Chapter 50: Power Difference[GTG]
Miss Amelia’s gaze swept across the class.
"Now, I’ll be selecting two students for this exercise. Miss Evelyn, you may step down. And you," her eyes snapped to Ryan, who was oblivious to whatever was going on, "Mr. Ryan, you too."
Ryan, yanked back to reality, could only stare with a deer-in-headlights expression. Refusing wasn’t an option, not with Miss Amelia’s steely gaze upon him. He reluctantly detangled himself from Helen’s side and shuffled towards the front, a lump forming in his throat.
Reaching the podium, he stood beside the other student, who introduced herself as Evelyn.
"Alright," Miss Amelia began, her voice cutting through the tension, "Today, we’ll be demonstrating the stark difference between a high and low mana pool. Both of you, please manifest your quirks with a standard mana output."
Evelyn stepped forward, confidence radiating from her. As she extended her palm, the air crackled with frosty energy. The temperature plummeted, and within seconds, a menacing sphere of ice, seemingly carved from moonlight, materialized, growing to the size of a person.
"Excellent," Miss Amelia said with a satisfied nod. "Now, Mr. Ryan, your turn."
Ryan felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple. Why him, of all people? He was barely a flicker compared to powerhouses like Evelyn. A sneaking suspicion gnawed at him – was this some elaborate punishment for his earlier display of affection with Helen?
With a resigned sigh, he closed his eyes and focused inward. He searched for this elusive "mana core" Miss Amelia had spoken of, and after a tense moment, he found it. A wellspring of raw energy thrummed within him, connected to a network of channels that felt... surprisingly narrow.