“Are you ready?” asked Rother.

“Of course,” replied Shaden.

“Alright. Ready, get set!”

Shaden took on a running position and closed his eyes. He felt so light.

“Go!”

At the sound of his brother’s voice, Shaden pushed off the ground and began to sprint. Rother followed right behind him, keeping track of the time while the two of them ran.

It was around five kilometers to the Academy. Today was the first time Shaden was returning to train after his awakening, and he wanted to test out the limits of his newfound strength. Rother had previously far surpassed him in physical ability, but today Shaden felt like he wouldn’t lose.

He heard his brother’s footsteps behind him. No, he sensed them. All around him felt so clear and vibrant like he had eyes all over his body. It was very weird.

But he didn’t dislike it.

Naturally, he was circulating. It came to him so perfectly, so smoothly now like breathing. The weird thing was that he never felt exhausted like his brother did, so perhaps his abundant mana had to do something with it.

He wasn’t pushing himself. He was running at the speed his brother normally ran at when he carried him. Before, it would have been impossible, or barely possible. Now, it wasn’t even hard.

“Shaden! You’re really energetic today,” said his brother as he joined Shaden by his side.

“I know! I feel amazing. I think I can go even faster,” said Shaden.

Rother’s face blossomed with a childish grin. “What are you waiting for? Follow me! I’ll show you something really cool.” And with that, Rother overtook Shaden and started accelerating on the road. Without much ado, Shaden followed his example, increasing his speed.

“Can you jump, Shaden?” shouted his brother as the wind swept past them. “Like, jump high?”

“I think I can!” Shaden shouted back. His power felt infinite, and he literally felt unstoppable.

“Then try not to fall behind! We’re taking a shortcut.”

At that instant, Rother changed directions and entered an alleyway nearby. Shaden skidded his feet on the floor and chased after his brother. At the end of the path, there was a box, one of those crates you saw everywhere. And blocking the end was a wall a that fell slightly short of two meters.

Shaden felt his brother’s mana being concentrated onto his legs. Then without hesitation, Rother stepped on the box and propelled himself upwards. With graceful footwork, he landed on the top of the wall and stopped.

He jumped over a meter! Shaden’s mind quickly processed what he had seen. His brother, who was now almost thirteen, had jumped over an obstacle that was a little less than twice his height—all without breaking a sweat.

And now, he had to do the same. Shaden stopped in front of the box.

“Can you do it?” asked Rother. If Shaden were to accomplish this jump, they could go through cooler places from now on.

Shaden had never learned how to concentrate his mana into a certain part of his body. All he had trained was just learning the flow of his inner energy. Could he do it?

OF COURSE! He felt like he could fly if he wanted to.

With a deep breath, Shaden backed up and ran towards the box, placing his feet on it while tensing up his muscles. His enhanced senses told him exactly what he had to do and how much strength he had to put in. Even if he couldn’t concentrate his mana, he still had plenty going through. He knew he could do it.

Shaden jumped and soared through the air like a rocket.

“Woah!” exclaimed Rother as he grabbed Shaden in mid-air. With one fluid motion, Rother transferred the sudden energy into a spin and set Shaden down on the wall. “Nice one.”

Shaden’s excitement was bursting through the roof. To think he had actually jumped so high. He felt like a hero.

“Thanks, Rother.”

Rother smiled and smacked Shaden’s back. “Let’s go. This is going to be great.”

With another burst of mana, Rother jumped off from the wall onto the top of a higher building. In the real world, such actions would be very dangerous and reckless. Too little strength and you’d fall and suffer an injury.

But Shaden was in a fantastic dream.

With an energetic stomp, he flew through the air and pursued his brother on top of the buildings.

〄 〄 〄

Shaden pushed open the door to his training room. Like always, the dust had covered the floor with a small layer of particles. Shaden realized that the room was created intentionally so the dust would pile inside every day; the windows were literally in the direction of the wind.

It was very smart. Shaden spotted a row of brooms on the wall and approached them. Just last week, he had swept the floor with one. It was still very heavy, but he could actually use it like it had been intended.

