"This isn't training. This is pure bullying."

I got thoroughly 'beaten up' that day. 

Somehow, I managed to survive, and shortly afterwards, we sat down for dinner. 

And as I expected, it was the same falcon Rowan had hunted, accompanied by some mushrooms.

'I don't think it'll be possible for me to get some sleep tonight. Every part of my body is screaming in pain... Should I try reading a book or something?'

I made up my mind and decided to ask Rowan. "Hey, teacher, do you have a book I can read? Maybe something about the elves?"

"Hmm…Let's see... I don't really have any books, but I do have some newspapers. I read them sometimes to keep up with the world." Rowan replied, leading me to a shelf.

To my surprise, he pulled out a large stack of newspapers, some even dated back to ten years ago.

'...Maybe I can learn something about the elves from these.'

I took a few over to the corner that had now become my secondary bed and started flipping through them. Most of the pages were filled with minor crimes or trivial news—nothing too engaging.

Until I reached the last page of one.

"Sorcery Emerges Across Three Races — Scholars Warn of a Shift in the Balance of Power"

"Sorcery? What is that? Some sort of a cult-thing or something?"

What else really caught my attention was the date. This paper was published just a few months ago, indicating that Rowan still had some connection to the outside world.

I didn't think much of it as my drowsiness crept up on me, and before I knew it, I passed out with newspapers scattered around me.

I don't think I was able to read that many newspapers that night, and before I knew it, I could feel the sunshine on my face.

***

Pant…

Pant… 

Pant…

"Wait… Please, just one minute—"

"Still around a couple of miles are left. If you're this weak, maybe infiltration will be easier for you. Hahaha..."

"Ahhh… Damn it. Who laughs at their own jokes?"

I somehow managed to drag myself back to the cottage. After a short break, we moved on to arrow-making, following the steps Rowan had shown me. Then it was time to head to the hunting grounds.

Twang...

Twang...

Twang...

"Ugh! Why is this happening?"

No matter how much I tried, I couldn't grasp a single bit of this special archery technique.

"What you're trying to do is copy me," Rowan said softly. "You'll never succeed that way. You need to find your own silence."

"Yeah? Then explain it in a way I can understand."

"Let's see... Then try imagining this. You're holding a bow for the first time. You have your enemy right in front of you, threatening to kill everything you ever cared for. You know nothing about the weapon in your hand, but you have to protect your people."

The moment he said that... it hit me somewhere deep in my chest, right where it hurt most.

It wasn't just a scenario for me— it was the night. That unforgettable night.

An enemy? There's only one I can think of.

That one-eyed bastard who ruined everything.

If that monster had never existed, maybe I'd be home right now, having breakfast with my family, or eating the bread from Mrs Welsey's shop.

All of this... everything was because of that monster.

I want to defeat it.

No—I want to kill it.

But just as I raised the bow again, the string snapped. The birds flew off in panic.

"That's too much anger right there. You'll only cause more trouble for yourself if you can't control it."

I was feeling pathetic. I dreamt of killing something much stronger than me, and here I couldn't even draw a bowstring.

"Don't beat yourself up. Just think of it as another lesson. Let's move on—time for your other classes."

I followed him quietly, lost in thought. I tried to brainstorm ways to learn Memories of Silence, but nothing sparked that confidence in me.

'Hah… Maybe I really do need two months to learn it. Or maybe even more than that.'

Back at the cabin, I picked up the training sword Rowan gave me.

"We're not doing sword training today," he said.

"Huh? Then what—"

"We'll be starting Mana Manipulation."

Mana Manipulation. A passive skill—just like swordsmanship or spearmanship. And the one thing I was actually a little proud of. 

Actually, learning it was considered to be rather difficult. Most kids didn't start until they were fifteen.

But when Rowan said he'd teach me, I knew instantly—I couldn't show off in front of him. Elves were in a league of their own when it came to this.

"Yes, teacher."

I dropped into a full lotus position, the way I'd always practised.

"What are you doing?" Rowan asked, visibly confused.

"Practising Mana Manipulation?"

He blinked. "What do you think that is, boy?"

"Um… Controlling mana in your body and the surroundings by concentrating really hard?" I answered with a slightly vexed but uncertain tone. "W-well, it's not like I know the definitions of these things. I know how to do it!"

