Page 8
Chapter 1: Mana Reserve
No 'Interference' in the world can manifest without Mana.
Fortunately, everyone has it—humans, creatures of the Tower, even animals. The amount may vary from one being to another, but in the end, everyone possesses Mana. After all, it's the very essence of life.
Think of it this way:
Mana is your ink. Control is your calligraphy skill. Interference is the pressure you apply with your brush.
If you don't press hard enough, your beautiful writing never appears.
You can have perfect ink, perfect form… and still create nothing.
And if you press with all your strength but have no ink, your brush leaves no trace.
Likewise, if you lack form, the marks on the page would be devoid of meaning.
If you're reading this, I assume you've just begun your journey with magic—and you're probably itching to see it in action.
Therefore, I've prepared a little surprise.
***
"Surprise?" Jan raised a brow, eyes narrowing at a strange circular symbol beneath the last sentence.
It was clearly a magic circle—complex, but not overwhelming. He leaned closer.
Beneath the diagram, more text followed:
This is a little test I used to give the children to stir up their excitement. For most, it would be the first magic they ever used. It will also help identify what kind of elemental affinity you were born with.
A smile had already formed on Jan's face.
Copy the circle onto a spare sheet of paper and trace the lines. Even if you haven't unlocked your Mana yet, it should work. It uses the same principle as a spell scroll—something even non-magical folks can activate.
...I hope you're not thinking of drawing directly onto the book. You might damage it.
***
Jan dove into the drawer beside him, rummaging for a pen and a clean sheet of paper.
Before long, he was carefully recreating the intricate pattern.
Not far away, Aeris—still secretly watching him from a corner of the hall—narrowed her eyes.
'What is he doing now? Drawing...? I can't see from here. Damn it.'
Glancing left and right, she slowly crept closer, weaving between shelves as if stalking prey.
Back at the desk, Jan finally lifted his pen and admired the finished circle.
"He said I just need to place my hand on it..."
*Tap—*CRACK—*
"Whoa!"
Startled by the strange sensation under his palm, Jan instinctively jerked his hand back.
There was no glow. No dramatic surge of light.
But the ink had splintered—fracturing outward in jagged, lightning-like veins across the page. Black lines spread like cracks in glass, as though the magic had imprinted itself in the paper.
It wasn't clear, but he was certain that he felt something—a strange pressure, faint and buried deep within his chest—or perhaps... his core.
Eager to learn more, Jan flipped the page to continue reading.
***
Page 9
You felt it, right?
That sensation—deep in your soul, like a tremor in your being. That's your essence. That's your Mana.
It was faint—fleeting, almost—but unmistakable.
Jan put his hand on his chest, then glanced back at the book.
Do not forget that feeling. It'll later help you reach your Mana and unlock it. Repeat the test if you like—it may help if you struggle.
Jan exhaled slowly. "He says I shouldn't forget… but I feel like I already did. I'll probably have to do it again later."
In the back, Aeris's jaw was slack.
'I've never seen anything like that. Did he just define his elemental affinity... with that? What kind of book is he reading?'
She recognized the reaction, the sensation he was describing—but this method? It was utterly foreign to her.
A method that was clear, intuitive... and strangely effective.
'I need to see that book. Just a little closer…'
Her earlier idle curiosity had twisted into something else entirely—she was dying to read it herself.
Meanwhile, Jan had already buried his nose back into the book.
***
If the ink burned—even slightly—your strongest affinity is Fire.
If it was erased or soaked away—Water.
If it was pushed outward into a clean circle—Wind.
If it crumbled to dust or turned brittle—Earth.
And if it split or cracked—Lightning.
Keep in mind that Light and Dark affinities cannot be measured with this test.
And in the case that you didn't notice any reaction, that's perfectly normal. The change may have been too subtle to catch.
***
Jan glanced down at his test paper again.
The circle had exploded into a spiderweb of ink fractures.
"Huh… that's one issue I don't have to worry about," he muttered, satisfied.
He'd never had confirmation until now, but Jan wasn't all that surprised to learn his strongest affinity was Lightning—it made sense. One of the very first skills he used involved reflecting a bolt of lightning.
His original plan was to learn how to generate it himself—maybe even combine it with his swordsmanship, like Erza and Sophia do with Fire—so he was actually on the right track.
He flipped the page and continued reading.
***
Page 10
Now that we've fed both your ego and your eagerness, let's get to work on unlocking your Mana.
Don't worry about your reserve—it will grow. There are many ways to expand it later.
What you need now is to learn how to touch it—how to sense your essence.
If you're a genius—or a Hero—congratulations, you might be able to skip this part.
But if you're not… welcome to the world of regular folks. It might be a bit of a struggle.
Still, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I believe could help.
***
Jan groaned aloud.
He was supposedly a Hero… but he couldn't even sense his Mana?
