"Wake up, Osiris. Breakfast is ready."
Piggy's voice pulled me out of sleep like a rope dragging me up from deep water. My body felt heavy, warm, unwilling to move. I rubbed my eyes and forced myself to sit up.
As we walked down the stairs, Piggy slipped like he did almost every morning.
And like every morning, Father caught him mid fall with a flicker of magic before he could hit the ground.
Piggy laughed.
Father didn't.
"Should we play outside?" Piggy asked after breakfast, eyes shining with expectation.
"No… I think I'll read one of the books today. We can play in the afternoon."
"Okay! Then I'll start magic training now so we'll have more time later," Piggy said confidently.
We split up, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Mother watched us with an amused smile, as though we were actors in a play she had already memorized.
Father was already outside, patrolling the village like always.
When Mother stepped out to help Piggy with his training, I grabbed the beginner magic book.
My fingers hesitated for just a moment before opening it.
One of the first lines read:
A person's mana pool can never grow.
I stared at it.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
My chest tightened.
What the hell does that mean, "it can never grow"?
That's impossible.
It has to be.
Piggy's mana has clearly increased. I've seen it.
There's no way the author would just lie.
Which means…
He truly believes it.
My thoughts began racing.
How could they not notice? Mana isn't invisible to the person who holds it. When it grows, you feel it. Like muscles stretching after training. Like something inside you expanding.
Unless…
Only some people can grow their mana?
No. That doesn't make sense. Someone would have discovered it by now.
Unless they're hiding it.
But researchers aren't all connected. Some work alone. Some serve nobles. Some travel.
Then something struck me.
Wait.
Aren't they all old?
Every famous mage. Every scholar. Every researcher.
Old.
And Piggy isn't.
My heart skipped.
Piggy is six.
And his mana is still increasing.
If growth doesn't stop at six…
Then I still have time.
At least Four more years.
Four years before my body matures too much.
Until now, I thought I could wait. I thought once I grew stronger physically, I could train seriously.
But if this book is right…
If there's a limit…
Then every single day I waste now is a day I will never get back.
My hands trembled slightly.
Alright.
First problem: how do I expel mana without anyone noticing?
Mother would never approve of me training this young. Piggy only started at five and that was after Father and Piggy practically begged her.
If she catches me using magic behind her back…
I don't want to imagine her face.
I kept reading.
The book explained that mana must be gathered from the entire body and focused into the fingertips before casting.
That confused me again.
Why the fingertips?
Could I gather it in my toes instead?
Could I kick someone with magic?
What if I didn't focus it at all?
What if I expelled it everywhere at once like a shield?
My thoughts spiraled further.
If mana can exist outside the body…
Could I shape it freely?
Could I alter my appearance?
My face?
My entire body?
I clenched my teeth.
Focus.
One step at a time.
I flipped the page.
Water Creation Spell.
Too obvious. Mother would notice instantly.
Next page.
And there it was.
Heat Hand. A simple hand warmer spell.
I searched for the incantation.
And then doubt crept in.
If the book could be wrong about mana growth…
Why should the incantation be correct?
Maybe spells don't even need incantations.
Ever since Piggy proudly declared that incantations were essential, I've wanted to prove him wrong.
Even though…
Deep down…
I know he's probably right.
Still.
I won't accept something as truth just because someone older said it.
Magic gathers from the whole body to the fingertips.
So what if I just imagine it instead of chanting?
I closed my eyes.
I focused inward.
The small amount of mana I had stirred responding to my will.
It rushed upward.
Toward my head.
I imagined the warmth of summer. The way sunlight feels on bare skin.
I pictured that warmth gathering in my palm.
Just like that
Everything went black.
My body hit the floor.
The sound echoed through the room.
The door slammed open.
"AAAAHHHHH!"
"Don't die!" Piggy screamed, already crying as he rushed toward me, panic tearing through his voice.
Mother stepped in right behind him.
Her eyes landed on the open magic book beside my unconscious body.
For a split second, something flashed across her face.
Fear.
Anger.
Relief.
Then
Smack.
Pain exploded across my cheek.
I gasped back into consciousness.
And the first thing I saw…
Was my mother's trembling hand.
===
Please some stones!!!
So let's talk this chapter was really important for his future it literally changed his fate what do you think about his thinking?
Next chapter is also going to be important I think.
I still need to write 58 more words to reach that 4000 mark so I'm just going to write about something cool.
Did you know that only one in 40000 mages are at advanced level no then now you know.
Ohh and if I don't know something please tell me I have only watched the anime and heard some spoilers about mushoku tensei.
More words needed for 4000
To say about it but I don't know what to say about the manga and I don't know what to do with it so I don't know what to do with it but I will try to get it out of my head and see if I can find it in the manga or manga section and I will let you know if I find it in the next chapter or so I will let it go and I will let it go I will be back to