Ethan woke up in an unfamiliar room.

  His eyes were staring at a ceiling that felt uncomfortably close. So close, in fact, that he wondered if he could touch it.

  He extended his hand—but something was wrong.

  His arm was small.

  No… not just small. It looked odd. Soft. Chubby. Tiny.

  That’s… a baby’s arm…

  Why was a baby’s arm moving when he tried to move his own?

  It was just like… it was just like…

  He had become a baby again.

  “-han... Ethan! Ethan! Wake up!”

  A voice called out from below, pulling him back from his spiraling thoughts.

  Dazed, he tried to turn toward the voice—

  And suddenly, he felt weightless, as if he were flying—

  Then, BANG!

  Ethan crashed onto the cold floor.

  His eyes snapped open in a panic.

  The room was different.

  It was familiar.

  That’s right… this is my dorm room… the dormitory!

  "Ethan! Are you alright!?"

  A voice came from above.

  Ethan groaned. "Ugh… Who—?"

  "It’s me, your roommate! Wake up, man! The lessons start in half an hour!"

  "Lessons? DAMN! THAT’S RIGHT! THE LESSONS!"

  He sprang up from the floor in a single motion, his eyes darting around the room in a frenzy.

  "Thanks! Uh… what was your name again?"

  A beat of silence.

  "Damn, man, that’s cold! I introduced myself three times already!"

  "Really? Well… sorry…"

  His roommate sighed, shaking his head.

  "Ugh, fine. Just call me whatever you want."

  Ethan grinned. "Are you sure?"

  "Yeah, just give me a nickname or something. Better than you forgetting my name every single day."

  "Alright, Hen. Thanks for waking me up."

  "Hen??"

  "Yeah, since you give morning wake-up calls."

  "F*ck off! I’m never waking you up again!"

  Ethan ughed, raising his hands in surrender. "Hahaha, sorry, sorry. Anyway, where’s everyone else?"

  "Still in the cafeteria. I only came back because I forgot my bag—and then I found you still passed out, so I woke you up."

  "I see… well, thanks again."

  "No problem, but if I were you, I’d stop talking and start moving. You’ve got only 25 minutes now."

  "Right… Damn…!"

  Ethan hurried through his morning routine.

  He slipped into the clothes he had prepared the night before, brushed his teeth, spshed water on his face, and ran his fingers through his wet hair, pushing it back as best as he could.

  A quick gnce at the clock. 18 minutes left.

  He rushed out of the dormitory and headed straight for the cafeteria—

  But when he got there, all the breakfast food had already been cleared away.

  His stomach protested loudly.

  Sighing, he approached the cafeteria cook, an older woman with a strict expression who was already cleaning up.

  "Madam, is there anything left? I woke up te, and I need something to keep my stomach busy."

  The cook sighed, shaking her head.

  "Sigh… It’s always like this. Listen up, newbie—today, since it’s your first day, I’ll make an exception. But don’t expect this happening again tomorrow. Understand?"

  "Yes, ma’am!" Ethan nodded vigorously.

  "Hmm… Here. I’ve got some toast, cheese, and ham left. Make yourself a sandwich and be happy."

  "Many thanks! You’ve saved me!" Ethan said, quickly putting together a sandwich.

  "Now go, or you’ll be te!"

  With a toast in his mouth, he hurried down the corridors.

  As he rounded a corner, he skidded to a stop, barely avoiding bumping into a girl coming from the opposite direction.

  He stepped aside, making space for her to pass, and gave her a nod of greeting before continuing on his way.

  "Hey, you!"

  A cute but irritated voice called out.

  Ethan sighed internally but kept walking.

  "Be more careful!"

  What else does she want!? I already avoided her! Ethan thought, but didn’t voice his compints, mostly because of the toast still in his mouth.

  "Hey! Don’t ignore me!"

  He stopped walking, his eyebrows twitching in frustration.

  God damn… do we really have time for this??

  He turned back to face her, gulping down what was left of his toast before raising an eyebrow at her.

  The girl flinched slightly, clearly not expecting his sharp gaze.

  "W-What!? Why are you looking at me like that!?"

  Glup.

  "Girl, do we really have time for this? Aren’t we both te?"

  "That’s… I…!"

  Ethan sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "If that’s all, I’ll be going now. See ya."

