him sprinkling salt from a small pouch beside the fireplace.

  He thought for a moment, a nod, then spoke. “Well, I guess you aren’t the helpless kid you were just a month ago. I mean, when I slammed you to the ground just by a basic move when you challenged me, you were pretty helpless back then. But then again, you might give me a run for my money now.”

  I only smirked, replying in good humour with a: “that so”, as I told him about my progress.

  At first I wasn't able to feel Camus's mana due to my inability to control my mana, but after a month, I had found out that he was someone who had reached the integration stage.

  We shared a simple meal, as I felt the connection between me and Mordian, it was still strong and I could feel his thoughts, he was resting right now, meditating.

  The night went on smoothly, no interruptions, only the sound of the wood crackling, the distant rustle of the insects, and the shallow wind passing back, as I awed over the breath-taking scenery around me. All I was doing was training, resting and hoping that I might recover faster than I’d first thought.

  But from the way I saw it, that blast may have damaged my channels, but somehow, now that I was recovering, they felt stronger, more reinforced and attuned with my physique that pushing the mana through them was easier and more comfortable.

  It felt similar to like my channels had been reawakened, made new.

  “Hey kid, have you ever fallen in love before?” Camus asked suddenly from his spot near the bonfire, his voice breaking the quiet crackle of flames and the faint rustling of distant insects.

  I tilted my head slightly, caught off guard by the sudden question. “Well, that came out of nowhere,” I mused, the corner of my mouth twitching as he leaned in, waiting for an answer, his long bangs swayed in the breeze, my own tied behind my back.

  “Just answer, would you?” he pressed, impatience slipping into his tone. “There has to be a reason you aren’t accepting Aurora's feelings for you? So, is there someone you fancy?”

  I didn’t push his question away this time, in the last month, I had plenty of time to think over these matters.

  And deep down, I think I knew what I needed to do. Somewhere, in a part of my heart, Aurora had earned her genuine place, and I couldn’t seem to push these emotions away after finally realising.

  But at the same time, on Camus’s question, a thin smile pulled at my lips as memories stirred within me. A few names and faces flickered in my mind, but I knew the kind of ‘love’ Camus was referring to.

  Rachael’s face immediately came to the forefront—her gentle smile, bright eyes, and the warmth of her laughter, still burned so vividly inside the cold places of my hearts. I remembered her childish yet wholesome moments, the times we shared in my past life, a time lived so short, yet it held such a deep meaning for me, that I couldn’t come to forget about it even now.

  I straightened slightly, my gaze falling to the flickering flames. “Yeah. Only once,” I began, my voice quiet, as though speaking too loud might disturb the memory. “I still remember it. Her soft smile, her laughter, her voice...” My tone grew heavier with every word, the weight of guilt and sorrow seeping in like an old wound. My hands tightened unconsciously over my knees as I continued. “She helped me get back up when I was at my lowest. But when she needed me the most...I wasn’t there. And that still kills me to this day. Knowing that I would’ve done more, even if it meant being selfish enough to keep her safe. I should’ve done that, and that one decision still haunts me to this day.”

  Camus studied me silently, an awkward look crossing his face, like, ‘that was really some answer, kid’. I broke the lingering silence with a weak attempt at humour, nudging him. “So, anyone you loved? I mean, with that twisted personality of yours, I doubt anyone would. Let’s be honest—who asks someone to strip to their undergarments on the first day of meeting?”

  He shot me a dry look, but his expression shifted. His tone softened in a way I hadn’t heard before, sincere and unguarded. “There was this one person,” he admitted quietly.

  His hollow eyes seemed to flicker with the reflection of the silent flames as the darkness of the mountain surrounded us. “She was kind-hearted, a fool who couldn’t turn away from injustice. She cared for everyone—always beaming with energy, always smiling, cheering people up even when she wasn’t feeling well herself. She even supported an idiot like me. Slowly, without even realizing it, I was drawn to her. And I fell in love with her.”

  Something about the way his tone softened made me pause. Camus wasn’t one to lay himself bare, yet now his voice carried the weight of unspoken grief. His face, usually so composed, took on a sombre cast. I found myself leaning in slightly, drawn to the quiet depth of his words.

  “And I couldn’t hold on to her, even after I promised to protect her,” he continued, his voice trembling ever so slightly. “I know she wouldn’t blame me for not getting to her in time, for failing to save her during the war we faced a long time ago. But...I still wish I could’ve been there for her. Helen—that was her name. I promised to marry her after the war, but...she never got the chance to fulfil that promise.”

  He fell silent, staring into the fire as if searching for her face in the flickering flames, only to find nothing there. A silent tear slid down his cheek so unexpectedly that even I was left surprised, the only sign of the storm within—the guilt that ravaged him even now.

  "You know, that day, I didn't just lose Helen, I lost everything. On that same day, I found out that she was expecting—she was pregnant with our unborn child. The news was so devastating, it left me broken for a long time." He said, his voice dry, the guilt and self-deprecation so heavy that I didn't know what to say, as another tear slid down his face. "I still think to this day: what would she have looked like growing old with me, what would our child have been like? What would I've been like if she was still here with me."

  For a long moment, I didn’t speak, the weight of his sorrow settling over us. “There’s an old saying, gramps,” I said finally, my voice low. “’A man’s tears don’t make him weak—they show his heart still burns and feels.’ Even after all this time, I still think about Rachael—that was her name—and I wonder if I could’ve done more. No, I know I should’ve done more...”

