Chapter 51: Day Three of Training 7
He tried again.
This time, he attempted to maintain the main pressure while separating a small amount of mana.
The spell appeared.
Denser.
Brighter.
Much more powerful than usual.
But also more unstable.
The green light trembled around his hand.
Adam clenched his teeth slightly.
"The spell is stronger."
"Your mana is denser," Vespera explained. "The same amount contains more usable energy."
"But it reacts much more strongly to the slightest mistake."
"Exactly."
Adam tried to reduce the power.
The green light contracted.
But this adjustment altered its internal compression.
The spell warped before disappearing once more.
Vespera remained perfectly calm.
"You’re trying to control the two structures as if they were one."
"They use the same mana."
"But they don’t have the same purpose."
She held up two fingers.
"The first task is to maintain the overall density of your energy. The second is to give form and function to the part you extract."
Adam thought for a moment.
"So I have to manage them separately while maintaining their connection."
"Yes."
He gave a faint, joyless laugh.
"It’s like running two processes at the same time without them using the same resources at the wrong moment."
Vespera probably didn’t fully grasp the comparison.
But she nodded nonetheless.
"Then prevent them from conflicting."
Adam tried again.
Again.
And again.
Then the first attempts failed almost immediately.
Sometimes, the compression released just as the spell was forming.
Sometimes, he held the density too tightly and prevented the mana from leaving his body.
Sometimes, the spell received an excessive amount of energy and became too powerful to control.
But with each failure, something changed.
A correction.
A new sensation.
A clearer distinction between the mana being held and the mana being used.
After several attempts, Adam finally managed to maintain a stable healing spell for nearly ten seconds.
The green light was more intense than before.
But it was almost completely still.
Vespera observed the result.
"Good. Now, a rune."
A metal plate appeared before him.
Adam channeled mana to his index finger.
Then he began to trace a simple light rune.
The first stroke formed correctly.
Then the second.
The rune stabilized.
A faint white light appeared above the plate.
Adam smiled slightly.
"It’s easier with just one rune."
"Add a stabilizing rune."
His smile vanished.
"Obviously."
He began to trace the second symbol.
At the same moment, his concentration on compressing the rune lessened slightly.
The density of his mana shifted.
The first rune suddenly received more energy.
It shone brighter.
The second symbol formed with a different intensity.
When Adam tried to connect them...
CRACK!
Both runes cracked.
The light exploded in a small white flash.
The metal plate fell to the ground, blackened.
Adam remained silent.
Vespera pointed at the object.
"Explain."
He thought back to the last few seconds.
"The first rune was created with a certain mana density. But while I was drawing the second, my compression varied."
"Continue."
"So the second rune received a different energy. Each functioned independently, but their connection was unbalanced."
Vespera nodded.
"Exactly."
She retrieved the plate and placed it in front of him.
"A runic structure doesn’t just depend on the shape of the symbols. It also depends on the quality of the mana used when they were created."
Adam examined the cracks.
"So even if both runes are correct, the circuit can fail if they aren’t built under the same conditions."
"Yes."
She handed him the plate.
"Start again."
Adam took a deep breath.
He rebuilt the first rune.
Then the second one began.
The compression varied.
He stopped immediately.
Waited for his mana to stabilize.
Then he resumed the tracing.
This time, the connection held for a few seconds.
But the whole thing broke when he tried to power it.
He started again.
Again.
And again.
Time passed.
Each exercise required several levels of concentration.
Maintaining the compression.
Resisting the weight of the bracelets.
Forming the spell.
Controlling its power.
Tracing the runes.
Maintaining a consistent density.
Monitoring the connections.
Correcting the fluctuations.
At first, Adam felt as if his mind was going to shatter into pieces.
But Adaptation continued its work.
Slowly, some tasks ceased to demand his full attention.
His breathing almost automatically maintained some of the compression.
Mana’s body corrected the small energy losses.
His muscles were getting used to the weight of the bracelets.
And his mind was beginning to naturally distinguish the different flows.
After almost an hour, Adam drew another rune of light.
Then a rune of stabilization.
He connected them.
The structure lit up.
No cracks appeared.
Adam continued to maintain the compression.
The light remained perfectly stable.
Ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Thirty seconds.
Vespera said nothing.
Adam began to believe he had succeeded.
Then the dragon raised a hand.
"Increase the compression."
He stared at her.
"Now?"
"Now."
Adam slowly tightened his mana.
The pressure increased.
The light rune grew brighter.
The circuit trembled.
It immediately corrected the amount of energy sent to the plate.
The stabilizing rune absorbed some of the variation.
The structure wobbled once more.
Then he regained his balance.
Adam remained focused.
A minute passed.
Finally, Vespera closed her hand.
The runes faded.
Adam released the pressure and took a deep breath.
It felt as if his brain had just been running for hours.
The physical fatigue from the bracelets added to the magical strain.
He sat down slowly in a chair.