He let his mana rush through him and grabbed a broom, lifting it with one arm. It felt…incredibly light. So, very light. Not as light as a water bottle, but the difference in weight from before was tremendously noticeable. With a cautious motion, he lifted his arm and the broom—without much difficulty. He swung the broom down with his arm. And paused right before it hit the floor.

For the first time in his life, he had swung the broom without making it crash on the ground.

“Ha. Haha. HAHAHA!”

Shaden laughed like a madman. His immaturity was showing through his sudden influx of power. He held his eyes and bent backwards like he had seen many protagonists do—and let his excitement and pride out in the form of something unsightly.

“What are you doing?” said a girl’s voice. Shaden immediately paused and let his hand down. He turned his head and saw Mistilia in front of the door, looking at him while her tail swished uncomfortably.

He had two choices. Apologize or continue the act. It was far better to clear the misunderstanding than continue on with his maniacal fit of glory.

“You fool! You have entered the realm of the mighty Shaden!” exclaimed Shaden. “Grovel before me!”

The young girl took a fearful step back. She sensed his rampaging mana which made her even more cautious of him.

“Sha…den? Are you okay?” she said, her voice filled with uncertainty. Shaden felt a pang of regret from seeing the little wolf girl stare at him with frightened eyes, but his power was overflowing. He couldn’t stop himself.

“I’m okay. Okay as in I AM SUPERIOR, THAT IS!” he cried out. With a jump, he swung the broom in front of Mistilia to demonstrate his awesome power.

The wary girl, naturally, left the room. The door closed shut with a bang.

Shaden stood there awkwardly with his hand clutching the broom in an exaggerated position, his feet spread apart like he was posing for a superhero photo shoot. His mind was still filled with excitement, so he didn’t feel that bad, but the uneasy feeling of dread crept in him.

Moments later, the door flung open again, revealing Instructor Reedock and a swishing tail behind him.

“Welcome, my master!” Shaden bowed and his head went below ninety degrees. He held the broom in his hand and twirled it. His control over his body felt amazing. It moved just the way he wanted it to.

“How long was he like this?” asked the Instructor to Mistilia. She shook her head.

“I don’t know. He’s not sick, is he?”

“No…I know what this is. Shaden! Stop circulating for a moment.”

“Why?” asked Shaden. “I don’t feel tired.”

“Just do it, kid.”

“Yessir.”

At his instructor’s command, Shaden paused his flow of mana. The light feeling went away, replaced by his usual sense of his body. His excitement and energy died down, and calm returned to his head. The broom suddenly became heavier, so he dropped it.

Oh no, he thought. What have I done.

“Kid, how do you feel now?”

“I feel……I’m sorry for what I did.”

Mistilia poked her head out from the Instructor’s back and inspected Shaden with her curious, yellow eyes. The extraordinary pressure he had been exerting was gone now, replaced by the presence of a normal boy.

“It happens to everyone.” The Instructor walked over and picked up the broom from the floor. “Kid, congratulations on breaking through your limits. You feel much calmer now, eh?”

“Yes…”

“Make sure not to overexert your mana. A newbie’s mistake. Your mana was all over the place. Now that you have awakened, you must focus on maintaining a constant, steady flow of circulation. Else, you will accidentally use up all of your energy in a fight.”

Shaden nodded. He had been too reckless with his mana. He was just glad it hadn’t run out despite his constant use in the morning. It was a good thing he hadn’t unleashed everything.

“Now—”

The Instructor tossed the broom to Shaden, and he received it with both arms, slightly faltering under its weight.

“Welcome back. This time, limit the mana you circulate. Mistilia, come. Surely you remember your first awakening.”

“Yes.” The wolf girl fetched a broom from the wall and glanced at Shaden. “I forgive you, Shaden.”

Shaden let out a relieved sigh. He had not been labeled as a creep. Thank goodness. In a way, his use of mana was a dangerous thing.

“Thank you.”

The Instructor clapped his hands.

“Time to clean,” he announced.

