The Mysterious Black Magician

It has only been a couple of days since they arrived at this academy. And yesterday only, that the topic about it was lectured to them. Yet now, someone already mastered controlling it?

Is this for real?!!! The other student and even the instructors and officials thought in surprise.

However, it's not just a random someone who achieved it. It was the infamous person, the weakest among the rest, and known as a no mana.

What the hell?! It's like saying that the crow changed its color to white! Very unbelievable!

Everyone was flabbergasted.

This is the first in history! No one was able to do it even those geniuses from before. The fastest one that had been recorded was about 3 days. And that person was a real genius.

Every official in the academy that was present at the moment in the training grounds seemed like they had witnessed a miracle. They gawked in disbelief.

The chief and mayor realized that all of the trainees who fought first were still not able to control their mana. But this kid right now had already done it?! They stared at him full of curiosity and doubts.

Yman on the other hand was puzzled by everyone's reactions. He asked his trusted partner, 'My deity, is it that great to learn how to control mana?'

Honestly, Yman didn't feel any out of the ordinary that worth taking notice about it except for it being able to conserve mana.

<Frankly, besides it being a little bit annoying, and more work on my part, I see nothing else. But this mana controlling thing might be helpful in the future. Who knows?!> Sistela replied in an annoyed voice.

Yman scratched his face and thought that what Sistela said was right, 'Hah~ sorry about that,' Yman was sorry for her and sighed.

For him, aside from being able to conserve the mana usage and able to conceal the glow if ever one wanted to do a sneak attack, nothing else is worth mentioning about it. And it was easy to learn. He believes that others could do it fast too if they know the fundamentals of it.

Like for example, he and Sistela; his way of learning it might not be applicable to others, but they only need to understand the fundamentals of it.

Wait... Yman realized something. Actually, the curiosity he felt towards his channeling ability has always been lingering in his mind recently. Like something always reminded him about it whenever he forgot about it. But maybe it was only his imagination.

|What if my channeling ability also followed certain fundamental — rules? Hmm... possible. But... the question is... what kind of fundamental it is?| Yman in deep thought disregarding the noise of surprise around him.

He felt he was moving towards the realization. Yet he also felt that what he knew was still too shallow. Actually, He had this urge to search and to practice every time an idea popped up in his mind but now is not the right time.

'My deity, do you feel anything weird whenever I use my channeling ability?' Again, Yman asked Sistela.

<".....">

Sistela was wondering why this partner of hers was asking her out of the blue questions. But she also noticed that he became polite at calling her. So she must pay him with kindness, after all, she was a kind deity. Her kindness knows no bounds.

<My partner, aside from stealing my mana. Hm... none I guess.> Sistela replied in her honest feelings.

For some reason, he felt like he was being emphasized as a thief.

'Ahaha.' Yman was sorry for her and laughed despondently, and thought that it was hard to search for something if you are in the dark, just like his situation.

Actually, he didn't think highly of this ability. Just, he has nothing else besides it. Since he could not use his Black Mana to breakthrough, he had to cling on this channeling talent of his in order to achieve a breakthrough. To become stronger.

"That kid. Is he from the top family?" The chief finally asked as he couldn't hold his curiosity anymore.

"Hm..." Principal Mar was having a thinking gesture but could not remember that kid, so he tried to ask his assistant who was standing at their back about the identity of Yman.

The assistant nodded. Then she took a tablet and scrolled on it. After a moment, the assistant whispered in Principal Mar's ear. The principal nodded. Then he opened his mouth saying, "Unfortunately, he's not. He is an ordinary kid. Based on his information in the panel, he came from the orphanage."

"Ordinary person and orphanage? .....So he's not from the top family." The chief sounded dejected.

He was a bit curious about that kid; after all, being able to learn how to control the mana in just a day was a very rare event.

Kiko who was silently listening to all the conversation of surprise from the people around him had knitted his brows. Based on what he heard, most of them thought that that person was awesome. He was the first one who succeeded in controlling the mana.

Kiko didn't like the way the situation was going. The others slowly changed the way they were seeing that person, 'If this went on, there is a high possibility that they will think of him as an outstanding person later on. Tsk. This isn't good.' Kiko thought.

He must do something before that guy becomes an awesome person in the other's eyes.

*Beep!* Unexpectedly, he grinned when something came up.

Currently, Yman and Almina were standing opposite to each other at the center while gripping their weapons of choice in hands.

The duel had not started yet, but both of them were ready to go. They were distracted by the people around them.