"That was much harder than simply compressing mana."
"That was the point."
Vespera approached the plate.
She examined the two runes.
Then she turned her eyes toward him.
"You did a good job."
Adam remained silent.
"Wait..."
Vespera raised a slight eyebrow.
"What?"
"You actually just congratulated me?" "
"Yes."
"Without adding that my result is mediocre?"
"Your result is still mediocre compared to that of an experienced mage."
Adam closed his eyes.
"There. I knew something was missing."
A very slight smile appeared on Vespera’s lips.
"But for a first exercise, your progress is remarkable."
Adam opened his eyes again.
This time, she seemed perfectly serious.
"At the beginning of the session, you were unable to maintain compression during a simple spell. An hour later, you stabilized two runes under varying density."
She looked at the bracelets.
"And you did it while bearing a constant physical load."
Adam looked down at her wrists.
"Adaptation?"
"Partly."
Vespera placed the plate on the table.
"But a skill can only reinforce what you’re actually trying to learn. If you refuse to put in the effort or repeat the same mistakes without understanding them, it will only help you better tolerate your ignorance."
Adam chuckled softly.
"That’s a rather blunt way of putting it."
"But correct."
"Yes."
Vespera returned to the Memory Crystal plans.
"From now on, your sessions will follow this method."
Adam had a bad feeling.
"Maintain compression throughout the entire training session?"
"Yes."
"Even when we’re working on more complex circles?"
"Yes."
"Even with multiple spells?"
"Naturally."
Adam looked at her for a long moment.
"You were already terrifying before you learned about Adaptation."
"I’ll take that as a compliment."
"You all do that."
"The rest of the session was devoted to shorter exercises."
Adam worked on a heat rune.
Then on a circle of light.
Next, Vespera asked him to hold a healing spell in one hand while tracing a simple rune with the other.
The exercise failed immediately.
Then a second time.
Then a third.
But on the fourth attempt, the two structures held for several seconds.
Vespera didn’t praise him again.
However, Adam noticed that she had entered several additional notes into his program.
Which was probably not good news.
When he finally looked up, the light outside had changed.
The sun was already much lower in the sky.
Adam looked toward the large windows.
"Is the session already over?"
Vespera briefly consulted a magic clock.
"We’re forty-two minutes over the scheduled time."
Adam remained silent.
"You knew that?"
"Yes."
"And you didn’t say anything?"
"You were making progress."
He sighed.
"Now I understand why everyone says you lose track of time when you’re working."
Vespera began to put away several plans.
"I don’t lose track of time. I simply decide that sometimes it’s less important than the result."
"That’s exactly what someone who loses track of time would say."
She glanced at him.
Adam preferred to smile without adding anything.
After protecting the new runes and securing the most sensitive diagrams in a sealed compartment, Vespera left her office with him.
They boarded the space elevator again.
As always, Adam felt as if his stomach refused to travel at the same pace as his body.
When they arrived in the lobby, the receptionist looked up.
"Good evening, Mistress Vespera. Good evening, Mr. Adam."
Adam waved to her.
"Good evening."
Her gaze lingered briefly on the bracelets.
Then on his tired face.
She said nothing.
But this time, Adam was certain she was suppressing a smile.
He and Vespera left the Tower of Mages together.
Night was beginning to fall on Valoria.
The magical streetlights were gradually illuminating the streets.
Adam walked in silence for a few moments.
His muscles were tired.
His mana felt heavy.
His mind was still struggling to relax after maintaining several processes simultaneously throughout the session.
Yet, beneath all this fatigue, he felt a profound sense of satisfaction.
He had progressed.
Not just in power.
But in control.
His spells had become stronger thanks to the compressed mana.
His runes could receive denser energy.
And even though each mistake became more dangerous, each success opened new possibilities.
Vespera walked calmly beside him.
After a few minutes, she spoke.
"Tomorrow, we’ll add a third rune."
Adam continued to look straight ahead.
"Of course."
"And you’ll keep a spell active while it’s being built."
"Naturally."
"The charge on the bracelets will also need to be maintained."
"Obviously."
Vespera turned her head slightly toward him.
"Aren’t you going to protest?"
Adam sighed.
"I realized it never changed anything."
A faint smile appeared on the dragon’s lips.
"You adapt quickly."
Adam looked at her.
"I hate this ability."
"No."
"No?"
"You especially hate the way we decided to use it."
Adam thought for a few seconds.
Then he nodded.
"That’s right."
They continued on their way together toward Valoria’s mansion.
As usual.
And as the city lights reflected off the streets, Adam understood that his training had just reached a new level.
Compression would no longer be a separate exercise.
It would become a permanent state.
A foundation.
Something he would have to maintain by fighting, casting spells, drawing runes, and perhaps even, one day, using multiple spells simultaneously.
The challenge was immense.
But thanks to Adaptation...
What was almost impossible today could one day become as natural as breathing.