I stepped forward and placed my hand on the crystal.
At first, nothing happened.
Then—
The crystal lit up.
A golden-yellow color spread from the point of contact, like lightning trapped inside glass. The light wasn't violent—it was steady, pure, radiating control rather than raw power.
I heard Carmilla's voice immediately:
"Lightning element… You have an affinity with a rare element."
A few whispers spread through the hall. I didn't turn around. My focus was on the sensation flowing from the crystal into my hand—familiar, almost intimate, as if mana itself recognized me.
But before Carmilla could continue—
The light intensified.
Not gradually, but suddenly, as if something inside the crystal had been provoked.
The yellow light cracked, threads of pale darkness intertwining with it—something that didn't belong to any known element.
Then, without warning, all colors vanished at once.
The crystal turned black.
Completely black.
And in the next instant—
Boom!
A muffled but sharp explosion. Not fire—pressure. A compressed shockwave that made the air itself tremble. I instinctively stepped back half a pace as small shards of the crystal scattered across the floor.
Silence fell.
A heavy silence, as if the entire hall had stopped breathing.
I saw students staring—some wide-eyed, others frozen in place, unable to process what had just happened. Even Ethan, who was usually indifferent to everything, looked stunned.
Carmilla was the first to move.
She cleared her throat lightly, then said in a calmer tone than I expected:
"It seems the crystal had an internal malfunction."
She paused for a second, then looked directly at me.
"But there's no doubt… you possess an affinity with the Lightning element."
I nodded.
"Yes."
I was relieved.
I didn't need to say anything else. I didn't need to explain what happened. Lightning was enough… and the rest was better left buried.
Whispers spread through the hall again, louder this time. Fragmented words, unfinished questions, glances thrown my way and quickly withdrawn.
Carmilla clapped her hands once.
"That's enough."
The room fell silent instantly.
"Let's return to today's lesson."
She turned toward the board, as if a crystal exploding during an affinity test was nothing more than a minor detail.
"Today's lesson will be about Mana Engineering."
Her tone changed.
This wasn't the voice of a teacher delivering routine information—it was the voice of someone speaking about something fundamental… something essential.
She wrote clearly on the board:
First: The Concept of Mana Engineering
Then she turned to us.
"Mana Engineering is the science that studies the form of mana—not its power."
She continued, her eyes sweeping across the students:
"It focuses on how mana moves, how it accumulates, how it balances, and how it can be rearranged to create new effects."
I sat silently, listening.
This kind of lesson… was exactly what I had been waiting for.
"Mana Engineering is not directly about elements or attacks," she went on.
"It is about the internal structure upon which every mana technique is built."
She wrote another sentence beneath the title and read it aloud:
> 'Mana Engineering is the mind behind every power.'
Some students frowned. Others wrote the words down without truly understanding them.
As for me… I listened.
"Control, enhancement, elemental release—all of these are merely results.
Mana Engineering is the foundation that allows the creation of circles, barriers, mana weapons, unique techniques, and even advanced core transformations."
She paused.
"It is the difference between a talented user… and a true Mana Engineer."
She moved on and wrote a new title:
Second: The Five Layers of Mana
"Any technique, any mana weapon, any circle—can be analyzed through these layers."
She began with the first.
Layer One: Basic Flow
"The speed at which mana moves through the body.
Poor control results in unstable flow.
High control results in stable, straight flow."
I recalled my training in the combat hall—how my body sometimes lagged behind my intentions, and how the flow had gradually become smoother after each duel.
She moved on.
Layer Two: Mana Lines
"The channels through which mana passes. Their quality determines how much mana can be transferred, and the likelihood of collapse under pressure."
Some students exchanged looks. This part was relatively well-known.
But the third layer—
The Microstructure of Mana.
The atmosphere shifted.
"The smallest level at which mana exists.
A microscopic geometric network, formed of complex patterns."
She paused.
"Even a minor flaw here… leads to failure or explosion."
I thought of the crystal.
"This layer is usually perceived only by experts… or individuals with abnormal talent."
