Immediately, she got into the role of a professor; her back was straight, her eyes focused, and her mind was clear. She looked quite different from usual, but this was exactly what I needed right now: someone serious, who was ready to do her job perfectly.
She softly smiled at me and asked, "What would you like me to start with?"
I had no idea where to even begin. So, I decided to give her the only logical response in this scenario.
"Teach me magic as if I've never heard of it before. Teach it to me like I'm a baby."
"So, I should start with the basics?"
I nodded, happy that she understood where I wanted to go with this.
"Then I will now begin. Make sure to pay attention to everything I do and say, understood?"
I agreed, thinking with a smile, 'It's going to be hard to look away, don't worry.'
"Let's begin with theory."
"Every awakened being, like you and me, has what's called a Mana Core, which can be considered the heart of your magic. That's where all of your mana will be stored, and it will also determine the amount you can hold within yourself. It's usually located in the center of your chest, a bit to the left of your heart. Obviously, you can train this Mana Core to become stronger and more powerful. However, I will talk about that later on."
"Then, another thing that's very important to grasp is the Mana Circuits, which can be compared to your veins that send blood across your whole body as needed. Well, it's the same function here, but instead of blood, it's mana being shot out into those 'veins.' Everything clear?"
I nodded.
The Mana Core was basically a heart made of mana, and the Mana Circuits were the veins. Very easy.
"Do you want me to teach you how to feel your Mana Core?"
"Yes, that'd be great."
She smiled and indicated for me to sit on the ground with my legs crossed.
But then, what she did next made me feel a little nervous as she sat right behind me, her whole body pressing against me as she wrapped her arms around my waist and placed them over my chest.
I could feel her breasts pressing against my back, and let's just say that it was a nice moment right there, especially with her hands on my body. This position felt as if we were lovers, and I liked it a lot.
"Close your eyes," Elena said, unaware of my thoughts. "I will help you find your Mana Core and your Mana Flow."
I listened and closed my eyes.
"I will now send a pulse of my own mana into your body. Try to feel it and locate it."
Instantly, I felt a warm sensation near my chest, and with my eyes still closed, I was able to see a huge ball of energy right in the center of my chest.
It was undoubtedly my Mana Core, but strangely, arcs of energy constantly rotated around it as if they were moons orbiting a planet, eternally attracted to it and stuck in its atmosphere.
The power I felt from it was extremely high, so much so that even Elena looked surprised as I felt her body slightly shift.
"Wow…" she muttered under her breath. "Your Mana Core is very well developed for your age. It's just as good as mine, and I've been receiving teachings from the most talented individuals in the entire world. Y-Your talent is on a completely different level than mine. H-How many affinities do you have?"
I could sense and hear the shock in her voice without even seeing her face as she progressively grew more excited.
"Um… I have four of them."
"A-Amazing… you should be the one teaching me. I'm nothing compared to you…"
I didn't say anything. I liked the compliment, but it simply wasn't true; maybe the previous Jake could have taught her, but I certainly couldn't.
Nevertheless, she quickly remembered her role as the hypnosis seemed to lose its effect for a short moment.
"Have you found your Mana Core?" she asked.
I nodded. "I did, but what are those arcs rotating around it?"
"Ah… those are the Mana Circles. That's how you strengthen your Mana Core by increasing its size and its mana output. When speaking of a mage's strength, usually people categorize them based on the number of circles they have around their Mana Core."
"What's the most Mana Circles someone has ever had?"
Elena liked the question. She smiled and quickly replied, "A legend from a long time ago said that it was 10 Mana Circles. But none of the mages of our time have ever managed to reach this point. As of now, there are only four mages with 9 Mana Circles, and all of them have a strong influence over the world, even over my father."
I was a little surprised that only four people had managed to reach such a stage. However, it only showed just how hard it was to progress after reaching a certain bottleneck.
"And how do you increase the number of Mana Circles you have?"
"You grow a new Mana Circle by tempering your body, deepening your affinity, and condensing your Mana Core until it reaches its limit. Once it's stable, you force a breakthrough — and that pressure forms a new circle around your core." She smiled. "But it's not something that can be done easily. Most mages need decades, rare materials, or... intense experiences to push their mana beyond its current threshold."
I nodded quietly as I felt her body moving away from me; I no longer felt her breasts against my back.
She now stood on both feet and told me to do the same.
"Now that you have found your Mana Core and seen your Mana Circuits, it's time for you to understand how to cast a spell, which is the most essential skill for any mage."