Chapter 41 : Expanding the River
The training room was quiet, the floor still scorched from past accidents. Mama knelt across from me, her silver hair tied back, her eyes sharp but kind.
“Mana,” she began, her tone calm and steady, “is like water. It flows through every part of your body, but most people never notice it. To expand your mana pool, you must first feel it, then control it.”
I tilted my head. “...Feel it?”
She smiled faintly. “Close your eyes, Rooga. Breathe slowly. In and out.”
I obeyed, squeezing my eyes shut, my tiny chest rising and falling with uneven breaths.
“Now,” she whispered, “listen. Not with your ears. With your body. Where is the warmth? The tingle? The pressure beneath your skin?”
At first, I felt nothing. Just air. Just the dull thump of my heart. But slowly… there it was. A faint shimmer. A current flowing through my veins, gentle but restless.
“I… I feel it.”
Her smile widened. “Good. That is your mana. The river inside you.”
She placed her hand over her chest. “Next step: circulate it. Imagine the river flowing in a circle. From your heart, to your fingertips, to your toes, and back again. Do not force it. Guide it.”
I clenched my jaw, focusing hard. My body buzzed faintly as the current moved. My fingers tingled. My legs twitched.
The HUD flickered:
[New Exercise Detected: Mana Circulation]My little body trembled, sweat forming on my forehead. “It’s… hard…”[Progress: 12%]
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“Of course it is,” Mama said gently. “When I first learned this, I was five years older than you. But you’re already doing it.”
I cracked an eye open. “Really?”
She laughed softly, brushing my hair back. “Really. You’re incredible, Rooga.”
Her hand lingered against my cheek, her eyes softening. “But remember—mana is not just power. It is life itself. If you strain it too fast, it will turn on you. Promise me you won’t rush.”
I swallowed hard, then nodded. “Promise.”
The HUD blinked again:
[Condition Acquired: Mana Awareness (Low)]I grinned, my exhaustion forgotten. One step closer.[Effect: Mana Recovery Speed +5%]
Morning light spilled through the cracked shutters. I sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, eyes squeezed shut, tiny fists resting on my knees.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
The HUD blinked faintly:
[Exercise: Mana Circulation]Sweat dripped down my forehead. The river inside me wobbled and surged, threatening to spill out of control.[Progress: 18% → 19%]
“Circle… circle…” I muttered, trying to guide the flow from my chest down to my toes. My legs twitched, then cramped.
“Gahhh—oww!” I fell backward, kicking my legs wildly.
From the corner, Lyra tilted her head, expressionless as ever. She was polishing silverware but not missing a thing.
I sat up again, puffing my cheeks. “Don’t look at me like that. I can do it!”
She didn’t answer, but I swore I saw the corner of her lips twitch.
Hours later, I tried again. This time the mana raced too quickly, burning through my arm like fire.
“Wahhh hot, hot, hot!” I flailed, shaking my hand wildly until the glow fizzled.
HUD flicker:
[Mana Instability – Minor Burn: -2 HP]I pouted, blowing on my finger. “Stupid river…”
Still, I tried again. And again. And again.
By the third day, something clicked.
The river flowed smoother, steady and calm. From chest, to arm, to fingertip, then down to toes and back again. It was faint, but it worked.
The HUD blinked:
[Exercise: Mana Circulation]I gasped, eyes flying open. “I DID IT!”Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NovєlFіre.net [Progress: 49% → 50%]
[Condition Upgraded: Mana Awareness → Mana Control (Low)]
I leapt to my feet, spinning in another silly victory dance, arms flapping wildly.
This time, Lyra didn’t even hide her smile. She clapped once, softly, like it was a secret between us.
And for once, I didn’t feel like a monster.
I just felt like a kid who had won.