novelraw Chapter 40 : Seeking Another Path
Chapter 40 : Seeking Another Path
The morning sun spilled through the cracked shutters, dust dancing in the beams of light. My body still ached from yesterday, but my mind was sharper than ever.
I sat cross-legged on the floor, the beginner’s magic book sprawled open in front of me. The pages were worn, the ink faded—but to me, they were treasures.
I traced the lines with my finger. Fireball. Greater Fireball. Sparks, flames, heat—page after page of destruction.
My chest tightened. No… not today.
I flipped further until something new caught my eye. A simple glyph, marked with flowing lines like rippling waves.
“Aqua Ball…”
The description was short. A beginner’s spell, taught to children as practice for mana control. A harmless sphere of water, conjured for drinking, cleaning, or play.
The HUD blinked faintly:
[Skill Available: Aqua Ball]
[Requirement: Beginner Mana Manipulation – Met]
[Learn Skill?]
“Yes.”
Mana stirred. My palm grew cool, damp, and then—plop—a small ball of water floated above my hand.
My eyes widened. “It worked…”
The HUD shimmered again:
[Skill Acquired: Aqua Ball]
[Evolution Paths Detected – Thread Count: 3]
[Aqua Burst – Requires rapid casting of 50 Aqua Balls in under one minute.]
[Aqua Lance – Requires condensing Aqua Ball into a needle-like form and piercing stone.]
[Aqua Veil – Requires sustaining 10 simultaneous Aqua Balls around the body for 10 minutes.]
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I grinned, watching the little ball wobble in the air. It was nothing like fire. No heat, no roar, no danger. Just… calm.
I clenched my tiny fist. “Yes. This is it. Not just fire. Not just destruction. I’ll find more. I’ll find better.”
Behind me, I felt her gaze—Lyra, standing silently as always. She tilted her head, her dark eyes glinting with something unreadable.
But she said nothing.
Only watched as I played with water like a child—and dreamed of a future where my hands could build, not only burn.
The little sphere of water wobbled above my palm before splashing onto the floorboards. I pouted, shaking my hand dry.
[Skill: Aqua Ball – Proficiency: 12/100]
[Evolution Requirement: Insufficient Mana Capacity]
The HUD’s blunt words glared at me. Not enough mana…
I sat there, chewing on my lip, thinking hard. Fireball I could brute force by spamming until my veins burned, but Aqua Ball was different. It wanted… control. More fuel. A bigger container.
So I slipped into the kitchen, where Mama sat by the window, a cup of tea steaming in her hands.
“...Mama?”
She looked up, her tired eyes softening when they fell on me. “Rooga. What is it?”
I fiddled with my fingers, then blurted, “How do I… get more mana?”
Her cup froze halfway to her lips. “…Mana?”
I nodded quickly. “Mine’s too small. I need more.”
She set the cup down slowly, her face unreadable. “Why do you want that, Rooga?”
I hesitated. “Because… I can’t do what I want with just this much. I need more to make… better spells.”
Her brow furrowed, concern flickering in her eyes. “More mana isn’t a toy, Rooga. It strains the body. A weak vessel can break under it. Why are you so desperate?”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I couldn’t tell her about the HUD, about evolution paths, about my resolve not to follow the road of destruction. So I just whispered the simplest truth I could.
“I want to get stronger… without hurting people.”
Her lips parted. For a long moment, she only stared at me. Then, slowly, she smiled—the soft, aching kind that made her eyes shine.
“...You really are my son.”
She pulled me into her lap, brushing her fingers through my hair. “Alright, Rooga. I’ll teach you how to expand your mana pool. But you must promise me something.”
I looked up at her. “What?”
“Never force it. Mana is like a river—you expand the banks slowly, or it will flood and drown you.”
I nodded hard. “Promise!”
Her chuckle was quiet, warm, and a little sad. “Good. Then let’s begin.”
The HUD flickered faintly:
[New Training Unlocked: Mana Expansion Exercises]
[Proficiency Bonus: Maternal Tutelage]
And just like that, my world of magic grew wider.