Chapter 108 Mana

A silence followed Oscar's question, and Lucas turned back to see that the boy had disappeared. He sighed heavily 'another illusion?' he asked himself.

He shrugged his shoulders and felt a cold hand run along his neck, "what are you doing here?" Luu asked.

"I was exploring the labyrinth," Lucas replied.

"So I see you found the fountain of mana," the man smirked, feeling proud of Lucas's little achievement.

Lucas was surprised to see Luu, so he quickly shook his head, "how long have you been following me?"

"Since the beginning," the old man replied.

"How...how did you manage to sneak up on me?" Lucas asked.

"Magic," he chuckled evilly, "now it's time for you to drown in mana's energy."

The air around Lucas shimmered with dark purple light. Then he felt an intense pain spread throughout his entire body. It was like he was being torn apart, leaving nothing but pieces of flesh behind, "what is this feeling?" Lucas clenched his jaw.

"It's the power flowing into your veins," Lui said, "you're going to grow stronger."

Lucas felt his heart beat faster, "wh-what?"

"Now let's begin," Lui commanded, "get ready to dive into the fountain."

Lucas closed his eyes tightly and focused his mind. When he opened them, he saw that Lui had already jumped into the pool of mana, "how long will I have to wait?" he asked.

"Just a few seconds more," the man said, "just keep yourself calm."

Lucas sat down on the ground and tried to breathe slowly. He had never felt such pain before, and he didn't know how much longer he could fight against it. But then suddenly everything stopped, and he felt a tingling sensation spread all over his body.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that Lui was standing next to him, "are you alright, breathe deeply," he told Lucas.

"Why did it stop?" Lucas asked.

"You've reached a new level of consciousness," Lui replied, "soon you'll start noticing the changes within your body." He stretched his hand for Lucas to grab it, "here, put your hand inside mine, it will help you concentrate."

Lucas grabbed Lui's hand, and instantly he felt a warm sensation spreading through his body, "is that my mana?" he asked.

"Yes, now just relax and enjoy the ride," Lui said, "it feels amazing."

Lucas looked at him curiously, "but why are you helping me?" he asked.

"Because I care about you," Lui replied, "just leave all your problems and worries behind and forget about the outside world, for a while, at least, now get inside the water."

Lucas nodded and got up to enter the pool. He stepped closer and felt a warm tingling sensation running through his body. His vision blurred and his feet started to feel heavy, "why am I losing my balance?" he asked.

"It's because you don't possess enough mana yet," Lui answered, "when you reach the final stage, you won't be able to stand."

Lucas kept trying to walk forwards but he couldn't even make it one step, "what should I do?" he asked.

"Try not to overthink," Luu advised, "listen to your own body and try to go deep inside yourself. That's when the real magic happens."

Lucas listened to Luu's advice and soon he was able to make it to the bottom of the pool. He lowered his head and looked at the water, "am I supposed to fall in?" he asked.

"No, it's an illusion," Lui laughed, "the water is actually just above your head."

Lucas gulped, "and what if I still can't swim?"

"Don't worry," Lui assured him, "just keep floating with your arms and legs, and you'll be fine."

Lucas nodded and took a deep breath. Then he lowered himself into the water, which was warmer than he thought it would be. He gasped and relaxed his body as best he could, taking a big gulp of air, "how does this work?" he asked.

"Just relax and float with the current," Lui said, "in a short period of time you'll learn to control it."

As he floated in the water, Lucas watched his body move without any effort from his side. The flow of mana grew stronger, and soon it began to take over his entire body, "what is happening?" he asked.

Lui smiled at his reaction, "this is the first step towards becoming a true mage," he said, "your body is absorbing the mana and making it stronger."

Lucas looked around the pool, admiring its beauty. Then he noticed something moving just beneath the surface. He stared at it for a moment, wondering what it could be. But then he saw that it was the tail of a fish swimming near him, "can I control that?" he asked.

He moved his hand forward and touched the creature. Instantly he felt a burst of mana pouring into his body, "did I do it right?" he asked.

"Yes, now you can use your mana to control the creatures living in the water," Luu explained, "they will follow you anywhere you go."

Lucas followed the movement of the fish for a moment until it disappeared into the darkness below. He then turned his attention back to Luu, "what do I do now?" he asked.

"Keep practising," Luu answered, "and one day your mana will become so strong that you'll be able to create different illusions."

Lucas nodded and started floating again, but this time he didn't feel the need to relax. In fact, his concentration was growing by the second, and he found himself thinking harder than ever before.

Soon he was able to see two fish swimming together, and in no time he was able to control them both at the same time.

He sighed with relief and looked at Luu, who smiled at him, "you're doing great!" he said.

Lucas looked at the water around him, amazed by the beautiful scenery, before remembering his original purpose there. He closed his eyes, visualizing the pond and the small island surrounding it, "now, I just have to make it appear here," he said.

He focused on his goal and soon he heard a loud splash in the distance. As he opened his eyes he saw the pond with the island standing right in front of him. It was exactly how he had imagined it, and the rest of the lake was visible on the other side.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Luu asked.

Lucas stood up, looking at the landscape with awe, "yes, very impressive," he replied.

"Now that you're familiar with the basics, I'll show you another spell," Luu said, "it's a little trickier though."

Lucas nodded and looked down at the water again. His hands felt like they were burning with the desire to touch the water, but he resisted the urge.

He breathed in slowly and exhaled slowly, repeating that process until he calmed down. Then he returned his gaze to Luu, "let me try something," he said.

Luu raised his eyebrows at Lucas' request, "go ahead."

Lucas concentrated on controlling the water, pushing it away from his feet and making it ripple all around him. He released the power of his mana, sending it out in all directions, and suddenly the water began to rise.

A wave appeared, rising a few centimetres above the ground. Then he let off some more mana, and the water rose even higher. Finally, he tried to push it upwards and manage a small waterfall.

Luu watched Lucas' progress with interest, "that was impressive," he said.

"It looks pretty easy," Lucas answered.

Luu shook his head, "no, it's not," he said, "I've been practising that spell for years. Just because it seems simple doesn't mean it is."

"What else can I try?" Lucas asked.

"That's enough for today," Luu decided, "but tomorrow we'll continue our training."