He continued the experiment as he followed the same mana pathway as the Manifest Intent skill.
Then, by instinct, he pushed forward.
Mana exploded out of his palm in a rough burst, causing the air to ripple.
The nearest training dummy shook slightly. While the runes in the wall flared and absorbed the excess.
Arthur frowned.
"That's not it."
He tried again. As Mana gathered once more.
But then, another burst. Another meaningless release.
It was power.
But power without direction.
Arthur exhaled slowly.
"I'm still thinking like an attacker."
He tried again.
This time, he did not push.
He simply held the mana at the edge of release.
It trembled.
Unstable.
Then it collapsed and dispersed.
Arthur grimaced.
Annoyance flickered.
Not rage or despair, just irritation.
"Again."
He gathered mana.
But he didn't imagine as a blast, or as a strike.
He imagined weight.
Pressure.
Like pressing his palm against someone's chest.
The mana surged.
Reflex kicked in.