Suddenly, "Hahaha." A roar with laughter broked the noise of whispers and murmurs in the whole training grounds.

All the trainees, even the officials, and judges looked at the source. Goki, Yman, and Almina also glanced.

They saw the guy in Kiko's group guffawing while holding his stomach. The guy named Bruno.

Kiko grinned. After noticing that everyone came into a sudden dead silence, Bruno opened his mouth saying, "Everyone, dude, I think it is only natural that Toad-guy has no mana-excess, enveloping his body. After all, that Toad doesn't have mana in the first place!"

The crowd suddenly broke into whispers again. They thought that, what Bruno said was logical.

Almina knitted her brows in disgust towards Bruno. Goki and Yman frowned. He knew what this guy was trying to say. But actually, he didn't care about it. If this mana controlling really that great, then he needed its greatness not the praises from others.

On the official's table, Mayor Chan and Chief Henderson were having dumbfounded faces.

"That kid had no mana?!" Mayor Chan asked in a slightly higher voice.

"Is that right, Mr. Principal?" Followed by Chief Henderson.

The principal glanced at his assistant and saw her nodded.

"Yeah. It seems he was born as no mana." The principal replied with a forced smile.

"Then he is an ordinary person. How come he was accepted in this academy? I thought you only recruited talented magicians this year, Principal Mar? Wait, he could not even be considered a magician in that case." Mayor Chan questioned the principal with a frown.

"Wait. Wasn't it against the rules of the academy to accept a no mana trainee? After all, it was a Magic Academy. This academy only belongs to magicians." The chief added.

The principal felt he was in trouble. Thankfully the assistant whispered in his ear. The principal sighed in relief.

"Actually, the attendants who evaluated him found a Hollow Cell inside him. But in the report, it says that his Hollow Cell was acting abnormally. It didn't produce mana. However, that kid seemingly had this ability known as 'Channeling'?"

"Hm, channeling?" The chief repeated. The chief was a little bit surprised. It's not like this ability was not known. Actually, this ability was well-known for being a trash ability.

"Yeah, it must be like that." Principal Mar nodded.

"Tsk. Wasn't that wasting our resources only? If that kid was admitted to this academy just because of that channeling then it's just a waste of resources." Mayor Chan spat annoyingly.

Not only that kid would never be a talent worth mentioning. He would never be a vital magician in the future. It was better to send him into the construction site or become an herbs collector outside the city, or any work to contribute to the city except being a trainee.

In this world, or in every Human City in this world, the most banned type of people is those unproductive people and has a vague future. Every human sent to this world was only those humans that could contribute to the city.

The trainees that were sent here were free of tuition and they had been given a free allowance in the first month. After that, they needed to do a mission to earn money for themselves. While they were doing missions, they not only fed themselves they also made contributions to the city and even to this world. They needed to be independent while being helpful to the city at the same time.

This was the other side of this Human City and the academy.

And being a trainee wasn't easy. They needed to become strong if they wanted to stay long in this academy. If not, they would definitely find themselves at a loss when the time comes that they needed to venture into the more dangerous place.

However, no mana and only a channeler? — what can it do? This kid will probably face a dead end sooner or later. Only a true magician with actual mana could breakthrough this dead end. This kid is not suitable inside the academy. The Mayor thought.

"So he is a channeler, or also known as a — False Magician." Chief Henderson muttered.

Principal Mar started to feel troubled, "In any case, for now, let's see his performance first." Principal Mar said in order to divert the issue.

"Hm, yeah, it must be the best we can do at the moment," agreed by the chief.

He knew a little about the channeling ability, but he was in a hollow about the mana controlling ability of it. Although, that other kid said that it was because the other kid has no mana. However, the chief knew that a channeler could access mana in a different way. But he didn't know how it works. This channeling ability is actually hard to comprehend. This was the chief honest thought at the moment.

Mayor Chan knitted his brows in annoyance but didn't contradict the two.

Kiko on the sideline was grinning. Looks like the officials, the trainees, and the instructors had started to doubt that person.

This is good, he thought.

After noticing the discontent on the officials' faces towards that person, especially the mayor, "I have a suggestion!" Kiko voices out.

"Suggestion?" The crowd started to whisper at each other again.

"Suggestion?" Beth repeated.

"Bwahaha, that brat seemed to be up to something," Torr laughed and said.

"Why not let him speak about this suggestion of his," Musk agreed.

The chief nodded his head slightly.

Yman felt that this guy was up to something. He was sure Kiko was planning something against him. Anyway, when did this guy able to use his brain? It was out of his character.