His brow furrowed.
The mana was heavy, and hard to direct.
It was a normal occurrence.
Mana absorption always carried the risk of backlash, and controlling it required constant focus.
Most mages spread the process out over months, sometimes years, precisely to avoid this.
Asterios also absorbed only small amount of mana every day to do this.
He was used to this phenomenon where mana didn't listen to him.
He tightened his control, carefully guiding the mana through the channels of his body toward his core.
The process demanded precision. A single slip could mean a shattered core, paralysis, or worse, death.
Minutes passed.
The weight of the mana didn't ease.
Instead, it began to push against his control, resisting him.
His eyes narrowed.
The resistance wasn't normal.
A faint alarm prickled in the back of his mind.
He tried to slow the absorption, but the flow didn't respond.
The mana kept pushing, harder now, as if it had taken on a life of its own.
