Chapter 8: Mana Foundation
Before he could fathom anything, Sara grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him outside. Ethan looked at her once, then at Elina as he noticed that she was chuckling lightly while covering her mouth.
Both Ethan and Sara made their way towards the empty rounds; next to the roads stood tall trees which stretched across the land and covered the entire neighbourhood. Low hums of people resonated through the air, which indicated that the area was still lively at this time.
Elina had already gone through the door and was spending time with Athena and Isolde while Ethan was with Sara.
Ethan looked around him once. They were both standing in the main road. A thought appeared inside his mind, which left him baffled. ’Are we going to train here? Like in the middle of the road?’
A sigh left him as he straight-up asked the same question of her. "Are we going to train right here?"
Sara didn’t say anything and gave a nod. Her arms remained crossed as she spoke in her usual firm tone.
"Don’t worry. Hardly anyone comes here during the evening. Around this time, most people are either having dinner or already asleep."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"That makes it the perfect time for us to train. We’ll use this opportunity to prepare you for your first dungeon."
Ethan didn’t have any other choice but to comply with her ideas. A sword was resting around his waist; he had grabbed it before from the weapon section. The weapons in there weren’t meant for war but mostly for self-protection, and such weapons are best for training.
Ethan grabbed the hilt in his firm grip and slowly pulled the sword out through its sheath. "I’ve chosen a sword as my weapon because I believe it’s the best weapon that I can use in close and also long range." He said while looking at the sword.
For a while, silence fell over the surroundings. But after a brief pause, she finally gave a nod and continued. "Perfect choice for a beginner; if you had chosen an axe or a spear... I would have kicked you in your nutsack."
Those words stung Ethan like someone had shoved the head of a knife inside his chest. "W-what?!" He questioned.
"Yes, you heard me well. That’s because using an axe is complicated; you have to be proficient with its weight ratio, and that takes ages. The same goes for the spears; neither weapon is meant for new learners." She said firmly.
’I was correct, and for the first time in a while I love being right. At least I’m not getting kicked in the balls. A sense of relief flickered past as a faint smile crept on his lips.
But this feeling didn’t last for long. Sara finally gave him his first task. "Now sit down and show me your cultivation ability. I want to see how long you can cultivate this in the cold. This is to test your concentration, because the better control you have over your focus, the more effectively you can control your mana."
Ethan didn’t question her; he sat where he was, just standing. He crossed his legs, placed his arms on his knees, and closed his eyes.
Soon, his mana started to erupt through his body and circled him perfectly. The mana core was pumping the mana endlessly, and through the veins it reached each meridian, each joint in his body.
Everything went smoothly at first. Ethan remained focused and continued cultivating for nearly fifteen minutes.
However, the cold slowly started affecting him. His body began to shiver, making it harder for him to maintain his concentration.
The moment Sara noticed it, she stepped forward and placed her hand on Ethan’s shoulder. A gentle warmth spread through his body, bringing his temperature back to normal. With his body stabilised, Ethan regained control over himself and slowly stopped his cultivation.
"If I didn’t control the temperature of your body, you could’ve suffered through mana backlash. It could’ve been fatal." She said.
Her words carried an uncertain coldness which made Ethan gulp; he quickly got back up as he dusted the dust from his back. "So what next?" He asked with a small grin.
"I’ll teach you how to control the sword and your mana at the same time."
Sara drew her sword and let her mana flow through her body to the blade. A faint glow covered its edges as she swung it smoothly, showing Ethan how the connection between the sword and the user works.
"The biggest mistake beginners make is treating mana and swordsmanship as two different things," she said calmly. "Your sword is not just a weapon. It is an extension of your body, and your mana should flow through it naturally."
She looked at Ethan and continued, "Don’t force your mana into the blade. Guide it. The moment your mana and your sword move as one, your attacks will become stronger."
Ethan gave a polite nod, took a deep breath, and followed the exact movements which she did. But he couldn’t perform it on the first try; he didn’t lose his morale and kept going.
He kept failing for a whole hour, but still his spirit to learn the art of the blade remained intact. Finally, he had learned to use the mana together with the sword.
His mana left his body, covering the blade. Crimson mana had wrapped around the edges completely, which made it look beautiful.
Sara watched Ethan’s blade once and then shifted her attention to him. "Your mana’s colour surely is interesting because I’ve never seen crimson mana in my entire life."
She extended her hand forward; her magnificent ocean-blue mana covered her hand entirely. "The colour of mana reflects the nature of its user," Sara explained. "Mine is ocean blue. It represents my will to wield the sword and my determination in battle. No matter the situation which I face, I never lose my composure."
She glanced at Ethan’s crimson mana before continuing. "As for your crimson mana, I don’t know what it represents yet. You’ll find out about it in the upcoming time, so there’s no need to worry about it for now."