"It doesn't seem like you used mana directly. It looks like you don't know how to utilize mana either," Cain said after examining me in his room for a while. Heron, who was standing by, nodded in agreement.
"The amount of mana is ridiculously low. It's not enough to activate that magic circle from earlier."
"Man, it's the 38th wonder of the Magic Tower..."
Why so many mysteries?
When I pouted my lips, Cain grabbed my lips tightly with his thumb and index finger.
"Ow! Hey!"
Cain looked at me with duck lips, laughing like a child.
"Hey, mana vessel. Since it's your mana, theoretically, it's impossible, and you don't seem to know anything about it, right?"
He pinched my lips with his fingers, playing with them like squeezing a rice cake.
"Ugh!"
I roughly shook my head to escape from his grip. My lips felt warm and swollen, giving me a plump sensation.
"I said I don't know!"
Whether I responded harshly or not, Cain and Heron exchanged glances and talked in their own language while looking at the paper where they had recorded my condition. They discussed mana concentration, Desillon's laws, potential, and trigger words. Then, Heron nodded and left the room.
"Get up."
Cain tapped my shoulder and spoke. As someone who had been sitting on the chair playing the role of their experiment subject for over an hour, it was a welcome command. I got up, rotated my stiff arms, and pounded my lower back with my fists.
"I think I need to teach you magic."
"...Yes?"
"It seems like you have some latent mana within you. If you don't release it yourself, it will exist as an uncontrollable variable forever. That's very extremely dangerous."
Cain spoke as he put on a black robe.
"So, I'm going to teach you a few simple spells so that you can utilize the mana stored within you."
"There is no mana within me. I know better because the mana they are thinking of is not mine, it comes from the system. However, I couldn't say such things. If I revealed that this place is inside a game and there is a system, Cain might gather all the mages living in the tower to dissect me to the bone."
"The first rite of passage for apprentice mages is to try hunting monsters in the Studdle Mountains. Usually, when the number of apprentices reaches a certain number, they are sent out in teams, but I will personally go with you."
"Wait a moment. Hunting monsters? Me?"
"I'll teach you magic on the side. You said you wanted to learn, right?"
"No, wait a minute."
Ignoring my words, Cain grabbed my hand and pulled me. His face, taking me to the teleportation circle, was filled with excitement and anticipation.
"Eat this."
He poured some motion sickness potion into my mouth. I had no choice but to take it and drink it, but continued to take backward steps. The corners of my mouth and chin were soaked with potion.
"This doesn't seem real. I am interested in learning magic, but I just wanted to learn it here. How can I catch a monster? It's not like I can catch it by clicking on it...."
"Click? What are you talking about? Stop the nonsense and come here."
After roughly wiping my mouth with the hem of his robe, Cain dragged me to the teleportation circle.
"No, I don't think this is the case, but on second thought..."
But this time too, before I could finish my sentence, our bodies disappeared into the red light.
***
7. Apprentice Mage
When I opened my eyes due to dizziness, I found myself in a forest filled with green leaves. The trees were tall enough to be scary and the scent of nature aggressively assaulted my senses. Sunlight streamed through the leaves above, creating dazzling patterns on the ground. There were only natural objects around like trees and rocks. There was no trace of humans to be found.
"Here, the air is rich in mana compared to the tower. If you hunt monsters in a place like this, your skills will improve rapidly."
Cain took a deep breath, wearing a relaxed and nostalgic expression as if he had returned to his hometown. However, I had no knowledge of that.
"I want to go back... Bed, I want to go where there is a bed..."
As I walked towards the teleportation circle, Cain grabbed the back of my neck from behind.
"Ugh."
"Where are you going? Come here, Apprentice Mana Vessel."
He pulled me out of the magic circle and pulled something out of thin air. It was a black robe and a short, thin wand.
"This robe has a temperature spell on it. This is an auxiliary tool."
You'll need a wand like this until you reach a certain level of skill. You just channel mana into the wand and release it."
"How do you channel mana and release it?"
