Emily's skepticism nagged at her like a persistent itch that refused to be ignored. She couldn't fathom the contradictions and inconsistencies surrounding Ethan's memory manipulation. It didn't make sense to her logical mind.
Perhaps there was something hidden beneath the surface, an aspect of Ethan's ability that he hadn't fully grasped or disclosed. She considered the possibility that there might be limits or consequences to his memory manipulation that he hadn't yet experienced or understood.
"Can you use mana alongside your trick?" Emily asked. "I feel like you would be able to control it more freely if you use mana."
"Can you use mana while sleeping to recover faster?" Ethan asked. "It is the same thing; of course, I can't. I told you, it is a trick, like spinning a pen on your hand with just a few fingers."
The comparison seemed a bit off, but it made sense for Ethan. In any case, he used a skill point to see what would change and confirmed that he could gain one point of mana one second faster. Naturally, the technique could only work if his mana was full.
"I already knew that one thousand is the max level of the skills, but does that mean that at some point, I will be able to increase my mana pool by one point every second?" Ethan thought. "This seems crazy… then again, my powers are way crazier."
Curiosity burned brightly in Emily, Kei, and Hana as they gathered around Ethan, their eyes fixed on him with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. They had witnessed the astounding results of his memory manipulation technique, and they yearned to unlock its secrets for themselves.
With an air of anticipation, they bombarded Ethan with questions, their voices brimming with eagerness. How did he precisely execute the memory trick? What were the intricacies they needed to understand? They craved a deeper understanding, hoping to emulate his success.
As he guided them through the process, Emily, Kei, and Hana absorbed his words, their minds processing the information with fervor. They took mental notes, trying to imprint every nuance of his instructions in their memories. Still, they failed.
Frustration mingled with their determination, and a sense of disappointment settled upon them. They had hoped to master the technique swiftly, but reality proved more challenging than they had anticipated. It became clear that Ethan's gift wasn't easily transferrable, as if it held a key unique to him alone.
"I guess this is a matter of skill that you guys don't have," Ethan shrugged.
Emily wanted to say that it was insane that someone was able to manipulate their own memories like that. It wasn't like Ethan could delete some of them, but at least he could focus on the ones he needed the most and then use them to speed up his learning progress of pretty much everything.
In any case, Ethan told the others that they could probably do the same in two more weeks. Ethan wondered if they would spread the knowledge, but he wasn't worried about that. As if he feared those that had the power to become stronger by copying him, they would need a lot more than that.
On the night of the day that Ethan had mastered the technique, he was working on using it while he was sitting on his bed when he suddenly felt the ground shaking.
As Ethan sat alone in his room, engrossed in his thoughts, he suddenly felt a subtle tremor beneath his feet. The room quivered ever so slightly, sending a ripple of unease through his body. At first, he dismissed it as a random occurrence, perhaps a mild earthquake that occasionally visited their region.
But then, an unmistakable surge of mana washed over him, tingling his senses and stirring his magical awareness. It was as if a wave of unseen energy had crashed upon his consciousness, making his skin prickle with its presence. His instincts heightened, and he knew that something extraordinary was unfolding.
With a mix of curiosity and caution, Ethan stood up, his gaze scanning the room for any signs of disturbance. The faint tremor persisted, subtle but persistent, as if the very fabric of reality quivered under its weight. He wondered what could be the cause, his mind racing through possibilities.
"This is… Sparta?" Ethan thought while furrowing his eyebrows. "It felt like a disturbance of mana happened somewhere nearby… a dungeon break?"
Ethan found it hard to believe that a dungeon break happened in his homeland, but the chance was higher than actually low. In any case, he went to check the internet for any news about weird events, but he found nothing… At the same time, there was nothing on TV.
"Was that my imagination?" Ethan furrowed his eyebrows. "I should contact Hannah."
Ethan reached for his communication device and dialed his sister Hannah's number, hoping to share with her the strange occurrence he had just experienced. As the device rang, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of apprehension, knowing that Hannah might choose not to answer.
After a few rings, his fears were confirmed as the call went unanswered. It wasn't the first time this had happened. Hannah had become adept at avoiding his calls whenever she suspected he might be embarking on another risky adventure or entangling himself in troublesome situations.
Ethan sighed, understanding his sister's protective nature and her desire to shield him from harm. He couldn't blame her for being cautious, considering their past escapades and the dangers they had faced together. Hannah had always been the responsible one, the voice of reason that kept him grounded.
"Why now of all times…" Ethan thought and then sighed. "I should have leveled up Mana Tracking more…"
Emily and the others were probably as much in the dark as Ethan, so there was no point in contacting them, but they all sent the same message to each other, asking if they had felt that. Their communication skills needed some work…
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