"Okay. Then let’s go outside. Sowhere far, just in case your magic ends up destroying sothing by accident." Audrey said.
"Alright." Logan nodded.
Without another word, he rose from his lotus position and started walking out of the house. Audrey followed behind him quietly.
By now, most people in the estate already knew about Audrey, but even then, a few servants were still staring with a stunned expression when they saw a sword floating in the air behind Logan. They stood frozen, eyes wide, watching in disbelief until both Logan and the sword disappeared from sight.
Logan didn’t stop until he reached the edge of the nearby woods. It was the very place where he used to secretly practice his cultivation years ago.
Once they were deep enough inside and far from any disturbance, Audrey spoke, "This should be far enough. We can begin our practice here."
Logan gave a silent nod.
"Before we start, let explain a few things," Audrey continued as Logan turned to face her.
"The mana you all have been using... it’s quite similar to what the Elves use. But there’s an important difference you need to understand."
She paused, then elaborated in a calm and clear voice.
"The dungeons that are currently appearing on Earth or which are already there, the walls in all of them, the stones, even the air inside them, all emit this type of mana. That’s why magic began spreading once dungeons appeared. But this mana, while it may feel similar to real mana, isn’t natural. It’s artificial."
She paused for a mont. "That’s the first point. This artificial mana exists only because of the dungeons. Once the current system of runes and arrays that creates them collapses, or once they are completely cleared, this mana will vanish."
"Second... and this is the crucial one... this artificial mana makes spellcasting easier. It’s denser, more responsive. But real mana... real mana must be bonded with. You have to feel it. You can’t force it. It flows only when there’s a connection, a very strong resonance. And to cast spells with real mana, you need to develop a mana core, just like how you developed your dantian for internal energy. But here’s the issue..." Audrey kept hovering in the air and at the mont it felt like she was staring at Logan seriously.
"Without specific bloodline, you cannot form a proper mana core. The only reason you’re able to use mana now is because this artificial mana cheats the rules. It lets you skip the real process."
Logan’s eyes narrowed, a frown forming as he tried to process it all.
Audrey continued, "The mont this artificial mana disappears... so will your ability to use magic. And that day is not far off."
She paused again, and then dropped the final truth.
"The dungeon in Solmyr is the key. It’s the only dungeon specifically built to block this artificial mana from leaking out. It’s sealed differently, built with unique style and purpose. It doesn’t breathe artificial mana like the others. That dungeon... it’s not just a place. It’s a gateway. A gateway connecting your world and the monsters’ planet."
Logan, who had been so sure that now he already understood almost everything, the energy systems, the secrets behind magic, now found himself overwheld again. He tried his best to keep up, but his brain was racing to absorb every word Audrey said.
"What kind of special bloodline are we even talking about?" Logan asked, trying to piece everything together.
Audrey replied calmly, "Each race has its own unique bloodline.... elves, humans, dwarves, and so on. Your bloodline is aligned with cultivation. That’s why, even though the monster race invaded Earth, they couldn’t steal cultivation techniques. Instead, they began producing hybrids."
Logan’s head spun at the revelation. Too much at once.
"Then how can I even use magic if I can’t form a mana core?" he asked, frustration slipping into his voice. "What exactly did you bring out here to teach?"
"I said you can’t develop a mana core," Audrey replied evenly. "I never said you can’t use magic."
Logan stared at her, confused. "What the hell does that an? Didn’t you just say we need a mana core to cast spells? And now you’re telling I don’t have the right bloodline to form one... so what, are you trying to ss with my head?"
He was clearly irritated now.
He had co all this way, hopeful and ready to learn magic, only to feel like soone had pulled the rug out from under his feet.
Audrey, however, didn’t back down. "Yes, I said those things. And I stand by them."
"But," she continued, her tone sharp and clear, "you can use magic, just not through a mana core. Instead, you’ll use your internal energy. That’s what I’m going to teach you now."
Logan frowned. "I thought internal energy was just ant to support magic... not be the actual thod."
"Yes. From now on, your internal energy will be the main source for casting magic," Audrey confird. "Now stop asking questions and let’s begin. Once you try it yourself, everything will start to make sense."
"Alright." After a brief mont of reflection, Logan nodded.
"Good. Then let’s begin with fire magic. It’s the easiest to start with."
Logan pushed aside his remaining doubts and focused completely, tuning into her every word.
"Feel the air brushing against your palm," Audrey instructed softly. "Focus on a specific spot, picture it clearly. A shape, like a sphere. Now try to alter the temperature in just that area. If you can concentrate well enough... you can ignite it."
Logan listened carefully, nodded again, and slowly raised his hand, preparing to try this new thod.
"If I can familiarize myself with this quickly... then maybe I won’t even need to reach Martial Emperor Realm before I raid the main dungeon, like Nolan said," he thought.
He began shaping the sphere in his mind, trying to channel his internal energy.... but before he could even focus on heating the air...
Whoosh!
A fireball suddenly materialized in his palm.
Audrey’s expression changed instantly. "No! Don’t use the mana around here. If you rely on that, you’ll never learn the proper thod!"
But Logan, still staring at his hand with wide eyes, stamred, "I... I didn’t."
"What?" Audrey was taken aback. "You didn’t? Then how did you already summon a fireball?!"
"I don’t know," Logan said honestly, his brows furrowed. "I really don’t."
Audrey’s voice turned puzzled. "It might be... this artificial mana. It’s likely so deeply engraved in your body’s muscle mory that you’re unconsciously using it, even when you don’t want to." She paused before continuing. "Let help."
With a small pulse from her, the soul sword, a bubble of energy shimred into existence and expanded outward, turning into a translucent barrier that enclosed the area around Logan.
"This will block the artificial mana from entering. Now you can try again properly," she said.
Logan gave a serious nod and raised his hand once more.
He then took a deep breath and focused again.
This ti, he fully expected failure. With the artificial mana blocked off, he assud nothing would happen.
He pictured the air brushing his palm, the shape of a small sphere, and tried to channel his internal energy to increase the temperature.
But.....
Whoosh!
Another fireball materialized into life in the middle of his palm.
His eyes widened. "Again...?"
Audrey, too, was stunned beyond words.
"That... that shouldn’t be possible..." her voice ca out as a whisper. "You shouldn’t be able to do that. Not without artificial mana, and definitely not this sooner with raw internal energy alone."
Logan blinked. "Are you sure you ford the barrier properly?"
"I did." Audrey’s tone was firm, almost defensive. "The barrier I activated is a strong one. And I can feel it too. There’s no external mana inside."
"Then what the hell is going on?" Logan asked, baffled. "You said without a mana core I can’t use magic directly manipulating mana. And if this barrier is really working, then there should be no artificial mana left. How did this fireball already materialized then."
Audrey remained quiet for a long mont, processing everything. Then, almost reluctantly, she said, "Let’s test sothing else. Let’s try another elent."
She floated closer.
"Try ice magic this ti," she said. "Pick a shape again. Visualize it. But instead of heating the air within the shape... freeze it. Imagine the temperature dropping. And make it drop so much that it starts to freeze."
Logan narrowed his eyes, nodded once, and slowly raised his hand again for the third ti.
He extended his hand, visualizing a thin, long shape, like a blade. And then used his internal energy to form an imaginary vacuum as if it was sucking the heat.
But just like earlier, before he could focus farther.....
Crack!
A glowing ice blade snapped into existence.
Audrey’s floating form visibly trembled.
If she had a human face, her jaw would’ve been hanging open.
"What the hell?!"
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