Cain signed at my stupid question.
"You don't have to consciously channel mana, it happens automatically. But you need to memorize some spells... Let's try them out in a real fight."
With that, Cain started walking ahead.
"A real fight? Are we going to fight monsters now? With this stick?"
"Yes, with a smaller one... Ah, a kobold would be nice?"
He was muttering plans to himself, and I couldn't understand a single thing. Although I had seen terms like divine power and magic in this world, monsters were entirely unfamiliar. Devan encountered a monster inside the carriage on the way to the Ice Prison, but I had simply stayed inside the carriage, never catching a glimpse of the monster's shadow.
Now, I was supposed to catch such a monster with my own hands? Moreover, using a spell I had never tried before?
"Cain, just tell me one powerful instant-death spell that can kill anyone it hits."
"Ah, feeling more confident now, huh?"
"Yes, once I learn that, I'll use it on you, and then I'll go back alone."
My serious statement made Cain burst into hearty laughter. Why was he laughing? I was dead serious.
"Anyway, kid... You have a sense of humor for a mana vessel. But you have to start with the basics of magic. Otherwise, you might run out of mana or suffer a backlash."
He handed me the robe, and after putting it on, he taught me how to hold the wand.
"Lightly hold it as if you're holding an egg. Support it with your thumb and place your index finger on top. That's it! You're doing well."
Surprisingly, he was a decent teacher. He was full of praise, and his explanations were straightforward.
As we walked, he picked strawberries and black raspberries along the way. He would put one in my mouth each time I did what he asked. The sweet, ripe fruit bursting between my teeth lifted my spirits with each bite. I felt a subtle sense of accomplishment. Even then there were no monsters visible at all.
I did simple actions such as swinging my wand in a circular motion through the air or aiming it at a target and eating raspberries like a baby bird. Cain showered me with compliments, saying things like, "Oh, good job!" and "You're talented!" along with encouraging remarks.
"Now, the next step. Focus your mind at the tip of the wand and say [Flama].'"
As soon as he said that, a small flame appeared around him. It looked very easy, and I thought I could do it too.
[Flama]!"
But the tip of my wand was quiet.
[Flama]."
I tried to refine my voice, concentrating more and speaking calmly, but the result was the same. After all, I was just an ordinary person. How could I use something like magic? When I looked at Cain with a disappointed expression, he seemed a bit embarrassed and flustered.
"Hey, not many people succeed right from the beginning! I succeeded on my first attempt because I'm a genius, but that's rare. Why the gloomy face? Alright, listen carefully. You need to infuse mana into your voice. Imagine summoning fire from within you while drawing an image of flames, and say, [Flama].'"
Another flame ignited in the air in front of Cain.
I took a deep breath, focused on the tip of the wand again, and directed my gaze at the small flames floating in front of Cain.
Even though it's a system, I still do have mana. It might be a small amount, but it should be enough for this level of magic. The magic circle that summoned the pink pudding was also activated with a mana similar to mine. So, I can do it too. I can do it.
After all, this is a game, and I am a player. There's nothing a player can't do. This world itself is a world created for the player.
"[Flama]."
The moment I uttered that spell, I felt the air surrounding me shake. I even perceived an optical illusion that flames were rising. And swish. A small flame shot out from the tip of my wand. The flame rapidly moved forward and scattered as it collided with something. Cain ran towards it and shouted.
"Hey, Mana User! You caught a bug!"
He laughed proudly. As I approached, indeed, there was a tiny winged charred insect, lying dead at Cain's feet.
"Congratulations on your first hunt."
Cain smiled and patted my shoulder. For a moment, an indescribable joy, a sense of accomplishment, and emotion came to me. My nose tingled.
"Thanks...thank you, Cain."
"Oh, are you crying?"
"Magic is fun."
The tip of my nose was red and I looked up at him with a shy smile. Cain blinked his eyes rapidly.
[Cain's favorability has increased by +10!]
Oh, wait a minute...
(I'll be uploading ch 41-50 this week!)