He said he would control his power, but this bastard clearly didn't.
"Oh, sorry," he said with a teasing grin. "I thought I was controlling my power… but it seems I still need to work on that. Can you move?"
Groaning, I pushed myself up from the ground. "Yeah… good. Pretty much good," I said through clenched teeth, still in pain.
He looked at me calmly. "Judging by your reaction, you're probably around E-rank. I expected you to at least react — but you didn't. That means you're still not comfortable with your rank."
"What do you mean, sir?" I asked, confused.
"Try to use your mana to cover yourself," he said.
" Yes sir " I said in a confidence than
I froze.
Wait.... how am I supposed to do that?
I don't even know how to cover myself with mana.
I made a dumb face, and he immediately noticed.
"You don't know... of course you don't," he said, sighing.
Then he started to explaining to me.
"When you wrap your body or weapon in mana, it's called Mana Coating. When you channel mana through your muscles, bones, and organs to enhance your physical abilities, that's Body Reinforcement. There's another one too ... not for you yet, but I'll tell you anyway. It's a more advanced form, where mana naturally flows around your body like armor. That's called an AuraShroud. All of these together are known as Mana Reinforcement."
He raised his hand. The air around his arm shimmered faintly .... a thin blue layer pulsing with energy.
"It's simple in theory, but difficult in practice. You don't just release mana… you guide it. Feel it flow from your core, then send it to your limbs. Don't force it. Control it."
I watched closely, eyes fixed on the faint glow surrounding his arm.
"So… I just move the mana through my body?" I asked.
Tev smirked. "If it were that easy, every farmer with a mana core would be a knight." He stepped closer. "Focus on your breathing technique ... the one I taught you. Breathe in, draw mana into your core. Exhale, push it outward. Start with your hand."
I nodded, closing my eyes. Slowly, I inhaled, feeling a faint tingle stir in my chest. But when I tried to push it into my arm, the energy scattered like smoke.
"Too rough," Tev said. "Mana isn't a beast to be forced ... it's a stream to be guided. Calm your mind."
I tried again, slower this time. My breathing steadied. A faint warmth began to flow into my palm, and a dim light shimmered across my skin.
Tev gave a small approving nod. "Good. That's your first layer. With training, that layer will harden your body .... make your skin resist blades, your bones withstand impact, your speed and strength multiply. But lose control…"
He snapped his fingers. The mana around his arm flared.... the ground beneath him cracked slightly. "…and it'll tear your muscles apart."
I swallowed hard but clenched my fist. "Got it, Sir Tev."
"Good," he said, stepping back. "We'll train this every day until you can reinforce your whole body without losing focus. Remember — mana isn't just power. It's discipline given form."
He paused, then continued, "I think I should evaluate all of you today. That'll give me an idea of how much I need to teach .... and how much work your weak fields need. Go and bring your sword."
I hurried off, grabbed my sword, and returned to the arena.
"Now, use all your strength and every skill you have. Attack me," he said.
Fear prickled at my spine as I remembered how easily he'd knocked me down before.
Seeing my hesitation, he added, "Don't worry. I'll only defend. Go ahead."
I took my stance.
-------
Tyler steadied himself, both swords gleaming faintly under the gray sky. The air felt heavy with anticipation. Snow drifted lazily across the training ground, but the silence between them was sharper than steel.
Tev stood a few steps away.... relaxed, unarmed, his hands clasped behind his back. His calm gaze was almost bored.
"Come at me," he said simply.
Tyler's breath quickened. "Then don't blame me if I hit you, Sir."
Tev smirked faintly. "You won't."
Tyler exhaled sharply. "Shadow Step."
In an instant, his figure blurred ... like smoke cutting through the air ... and he reappeared behind Tev, blades slicing down in a cross motion. Tev didn't even turn. He shifted half a step, and both strikes cut nothing but air.
Tyler's eyes widened. He twisted, attacking again, faster this time ... high, low, left, right ... but Tev simply leaned or sidestepped, dodging each hit without uncrossing his arms.
It was infuriating.
"You're fast," Tev said calmly as another blade hissed past his shoulder. "But your mind is slower than your body. You're very poor for sword but for just now."
Gritting his teeth, Tyler attacked again. Sparks flew when steel met the frozen ground. His foot slipped on the icy dirt, but he recovered mid-motion, panting.
Tev stepped aside effortlessly, his boots leaving perfect prints in the snow. "Predictable. You rely too much on instinct."
"Then let's see you dodge this!" Tyler shouted. His mana flared ... black mist rose around his feet. "Shadow Step!"
He vanished again — this time reappearing right in front of Tev. Both blades glowed faintly with dark energy.
"Dark Slash!"
Two arcs of shadow energy shot forward, slicing through the air. The impact was sharp and violent — but as the dust cleared, Tev stood exactly where he'd been, his cloak fluttering, untouched.
The dark slashes had dissolved inches before reaching him, like smoke before a storm.
Tyler froze, disbelief in his eyes. "What—?"
Tev finally moved, taking one slow step forward. "That's the difference between you and me, boy. Your mana trembles before it even reaches me."
Tyler dropped to one knee, panting. His body screamed from the strain, but even then, he raised his head, sweat glistening against the cold.
Tev studied him quietly. "You're reckless… but brave."
Then his eyes narrowed, noticing the faint dark wisps still clinging to Tyler's blades. "Dark mana… so it's true. You bear the Darkness Affinity."
For the first time, Tev's expression shifted — surprise flickered in his gaze. "I haven't seen that in over a decade."
I couldn't even scratch him.
"Don't be disappointed," Tev said in a motivating tone. "You did well. I highly doubt any other kid in this village could've done even that much."
He straightened up. "Now go. I've seen enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow morning — and don't be late."
"I'll be here on time, Sir Tev," I said confidently.
"Good. Go get your luggage — my attendant will show you your room."
He left the arena, and soon his attendant appeared.
"Take your luggage and follow me," the man said in a flat voice.
I followed him through the corridors until we reached a hallway beneath the mansion. He opened a door among many others.
"This room used to belong to the maids and servants. But since we're short on budget, it's yours now," he said and walked away.
Bro… you didn't have to say that.
I stepped inside. The room was a mess — spiders crawling on the walls, no window, no proper bed, and freezing cold.
Thank God I brought my alarm clock from the orphanage, and some warm clothes too.
I spent a while cleaning the room and fixing the bed. While I was working, a servant came in and handed me food — just bread and milk.
What the hell? So you're telling me an orphanage has better food than a noble house?
I didn't complain. I just ate and tried to sleep.
Lying there in the dark, I thought about everything that happened today.
Tev wasn't really there to teach me — he was testing me.
He wanted to see if I was worthy or worthless.
Maybe… I made a decent impression.
I'd better get some sleep. Tev won't be happy if I'm late tomorrow.