Mark of the Fool

Chapter 52: Manipulating Mana and Mind

The box that professor ValRok had assigned in Mana Manipulation didnt prove to be a very worthy adversary.

Alex concentrated on it, guiding his mana through the specific pathways built into its inner structure. It was a puzzle in a way: a magical object that ran on mana combined with a childs toy maze.

The glyphs on the side required one to guide ones mana through the specific pathwaysin the correct orderand touch the underside of each glyph with mana in different ways. Some would require a sort of twist with mana in order to activate, others needed a sort of slight impact or bop, while others had little energy clasps to wrap ones mana around and pull it in order to activate the glyph.

While the first glyph that his class was expected to empower had its activator right at the edge of the mana pathway leading into the box, the rest were behind increasingly complex pathways within the maze. To make things worse, if one touched the side of a pathway with their mana, or engaged with an activator incorrectly, the box was designed to eject the students mana. Then, it would scramble the pathways within the box so that the inner maze would change slightly after each failure.

In the end, students would have to weave their manacontorting it like an acrobatin increasingly complex patterns to reach subsequent glyphs activators, all of which would require different motions with ones mana to activate successfully.

It started off easy, but became incredibly difficult as the task continued.

To Alex, the entire device proved to be a fun diversion which also happened to train his mana manipulation. He liked puzzles.

His years of experience controlling his forceball with his mana had left him very capable of making it flow in different ways according to his wishes. Then, his experience pitting himself against the dungeon core in The Cave of The Traveller, had taught him how to manipulate his mana against a weakened, but active opponent trying to stop him from performing a task.

The professor had only required the class to activate one glyph.

Hed managed twoalmost threeon his first try.

Then The Mark began to work with him.

Images of all the correct choices hed made during previous runs flooded his mind, with it focusing less on solving the puzzle in particular, and more on how he had contorted his mana to reach further into the maze. It meant thateach timethe act of manipulating grew a little easier. His mana grew more controlled and shook less the further he pushed and contorted it through the maze. Each time he ran into a dead end, it grew easier to simply pull his mana back along the path without losing focus or the feel of his energy, and avoid touching one of the sides.

It also helped him become more proficient with the particular motions required to activate each glyph. Again and again he reached into the box, guiding his mana through its different pathways and touching the different activators. As successes piled up, he was soon able to activate the third glyph, then a fourth and then a fifth in the space of an afternoon.

As it became easier, he decided to add in extra challenges when he realized he would likely solve the entire box in a day or so. The first challenge he threw in was trying to maintain the forcedisk spell at the same time.

Forcedisk had also shown massive improvements in recent days.

He had used the same process as he had to perfect the forceball spell while The Mark, naturally, had tried to ruin his concentration with failures. Hed been able to quickly identify his mistakes, repeat the process with modifications, and build the spell array.

It was getting easier, and the forcedisk was growing rapidly in speed and power as both his skill with the spell increased, and his mana manipulation started to spike.

Today, he would try to combine both forcedisk and glyph box mana manipulation exercises.

First, he conjured the forcedisk, then he placed the box on the disk while manipulating his mana through the maze and the spell at the same time. When he found that to be easy, he began slowly drifting the forcedisk back and forth in front of him, which meant he had to push his mana in two directions at once: toward the spell and toward the magic box simultaneously.

That proved to be mind-bendingly difficult at first. It was like trying to write two different things with each handone needed to split their concentration into two directions and keep two different sets of movements coordinated while trying to reach two different goals.

The Mark was very helpful here and it aided him in a way that took him off guard.

It began by showing him images of itself helping him in unrelated circumstances, and it took him a few tries to figure out what it was trying to show him. He began to see that each time The Mark had presented him with images of successes or failures, it had actually been helping him learn how to split his concentration to take in different information, examine it, and build on it while focusing on whatever task he was performing at the time.

It brought up the times when he had directed his forceball while performing the Spear-and-Oar Dance; he had been sending his concentration in two different directions then.

It all came together in his mind and something clicked.

He lit up five glyphs in the training box while making his forcedisk circle his body like a vulture circling a corpse in The Barrens.

Ugh, he said at the thought.

His concentration abruptly slipped, and all the glyphs winked out.

Ah, shit, he swore. Oh, sorry! Didnt mean to disturb you, Theresa.

He paused, hearing no response.

Theresa? he glanced over his shoulder at the balcony.

While hed been practicing at the dining room table, Theresa was engaged in her Life Enforcement exercises on the balcony. Sitting cross-legged, her eyes were closed and her hands pressed to her knees while her chest and stomach rose in deep belly-breaths.

The rest of her body was so still thatif it werent for her breathingAlex could have mistaken her for a life-like statue. Though her expression had naturally fallen into deathstalker face, there was a serenity coming from her entire body that made Alexs breath catch.

Her bucket lay close by, but she hadnt needed it that afternoon. She was coughing up that foul smelling stuff a lot less lately, and getting rid of it seemed to be having a pronounced effect on her.

