Chapter 10 – Sevile Ashford
Tuck.
Professor Sevile took the roll call and immediately began the lecture.
He introduced mana manipulation with a basic shield spell.
Scratch, scratch.
The only sounds in the classroom were pens scratching ceaselessly across paper.
The amount of information was no joke, and even Azek was having a hard time keeping up.
After the theory lecture ended, Sevile immediately announced,
"From today onwards, I will be taking both the practical and theory classes. Professor Methilia and Professor Albert will be taking only the morning classes on alternate days. Now, pens down and head immediately to the practice hall."
Everyone gathered in the practice hall. Nobody dared to breathe loudly, let alone whisper.
The professor glanced around and, after making sure everyone was present, immediately demonstrated a simple shield spell.
A small mana shield hovered in front of him.
"Take a look again at the process. You will practice this spell now and will only be allowed to leave after receiving a pass from me."
A cold breeze blew through the open windows.
The professor demonstrated the mana spell again.
Azek Willowheart immediately made his way to the front and looked closely. Mana gathered in the air, and the basic spell formula was drawn as a shield formed.
He observed carefully and then raised his hand.
Sevile gestured in approval.
"Can you demonstrate it one more time?"
Azek ignored the stares from the people around him.
Professor Sevile nodded and wrote the spell a third time.
Edrin and Mathew brushed past others and came to the front, standing on both sides of Azek. The entire class jolted awake, and everyone rushed forward to get a better view.
Sevile finished the demonstration and sat down on the podium.
"Start."
Azek focused on the materials in front of him. It was a large black stone slab.
That morning, he had been able to cast an instant spell with a small rock. The principle behind it was magical resonance.
After the assessment, he had gone to his daily practice and revised the different methods he had observed during the test.
So he had a thought.
Instead of commanding mana, what if he tried to resonate with similar energy particles?
After all, mana was the life force of this world—the basic form of energy. It should be possible.
Previously, he had been able to make it obey. But what if, instead, he tried to resonate two similar masses of energy?
So he applied that principle.
The result had been astonishing.
The rock that had rendered Brian breathless was the result of that hypothesis.
"Haaaa…"
He took a deep breath and focused on his internal mana. A small thread emerged and seeped into the stone slab.
There was a great amount of mana concentrated in the stone.
Azek sensed numerous mana particles of different sizes. He targeted a small particle. The mana thread hovered around it, slowly sending energy in measured pulses.
The particle began emitting a faint glow.
Its rotation grew faster and faster—
Until it suddenly fell apart.
1st attempt ended in failure.
"Phew…"
Azek exhaled slowly.
"It seems I'll have to take my time to get the correct amount of energy."
2nd attempt failed as well.
3rd ....
He repeated the process again and again.
After continuous experimentation, he began getting used to manipulating mana energy without wasting it.
When he opened his eyes, it was already dark outside.
The class had long since left.
Edrin and Mathew had finished earlier but had waited outside the practice hall for Azek.
When he showed no signs of finishing anytime soon, they eventually left, though they kept returning to check on him.
Now only Azek and Professor Sevile remained in the hall.
After forty attempts, he finally succeeded.
Moonlight streamed in through the windows.
Azek stood before Sevile.
Sevile closed his book and gestured for him to demonstrate the result, his eyes emotionless.
Slowly, the mana spell was written.
Rocks hovered and began rotating in front of Azek. When the spell was completed, the rotation stabilized, and a stone-formed mana shield covered his torso.
Sevile's eyes changed.
He rose from his chair and carefully observed the shield.
Then suddenly—without warning—he threw a punch.
Boom.
A deafening sound echoed through the hallway.
Mathew and Edrin, who had just returned to check on Azek, were so startled that they nearly stumbled backward.
A nervous shriek resounded from the end of the hall as a girl fell flat onto the floor.
A few curious students lingering in the hallway panicked at the sound and immediately ran away.
The shield cracked in the middle but did not collapse.
"damn it" he cursed internally.
Azek barely withstood the impact. His mana flow became unstable. The rocks fell, and the shield vanished.
His hands and legs trembled uncontrollably, and blood trickled down from his nose.
The professor observed him, then offered a handkerchief.
"Your control over the element is impressive," Sevile said calmly. "But your technique execution is still unrefined."
He paused.
"Still… your hard work is paying off, Azek Willowheart."
His gaze sharpened.
"I am curious about the method you employed to create a shield capable of withstanding a mana punch."
Azek slowly regained his composure.
"I changed the command method."
Sevile's brows lifted slightly.
"You changed the command method?"
"Yes. Instead of commanding mana, I made use of what is stored within the mana particles themselves to make them act."
Azek replied honestly while pressing the handkerchief to his nose.
"What?"
Sevile's eyes showed doubt—then flickered with a strange light.
"So you rewrote the entire spell command structure?"
"I suppose so…" Azek answered thoughtfully.
Sevile studied him for a long moment.
"I suppose you are a genius—in the sense that you were able to execute it with only a simple backlash."
He added quietly,
"Any other student in your position would have had their limbs torn apart."
"What? backlash"
Azek frowned in confusion.
Sevile turned.
"Come to my office."