Ignoring Svend, I tried to sit on the cold stone floor.
He sat down in front of me and said:
"First, since we don't know if you have a core or not, we need to start with the basics."
"Follow my instructions," he ordered, sitting cross-legged on the ground and closing his eyes.
I obeyed—it's not like I had many options.
"Inside everyone's body, there are mana channels. They serve to guide mana and gradually form a core near the chest. Now, where do you get mana from? Mana is everywhere: in the air, the water, the earth. Every living being carries mana within."
He spoke calmly.
"Simple, right?"
I opened one eye to see how calm he was and asked seriously:"And then?"
"Here's the hard part, Bill. You have to become one with everything around you."
"The air, the humidity—absolutely everything. You have to merge with the atmosphere itself."
"And… how do you do that?" I asked, not understanding anything he was saying.
"Your consciousness is a vital part of your soul. I don't know the details because I don't have one. But almost everyone else knows the process. So creating a core isn't impossible."
"Now focus, Bill. Close your eyes and visualize your surroundings: the walls, the tiny specks of dust in the air—everything, Bill. If you want to create a core, you have to start by becoming one with your environment."
"Of course, if you already have one, this won't take long. In that case, it'll be as easy as breathing. Now try it."
I nodded and slowly closed my eyes. I was a little nervous about the experience but hopeful that I already had a core and wouldn't have to build one from scratch.
A whole minute passed, and I still didn't feel anything. Sure, my senses sharpened, but I couldn't fully perceive my surroundings.
Until suddenly—
I felt it.
My consciousness—my mind—sensed something else.
It was the bodies lying on the floor. Every single one of them around me.
And then something more: the faint breaths of the unconscious, followed by the weak beat of their hearts.
It was a satisfying feeling. But what came next satisfied me even more.
In my chest—or just beneath it—something warm stirred and spread through my body. It was an euphoric sensation that made me forget my wounds, from which a faint white steam was now rising.
"So this is mana."
I couldn't help but smile slightly. I felt content and relaxed. With every minute spent meditating and expanding my awareness, my body felt better.
After a while, I decided to open my eyes to look at Svend, who now had sweat on his face and looked a little pale.
"You okay?" I asked, seeing his condition.
A few minutes passed in silence before he finally opened his slightly dull eyes and said:
"...Yeah, it's just… I'm really not cut out for this."
"It was quick and easy at first, but I got stuck and eventually lost focus, so now I have to start over again."
"But I'm close, so don't worry about me."
"Who's worried about you?" I said, looking at him in disbelief.
He gave a faint smile and added:
"But I'm fine. What about you? Do you have a core?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
I sighed and answered:
"I think so."
And before he could say anything else, I cut him off, looking him straight in the eyes.
"But Svend..."
Don't let what you can't do bring you down. And don't go around saying something's not for you. We all have our talents—that's true. But...
I think there's no greater talent than consistency. Because no matter how many times you fail at something you're working toward—no matter the world—you have to try again and again. Just...
try not to stumble on the same stone."
Smiling, I gave him a light pat on the shoulder.
He looked at me with wide eyes, but I didn't pay it much attention.
"We have to st—"
Before I could finish speaking, faint footsteps echoed down the hallway.
I tensed instantly and shot Svend a sharp look.
I was confident we could take down a couple of goblins together, but if I wasn't fully healed, I wasn't sure I'd be able to defend myself when thousands of them came for us.
So we dropped to the floor and pretended to be unconscious.
The goblins who arrived at our cell dragged away two bodies. I didn't know where they were taking them or what they were going to do, but I didn't want to find out.
Suddenly, more goblins came. They were about to take another unconscious person when, abruptly, he opened his eyes and screamed:
"NO!! Kill me! Please! Don't take me!"
"Someone, hold me down!"
"I know you're faking! Please, don't let them take me! Please!!"
The goblins dragged the man away as he broke into tears and desperate cries.
I could only listen to his pleas with a tight chest. I bit my lip to stop myself from doing anything stupid.
And then a question formed in my mind:
What would I have done if they had taken Svend?
Would I have let him go, let them feed on him?
I don't know. But…
if I were stronger, much stronger—so strong that even thousands of goblins would be nothing to me—
Then maybe, just maybe, I could protect the ones I care about.
"Let's keep recovering," I whispered to Svend, who was already sitting back up on the floor.