The enthusiasm Kael felt showed on his face. A silly grin emerged, but Vyra liked that; she asked.

“So, tell me how you feel after experiencing the sensation of mana throughout your body.”

He’d gaze at his own hands, feeling the mana flow through his whole body.

“It feels overwhelming; it’s like I can, it’s like I can — I don’t know how to put it into words.” He replied with a smirk.

“It’s like you can do anything, right?~” she questioned.

“Yes, exactly!” he nodded, replying with enthusiasm.

“Good, that means you are on the right track,” she extended before raising her finger and asked, “Then, if you can truly do it all, tell me. How many fingers do I have raised?”

Is this some sort of tricky question? It’s clearly just one finger.

“One,” Kael answered with a quizzical look.

“Excellent, and now.” She proceeded to raise two other fingers on the same hand.

“Three.” He looked puzzled by the process. He tilted his head to the left and squinted, checking if he had missed anything.

“Good, now.” She raised the other two fingers, looking fixedly at him. Her violet eyes seemed even more alluring now; a drowsy feeling hit him.

‘Is she doing something to me that I haven’t noticed? This exercise is way too normal. That can’t be it. It’s too simple — she must have something in mind that I’m not catching on to.’

“Five fingers.” He answered shifting his gaze between her fingers and her eyes, his eyebrows frowning.

“Great, now.” She lowered one finger, and Kael’s body felt heavy. Like he was in a trance, the overwhelming rush of adrenaline from a few moments ago had vanished.

“What is happening to me?” he thought with a troubled expression, looking around to see if it was something else affecting him.

“How many fingers are on my hand?” she questioned again, her expression the same as before. The young man didn’t know what exactly was happening to him, but he knew. His mind was… heavy. Not only that, but he was running out of breath; sweat began to drip down his face.

“Four.” He blinked twice before Vyra lowered the other three fingers. His breathing was intense and euphoric. His heart raced with each passing second, and soon he felt his brain twitch.

“Now.” Kael’s gaze fixed on that one raised finger, and he noticed something more. He couldn’t move his body; that thought made him blink a few times to check if he was still sane. When he took another look at her hand, he remembered well that she had raised only one finger.

But he could clearly see her hand, fingers raised and spiraling. Then a sharp pain hit his head, making him stumble to the floor.

He glanced back at her for an explanation.

‘Am — am I going to die?‘

“You lasted longer than I expected.” Vyra approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder; her touch came with a rush of relief. “Now it’s time for me to introduce you to another important aspect of mana.”

With relief, he regained his ability to move.

“Did you do something to me?” He kept stumbling, trying to regain his footing while taking a few steps back from her.

“No,“ she shrugged, then responded. ”You did that to yourself.“

“How is this possible? Why did that surge of energy disappear?” Kael looked at his hand. The mana from before was mostly gone, and what remained felt still.

“One of the drawbacks of mana is that beginners suffer when they cannot control it properly.”

“Excuse me?” he blinked twice, asking.

“Kael, there’s another reason why magic isn’t taught to people. So casually.” She closed her eyes, taking a few seconds to open them again. “If you ought to seek its control, you might run the risk of disrupting your own body.”

She continued, “Mana isn’t available power. Some scholars say it’s the very fabric of the universe; the more you use it, the more you allow yourself to lose. Hence, why. The most important thing is control.”

He frowned. “Then why didn’t you stop me? It’s the second time you’ve watched me fail.”

“Do you remember what I said? You have to feel frustration in the early stages while you are with me. If you go around using mana without proper supervision, you will get yourself killed.”

“And why is this a problem? I told you I’m willing to learn.” He shifted his sight to her side before looking at her again. “I’ve told you, and you know very well that I have to get stronger!”

“I understand. This desire to learn is very important, both for you and the other girl, but you have to understand.” She stepped closer, just inches from him. “Desire in this field can be a double-edged sword. I’ve seen incredibly talented women destroy their bodies because they rush through a simple process.”

With her eyes shut tight, she took a deep breath. Vyra’s lips quivered, and her eyebrows trembled with uncertainty. Her hand clenched into a tight fist, a silent storm brewing inside.

‘So she does have feelings… That’s good to know. I was starting to think that it wasn’t the case.’

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be, for now; take a break.”

“But wait—I can keep training! You mentioned we’re short on time!” he exclaimed.

“Haven’t you heard a single word of what I just said to you… if my words are so meaningless to you? You ought to learn better from Elin or Miria.” She scowled at him.

“I—I won’t interrupt you again.” His gaze shifted to the ground with a shaken expression.

“I won’t tell you this again, but in the pursuit of a wish, patience is as important as dedication and desire,” Vyra said with a steady and clear voice. “I will give an hour before we continue with our training.”

She’s right. If I die because I couldn’t be patient enough, it would be humiliating.

Kael was silent, observing her enter the tavern while he listened to the rustle of leaves and grass.

He took a deep breath and murmured, “I want to see how my patient will fare when that elf woman chases me like the Terminator.”