'He made it sound like this came naturally to heroes—just another thing everyone seems to know... except me.'
Jan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to feel something—anything.
After a long pause…
"Damn it! Did everyone else get an instruction manual when they landed here or something?! How do they all know this stuff?!"
In the back, Aeris flinched at the sudden outburst.
'That lunatic! He scared the hell out of me. Who reacts like that just reading a book?' She narrowed her eyes. 'Still can't see what he's reading... but he's so focused. Maybe I can get closer now.'
From one pillar to another, Aeris crept her way closer, carefully. Step by step—until she finally caught a glimpse of the page.
'What is that? Another magical circle?'
Jan was surprised to see it too. "This one's much bigger… what is this?"
***
I'm sure you noticed the magical circle on the left page, but bear with me—I'll explain it in a bit.
As I mentioned earlier, unlocking the Mana Reserve can happen naturally for some. For others, understanding what it is—paired with basic training—can make it easier. But I've had students who struggled. It took them weeks, even months—one took a full year before they could sense it.
Some gave up entirely.
The old methods—meditation, silence, clearing one's mind—they work. They worked for me. But for others, those are merely walls. Magic has plenty of them.
Mages hate making things simple. When I once asked my master why, he simply said:
"It is so that magic remains veiled to those who would treat it lightly."
He was a wise man. And I agreed with him—back then.
But times have changed. Now, more than ever, we need as many mages as we can make.
[Congratulations! Your skill has improved: "Reader Lv. 3"]
"Not now!" Jan growled, swiping the notification away with an irritated flick of his hand.
Aeris blinked. 'Who's he yelling at now?!'
She was barely three meters away—but still couldn't make out the text on the left page, for Jan had his nose buried so deep into the book.
You can try meditating first, if you want. But if it doesn't work—
The large magic circle on your left is the answer. It will help you unlock your Mana. However, copying it and connecting the lines won't do the trick this time…
This time, you will need the help of another mage.
***
Jan sighed heavily, "And just like that, you've built another wall, Master Thorne."
Feeling hopeless, Jan leaned back in his chair, letting his head fall back as he stared at the ceiling.
"Should I ask Aer... Aeris?!!"
She was right behind him.
Leaning over him.
Trying to read over his shoulder, right as he moved his head back…
Jan's head landed squarely into her chest.
"Kyaaaaah!!"
Aeris shrieked, her entire face turning crimson.
Instinct took over—magic circles flared to life around her outstretched hand, and a shiny 'sun' began to form above her palm.
With trembling fury, she screamed, "Y-You pervert! You'll pay for this!"
Jan's eyes bulged in panic.
Fainting a third time today was little more than an inconvenience, but if she fired that spell now—
'The book!'
With a wild, desperate motion, he grabbed her wrists and kicked off the ground.
The chair tipped back with a loud creak, their combined weight sending them toppling back.
*BAM—* *BOOM—*
They landed hard.
Aeris blinked, momentarily stunned.
Her head was resting against his chest.
She scrambled away, flustered and mortified, only to find Jan groaning and rubbing the back of his head—still managing to look more concerned about her than himself.
"Are you okay?!" he asked, wincing.
"Y-Yeah…" she muttered, glancing away.
"Sorry, I didn't think we'd fall. I just… panicked. I didn't want your spell to hit the book."
Aeris looked down, her anger fading. "I… I may have overreacted a bit. You alright?"
"Yeah, don't worry." Jan pushed himself up and offered her a hand.
She hesitated once. Then twice. But finally, she took it.
He helped her up… then immediately turned back to the desk.
"Phew. Still in one piece."
"Of course you'd do that," Aeris huffed. "You know, if that spell had actually gone off, the paper would be the least of your worries."
"Haha, fair enough." Jan gave her a sheepish smile.
"So…" Aeris glanced to the side. "What were you reading, anyway?"
"Oh!" Jan's face lit up. "It's a book about magic—no, not just any book. It was written by an Archmage! I'm not sure if that's the highest rank or not, but he called himself a master and a teacher. And the way he explains magic—it's so clear and simple! Even though I've only read a few pages, I feel like I've already learned a lot. Also his method is really practical, not all vague like most magic talk..."
His enthusiasm caught her completely off guard.
Aeris hadn't expected that—not the spark in his eyes, or the way his words tumbled out like he couldn't hold them in.
But it made sense. Books were his thing—the one place where Jan always felt most alive.
'I guess I just had to ask,' she thought, smiling softly
Jan blinked. "...Maybe I'll ask Basil if you can borrow it when I'm done...? What? Is there something on my face?!"
"No, no—it's nothing. You're just… funny, Jan."
"Really?" Jan looked genuinely confused, but then he turned back to the book.
"Come on," he grinned, scooting aside. "Take a look for yourself."
Aeris gave a small nod. "Okay," she said, smiling as she stepped in closer.