Chapter 77 Chapter 18.6 - Small but not small help
We humans are, by nature, creatures with masks, no matter what. There are a lot of times when a person's feelings are a lot different from how they appear on the outside.
This was exactly the same for Maya.
'What do I do?'
Just now, Maya did something she had never thought she would do before. She touched Astron on his arm, and feeling his body flinching, she realized what she had done.
'This is not a girl, he is a boy.'
It was not the first time, Maya helped others to improve their mana control, but it was the first time it was a boy.
'Don't falter! You are simply trying to teach him!'
She realized that it would be rude to get embarrassed right now.
She was simply trying to teach him, and that's it!
"Astron, feel the mana's flow. Let it become an extension of your intent."
So, she did as most people have done. Ignoring his initial reaction and her own feelings, she pushed forward, grabbing him more tightly and getting closer to him.
She put her mana into his body and let it guide him just like she had done with her friends.
"Focus on the stone. Feel the mana responding to your will. Guide it like an artist crafting a masterpiece."
And he was able to do it in the end. Seeing the mana thread he made, she clearly felt the satisfaction of being able to teach someone.
But one thing was different this time.
'So close.'
Her smile was about to falter as she could feel his low body heat. She was feeling very uncomfortable and conscious of him, so she chose to retreat.
"That's it, Astron. You're starting to connect with the mana's flow. You are finally taking the first step."
After that, she took a small step back, and she started observing him.
'Why did I touch him like that?'
Maya was a girl that has never had any relationship with a member of the opposite sex before. No, rather than saying relationship, she had never been close to males.
If her friend were there, she would say it was not because Maya didn't have the qualifications for it but rather because she was an airhead.
That was certainly true since, for Maya, from the moment she awakened as a child, her whole world was magic.
Not because she loved it at first but because it was her family that forced her, and in the end, she developed herself in the place of magic rather than opening up to a social world of young couples.
Therefore, she didn't know how to progress a relationship with people romantically. Of course, she had friends, but none of them were male.
She also acquired the habit of losing her control when she was excited about something, which she was most of the time.
And all these led to the situation she was in.
The junior she wanted to help since he made her regain her drive.
'He is certainly working hard.'
Looking at him from the sides with his eyes closed, she thought. His hard work was evident. Even right now, she clearly felt that he was uncomfortable with her touch, but he didn't say anything and only focused on improving.
'Just as I expected. Nobody has ever taught him how to use mana before.'
Thinking like this, an innate sadness filled her heart. She thought he was being discriminated against because of his low rank, even though he was working this hard. That was something that she could never accept.
Even if Maya was an airhead, strangely, she could see how other people looked at others. Her airheadedness was something only concerned herself.
Because of that, she could see the gazes others had thrown at him. Some of them contained scorn, some of them were derogatory and insulting.
But she didn't feel such a vibe from him. Certainly, he was someone who was rude and straightforward, but he had never put his nose into other's business, nor did he randomly antagonize others.
'Let's make him a good Hunter and rub it their faces.'
Seeing him clearly trying to improve, she felt it was unfair to treat him in such a way, and a fire ignited in her heart.
A fire to make him improve.
But, for Astron, it was the start of misery, since when Maya gets excited about something, she would lose her control.
******
For the next few hours, Maya guided Astron through various exercises she designed to refine his manipulation of mana.
She demonstrated different techniques, showing him how to condense mana into threads, shape it into specific forms, and even disperse it back into the environment.
"For this next exercise," Maya instructed her voice firm, "I want you to condense the mana into a small sphere and then expand it gradually. Focus on maintaining control throughout the process."
Astron nodded and closed his eyes, visualizing the mana as he had been taught, and then began the process. At first, his efforts were shaky, the mana sphere flickering in and out of existence.
"Steady your focus, Junior," Maya advised. "Feel the mana's energy in your mind and guide it with intention."
With Maya's guidance, his control improved.
The mana sphere stabilized, and he started to expand it slowly, like a growing bubble. He could feel the energy responding to his thoughts.
'I am getting the hang of it.'
He was already in a position where he could manipulate his mana in a much more refined way. It was not to the extent that he mastered it, but he could finally feel the difference between his past approach and this one.
The mana he was using before was clearly in the meditation of his trait [Lunar Enigma]. The moon mana he was using stemmed from his trait and his initial instinct.
