Fireball

Takt was inside the training hall of the mercenary guild for his magic training, supervised by Cornelia.

Cornelia, who was teaching Takt, couldn't help but to feel amazed about his progress and the way he absorbed every teaching she gave him.

"He's a prodigy. No. A genius born once in a million years. I didn't expect that I would be able to meet a person like him."

She approached Takt, who was busy practicing the meditation method she taught him to increase his mana. When he felt her presence, his focus got disturbed and he opened his eyes to look at her.

"What is it? Did I happen to make a mistake in doing what you teach me?" he asked before relaxing his posture from the tiring Lotus sitting position.

"No, I'm just curious how you can easily learn what I am teaching."

"Huh? What was this drunkard lady trying to say?"

"I'm just copying whatever you showed to me earlier." Takt rubbed the back of his head before trying to stand up.

"But looking at your progress, you seem to be taking it too easy," she commented.

"No, I'm just..." He tried to laugh it off.

"Well, I read hundreds of stories and watched many anime and just followed some scenes and methods there. I didn't expect it would be useful."

"Well, just a review. This mana training composed of..."

Cornelia gave him a brief review lesson about their training method. Takt was currently using the method made by Cornelia to fully understand the essence of mana.

There are three things needed to be considered as you train your mana, the three basic components of your mana: Mana strength, Mana control and Mana Manipulation.

Mana is like energy particles that a human can absorb from surroundings. It helps humans with a talent to become a mage to use magic. The part inside the body where the mana got stored is called mana core, located beside the heart.

There are some points spread around the body of a person where a mage can store a mana called mana banks, which helps the efficient distribution of mana around the mage's body.

Those banks are all connected to the mana core through a pathway called mana veins that circulate the mana all throughout the body of a mage.

A mage could be classified in different rank or levels by the means of their strength and dominance over their mana. The rank is based on the number of how many times the mana core expands called Mana Circles.

There are nine circles of mana divided into five major ranks in mage's standards which are listed below:

1 circle to 2 circles is beginner mage
3 to 4 circles is advance mage
5 to 6 circles is senior advance mage
7 to 8 circles is the master mage
9 circles is the legendary archmage

There is a theory regarding the existence of mana core in every individual. It just happens that some are dormant while some are active. Those with active mana cores are sensitive to the presence of mana in their surroundings and able to detect and sense mana power in their body. And when they expand their mana core to the first circle, they will be able to fully unleash magic spells and effects and be considered as an official mage.

According to Cornelia, the basic training to fully understand the essence of mana is through continuous research and seeking information regarding magic.

But to train your mana strength, you need to increase your mana capacity to be able to store more mana. Cornelia's training involves a physical fitness program to prepare one's body to adapt to having mana inside the body, also an intense method of repetition in depleting and recharging mana to widen the mana veins connected to the mana core.

And to train your mana control, you need to be able to guide your mana in flowing in your mana veins and control the balance of input and output of your mana from the core to the banks to the outside of your body. Cornelia makes it happen through her unique meditation method and training program on being sensitive to one's mana power and the mana in the surroundings.

Lastly, to train your mana manipulation, you need to fully understand all the effects and plausibility it will cause to the phenomenon you want to create. Cornelia teaches her own method of classifying all the elements that a mana has and focuses on increasing intellectual ability, imagination and creativity.

"Well, observing this person, I am sure that he has an excellent mental image resulting from either his high intellect or wide imagination."

Takt tried to manifest magic by imagining a fireball appearing in his hand but he couldn't fully accomplish it and just got tired from using his mana.

"It's really interesting. His mana strength is disappointing but his mana control is superb, looking at the way he controls the input and output of his mana, though he was wasting his mana through unnecessary unleashing it in his entire body but it could be solved. The most interesting thing is his mana manipulation that I can sense from how his mana flows inside his body. I sense that he is flowing his mana through his vein spread all throughout his body but his mana banks look weird but unique. Usually, it spreads in the body and is located to joints or major organs but his banks are located near his mana core like surrounding it. Too interesting."

"You..." she called his attention. "I already taught you the four main processes of casting a magic spell, right?"