  He turned to leave—

  "NO! WAIT!"

  Ethan froze, barely stopping himself from groaning.

  "Ugh, what now?"

  The girl fidgeted, her eyes darting to the side.

  "I… I’m lost!"

  Ethan blinked, waiting for her to say something more.

  She didn’t.

  "Not my problem. I’m in a hurry."

  "Please!" she pleaded. "Just tell me where the 1st-Year Healer Css is!"

  Ethan was about to brush her off completely, but the moment he heard where she was heading, he paused.

  The 1st-Year Healer Css?

  He sighed again, finally relenting.

  "Fine. Just follow me, I’m going there too."

  "Eh!? Really!?"

  "Less talking, more moving!"

  Ethan grabbed the girl’s hand and picked up his pace, pulling her along as they hurried through the corridors.

  "Many thanks! My name is Misha Florentia. What’s yours?"

  "Ethan Cross."

  "I see. Thank you very much, Ethan Cross. In the future, if you need help, I will allow you to request my assistance once."

  Ethan almost tripped.

  Hah! Who the hell does this girl think she is, talking all prideful like that?

  But instead of voicing his thoughts, he simply shook his head, deciding it was best to get along with her since they were cssmates.

  "I see. Thank you." I pray such a day never comes, he added silently.

  Just as the signal bell rang, they burst into the cssroom.

  "We made it!"

  "Yes! That was close, but we’re safe!"

  "Oh! I’m gd both of you made it in time."

  A voice suddenly came from behind them.

  They turned around to see the professor standing in the doorway, lightly tapping a wand against his other palm in a menacing way.

  He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a well-groomed bck beard and piercing emerald-green eyes. His dark blue robes carried an aura of authority, with silver embroidery that shimmered faintly under the light. Though he looked stern, there was an underlying air of wisdom and experience in his expression.

  "P-P-Professor!" Ethan and Misha stammered in unison, quickly stepping aside to make way for him.

  The professor huffed, his gaze sharp.

  "Hmm! Stop standing around and find your seats!" he ordered in a strict tone before striding toward the bckboard.

  "Y-Yes, sir!"

  Once again, in perfect sync, the two responded and rushed to the back of the cssroom, where two empty seats remained.

  "Wow, Ethan! You really don’t waste time!"

  Oliver greeted him with a knowing smirk as they sat down.

  Ethan blinked, confused.

  "Don’t waste time? What are you talking about?"

  Instead of answering, Oliver simply pointed at Ethan’s hand.

  Ethan followed Oliver’s gaze—and froze.

  He was still holding Misha’s hand.

  Misha followed their line of sight, and for a moment, she just stared at their intertwined fingers, her brain taking a full second to process what was happening.

  Then—

  "E-EHHH!?"

  Her face turned crimson, her entire body jerking back as if electrocuted.

  With a small yelp, she snatched her hand away, clutching it to her chest like she had been burned.

  Ethan, equally flustered, raised his hands in defense, his voice coming out louder than intended.

  "I-It’s not like that!" the two answered in a single voice.

  Oliver chuckled, resting his chin on his hand.

  "Oh? Then what exactly is it like?"

  Misha snapped her head toward him, still blushing furiously.

  "I—It was nothing!" she sputtered, voice slightly higher-pitched than normal. "He was just pulling me along so we wouldn’t be te!"

  Oliver’s smirk didn’t fade.

  "Uh-huh. Sure. And I suppose holding hands all the way here was part of that strategy?"

  Misha let out a frustrated huff, crossing her arms.

  "I didn’t even realize it until now, okay?!"

  Ethan sighed, rubbing his temple.

  "Oliver, drop it."

  Oliver simply grinned.

  "Fine, fine. But man… you two really are in sync, huh?"

  Misha gred at him before quickly turning away, clearly deciding she would never speak of this again.

  Unfortunately for them, their simultaneous outburst caught the professor’s attention.

  "What’s not like that?" the professor’s voice rang out, his green eyes narrowing as he gnced toward the back of the cssroom.

  Ethan and Misha straightened in their seats, their faces flushing red.

  "N-N-Nothing, Professor!"

  The professor sighed, rubbing his temple.

  "If it’s nothing, then stay quiet. We’re starting now."

  With that, he turned toward the css, his presence immediately silencing the room.

