Chapter 202: Mana Resistance

Marlon lay sprawled on the cold stone floor of his cell, his wrists chained to the wall.

His lips were cracked and dry, his tongue swollen and sticking to the roof of his mouth.

Every breath scraped his throat like sandpaper.

“Water,” he croaked, his voice little more than a rasp. “Please… water…”

From outside the bars, one of the agents snapped, “Be quiet. You’ve had water.”

But Marlon didn’t stop.

He lifted his head, eyes bloodshot and unfocused. “Water! Please! I’m dying…”

Another agent barked at him, “Shut it, you’ve had three cups already!”

It wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

The thirst clawed at his insides, a savage, tearing hunger that was nothing like ordinary dehydration.

His throat burned as if lit by coals, his stomach twisting. Sweat rolled off his skin as tremors took him.

He tried to lick the damp stones for moisture, but his tongue found only grit.

His vision swam, black spots darting at the edges.

The pain grew stronger, traveling from his gut to every nerve until all he could think of was to drink anything.

He didn’t care if it was water or blood. He’d drink it.

With a ragged scream, he began smashing his forehead into the ground, desperate to blot out the agony, desperate for relief.

The wet crack of flesh on stone echoed through the cellblock.

Blood streaked the floor where his head struck, but he didn’t stop.

The agents exchanged alarmed glances. “He’s gonna kill himself!” one shouted.

Two of them rushed into the cell, trying to pry him off the ground.

Marlon thrashed like a wild animal, but the chains held. They pinned him, forcing his arms behind his back to keep him still.

“Hold him down!” one agent yelled over the commotion. “He’s losing it!”

Marlon screamed again, his voice raw, still begging for water.

But no matter how much water he was given, the thirst just wouldn’t go away.

[][][][][]

It was the second day of the week, and Noah found himself in Spellcasting class.

He leaned back in his seat, only half paying attention as the other students shuffled in. His eyes wandered to the name written on the board.

Professor Bruno.

For a moment, his mind drifted.

Bruno. That was the same name as the thug who’d taken the demon potion in the slums.

The man who had lost his mind and transformed into a raging beast before Noah put him down.

A coincidence, of course, but the memory was still fresh in his head. The association made the corners of his mouth twitch into a cold smile.

The door swung open, and Professor Bruno himself strode in with his usual explosive enthusiasm.

“Good morning, class!” he boomed, his hands spread wide as if he was addressing an audience at the colosseum.

“Today, we shall peel back the veil and discuss one of the most fascinating defenses we mages possess!”

The class quieted, curiosity piqued.

“Why,” Bruno continued, pacing the front of the room, “is it so difficult for spells to affect a mage’s body directly? Hmm?”

“Why can you hurl fireballs, lightning, and frost at your enemies, yet the instant you try to influence the living body of a mage with that same magic, your success rate plummets?”

He slapped the chalkboard with a flourish, a glowing line of mana sketching a diagram of two forces clashing.

“The answer lies here!”

“Our bodies are always infused with mana. It flows through our veins, our bones, our very breath. And when another spell attempts to invade, our inner mana rejects it.”

“It’s like two wrestlers locked in combat. The spell’s mana against the mage’s mana.”

“But unlike ordinary spell duels, where rank usually dictates victory,” he grinned, leaning forward dramatically, “the mage’s mana has home field advantage!”

Some students chuckled, others scribbled notes furiously.

“Of course, this isn’t absolute. There are exceptions. Specialized spells, overwhelming mana, unique affinities. But as a general rule, your mana will almost always protect you from direct interference.”

“A fascinating phenomenon, yes?”

The class murmured agreement, eyes alight.

“Now!” Bruno clapped his hands together. “Enough theory. Let us experience this firsthand. Pair up. Two by two! I will choose the groups.”

As names were called out across the room, Noah barely paid attention until his ears pricked at his partner.

“Noah Webb, and Princess Ines.”

Noah exhaled slowly, glancing her way. She was already watching him.

He watched as she made her way across the classroom and lowered herself into the seat beside him with graceful ease, her golden eyes flickering with amusement.

“Interesting, isn’t it?” she murmured, her voice soft. “Our paths seem to be crossing more and more these days. Fate, perhaps?”

Noah gave her a sidelong glance, saying nothing.

He only leaned back in his chair, arms loosely crossed, as Professor Bruno’s booming voice filled the room again.

“Now that you’re paired, listen closely!” Bruno announced, drawing a glowing diagram in the air with a sweep of his hand. “The exercise is simple but enlightening.”

“One of you will place your hand on your partner’s back. You will push your mana into their body, and your partner will resist by countering with their own. This will give you a tangible understanding of how mana defends its home territory!”

There was a chorus of murmurs, some students excited, others nervous.

Ines’s lips curved into a smile as she turned to Noah.

“I’ll go first,” she said, confidence in her voice.

Then, tilting her head slightly, she added, “But tell me, Noah Webb, what will you give me if I manage to overpower you in your own body?”

That made him chuckle.

He turned, orange eyes glowing faintly as if the question amused him far more than it should.

“If you succeed,” he said, “I’ll give you anything you want. As long as it’s in my power.”

Her smile grew, satisfied with his answer. “Then it’s a promise.”

She placed her palm gently against his back. Closing her eyes, she gathered her mana and pressed it into him.

At once, she felt resistance. Thick, as if she were trying to swim through heavy mud. Her brow furrowed.

Noah’s voice rumbled, calm and filled with amusement. “I haven’t even tried fighting you off yet.”

Her eyes snapped open, and something shifted inside her chest.

The quiet voice of her pride whispered louder, her competitiveness flaring bright.

And in that moment, without her realizing it, a sliver of the darkness chained deep in her heart rattled free, slipping through the cracks.

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