〄 〄 〄

“Did you feel that, Headmistress?” commented the elderly Master of the Union of Magic. His voice flowed with accent, and he spoke his words slowly but very clearly. “The flow of mana has been fluctuating for quite some time. Even now, a great spike has subsided.”

“Indeed.” The Headmistress sipped a cup of purple tea prepared within the Tower of Magic. They were at one of the small meeting rooms at the bottom of the tower.

“A great danger may emerge within the city,” stated the Master. “Numbers do not lie. The concentration of mana has steadily increased within recent years. Especially a few months ago. Five months ago, to be exact. It has been growing even further, accelerating. Accumulating. And just now. We have felt it.”

The Master took a gulp of water and set the cup down on the table.

“You are hiding something, Headmistress. Something related to the fluctuation.”

His eyes were stern yet not cold. No—they were brimming with curiosity.

“I am not sure.”

“If you would inform me…”

The Headmistress raised her eyebrow, and the Master immediately closed his wrinkled mouth. He knew better than to irritate the old woman.

“I am perplexed. It is unreasonable for you to hold valuable information to yourself. You have always been this way.”

The Master poured the Headmistress another cupful of tea with his telekinesis. Then he put his hands together.

“The device is ready.”

“Good. The money will be delivered to you by tomorrow noon.”

“…could the cost be accounted for with information?”

The Headmistress smiled. “Of course not.”

“If we do not know the source of all of this mana—”

He stopped himself as the Headmistress got up from her chair.

“The city will be safe,” stated the Headmistress. “There are no ancient creatures lurking beneath the sewers. If there are, I shall slay it.”

The Master remained seated while the Headmistress walked out of the door, her two servants joiner her outside. After the door closed, he relaxed his sore back on his chair and let out a sigh.

He was getting too old. Perhaps it was best he ceased with all of these matters. But he absolutely wanted to know. Wanted to know why the mana had suddenly increased, why the monsters were mutating, why the Headmistress persisted on her silence.

He stroked his white, long beard and looked out of the window. He had to find a successor soon, or the Union of Magic would choose one for him.

〄 〄 〄

Shaden wiped his sweat off from his brow and took a chug of water from the bucket nearby. He swabbed his mouth with his clothes, got up, and jumped in surprise as a servant in a simple, white garb stood there staring at him.

“Woah! I mean, excuse me. Do you have business with me?”

The servant kindly smiled. “Yes indeed. The Headmistress has called you to the Great Hall.”

“She has?” Shaden looked back at Instructor Reedock, who shrugged. Mistilia looked curious as well.

“Yes. Something about measuring your mana, it seems.”

OHH! Had his moment of truth finally come?

“I will go now.”

Shaden followed the servant out of the room and eventually entered the cafeteria. Naturally, the pillars and the platform had been removed. Instead, the Headmistress’s giant table had been set up, with the Headmistress herself seated on the grand chair behind the table. In front of her was an opaque, crystal ball. A giant sphere around the size of those inflatable rubber ball things that Shaden had seen at the school gym.

“Shaden! Come, hurry your legs,” said the Headmistress. “It’s about time we found out about the absurd nature and size of your mana.

Shaden nodded and ran to the table. He positioned himself where he could see both the ball and the Headmistress in front of him.

“Will this ball measure my mana capacity?” asked Shaden. The Headmistress nodded. “Did you find out why my mana couldn’t be detected?” he asked again.

“Possibly. The device that was used before to measure your mana had certain restrictions.”

Shaden kept her eyes on her, expecting her to go on.

“The air, boy. Do you know that the air contains mana?”

“Of course. It’s how we recover our mana after we use it.”

“No. The body can create mana for itself.”

“What?”

“When you meditate, you are forcefully accumulating the natural mana in the air for your use. However, because the mana is not of your own quality, there is a limit of how much natural mana your body can use. If one could use the mana in the air like their own, they would last much longer than those who cannot.”

“Really?”

“It is complicated. There are whole studies done on mana absorption and processing. However, every single living being has its own unique mana, not unlike a fingerprint. Do you understand what that means?”

Shaden nodded. This was some interesting information.

