Theory Class — Mana Disturbance

  Professor Calder Voss stood at the front of the lecture hall, chalk moving quickly across the board.

  Lines of mana diagrams spread across the black surface—circulation patterns, equilibrium ratios, and detection models layered over one another.

  “Mana,” Voss said, tapping the board with the chalk, “is not merely energy. It leaves signatures.”

  He drew three overlapping circles.

  “Which means any event involving mana—spells, beasts, artifacts, even corrupted entities—creates a traceable disturbance.”

  The class watched quietly.

  Voss suddenly turned around.

  “So let me ask a simple question.”

  His eyes swept across the room.

  “How do you identify whether a mana disturbance was caused by a natural mana beast or by external interference?”

  Several students shifted in their seats.

  Then a hand rose calmly.

  Seraphina Vale.

  “Miss Vale,” Voss said with interest.

  Seraphina stood.

  “A natural mana beast typically produces a stable mana circulation pattern,” she said. “External interference tends to disrupt the environment more aggressively.”

  Voss nodded slightly.

  “A reasonable answer.”

  Seraphina sat.

  Then Voss tilted his head slightly.

  “But incomplete.”

  His gaze moved across the room.

  Then it stopped.

  “Korin.”

  I looked up.

  “Yes, Professor?”

  “How would you identify the difference?”

  I stood slowly.

  “A mana beast’s disturbance is self-contained,” I said.

  “It forms a circular mana feedback loop between the creature and the surrounding environment.”

  I pointed toward the diagram on the board.

  “External interference breaks that loop.”

  Voss watched me carefully.

  I continued.

  “You can detect it by measuring mana decay rate.”

  “A natural creature stabilizes the field within seconds.”

  “Artificial interference continues degrading the mana field over time.”

  A few students blinked.

  I finished calmly.

  “So if the mana density continues dropping after the disturbance ends, the source was external.”

  Silence filled the room.

  Professor Voss slowly smiled.

  “Excellent.”

  Seraphina glanced sideways at me briefly.

  Voss turned back to the board.

  “Exactly correct.”

  I sat down.

  Inside, I exhaled quietly.

  Studying with the Book of Autherion makes things absurdly easy.

  Information that would normally take months to learn appears instantly.

  Sometimes it almost feels unfair.

  But I’m not complaining.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Efficiency is efficiency.

  Applied Combat Systems

  Later that afternoon, Instructor Thorn gathered the class inside the combat hall.

  “Today’s exercise is a field search operation,” she said.

  A map projection appeared in the air.

  “This mission will take place at Valkor Ridge.”

  Several cadets reacted immediately.

  The name wasn’t unfamiliar.

  The ridge belonged to the Valkor family.

  In other words—

  Varek’s family.

  Professor Voss spoke from the side.

  “The property has been temporarily opened to the academy.”

  Varek didn’t react.

  Instructor Thorn continued.

  “The mountain is known for one particular resource.”

  The projection zoomed in.

  Clusters of glowing minerals appeared across the map.

  “Starroot Crystals.”

  They were rare mana-reactive crystals that formed in high-altitude environments.

  “Your objective is simple,” Thorn said.

  “Locate and retrieve as many crystals as possible before sunset.”

  Her eyes scanned the room.

  “The ridge is filled with them.”

  She paused.

  “But the terrain is unstable.”

  “And mana beasts are common.”

  A brief silence followed.

  “Form your teams.”

  Group Formation

  Cadets immediately began moving.

  Some groups formed quickly.

  Some argued.

  Some negotiated.

  At the center of the room—

  Aric Vayne and Zane Warry exchanged a glance.

  “No objections?” Aric asked.

  Zane shrugged.

  “None.”

  They formed a group together.

  Nearby—

  Varek Valkor gathered his usual followers.

  Two large cadets immediately stepped beside him.

  Then Kade Stratos wandered over casually.

  “Mind if I join?” Kade asked.

  Varek shrugged.

  “Fine.”

  Across the room—

  Selene Nightbloom formed a team with the Solstice twins.

  Two additional cadets joined them.

  Iris Umbra stretched lazily against a pillar.

  Seraphina walked over.

  “You’re going alone?” Seraphina asked.

  Iris yawned.

  “Was planning to.”

  Seraphina nodded.

  “Then I’ll join you.”

  Tyrion Blackthorn stood near the window.

  Three female cadets gathered around him almost immediately.

  None of them seemed eager to leave his side.

  He accepted the arrangement without comment.

  And then there was me.

  Standing alone.

  Varek noticed.

  “You joining anyone?” he asked.

  I shook my head.

  “I’ll manage.”

  “You can join our group,” Varek said.

  I glanced briefly toward the team.

  My eyes stopped on one person.

  Kade.

  Kade smiled slightly.

  I looked back at Varek.

