Star Sense

"Haah".

exhaling a deep breath. I stood in the midst of the training area, surrounded by shadows and voids with no light or sound.

"Hah..hah".

My heart rate increased, and I took shallow, deliberate breaths. I knew what was going to happen next, and I had to be prepared. My faculties of sight and hearing were no longer with me, leaving me with only my mana sense as a lifeline.

"Swish".

The rubber ball, light but full of potential energy, swooped down on me with the force of a cannonball.

My skin tingled with anticipation as I reached out with my mana sense to identify the coming threat. I could feel the ball's energy—a pulsing sphere with an emptiness of energy in the surrounding pure mana, hurtling through the air.

I adjusted my weight to the left in a split second, depending on the subtle shifts in the emptiness of energy in the ball to lead me. My body moved solely on the basis of feedback from my mana sense.

As the ball missed me by a hair's breadth, my skin tingled with a slight vibration, and I couldn't help but smile.

'Fuck yeah,' I thought.

Celebrating my first dodge of the day after being plagued by these attacks for a week every day without sight or hearing

As she continued to throw the balls one after the other, I evaded them one after the other. After all those failures, I was able to accomplish it much more easily once I got the sensation of it.

But then came the final ball, the most cunning of them all. It moved randomly, zigzagging through the training ground.

"Ahh".

Despite my finest attempts, I couldn't predict its unpredictable path. I felt a strong blow to the center of my brow. Darkness engulfed me, and I was immersed in a world of silence and void for a brief minute.

My senses returned as quickly as they had vanished. I could feel a pounding pain on my forehead. I'd been smacked, and my brief victory had turned into a sobering lesson. I sat down on the ground, rubbing my brow and staring at the women who enjoyed torturing me.

"You did good, kid" .

Sylvia approached me and sat down next to me, offering me a bottle of water.

"Did I pass your test?" .

I took a few sips of the cool water Sylvia had provided me while moving my mask slightly. As my stiff muscles began to relax, I questioned her.

"Yppp, you did, and you passed with flying colors if we don't count the last ball, and honestly, it's kind of scary how fast you get the hang of it" .

As she spoke, a little smile played across her lips, and she affectionately messed up my hair as she caressed my head.

"Hmm".

Humming I closed my eyes as she patted my head. As the days went by, I became closer to her, and after spending time with her, I realized she is the type of woman who enjoys playing the role of dependable older sister in someone else's life, and she is gradually taking on the position of big sister in my life as well.

Sylvia retrieved her hand, her warm presence still lingering, gently rubbing my head one more time.

"When are you leaving?" she inquired, her gaze drawn to the rising morning sun.

"Tomorrow," I said, opening my eyes and looking at her profile against the beautiful rays of the sun.

"For how many days?" she said again, her face lit up by the dawn light.

"Max 3 days," I said, my gaze turning from the sun to her. Despite her ordinary appearance, the grace and kindness she emanated gave her a distinct and appealing attractiveness.

"Are you going somewhere today?" Sylvia inquired, interested.

"No, I plan to take a break today and do the preparations for tomorrow," I replied to her.

"Get up now; we have work to do." She stood up and walked away from the training area, but as she neared the end, she looked back and said, "Meet me tonight at midnight."

"Haah".

I paused for a while to observe her receding figure before exhaling a big breath and falling back to the ground. The cold breeze caressed my skin, creating a sensation of calm and peace. Tonight, perhaps one of my goals for coming to this city will be accomplished.

'Hey, Edda.'

I called out my system out of boredom since I needed to make some inquiries.

[Yes], she replied.

'Is mana sense the only method to gain a 360-degree vision of the environment?'

The more I use mana sense, the more intrigued I get by it. Despite this, I had the impression that using mana sense was easier than imagined. I was able to do it once I found the right resonance.

[You know it would take a regular person years to grasp mana sense].

I'm not sure whether I should be happy or concerned over what she said.

'Anyway, answer my question'.

I changed the subject and asked her for additional information on mana sense.

[Well, once your body is powerful enough to support it, you could use star energy.]

Her statements piqued my interest. Using star energy felt like a good idea, but I couldn't help but wonder about the implications.

"Let's try it" .

I rapidly rose to my feet, but she cut me off.

[Your body is not strong enough to support it; do not attempt it.]

She cautioned me, but I was still curious.

"It will be fine; I will only use a little of it" .

I answered her, closing my eyes to concentrate, and she didn't object this time.

I could feel the energy enveloping my heart as I concentrated. It took the form of a swirling ball of white energy that softly revolved around my mana core.

A minute bit of the star energy disengaged from the swirling mass with a single focused thought, like a tiny spark bursting away. This bright light began to pour through my body as I directed it. It electrified my muscles, bones, and even my skin. Every cell in my body seemed to come to life, buzzing with unprecedented vigor. The energy continued its trip, leaving my body and radiating outward like a dazzling aura.

As the star energy expanded beyond the bounds of my physical form, it easily fused with my senses, becoming my new sense and providing me with an unparalleled view of the world around me.

It was as though a new perception dimension had been revealed. The region engulfed by the energy's reach became sharply focused, and I could see everything inside it with unrivaled clarity.

Every sort of energy was now visible to me, from the ethereal shimmer of mana particles to the raw might of elemental forces. The subtle patterns and swings of energy that pervaded the world were visible to me. It was like witnessing a symphony of colors and motions that had previously been veiled.

But it was the delicate, node-like structures sprinkled throughout this energy tapestry that truly attracted me. Each one was like a jewel in a celestial crown, shedding a soft, brilliant light. These nodes possessed a mystical charm; their purpose and importance were cloaked in mystery.

"Arghhhhh!"

An indescribable pain overtook me, bringing me to my knees, blood spilling from my mouth, before I could make sense of anything. My entire body felt as though it were being crushed under the weight of a ton.