  "Welcome, everyone. My name is Professor Alden Graves, and I am responsible for your Mana Manipution Css."

  His voice was deep and commanding, instantly grabbing everyone’s attention.

  "How many of you already know how to manipute mana?"

  About half the css raised their hands.

  "Good. That means less work for me."

  His straightforward remark made a few students chuckle nervously.

  "Those of you who feel confident in your abilities may opt to take the Mana Proficiency Test this weekend. If you pass, you will immediately receive an A in this subject and will no longer be required to attend this css."

  A wave of murmurs spread across the room.

  The professor raised a brow but continued.

  "The test is free, and there is no downside to failing. Even if you are not confident, I strongly advise you to take it. Do you all understand?"

  Silence.

  The css hesitated, unsure if they were supposed to respond or not.

  The professor’s eyes darkened.

  "I said—do you understand!?"

  "YES, SIR!"

  The students immediately shouted in unison, their spines straightening as if responding to a military drill.

  Professor Graves smirked, satisfied.

  "Perfect. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s begin the lesson."

  Opening the rge, leather-bound book in his hand, Professor Graves gnced at the students before speaking.

  "Turn to page fifteen. Follow along with the illustration as I expin."

  The room filled with the soft rustling of pages as students flipped through their books.

  Professor Graves tapped a detailed diagram of the human mana system on the bckboard, then continued.

  "Everything starts with your breathing. Just as humans naturally take in oxygen, they also absorb mana with every breath. This mana enters the bloodstream, circuting throughout the body before being expelled through various natural processes."

  He paused, allowing the information to settle before continuing.

  "However, not all mana is expelled. Some of it accumutes in a specialized organ we call the mana pool. This reservoir stores excess mana for ter use. I say usually because small amounts of mana are also absorbed into the muscles, subtly reinforcing them over time."

  He turned away from the board and scanned the css with his sharp emerald eyes.

  "This is why individuals with higher mana reserves tend to develop physical strength more quickly than those with less. It’s also the reason why your mana pool was heavily weighted in the entrance exam. A rger pool means greater potential—not just for spellcasting, but for physical enhancement as well."

  Closing the book with a soft thud, he crossed his arms and surveyed the css.

  "Any questions so far?"

  A hand shot up from the middle rows of the cssroom.

  "Professor, I have a question!"

  The voice belonged to a broad-shouldered young man with short, spiky brown hair and a sharp, inquisitive gaze. His arms were crossed as he leaned forward slightly, an eager curiosity in his expression. The name Daniel Rooks was stitched onto the sleeve of his uniform, marking him as one of the students Ethan hadn’t met yet.

  Professor Graves nodded.

  "Speak!"

  Daniel cleared his throat.

  "Professor, is it true that people can develop diseases if mana accumutes in the wrong parts of the body?"

  Professor Graves' expression darkened instantly.

  "That's nonsense!"

  Daniel frowned.

  "But my uncle—"

  The professor cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand.

  "If it happened to your uncle, then it's because your uncle is a fool!"

  The room fell into stunned silence.

  Professor Graves exhaled sharply, tapping his wand against his palm as if trying to contain his irritation.

  "Listen carefully, boy, because I’m only going to expin this once. The so-called ‘Mana Accumution Disease’ is bullshit, and I’ll tell you exactly why!"

  He strode to the center of the cssroom, his emerald eyes fshing with intensity.

  "First of all, it is not a disease. It is a completely preventable phenomenon that happens to reckless idiots who skip the fundamentals and insist on pushing themselves beyond their limits."

  He paused for a moment, scanning the room before continuing.

  "Let’s take a fictitious example—let’s call him Bob."

  There was a low chuckle from a few students, but the professor’s sharp gaze silenced them immediately.

  **"Bob is an overconfident fool. He thinks he understands Physical Enhancement magic, but he doesn’t. Because Bob can successfully enhance his legs with mana, he assumes he’s doing everything right. What Bob doesn’t realize is that with every enhancement, more and more mana is accumuting in his leg muscles.

  A month passes—no issues.

  Another month—still fine.

  Maybe even dozens of months go by, and Bob continues his reckless training, thinking he’s untouchable.

  But then, one day—without warning—Bob is simply walking down the street when his legs give out beneath him. He colpses, writhing in unimaginable pain, worse than if his bones had shattered. From that moment on, Bob is completely unable to use his legs.