"Oh, the knowledge, mental image, analysis and manifestation."

"And what do you think about the most important process out of the four?"

"Huh? A sudden quiz. She really has her own pace. Hmmm... most important? Well, magic is something that is born from imagination, I guess, so I think it is the mental image."

"Mental image?" he unsurely answered.

"Yes! You're right!" she replied before simultaneously casting for different fireballs. "Knowledge and analysis can be learned from books, guidance from others and teachings while manifestation depends on one's mana strength and control. But, the mental image is your imagination, understanding of yourself, your creativity and your perspective of the world."

"Oh, yes. Okay, I understand."

"Well, I'm a writer and my wide imagination is one of my proud traits."

"Then, while casting a magic spell, how are you doing it?" she asked.

"Well, I just follow what you taught me. I remember the magic book about a fireball magic spell, imagine how the magic will appear and its features. Then, through analysis, I created the magic circle for the certain spell and sensed the mana in my surroundings who has the strong fire element and gathered it in my hand while my own mana will compensate with the creation of the fire. Lastly I will just unleash my mana to manifest the magic spell," he explained.

"But you couldn't accomplish it, right?"

"Well, probably because of my low mana strength."

"It's one of the reasons but it's also because of how you imagine how your magic will manifest."

"Imagine? But I am imagining it well."

"No, you're not. How about trying to imagine a fire. What is it? How did it start? What are its components? Something along the line."

"Okay. I will try."

Takt tried to concentrate again by closing his eyes as Cornelia gave him a space. He tried to do the first step as he did earlier.

"I remember the information about the magic spell now. Next, imagine, huh? Then, a fire appeared on my hand. It's hot and blazing. Hmmm, what else? Do I need to be more detailed? Then, what should I think? It's components? Oh! I remember in one of the seminars I attended before about the components of fire. The 'fire triangle'. Then, I will forget about her lesson about classifying the elements of mana."

The air around him became turbulent causing Cornelia to tremble a bit as her eyes became filled with surprise and then, curiosity.

"There's no fire. It started with oxygen so I will gather wind type mana particles. Then, there's heat, if I gather the fire type mana particles, I will only cause everything to break apart. What should I do? What are the phenomena that can cause heat? Ah. There's friction. I sensed that those wind type mana particles are also an object so  I just need to make them interact with each other. Twirl them, make them spin in the fastest way I can do. How about the fuel. Gasoline? No, I don't need that. It's a magic spell so I will compensate it with my mana. My mana will be the fuel for the fire. Is it finished? No, if I exerted it it would only be like a flame thrower. I need it to be in the form of a sphere. Imagine a fireball. No. A more definite image of it. More detailed. A sun. A ball of fire like the sun."

Cornelia could feel the heat in her position as the training hall got filled with raging winds with Takt as the center and reason.

"Now, the magic circle. I won't be using the magic circle from the magic book. It will only downgrade my magic spell. I need more specific illustrations. Oh, that magic circle from that novel. I will use that to further strengthen my image. Now, to complete everything, I will unleash it all. A chemical reaction will happen."

Takt slowly opened his eyes before looking at his palm before casting the magic spell he created.

"Fireball."

A long deafening sonic sound roared before a loud explosion, only for them to see a huge fire ball appearing in the middle of the hall like a miniature sun descended on the land but it only last for a few seconds before it vanish, leaving fires that engulfed the light materials in the place.

Cornelia's eyes shone like having seen something she sought to find, looking at the fireball that Takt cast. On the other hand, the source of the magic spell became like a washout paper, burned out from depleting his mana.

"You..." She approached the exhausted Takt, who was lying on the ground. "You created your own fireball spell, right?"

"Haaa?!" He was grasping for air. "Oh, yes... and the place looks like it's about to be burned."

"Don't worry." Cornelia extinguished all the fire with just a flick of her hand.

"Oh, yeah. As expected."

"Anyway, you!" She looked delighted. "You should become an alchemist!" she insisted.

"Huh? What are you trying to say now?"

Cornelia couldn't contain her excitement and calm down her fast beating heart. She didn't expect to meet him and become her disciple.

"I didn't expect to meet another monster."

*****