But, right now, rather than simply making use of his trait, he was doing what every hunter could do—manipulating the raw mana and using it.
This may seem pointless since he already had his trait, but this was going to help him in the end. It was like learning Calculus in college and making use of it in your Major as an engineer. Without knowing fundamentals, the road ahead would be hard to progress.
As the training session continued, Maya observed his progress with a keen eye. She could see the moments when he struggled and the moments when he found his rhythm. Her feedback was constructive, and he absorbed every word, adjusting his technique accordingly.
"Your mana threads are getting more refined," Maya commented a hint of approval in her voice. "Keep practicing the expansion exercise, and soon, you'll be able to control larger volumes of mana with precision."
Astron was fully engaged, pushing himself to improve rapidly. With each exercise, he felt himself becoming more attuned to the mana's flow, more adept at guiding its energy.
Maya was showing him no mercy. She was constantly pressuring him, shoving him mana, and even sometimes making him spar with her.
Though Maya's surprise was evident as she watched his progress. "Junior, you're picking this up faster than I anticipated."
Astron's fatigue was still present, but there was a sense of accomplishment that surpassed it. "Thank you, Senior. Your guidance is making a real difference."
It was his genuine appreciation since, without Maya, he would never have been able to improve himself.
Maya's smile was warm, reflecting her pride in his achievements. "You're the one putting in the hard work, Junior. I'm just here to steer you in the right direction."
Of course, this was also true.
For the past five hours, Maya was constantly working with him without giving him any breaks.
However, just like any other thing, everything in this world has its ends this session had, too.
CHATTER CHATTER
Looking at the slowly getting crowded Elemental Room, Astron could see things would be troublesome if they kept going any longer.
He was here thanks to Maya's favor, but also because this place was empty in the morning. No matter what, even if it was Maya, it was very hard for her to keep an unqualified student inside in front of this many people's gazes.
Therefore, he was about to talk to Maya about it, but she beat him.
"It looks like our session needs to come to an end for now," Maya said, her voice carrying a note of regret. She glanced around at the growing number of students in the room.
Astron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's getting a bit crowded. I shouldn't be here any longer."
Maya's smile returned. "Exactly. But don't worry, Junior. We've made substantial progress today."
Astron bowed his head with a clear gratitude. "Thank you, Senior. I really appreciate your guidance."
Maya's smile widened, and her excitement could be felt. "You're welcome. But remember, we're not done yet. We'll continue tomorrow."
Maya's smile widened, and her excitement was palpable. Suddenly, she took a step closer to him, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "You know, I had a lot of fun teaching you today. Seeing your progress and improvement—it's genuinely exciting! So, I hope you're ready for another round tomorrow. Same time, same place?"
Astron's brow furrowed in surprise. "Tomorrow?"
Maya's excitement was infectious as she practically bounced on her feet. "Absolutely! I can't wait to continue. And I have a feeling you're going to improve even more!"
Astron hesitated, his reluctance evident. "I'm not sure if this is necessary. Tomorrow, we will have classes."
Of course, this help was good, but he was still slightly uncomfortable with Maya around him. Even though her teaching skills were certainly good, and her guidance helped him improve, it was clear that the more he associated himself with her, the more things might get messy.
However, Maya's grin was infectious. "That's the spirit! Get a good rest tonight and be ready to tackle another session bright and early tomorrow morning. We've got a lot more to cover!"
It was as if she didn't hear what he was saying; she simply pushed what they were going to do tomorrow.
"Senior, didn't you hear me? I said we have classes tomorrow."
"So?"
"So, we won't have much more time to train."
"Then? Junior, now that you have accepted this lady's offer, you can't escape, right?"
"….."
"Right?"
"…."
"Right?"
"….."
"Right?"
"….Sigh…." Her enthusiasm seemed to break through his initial resistance. Astron let out a resigned sigh. "Alright, I'll be there."
Maya's smile practically lit up the room. "Great! You won't regret it, I promise. Rest well, Junior. Tomorrow is going to be another exciting day of progress!"
With that, Astron stood up and left the Elemental Room.
But, still, even under his cold face, there was a small feeling of satisfaction there.
The feeling of improving himself….
-------------------------A/N-----------------------
These last chapters may be a little slow, but I wanted to clarify how mana worked by using Maya. Hope you liked them.
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