An inner glow shone from her these dayseven after fatiguing trainingand her movements had become more graceful and fluid than before. On their long morning runs, she, Alex, Khalikand now Thundarused to start off running hard neck and neck until they tired and then, one by one, slow to a jog, then a walk. Alex would normally be the first to slow his pace.

In the weeks since Theresa had started her training, her stamina had grown by leaps and bounds. Where before she would keep up with Khalik, now she was regularly outpacing him, leaving the athletic man behind to catch his breath. Even Thundarthe most physically powerful of the group by a wide marginstarted to have to push himself to keep up with her.

Alex quietly continued working on the puzzle box distractedly: he also watched his oldest friend while she continued her meditation until at last, she slowly opened her eyes. She stretched like a she-wolf rising from her den.

Was it that interesting to watch? she asked without looking at him.

He jumped suddenly. Huh, wha-? I, uh, wasnt watching.

A sly smile crept across her lips and her eyes had a dreamy look to them. Your eyes were boring into me like a mole trying to find its home. Was it that interesting? She cocked her head, her face a mask of innocence while her eyes were downright predatory.

Alex blinked, his heartbeat quickening. Something about that look did things to him.

He did not have issues, he assured himself.

or maybe he did, but he liked those issues.

Alright, guilty as charged, but how did you know? he said. It looked like you were deep in your own pleasant little world. I was making noise and stuff and you didnt budge. I could see that Brutus was completely in another world, I mean

He glanced over to Brutus.

The cerberus had inhaled a massive meal earlier and had immediately gone into a food coma. Even nowlaying on his sidehis legs scrambled at the air while his three snouts snarled and snapped at nothing in the room. It looked like he was running and dreaming. Well, that or horribly mauling something to death in his dreams.

Alex chose to think that it was the former.

...yeah, I think Isolde could drop a lightning bolt beside him and he wouldnt wake up, but you? I thought you could hear me and wouldve asked me to be quieter by now.

Ah, that is She paused.

Her eyes grew very, very wide. Uldars beard! I must be the dumbest person whos ever lived!

She shot to her feet so quickly and smoothly, that the movement looked unnatural then she rushed inside, closing the door silently behind her.

Theresa? Whats wrong? Alex asked.

Nothings wrong, but something might be really right. She sat down beside him at the table, looking so excited that she was nearly jumping out of her skin. She glanced around before leaning in close.

What do you know about meditation? she asked.

Uh, he said. Its part of your Life Enforcement course.

Its more than that, Alex. Its a calming exercise and its one that can help you focus. Remember you told me howThe Mark, she whispered. Basically just smashes your mind with all kinds of stuff? Well, heres the thing

She pressed her fingers to the side of her head. Professor Kabbot-Xin taught us meditation to help us focus our life energy. We dont tune out the world, we learn how to notice outside things without getting pulled into them. We learn how to manage our thoughts. We let them and outside influences pass as we focus on a single thing. Sometimes its the voice of whoever is guiding us. Sometimes its our own breath. Sometimes its life circulation. But its purpose is to help us focus without getting distracted and falling into outside thoughts.

Alexs eyes grew wider and wider with each passing word.

The skill she talked about sounded a lot like what he did to get through The Marks brutal onslaught of failures. It was something hed figured out on his own as a way to help himself deal with his grief and sorrow when his parents died. It had helped him learn how to get through it.

But if this was a formalized skill for it

Theresado you know what youre telling me? he murmured, vibrating in excitement. If it isnt considered a Divinity and it helps with letting different thoughts passI might be able to use The Mark to learn how to defeatThe Mark.

She held up her hands. Now it isnt a magic arrow, she said quickly. It might not work at all, and even if it does, meditation isnt perfect. Apparently one of the reasons some cultivation practitioners make temples in remote places is to eliminate as many distractions as possible. If meditation could work against all distractions all the time, they probably wouldnt have to do that. ButI think it could help.

LikeIm sure it will, its already similar to what Ive been doing to get through stuff. Andeven if its got limitsfinding ways to build my concentration will definitely help with mana manipulation. He paused. Only thing, thoughis it a Divinity or not?

She frowned. I dont think so. I think only the parts of qigong that directly affect the lifeforce are the Divinity part. Like, when a bunch of students couldnt do the ten minute meditation, our professor said that a meditation club might help them, and she didnt talk about it like it was a dangerous thing. Id love to teach it to you, if you think itd help.

Alex thought about the idea. As long as it wasnt a Divinity, trying it was a no-brainer: it would likely help him in mana manipulation, spellcraft, combat, general concentrationif it wasnt a Divinity.

If it was

Then it was still worth a try. As long as it didnt interfere with his lifeforce, then the worst that could happen would be having The Mark scream at him. And he was getting pretty used to that.

I want to try it, he said enthusiastically. I absolutely do.

Theresa smiled, and made a motion like she was adjusting imaginary spectacles. Then, my student, I expect you to follow everything I say.

Yes, Professor Lu.

She giggled, and then her smile faded. Alright, lets hope this works. Ill be with you every step of the way.