Chapter 36: Mana Control (2)

This is amazing. I can’t believe I’m able to manipulate my mana so easily, Michael thought, his happiness overflowing.

He wasn’t sure what exactly had changed, but now he no longer needed to strain or even use his soul to stir his mana. This was something he couldn’t even think of doing back when he only possessed a single white ring.

I wonder if I can use chore magic without incantations? The thought appeared in his mind, taking root.

Keeping his eyes closed, he asked his new tutor.

“Melody, is it possible to cast chore magic just by manipulating your mana?”

“Of course… It’s possible to cast any spell without the use of incantations.” She replied, her tone carrying some annoyance. It was clear that he had asked quite a rudimentary question.

“Haha, I see. Let’s try it then!”

“Y-You—” Melody reached out, but quickly pulled her hand back as realization crept onto her face. Her annoyance slowly turned to anticipation as a smug grin pulled at her lips.

“Be my guest,” she added, taking her seat and watching intently, as if waiting for a good show.

Unaware of Melody’s change in attitude, Michael focused inward. He was rather familiar with the incantations for chore magic, especially since this was the only spells he could cast.

An incantation was a word or command that was uttered, forcing the mana to move in a specific fashion. With his talent, he could only ever learn the incantations themselves, not the mana theory behind it.

So to begin, he spoke the first phrase.

Fluvere Lente…

His mana stirred in his meridians, right by his ring. Michael watched as the red mist swirled together obediently, waiting for his next command.

Aqua—Surge, he muttered.

The red mist condensed further, surging towards his hand like a rapid. He snapped open his eyes and watched the small spout of water that appeared from his forefinger, coincidentally wetting the wooden table.

“Ah…”

He quickly dispelled the magic and turned to Melody who was watching him intently. “You can clean it up later. Now try without using incantations,” She prompted.

Michael nodded and closed his eyes once more.

The actions of his mana were still clear in his mind, filling him with confidence. If he could visualize the same process, Michael believed he could cast the simple water spell without much difficulty.

He took a deep breath and focused on the group of mana beside his ring.

As he incorporated the visualization method Melody had instructed him on earlier, the red mist began to stir, slowly swirling together. The sight bolstered his confidence, but he kept his heart serene.

The next part was the most crucial.

At his mental command, the red mist consolidated further, even more effectively than when he’d used an incantation. Its properties turned almost liquid before shooting towards Michael’s hand as he willed it.

But then, something felt wrong.

Michael’s eyes snapped open and he looked at his hand, just before the mana reached his forefinger.

In the next moment, a huge torrent of water came gushing out like a waterfall. The table that he’d sprinkled water on earlier was now blown to pieces from the force behind the spell.

Michael panicked, trying to dispel the magic.

Thankfully, the jet of water didn’t last for too long, but the damage had already been done. His heart beat wildly in his chest as he surveyed the room now drenched by his water spell.

A velvety laugh echoed out within the room, the child-like voice a clear indication of who was owned it. Michael turned to see Melody holding her sides, struggling to breathe between her fits of giggles.

“A-Ah! Your face—oh my goodness!” she cried, pointing at him before another bout of laughter erupted from her mouth.

Michael’s expression turned dull as he watched her silently. Various forms of revenge flitted through his mind, but with those thoughts, he felt a burning sensation on the back of his right hand.

It appeared that the peer contract he’d entered into wouldn’t allow such types of revenge. Michael clicked his tongue in annoyance, dropping the idea. He would need to explore ways of getting retribution that didn’t breach his contract in the future.

“Are you done?” he asked, devoid of amusement.

Melody’s laughter died down gradually, slowly turning into no more than a chuckle. She sat up from the lounge with difficulty and wiped the tears that had formed on the corner of her eyes.

“That was truly entertaining,” she mused, flashing him a brilliant smile.

Despite the annoyance he felt, Michael felt his body stiffen as he saw her dazzling smile. If he disregarded her terrible personality, Melody was indeed pretty, though he shouldn’t be too surprised.

With genetics from her parents, specifically her mother, it was no wonder why she inherited such good looks.

“Now, can you tell me the reason why that happened?” Melody asked, her blue eyes watching him with interest.

Michael paused, lowering his head in thought. He replayed the scene in his mind, trying to identify the differences between the spell with the incantation, and the one he’d used without.

It didn’t take long before he came tot he crux of the issue.

“I used too much mana…” he replied.

“Half a point,” Melody announced, her mood still chipper. “While you indeed used too much mana, it was the density of the mana itself that has the most impact on lower tier spells.”

Density?

“The mana in our meridians is like a mist right?” she continued, receiving a nod from Michael in response. “So if I were to cast a low tier spell after accumulating all of my mana within my meridians, what do you think will happen?”

Michael thought for a while, but the answer seemed rather apparent. “It would increase the power of the spell.”

“Exactly~” she crooned, sending him a wink. “Which is why your water spout had turned into a torrent.”

“So incantations not only control the mana, but also its density?” Michael’s eyes widened as he came to the realization.

Instead of answering his question, Melody held out her left hand with her palm facing up. The two orange rings on her wrist glowed before mana began to appear.

At first, Michael thought she was casting a spell, but the mana merely accumulated, turning into a floating sphere that began to spin slowly. This was the mana control exercise that Charles had shown him the other day.

However, it seemed far more fluid than even their tutor, showcasing Melody’s control over her own mana.

“This is why mana control is so important,” she announced, “only a true mage is able to use magic without incantations.”

Michael might have been impressed if it weren’t for the haughty smile on the girl’s face.

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