“The device used earlier was designed so it would absorb mana from the air for fuel. However, it would be disastrous if that natural mana was perceived as the examinee’s mana. Therefore, the first two pillars were created so that they would not absorb natural mana.”

The Headmistress looked at Shaden in the eye. “Your mana…is very not distinct. It feels very plain until you begin to use it. It may have the same properties as natural mana.”

“Which is why the device didn’t measure it!”

The Headmistress nodded her head. “Yes, boy. You catch on quickly. This, however, has no such restrictions.”

She motioned to the giant ball in front of her. “Something more primitive in design. However, it serves its purpose very well. This measures your amount of mana from the pressure you exert on it.”

Shaden touched the smooth surface of the ball. Inside of it, magic circles were engraved in a three-dimensional structure. There were far fewer symbols, but it looked very sophisticated.

“How do I begin?”

“Simple. I shall demonstrate.”

The Headmistress stood up and placed her bony fingers on the ball. Suddenly, an immense amount of pressure came out of her hand, causing the ball to glow starting from the bottom. From Shaden’s perspective, it looked like the ball was being filled with glowing, blue water, starting from the bottom then rising all the way to the top until it completely filled the ball.

“Any more and the ball will cease to work,” stated the Headmistress. “Do not worry, boy. I just happen to have an incredible mana pool. Go ahead, now. Let’s see what you possess. Place your hand on the ball and your mana into it. You have learned spells, so it should not be difficult for you.”

Shaden nodded and took a deep breath. The moment of truth had come. He would go all out. He knew what mana going out of him felt like very well. The intense flow that poured out like a river.

He placed his hand on the ball and closed his eyes. Now that he knew how to circulate, he could control his mana even better, inside and outside. He swelled the mana into his hand and exploded it into the ball.

Instantly, a blinding flash of light covered the room like a flashbang, and Shaden fell back due to the sudden stimulus. He landed on the stone floor and rubbed his eyes.

“Ow! What was that?” he asked. But inside, he was smiling. He knew exactly what this meant.

“Unbelievable…!” commented the Headmistress, getting up from her seat. She stared at the ball which was rapidly losing its glow. “Boy, to think you possess this much mana…!”

It was exactly the response he wanted to hear. His vast efforts had been rewarded!

“So, Headmistress. How large is my mana pool?” asked Shaden casually.

She turned her eyes to the boy and adjusted her glasses. “What things have you done, child?” Her face was layered with awe and worry at the same time.

“I just practiced magic from a young age,” Shaden quickly interjected.

“Your father did not—no, if it is that boy, there is the possibility—”

“No! Not at all! I am just like this!” Shaden exclaimed. He didn’t want the Headmistress thinking that his father had put him through some kind of hellish training.

The Headmistress’s eyes were still full of doubt. And though it was barely there, Shaden thought he caught a glimpse of caution.

“Hmm…you are a peculiar one.” She sat back down on her seat and waved her hand. “Child, that is all. You may return now.”

Shaden cocked his head internally. That was it? No celebration? No overreaction saying, ‘This boy is the next Great Sage or Hero of this world!’? Shaden was slightly disappointed. He quickly said goodbye and headed back to his training room. Then again, the Headmistress had done the same while restricting herself. Perhaps his mana was only impressive for a boy. In the adult world, perhaps it was nothing special.

It was all speculation. Perhaps he still had a lot to improve on.

〄 〄 〄

The Headmistress was lost deep in thought. She had assumed something terrible, then had stored it away to the back of her mind, but the little experiment had rekindled her worries.

Is he related to this somehow?

Past instances flooded into her mind. The detection magic, its range, and now—this.

At the back of the ball, a crack had formed straight down the middle. A large gash in the device that made it unusable.

She had seen something similar a long, long time ago. A child whose mana knew no limits.

If this was a reiteration of that event…

She shook her head. No…Shaden came from a special family. They would do something about it.

She was the Headmistress now, there to take care of the future generation. She would never stomp one down because it seemed like a threat.

She massaged her tired eyes. Perhaps the Master of the Union had been correct.