Early morning training had already wrung the life out of me. My legs felt like wet noodles, and I was still rubbing my sore ribs from Kaito's relentless sparring session.
"You fight like a tired old farmer," he said, his tone mocking but strangely encouraging.
I shot him a glare. "You hit like one."
Kaito burst out laughing. "You wish."
He was younger than me—probably by two or three years—but he fought like a war veteran. I'd barely gotten the hang of basic sword strikes, and he was already flipping me over like I was a practice dummy. Every move he made had a purpose. Fluid. Calculated. Brutal.
As I slumped to catch my breath, Kaito walked over and tossed something my way.
A short, smooth wooden staff.
I fumbled to catch it. "What's this for? Another round of beat-the-newbie?"
He smirked, but this time, there was a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Magic."
"…Magic?" I echoed, feeling utterly stupid.
He nodded, his face twisting into that same demonic grin I'd grown to fear. "Yep. You fought a Direwolf, didn't you?"
"Yeah…" The memory still made me shudder. Those crimson eyes, the way its fangs glistened, and how it shrugged off my sword strikes like I was hitting it with a spoon. "Barely survived."
Kaito nodded. "Then you're lucky. Most people wouldn't make it without magic. Swords alone? Not unless you're an elite knight. And let me be honest, Hiroshi-san—you're not there yet."
"Gee, thanks."
"I'm trying to help you not die. You want to live, right?"
Fair point.
He stepped back, gripping his own staff. "Alright, eyes on me."
His smirk vanished. Kaito's entire aura changed—his breathing slowed, posture sharp like a coiled spring. The air seemed to hum around him.
Then—
WHOOSH!
He swung his staff in a wide arc.
A sharp crack filled the air, followed by a dazzling burst of electricity that zipped through the morning mist, crackling along the grass and leaving a faint scorched line.
"Holy sh— Was that lightning?" I asked, stumbling back.
Kaito straightened, looking pleased with himself. "That's my element. Everyone has a different type of magic based on their mana heart."
"Mana heart?" I repeated, confused. "What's that? Some kind of core?"
He shrugged. "Something like that. It's the origin of your mana. Where it flows from. Who you are at your deepest point. Your nature. It decides everything about your magic."
"Great. So what if mine's broken?" I muttered, eyeing the wooden staff like it might explode in my hands.
Kaito chuckled. "Don't worry. Close your eyes. Focus on the mana inside you."
"How do I even know if I have mana?"
"You do. Everyone does. Just listen."
I sighed but obeyed.
Focus. Just focus.
I closed my eyes. The world dimmed. No chirping birds. No wind. Just my heartbeat.
Breathe in.
I tried to imagine something invisible—something inside me. Mana, whatever that was.
It was hard. Like reaching for something I couldn't see or touch. But slowly, I felt… something.
Warmth. Gentle. Subtle. Flowing through me like a whisper of wind beneath my skin.
Then—
DING!
A bright blue screen flashed in front of me.
> [SYSTEM ALERT]
Do you wish to master Mana Heart?
[YES] / [NO]
I blinked. "Uh… Kaito?"
"Hm? Feel anything?"
"Kind of. But also… I got a system message."
He tilted his head. "A what?"
"A system alert. It's like a floating screen. You don't see it?"
Kaito squinted at the space in front of me. "Nope. That's new."
I hesitated for only a second. If this was a chance to survive—and get stronger—I had to take it.
"Okay. Yes."
DING!
Another message blinked to life:
> [Mana Heart Mastery Path Unlocked!]
To master Mana Heart, complete the following tasks:
✔️ Feel the Mana (0%) – Sense the natural flow of mana around you.
✔️ Control the Mana (0%) – Create a small mana particle.
✔️ Shape the Mana (0%) – Direct the mana with precision.
✔️ Call the Storm (0%) – Summon a powerful mana surge.
My heart raced.
I could… actually learn magic?
Kaito waved his hand in front of my face. "Oi! Hiroshi-san? You alive in there?"
I blinked rapidly. "Yeah. I'm just… processing."
"Good. Now go back in. Try to feel the mana again. Really feel it."
I nodded, gripping the staff tighter.
Alright, Hiroshi. No thoughts. No doubts. Just listen.
I closed my eyes again.
This time, I wasn't searching blindly. I knew the mana was there.
I followed the pulse inside me, the quiet rhythm beneath the surface. It wasn't just warmth now—it was movement. A current. A living stream coursing through every inch of me.
The air buzzed gently around my skin. The grass whispered secrets beneath my feet. Even the staff in my hands felt connected—alive.
And then, it clicked.
The mana wasn't just in me.
It was me.
A light thrummed in my chest like a second heartbeat.
[Task Completed: Feel the Mana (100%)]
Mana surged through me like a dam breaking, light and fire threading through my limbs.
My eyes snapped open. "I… I can feel it."
Kaito looked like someone had just slapped him with a fish. "Wait, what? You felt it? Already?!"
I nodded, still panting, drunk on the sensation. "I did. I really did."
He stared at me for a beat longer, then slowly whistled. "It took me seven months to reach that point."
I grinned, sparks still dancing in my veins. "Looks like I'm a fast learner."
"This is going to be wild," Kaito muttered.
He wasn't wrong.