His face looked completely bewildered. He had a face that spoke out- This boy knows nothing about Mana Manipulation.

He sighed. "Completely wrong. That's why I was wondering why you didn't train your mana yesterday."

"What?? You made me train in swords and archery all day! If I trained my mana too, I'd literally die!"

"I don't even know what you're talking about," Rowan said flatly. "Unlike Swordsmanship or Spearmanship, Mana Manipulation is a true passive skill. So it should be used like a passive," Rowan said in a manner that went over my head.

"And what in the world does that mean?" I enquired.

"It means that whether you're learning a sword, a spear or even archery, whether you're talking to the person you love, eating your favourite food, singing, dancing, or even facing your own death, it doesn't matter. You should be used alongside everything. Mana Manipulation should be done as you breathe"

'That… sounds kinda cool.'

But at the same time, it sounded somewhat impossible too. 

I also had mixed feelings after investing so much time since childhood in learning Mana Manipulation, only to be told it was the wrong way. It was like cramming all night for the wrong exam.

"Is that the normal way, though?" I couldn't help but cope with my sadness.

"Yes. My method is entirely normal. I don't know who raised you on such ignorance. Shameful, really."

"O-okay… Just shut up already."

"So what do I do then?" I asked.

"You'll float."

"F-float? And what does that mean again?" 

"You can see for yourself", Rowan answered.

Rowan took me to a nearby waterfall, not far from our cottage. 

The water though, in the lake where the waterfall died, its clarity mesmerised me at first sight. It was beautiful—breathtaking, even.

"I've never seen such beautiful water in my life," I murmured in awe.

"It's not normal water. It's saturated with mana. Actually, this forest is rich in mana so much that the water's been soaking it up for centuries. That's why it's somewhat… polluted."

"Polluted? This is probably the cleanest water I've ever seen. Will we die if we drink it?" I asked curiously.

Well, I already drank the first day I arrived here.

"Not really. You need to drink it every day for at least a month to show some symptoms. The water we drink every day is filtered many times before drinking."

"So… I drink it now?"

"No. Try to swim—no, try to float. The water's denser than usual, so it won't be that hard. Once you're floating, calm your mind and absorb as much mana as you can. Think of it like your Mana Borrow skill."

"Okay, that doesn't sound too hard."

Rowan smirked. "That's the easy part. The real challenge is next. Draw all the mana in your body to your solar plexus. When you're at your limit, spread it through your body. Then do it again. Over and over."

I listened carefully, asking questions along the way. He explained everything with clarity—but I knew the execution would be the real test.

"Teacher, one more thing. If this mana-rich water is here, do other elves come here to train?"

"It's very rare. Elves can sense even the tiniest traces of mana from birth. They don't need dense mana. But for those who struggle since birth, they visit the Tree of Life to connect with high-density mana instead of coming here."

"Elves really are blessed," I said, genuinely impressed.

"You'll gain that ability too—eventually. For now, this is how you'll learn."

"Hmm… Maybe this can help me control Mana Borrow better too..."

Following his instructions, I entered the water. I swam to the middle and left my body to the water's calm movements. Soon, I found myself floating as Rowan said.

At first, it was easy, and I knew I was doing it without any mistakes. But then—

"There's too much mana."

It was like being thrown into an ocean after being thirsty for days, and now I could barely breathe, rather than quenching my thirst.

'I need to slow down… Slow down…'

Eventually, I found my rhythm and got the gist of it. Soon, I began absorbing mana from the water normally. But just as Rowan said, that was the easy part.

Then came the real test. I pulled the mana toward my solar plexus. The tip of my fingers tingled and grew warm. My head entered a state of euphoria and soon started to hallucinate. 

The feeling was oddly familiar—like when I transferred my mana into the spear and the portal that night.

Soon, the pain in my body vanished as I felt a comfortable warmth flow towards my Solar Plexus. 

'I succeeded.'

Without really asking Rowan for any compliments, I continued it for hours, feeling like I might burst at each step.

"Slow down, Owen…"

One wrong move and I could lose everything. I knew this wasn't a training session anymore—it was survival.

And I think… that's exactly what Rowan intended.

With gritted teeth, I forced the mana to flow—to my brain, fingers, toes, lungs, and heart. I began circulating it through every fibre of my being.

This was Mana Manipulation.

And I was just getting started.