The room was quiet, save for the faint rustling of pages turning.
Klein sat at a polished wooden desk near the window, a stack of books laid out before him. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room, but his attention remained fixed on the text in his hands.
It had been three days since he awakened in this new world.
Three days since he realized he was no longer who he used to be.
During that time, he had done very little beyond observing his surroundings and reading whatever he could find. Fortunately, as the son of a ducal house, the original Klein had access to books though judging by their condition, he had rarely made use of them.
Klein turned another page, his expression calm but focused.
"Mana is the essence that flows through all living things and forms the foundation of all magic…"
He read the line silently, letting the words settle in his mind.
So far, every book he had opened described mana in a similar way. It was always spoken of with a kind of reverence, as if it were something mystical and beyond understanding.
The instructions were vague, filled with phrases like feel it, connect with it, or listen to its flow.
None of it was precise.
None of it explained anything clearly.
Klein leaned back slightly in his chair, closing the book as he exhaled quietly.
"This is inefficient," he murmured under his breath.
In his previous life, knowledge had always followed structure. Even the most complex systems could be broken down into smaller, understandable parts. There were always rules, even if they weren't obvious at first glance.
So why did this feel so… unrefined?
His gaze drifted toward the other books on the desk. There had to be something more useful among them.
After a brief pause, he reached for another volume and opened it.
This one focused more on the human body.
"Mana flows through channels within the body, commonly referred to as mana pathways. These pathways vary in clarity and strength depending on the individual…"
Klein's eyes lingered on that line.
Pathways.
That was something he could work with.
If mana flowed through the body, then it wasn't simply a vague, intangible force. It had direction. It had structure. And if it had structure, then it could be understood.
He closed the book and rested his hands lightly on the desk, his thoughts already moving ahead.
"If mana is a form of energy," he said quietly, "then it should behave like one."
Energy did not act randomly. It followed patterns. It moved along defined paths, influenced by conditions and constraints. If mana truly existed within him, then it had to follow similar principles.
Which meant the first step wasn't blindly trying to feel it.
It was observation.
Klein adjusted his posture, sitting upright as he closed his eyes.
He focused on his breathing, letting it slow and steady. The room faded from his awareness as he turned his attention inward, examining his body as if it were something separate from himself.
At first, there was nothing.
No sensation.
No change.
Just darkness behind his closed eyes and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Minutes passed.
Still nothing.
Eventually, Klein opened his eyes again, his expression unchanged.
"First attempt," he said softly, almost to himself, "unsuccessful."
There was no frustration in his voice, only quiet acknowledgment.
Failure was part of the process.
He reached for the book again, flipping through the pages until he found the section on mana pathways. If he couldn't sense mana directly, then perhaps he could approach it indirectly.
The text suggested that mana flowed through specific parts of the body, though it didn't provide any clear way to identify them.
That didn't matter.
Klein didn't need perfect information. he just needed a starting point.
He closed the book once more and leaned back slightly, his gaze unfocused as he thought.
If there were pathways, then there had to be a source.
Energy systems always had one.
A center.
A point of origin.
His hand moved unconsciously to his chest, resting just above his heart.
"Here, perhaps…"
It was only a guess, but it was a logical one.
With that in mind, he closed his eyes again.
This time, his approach was different.
Instead of searching aimlessly, he focused on a specific area. his chest, where he had assumed the source might be. He imagined something there, not as a vague presence, but as a contained flow, something that could expand or move under the right conditions.
At first, there was still nothing.
But Klein didn't rush.
He maintained his focus, steady and controlled, allowing his awareness to settle deeper.
Then, after some time, something shifted.
It was faint.
So faint that he might have missed it if he hadn't been paying close attention.
A subtle sensation, like a ripple beneath still water.
Klein's eyes opened immediately.
"…There it is."
The feeling had disappeared almost as soon as he noticed it, but there was no doubt in his mind.
He had sensed something.
A small, controlled breath left his lips as he leaned back again.
"Second attempt… partial success."
This time, there was a hint of satisfaction in his tone.
He had found a direction.
Now he just needed to refine it.
Klein raised his right hand, studying it briefly before closing his eyes once more.
If mana flowed through pathways, then it should reach his limbs as well. There was no need to control everything at once. Focusing on a smaller area might yield better results.
With that thought, he began his third attempt.
His awareness narrowed, concentrating solely on his hand. He imagined the same subtle flow from before, this time directing it outward, as if guiding it along an invisible path.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the sensation returned.
Stronger than before.
It spread faintly through his hand, like a quiet current brushing against his skin from within.
Klein's breathing remained steady as he focused on it, carefully maintaining his awareness without forcing the sensation to change.
The flow responded.
It didn't vanish immediately this time.
Instead, it lingered, unstable but present.
His fingers twitched slightly.
Then, just as he began to stabilize it-
It slipped away again.
Klein opened his eyes, exhaling softly.
"Third attempt… closer."
He lowered his hand, his mind already analyzing what had just happened.
He had sensed it more clearly.
Maintained it longer.
But he had lost it the moment he tried to exert control.
Which meant force wasn't the answer.
He needed a different approach.
Klein rested his elbow on the desk, his fingers lightly touching his chin as he thought.
In his previous life, controlling energy wasn't about overpowering it. It was about understanding its behavior and working within its limits.
Perhaps mana was no different.
A faint glint of realization appeared in his eyes.
"Not control… guidance."
Instead of forcing the flow, he needed to align with it.
Adjust to it.
Work with it.
With that in mind, Klein straightened slightly and closed his eyes once more.
This would be his fourth attempt.
This time, he didn't search for the sensation blindly. He already knew what it felt like. Instead, he focused on recreating the conditions that had allowed him to sense it before.
His breathing slowed.
His thoughts quieted.
And gradually, the faint current returned.
Klein remained still, observing it carefully. He didn't try to grab hold of it or force it to move. Instead, he adjusted his focus, subtly encouraging it in the direction he wanted.
The flow responded.
Slowly, but steadily.
It moved through his arm, faint but undeniable, following the path he had imagined.
Klein guided it toward his hand, maintaining a delicate balance between awareness and control.
This time, it didn't slip away.
His fingers trembled slightly as the sensation grew stronger.
A faint glow began to gather around his fingertips, barely visible in the daylight.
Klein opened his eyes.
And for the first time-
He saw it.
A thin, almost translucent thread of light, coiling gently around his fingers.
He studied it in silence, his expression calm but intent.
"So this is mana," he said quietly.
There was no excitement in his voice, no outward display of emotion. But beneath that calm exterior, his thoughts were moving rapidly.
He had done it.
Not through instinct.
Not through blind faith.
But through understanding.
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he let the glow fade, allowing the mana to disperse naturally.
"Interesting…"
If this was only the beginning, then there was far more to uncover.
Far more to learn.
And far more to control.
Klein lowered his hand, his gaze drifting toward the books on the desk once more.
This world treated magic as something mystical, something granted by talent.
But from what he had just experienced
That wasn't entirely true.
Mana followed rules.
It responded to logic.
And if that was the case…
Then this system was far from perfect.
A quiet thought formed in his mind, steady and certain.
"If I can understand it," he murmured, "then I can improve it."
His eyes darkened slightly with focus.
Because what Klein had just done-
Was not the way this world taught magic.
And if he continued down this path
He wouldn't just learn magic.
He would redefine it.
To be continued…