In this world, mana permeated everything in nature.
If one were to compare mana to water, then the human body would be like an empty vessel.
And when an empty vessel is placed in the sea, what happens? Naturally, it fills with seawater.
That, essentially, was why Yuuki's body gradually began to generate mana of its own. Of course, the process wasn't nearly as crude as the analogy suggested—but it was true that mana from the world around him was slowly seeping into his body.
And through this process—
Yuuki's body had learned to adapt to that power. The mana he expended could now recover on its own, or replenish faster by drawing from the ambient mana in the air.
At first, he hadn't thought much of it. It wasn't until later—after learning about how normal people's magic worked—that he realized just how strange his situation was.
In this world, mages couldn't normally absorb or use natural mana directly.
Only the Heart Kingdom, one of the Four Great Kingdoms, had developed a special Mana Words technique that allowed its users to merge natural mana with their own, unleashing spells of far greater power known as True Magic.
The other exception was high-level mages who could manifest a Mana Zone—a domain that allowed them to borrow and manipulate natural mana within its range.
However, that method was far rougher and more forceful than the Heart Kingdom's refined technique.
When Yuuki first discovered his ability to passively absorb natural mana, he had been thrilled. But after weeks of experimenting, he came to realize… aside from slightly faster mana recovery, he couldn't actually use natural mana at all.
Still, that discovery wasn't worthless.
For one, it suggested that his ability to absorb natural mana might have something to do with his soul—with the part of him that didn't belong to this world.
And then there was Asta.
In a world overflowing with mana, Asta's body contained none whatsoever. The fact that someone like him could even exist defied all logic.
During this time, Yuuki also noticed that meditation—his daily practice—helped him recover mana more quickly. That was how the rumor of him "gaining mana by sitting around" had started.
But now—
For the past year, his mana growth had completely stagnated. The rate of increase had slowed to nothing.
His container was full.
Once the vessel had reached its limit, no more water could flow in.
And that was exactly what troubled Yuuki. His mana reserves weren't all that impressive—barely one-third of Yuno's. He wasn't even close to half.
In this world, mana quantity represented one's innate talent and potential, the very foundation of a mage's strength.
A mage's power was typically judged by two main factors:
The amount of mana they possessed. The type of magic they used.
Neither outweighed the other in importance, but generally speaking, those with greater mana reserves could unleash more devastating magic.
The world's hierarchy of mana capacity could be roughly divided as follows:
Devils > Elves > Royalty > Nobles > Commoners > Peasants
Even so—
Even with only one-third of Yuno's mana, Yuuki still surpassed most peasants and commoners.
After all, he knew who Yuno really was. While others saw Yuno as just another gifted orphan from a remote village, Yuuki knew the truth: in terms of mana alone, Yuno ranked among the elite of the entire world.
Who would've thought that a "lowborn" from a backwater village was actually royalty? If Asta hadn't stolen the spotlight so often, Yuuki might've assumed Yuno was the main character instead.
"Alright, enough of that sitting-around-meditation-whatever stuff!"
"Yuuki! I've been training for over a week for today's match! This time, I'm definitely not losing!"
Asta's voice rang out, full of fiery determination.
Yuuki sighed helplessly. At this point, he was long used to Asta forgetting even simple phrases like "meditation."
Propping his hand on the mossy boulder, he lightly jumped down.
"Alright," he said with a faint smile, looking at the boy who barely reached his shoulder. "Let's see what you've got, then."
He stretched his legs, still a little numb from sitting too long.
Over the past five years, Yuuki had sparred regularly with Asta and Yuno, honing their skills together.
It had all started with Asta's idea, back when Yuuki first arrived in this world—lost, powerless, and utterly without magic or a system to guide him.
That had been a dark time for him, to say the least.
No matter what, even if he looked like a kid on the outside, Yuuki was, in truth, a full-grown adult on the inside. And with someone as fiery as Asta constantly bouncing around him day after day, his mindset had quickly adjusted to life in this new world.
As his mana gradually manifested, their sparring sessions evolved—first into proper duels, and eventually into real battles.
From losing more than he won in the beginning, to tying evenly, and finally, for the past two years—Asta hadn't managed a single victory against him.
And somewhere along the way—
Yuno joined their training sessions as well.
As for his duels with Yuno, they typically ended in a draw.
Even though Yuno's mana reserves far surpassed his own, without a grimoire, Yuno couldn't truly threaten Yuuki.
After confirming their match, the two boys moved to a slightly open patch of grass nearby.
"I'm coming at you, Yuuki!"
Asta stepped forward, slamming one foot into the ground, his fist pumping high into the air as he shouted with all the vigor of a charging bull.
"Come on, then."
Yuuki smiled faintly and nodded.
The moment his words fell—
Asta lunged forward like a released arrow, his speed feral and explosive. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Yuuki.
With a powerful swing of his muscular arm, Asta threw a punch straight toward Yuuki's chest.
"You're too straightforward, Asta. Attacks like that are far too easy to read."
Yuuki spoke casually as he sidestepped left, dodging the incoming blow.
"I know that! That's why—!" Asta shouted, spinning on his front foot to launch a lightning-fast side kick.
The air itself shrieked as his foot cut through it—this was Asta's real attack!
Yuuki raised a brow, crossing his arms before his chest just in time to block.
A muffled thud echoed through the clearing.
The impact sent a jolt of force through his arms, pushing him back several steps before he regained his footing.
"Not bad—you've gotten stronger again," Yuuki remarked, shaking the numbness from his arms with a look of mild surprise.
"Of course I have! I train hard every day—and for the past week, I've doubled my usual routine!"
Asta beamed proudly, his turquoise eyes burning with determination. "Now come at me seriously! I've even thought up a few new moves just to beat you this time!"
That was so very like him.
Yuuki wasn't too concerned about Asta's "special moves"—what intrigued him more was Asta's body itself.
Even setting aside his complete lack of mana, the fact that Asta could train his body to such a monstrous degree through sheer willpower alone was astonishing.
It made Yuuki suspect there was something deeply unusual about Asta's physiology—something even the anime and manga had never explained.
"Well then," Yuuki said, his expression turning serious, "you'd better brace yourself."
He wasn't planning to hold back this time. Purely in terms of physical strength, he couldn't match Asta.
So—
Whoosh!
A surge of silver-white mana erupted from within him, coating his entire body like a faint, shimmering veil.
Each person's mana took on a unique hue depending on their innate magic.
"Mana Coating."
Yuuki's voice was calm but firm.
It was a technique he had developed himself—a way to apply his mana directly over his body.
Doing so bolstered his defense, enhanced his strength, speed, and reaction time, effectively reinforcing his entire physique.
The technique itself wasn't particularly complicated—it merely required precise mana control.
Thanks to his daily meditation and his sensitivity to the flow of mana around him, Yuuki's control had become exceptionally refined.
Still, this was only a makeshift imitation—a crude prototype of the high-level technique known as Mana Skin.
Even so, Asta's expression turned grave the moment Yuuki activated it. Though he couldn't sense mana directly, he instinctively felt the oppressive pressure radiating from his opponent.
"Here I come!"
With a step that cracked the earth beneath his feet, Yuuki vanished from sight—
And in the blink of an eye, he reappeared right before Asta.
(End of Chapter)
20 Powerstones= 1 extra chapter
50 powerstones= another extra chapter.
Let's do this guys!!!