But even though the mana had dispersed, it had existed and stayed as he wanted.
"I held it," Arthur whispered, more to himself than anyone else.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
As he straightened.
"Let's see how long I can keep it steady if I try it this way."
He shifted his approach.
Instead of gathering mana broadly, he narrowed it.
He didn't keep it wide, or thick. Instead he kept it thin like drawing out a filament.
He imagined pulling a wire between his fingers.
Taut, focused, and precise.
And the mana responded that way as It stretched thinner than before.
It was even more condensed, but unstable.
The moment he tried to hold it in place, it vibrated violently.
His teeth clenched and his wrist trembled.
Then the strand snapped.
The backlash hit harder than the previous one.
Arthur stumbled back a step, barely catching himself.
A sharp ache bloomed across his chest as he coughed once.
"Too thin," he said hoarsely.