I didn't look around.
She continued.
Layer Four: Personal Imprint
"The spiritual signature of each individual.
The reason some techniques cannot be copied."
Carmilla paused after finishing the layers, closed the book in her hands, and scanned the class.
"Before we continue," she said in a calmer tone,
"there is one concept—if you don't understand it, you'll never understand why some people surpass others despite equal conditions."
She turned to the board and wrote clearly:
Mana Resonance
Then she faced us again.
"Resonance is the relationship between one's mana… and the mana of the world around them."
The classroom fell silent.
"Mana is not merely energy drawn from within and released outward.
Every mana has a frequency, a rhythm, a unique nature.
When these align with the environment, what we call resonance occurs."
She raised her hand slightly, as if balancing something unseen.
"Imagine two people with the same mana capacity, the same technique, and the same training.
One releases a stable, powerful attack.
The other fails or exhausts himself quickly."
She paused.
"The difference… is resonance."
Some students began to show genuine interest.
"When resonance is high, the user's mana does not act alone.
The environment itself responds."
She continued steadily:
"The technique becomes stronger.
Consumption decreases.
Stability increases.
As if the world allows you to use your mana without resistance."
She moved her finger lightly.
"When resonance is low, mana becomes heavy.
Techniques lose power.
Backlash or collapse can occur—even if the structure is correct."
One student muttered, "Can resonance be increased through training?"
Carmilla looked at him seriously.
"Only partially."
Then she added:
"Resonance is not built by force alone.
It is the result of harmony between the core, the spiritual imprint, and the nature of mana itself."
She walked slowly in front of the class.
"That's why you may see one student exceed their natural limits without seeming tired…
While another fails despite obvious talent."
She stopped, then said more deeply:
"High resonance is rare.
It often appears in geniuses, those with unusual mana cores,
or individuals whose souls have undergone experiences that altered the nature of their mana."
She mentioned no names.
She looked at no one in particular.
"In Mana Engineering," she continued,
"resonance is the hidden factor that doesn't appear in equations—yet determines the final result."
She closed the book again.
"So don't believe that power alone is enough.
Those who don't understand resonance… will never surpass a certain limit."
She looked at us with her usual gaze.
"We will return to this concept later… when you're ready to truly understand it."
Finally, she wrote one last title:
Third: The Three Laws of Mana Engineering
This time, she didn't explain immediately. She turned to us and said:
"Anyone who ignores these laws…
will fail, no matter how great their talent."
Then she began writing.
---
1 — The Law of Consistency
"Mana cannot move in a way that contradicts its density."
She explained while pointing at the diagram:
"If flow speed increases, density must increase accordingly.
If density increases, the flow must be able to support it."
Then she added gravely:
"Any imbalance leads to immediate collapse."
Examples:
Fast flow + low density → dispersion and external explosion
Slow flow + high density → internal tearing and mana line collapse
The law felt terrifyingly obvious.
---
2 — The Law of Equilibrium
She wrote beneath it:
"Technique strength is not measured by energy alone."
Then continued:
"The perfect attack is a balance between energy and structure.
High energy with weak structure → failure.
Perfect structure with low energy → slow, useless technique."
She looked at us.
"Amateurs chase power.
Engineers… chase balance."
---
3 — The Law of the Pivot Point
Her expression changed slightly.
"Every mana technique—circle, barrier, or attack—has a pivot point."
She drew a small dot at the center of a complex diagram.
"It is the first point to form…
and the last point to collapse."
She paused, then said:
"Those who know its location can:
cancel the technique,
reverse its direction,
or destroy it completely."
Silence filled the room.
This wasn't just knowledge…
It was a weapon.
---
Every law made sense.
Terrifyingly so.
With each word, something settled inside me—not new power, but deeper understanding. As if scattered pieces were finally taking shape.
Carmilla finished and closed the book.
"That's all for today."
I looked up.
The lesson wasn't just information.
It was a foundation.
A foundation for everything that would come next.
-------
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