Chapter 13: Mana, Stamina, and Mental Power
Do not believe what your eyes see... but believe in the 'principle' behind what your eyes see...
For he who understands the 'cause'... will always control the 'effect'...
Whether it be in the form of magic, chemicals, or faith.
— From "The Alchemist's Primer"
My life over the following months was clearly divided into two parts.
Theoretical Studies (Mornings)
This was the time I spent in the Guild's library with Lunaria. We were buried in the piles of texts Vulcan had provided. It was "homework" in a new form, but having Lunaria beside me, helping to take notes or find references... turned the boredom into a "fun challenge."
I learned that the magical energy in this world, called "Mana," was completely different from my "MP (Mental Points)."
Mana: An energy that flows in the atmosphere and within the bodies of living things. Normal people draw upon it to cast spells, like drawing water from a well. Stamina: Physical energy used for movement or exertion, like the energy in one's muscles. Mental Points (MP): Something only I possessed... It wasn't an external energy, but the "fuel" of my own soul. It was used for "thinking," "analyzing," and most importantly... to "resist the Shadow."
A normal person, like Lunaria... had separate "tanks" for Mana and Stamina.
But for me... it was as if I had only a single "tank of mental power"... that I had to use for everything.
Practical Application (Afternoons)
This was the time when Kaen would take us to the "suburban training grounds," a deserted area the Guild had prepared for field tests.
"Theory is meaningless... if you cannot apply it in practice."
"Today... we will begin basic magic lessons."
He explained that live spellcasting (Interpreter) was the use of "concentration" and "mana" to "write a set of commands" for the world to execute.
"Watch this... 'Ignis Ball'."
Kaen extended his hand... and chanted a short incantation...
"O... blazing element of genesis,"
(Declare variable: element = fire)
"Manifest at the center of my will,"
(Function: gather(source: atmosphere, destination: caster_palm))
"Form a 'sphere' of wrathful flame,"
(Function: shape(object: fire_element, form: sphere))
"And soar along the 'path' I command!"
(Function: launch(object: sphere, vector: target))
"[Ignis Ball]!"
(Execute Command)
And a fist-sized fireball appeared on his palm, before shooting out to strike a scarecrow target, setting it ablaze.
[...You have observed the 'Ignis Ball' spell...]
[...'Gaze of Structure' is analyzing...]
[...Perceived 'basic fire-elemental runic structure'...]
[...Pattern: Create Array of 'heat particles' -> Compress into sphere -> Define velocity vector...]
[...Analysis: An unsophisticated but mana-inefficient code...]
"Alright... Princess... Your turn," Kaen said.
Lunaria closed her eyes... concentrated... and recited the incantation. A fireball, slightly smaller than Kaen's, appeared on her palm before accurately striking the target.
"Excellent, Your Highness," Kaen praised. "To control your mana usage so well on the first try is very good."
Lunaria was breathing a little heavily... Most children our age had a maximum assessed mana of only about 100-150. A single fireball had consumed over 10% of her power.
"Your turn... Faelix."
I nodded... but I wasn't going to follow his instructions.
I closed my eyes... not to gather "mana"... but to gather "MP" and "imagination."
I didn't think of a "fireball"... I thought of the "combustion equation."
I didn't recite an incantation... I "wrote code" in my head...
function createIgnis(target, velocity) {
let heatParticles = getHeatFromAtmosphere({ radius: '1m' }); // Gather ambient heat, don't create it
let compressedSphere = compressToSphere(heatParticles, { pressure: 5 }); // Compress it tighter
let optimizedVector = calculateTrajectory(target, velocity); // Calculate trajectory
launch(compressedSphere, optimizedVector);
}
I extended my hand... and spoke only a single word.
"Ignis."
FWOOSH!
A fireball of the same size... but its "color" was a **bluish-white**, far more intense... It shot from my hand at a higher speed... and struck the target with a small explosion!
[...You have successfully 'refactored' the Ignis Ball spell!...]
[...Created a personal spell: 'Ignis Ray'...]
[...Energy Efficiency: Excellent...]
[...MP cost for 'command': 5 points...]
Kaen and Lunaria stared, wide-eyed.
"How is that possible..." Kaen mumbled. "...That was a silent cast... and more powerful... How much mana did you use?"
I shook my head. "I... didn't use any mana."
Silence fell...
This was the first time... I had revealed a part of the truth to others... that my power... worked differently from everyone else's.
"If not mana... then what was it?" Lunaria asked with curiosity.
I looked at my own MP bar, which had dropped by 5 points...
MP: 753/1000
I didn't know how to explain...
"It's... mental power... I guess."
"Time to test it on a real target," Kaen said after recovering from his shock. "Your objective... is a 'Mud Slime'."
He pointed to a nearby mud puddle where a few brown, gooey masses were moving about.
"It's the lowest-level monster... non-venomous... slow to attack... perfect for beginners."
Lunaria nodded... She cast "Ignis Ball" again... The fireball shot into the slime...
Fssss...
The fire dried out a part of its body, but it only slowed down... it didn't take severe damage.
"Fire magic... is not effective against Mud Slimes, which have high moisture content," Kaen explained.
I stepped forward... looking at the slime with [Gaze of Structure].
I didn't see HP or stats... but I saw its "chemical composition."
It was silicon dioxide (mud) mixed with water and organic matter... with a slightly acidic pH...
Acid...
I looked around... I noticed some unusually beautiful crystalline rocks arranged neatly, and a "Limestone Plant," a plant with calcium carbonate crystals growing on its stem.
The most basic chemical principle popped into my head... Acid + Base -> Salt + Water... a neutralization reaction.
I didn't use magic...
I plucked a handful of leaves from the Limestone Plant... walked close to the mud puddle... and sprinkled them onto the slime.
Fizz... fizz... sizzle...
The moment the white powder from the leaves touched the slime... its body began to foam violently! It started to dissolve and disintegrate... becoming nothing more than a murky puddle in less than a minute.
[...You have defeated the 'Mud Slime' with a 'Chemical Reaction'...]
[...You have realized the 'advantage of knowledge from another dimension'...]
[...WIS increased by 3 points!]
[...MP restored by 5 points...]
I turned back... to meet the awestruck and confused gazes of Kaen and Lunaria.
That day... they both understood...
That the war I was fighting... was completely different from everyone else's.
And the weapon I used... was neither sword... nor magic...
But "knowledge."
Knowledge that no one else in this world understood.