  His family rushes him to a healer, and what does the doctor say?

  ‘Ah, he has Mana Accumution Disease.’

  Bullshit."**

  Professor Graves smmed his book shut, the sound echoing across the silent room.

  His eyes swept across the students, challenging anyone to disagree.

  "Does anyone understand what truly happened to Bob?"

  Silence.

  Not a single student dared to raise their hand.

  The professor sighed.

  **"It’s simple. Mana is chaotic by nature. Without proper circution, it will—without question—have devastating effects on the body.

  If too much mana accumutes in the bones, they will fracture or shatter.If too much mana builds up in the muscles, they will rupture or tear.If it gathers in the bloodstream, the immune system will weaken, leading to sudden illnesses and allergic reactions.And if too much mana gathers in the brain…"**He paused, letting the tension linger.

  "…Well. I’ll leave that one to your imagination."

  A cold chill ran through the room.

  Some students shifted uneasily in their seats, others gulped, but no one spoke.

  Ethan could tell—this wasn’t just some abstract theory to the professor.

  The anger, the intensity, the bitterness in his voice…

  Bob wasn’t just some made-up example, was he?

  Maybe Bob was a real person—someone close to the professor.

  Or maybe… the css was just overthinking it.

  Either way, nobody dared to confirm.

  Professor Graves exhaled sharply, his shoulders rexing slightly as he forced himself to calm down.

  **"The good news is that all of this is easily preventable. A simple Mana Circution Technique is enough to eliminate these risks.

  It takes no more than five minutes a day.

  Even once a week is usually enough.

  The only ones who suffer from the so-called ‘Mana Accumution Disease’ are those who are either zy or reckless. It is not some mysterious illness—it is the result of neglect and ignorance passed down from past generations."**

  He took one st scanning look across the room.

  "Do you all understand now?"

  The css remained dead silent, still stunned by the intensity of his words.

  Professor Graves sighed, rubbing his temple.

  "At the very least, this should have taught you all the importance of proper Mana Circution. So, I suppose this speech wasn’t a total waste of my time."

  He turned back toward the bckboard, exhaling deeply.

  "Any more questions?"

  No one moved.

  Not even Daniel Rooks, who had originally asked the question, dared to speak.

  Even Ethan, who did have a few things he wanted to ask, decided to keep quiet.

  Yeah… I’ll ask ter. When he’s less pissed off.

  The silence dragged on for a few seconds before the professor took it as his cue to continue the lesson.

  Professor Graves csped his hands behind his back, his sharp emerald eyes scanning the room as he continued.

  "Then, let’s move on. As I just expined, the nature of mana is chaotic. The reason Mana Circution Techniques were developed was to refine this chaotic energy—transforming natural, chaotic mana into refined mana, which can then be used for spellcasting."

  He turned toward the bckboard, tapping it lightly with his wand as glowing runes appeared, forming a simplified diagram of mana flow in the body.

  "There are many different Mana Circution Techniques, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Some prioritize speed, others efficiency, and some even provide additional enhancements to the body or mind. However, at their core, they all serve the same purpose."

  He paused for effect, scanning the css once more.

  "I repeat—every circution technique exists to do one thing: convert natural, chaotic mana into refined mana."

  The students remained silent, their focus locked onto him.

  Satisfied, he continued.

  "Now, the Mana Circution Technique you will be learning in this css is the most basic of them all. It has no added benefits, it is slow, and it is highly inefficient. Truth be told, it is borderline primitive."

  Some students exchanged uneasy gnces, while others furrowed their brows.

  "That being said—" The professor’s voice sharpened, cutting through their doubts.

  "Even this technique will be more than enough to prevent that so-called Mana Accumution Disease. Not only that, but it is the best foundation you can have. Every advanced technique builds upon the same principles you will learn here, meaning mastery of this simple form will allow you to transition into more powerful techniques ter on."

  He took a step forward, his expression unwavering.

  "The technique you will learn is called—"The Fundamental Flow.""

  A soft hum of interest rippled through the css.

  "It is the very first Mana Circution Technique ever developed. Though outdated by today’s standards, it remains one of the most stable and safest methods for beginners."

  With a flick of his wrist, the glowing diagram on the board shifted, revealing the core flow pattern of the technique.

  "Now, let’s begin."