  “I’ll pass.”

  Varek adjusted the grip on his heavy spear and looked toward me again.

  “You sure?” he asked.

  “You could join our group.”

  I shook my head.

  “I’ll manage.”

  For a moment Varek simply nodded.

  But someone behind him chuckled.

  Kade.

  “Don’t worry about him,” Kade said lazily, spinning his dagger between his fingers. “Some people prefer dying alone.”

  A few cadets nearby snorted quietly.

  Kade tilted his head toward me with a faint smirk.

  “Besides,” he added, “maybe he’s planning to trip over another Hollowed and accidentally win again.”

  I didn’t respond.

  I simply adjusted the strap of my bag.

  Not worth the conversation.

  I turned and walked away from the gathering groups.

  Behind me, Kade laughed softly.

  “See?” he said to Varek. “Independent spirit.”

  Varek frowned slightly but said nothing.

  Valkor Ridge — Search Begins

  The teams quickly spread across the mountain slopes.

  Valkor Ridge was steep, rocky, and covered in thick forest. Higher elevations were scattered with exposed stone and patches of glowing mineral veins.

  I stopped walking for a moment.

  Then I spoke quietly.

  “Book.”

  “Yes.”

  “Where on Valkor Ridge are Starroot Crystals most commonly found?”

  The answer came instantly.

  “Highest density is recorded along the northern slope, near shallow root clusters where mana concentration stabilizes beneath exposed stone layers.”

  I nodded.

  “Of course.”

  At this point, asking the Book questions had become almost automatic.

  A habit.

  A very useful one.

  I turned toward the northern slope and began walking.

  Northern Slope

  The terrain grew steeper.

  Loose stones slid underfoot as I climbed higher.

  Eventually I stopped beside a patch of exposed soil where faint mana shimmered beneath the surface.

  “Here,” I murmured.

  I pulled a small hand shovel from my bag—the kind normally used for planting small garden plants.

  Then I started digging.

  The soil was surprisingly soft.

  A few minutes later—

  Clink.

  The metal shovel struck something solid.

  I brushed the dirt aside.

  A small blue crystal glowed faintly beneath the soil.

  “Starroot Crystal.”

  I picked it up and dropped it into my bag.

  Then I continued digging.

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  The process repeated again and again.

  I worked methodically, following the Book’s directions and scanning the ground for mana density variations.

  Eventually I stopped.

  I counted the crystals inside my bag.

  Seventeen.

  I frowned slightly.

  How many should I bring…

  I thought about it.

  This was a class exercise.

  Not a mining operation.

  If I returned with too many, it might look strange.

  But returning with too few would defeat the point.

  I glanced at the bag again.

  Seventeen should be enough.

  I closed the bag.

  And stopped digging.

  Sunset — Gathering Point

  By sunset, the cadets began returning to the base of the ridge.

  Instructor Thorn stood near a large stone table where a scoreboard projection floated in the air.

  Each team’s results were displayed beside their group name.

  One by one, cadets reported their findings.

  “Group Aric,” Thorn said.

  Aric placed the crystals on the table.

  “Two.”

  Thorn nodded and updated the board.

  “Group Selene.”

  “Two.”

  “Group Tyrion.”

  “One.”

  Some cadets returned empty-handed.

  Others managed one.

  Occasionally two.

  The pattern became obvious quickly.

  Finding even one crystal required luck and patience.

  Three seemed impressive.

  Then Iris stepped forward with Seraphina beside her.

  “Three,” Iris said lazily, dropping them on the table.

  A few cadets murmured quietly.

  Instructor Thorn nodded.

  “Noted.”

  The scoreboard updated.

  Iris / Seraphina — 3

  The highest so far.

  Then I stepped forward.

  Thorn looked at me.

  “Yes?”

  “Did you retrieve any crystals?”

  I opened my bag.

  “Yes.”

  I placed the crystals on the table.

  Thorn stared.

  Then counted them quickly.

  Her eyebrows rose.

  Then she said loudly—

  “Seventeen?”

  The number echoed across the clearing.

  “You collected seventeen crystals alone?”

  Every cadet turned.

  All eyes landed on me.

  Murmurs spread instantly.

  “What?”

  “Seventeen?”

  “That’s impossible…”

  “Most of us barely found one…”

  I blinked.

  One?

  My gaze slowly moved toward the scoreboard.

  Most entries read:

  0

  1

  1

  2

  Three had been the highest.

  Until now.

  The projection updated.

  Korin — 17

  Silence spread through the clearing.

  I sighed quietly.

  …That explains it.

  I had assumed a handful would be average.

  Instead, it seemed even one crystal was considered a decent result.

  Which meant—

  I had just overdone it.

  Again.

  I looked away from the scoreboard.

  Why do I keep highlighting myself…