  Camus laughed, though there was no humour in it. “You don’t look old enough to have lived through such a love story, kid,” he remarked, shaking his head, wiping the tears away. “It seems I misjudged you. From the way you talk, it sounds like it happened a long time ago. Your tone, your expression...sometimes I doubt you’re really eighteen.”

  A chuckle slipped past my lips, and he joined in. For a while, we just sat there, letting the night breeze carry away our laughter and lingering regrets.

  But, this time it was different. I had to make it count. If I thought about it, the threat of that disaster was still yet to come and I had time left to go back to my world and protect her this time.

  I couldn’t fail her, not this once. That’s what I owned her. Even if she didn’t remember like all the others, knowing I would be a stranger to her, I wanted to save her.

  We let the night pass along, sharing one experience after the other, Camus told me about the time he and his brother—Ramus—had stumbled upon the lair of arachnid mana beasts and they had to fight the entire colony before escaping.

  He shifted the conversation in another direction and I helped him, sharing a similar experience back when I’d met Aurora.

  And just like that we both resigned and the next day came in a rush and we both found ourselves inside the cave.

  I was soaked in the pond, my bare skin in the warm water as I pulled in the healing mana and allowed my body to recover slowly, my eyes closed as I only tried to make things through my senses as Camus had instructed me today.

  But suddenly, I felt Camus approach, his movements were nimble and fast, too fast as I opened my eyes, seeing him only a hair’s breadth away.

  I pressed, mana finally moving through my channels, albeit rigidly, but it was enough to narrowly avoid Camus’s jab. Just as I was about to skid away through the healing waters of the pond, I felt a massive strike against my shoulder. I was blasted away into the wall of the wide cavern, staggering as I tried to regain my footing. Rising to my feet after a second, I glared at Camus. His expression was one of disappointment, yet smug satisfaction.

  I shrugged and asked, “What the hell was that for?” I said, annoyed for a moment as my face wore a frown.

  “If you don’t want to get hit, then make sure to be fast enough to dodge or counter next time.” He smirked and I sighed in resignation, knowing that this was one of his shitty tactics to get on my nerves.

  I sighed, straightening as I asked. “That compressed blast of air—I felt the dispersed energy of wind around your palm reinforcing your jab, but what did you do at the end?”

  His hand went to stroke his jaw as he walked closer to the edge of the pond and stepped onto the muddy shore. “It was a spell I came up with after years of training. Indeed, you felt the dispersed energy of wind magic around my palm, but that’s where the truth is laid in open display, yet everyone misses it each time.”

  I raised a brow and asked, “Then does it have something to do with the dispersion and concealment of mana in your palm?”

  Camus turned to me, his smirk wide enough to make me cringe. “So, you aren’t a dunce after all. Well, it’s actually quite simple. What I do is force the residual wind mana to disperse around my arm, making it look like the mana is only reinforcing my arm and palm. But the real essence of the spell starts in the middle of my palm, where I create a vortex by circulating the wind mana at high speed. The dispersed mana around my arm acts like a veil, concealing the vortex.”

  He brought his hand forward to demonstrate. At first glance, the wind mana seemed to only converge and disperse around his arm. But when I focused closely, I saw a charge of wind mana looping in his palm, creating a vortex with an empty core at its centre.

  Camus approached a nearby boulder, moving his arm with practiced ease. His palm stopped mere inches away from the surface, and in an instant, the boulder shattered into pieces. Withdrawing his arm, he smiled at me, his expression oozing confidence.

  “I think you’re more than good enough to understand what I did. But controlling the spell and using it effectively are entirely different things. It took me months to even come close to mastering its true potential. Now, with practice and years of experience, I can shift the power output, control the force, and adjust how much I need to expand the vortex within my palm while keeping it concealed."

  I stared at him, a knot of clarity forming in my mind. Camus made it look effortless, but the depth of control required was something beyond my current capabilities. Still, the challenge ignited something within me.

  A new path, a new trial which he had given me to keep me busy and active during the boring times of meditation.

  I took a deep breath and brought my hand forward, trying to replicate what Camus had shown me. I forced the mana to disperse around my arm, but it was too weak, barely flickering before dissipating entirely. Gritting my teeth, I tried again, pushing the mana harder this time. It swirled, but I lacked control—the vortex collapsed before it could form properly.

  Again.

  And again.

  Sometimes the mana output was too much, causing it to burst chaotically. Other times, the concealment failed, leaving the vortex exposed and unstable. My timing was off more times than I could count, and no matter how much I adjusted, something always felt out of place.

  I lost track of how many times I tried. A hundred? Two hundred? My arms ached, my mind was exhausted, and frustration gnawed at me. But I couldn’t stop.

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I did it.

  The wind mana dispersed naturally around my arm, veiling the growing vortex within my palm. It looped perfectly, steady and controlled, although a bit rigidly and it lacked grace. I stepped forward, focusing every ounce of my being into the motion Camus had demonstrated. My palm stopped just shy of the boulder’s surface—and with a satisfying crack, it shattered.

  I staggered back, breathing heavily, my heart pounding with exhilaration. A grin tugged at my lips as I looked at Camus, who nodded in approval.

  “Took you long enough,” he said, his smirk still in place. "Being able to replicate something even close to my original creation in such a short time, I'm impressed."

  I could only laugh, relief flooding through me. “Guess I’m not a dunce after all, gramps."