The Cursed Extra: Bloodline of Sacrifice - Chapter 73

Chapter 73: The Fundamentals of Magic

Arianna’s eyes shifted to him. “Ed, do you understand these concepts, or should we go over them from the absolute basics?”

Ed sat up straighter. “I understand, ma’am.”

Arianna raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You told me earlier that you had a basic understanding of mana. I forgot—my bad.” There was a hint of dry amusement in her tone.

Then, she tilted her head slightly. “If you know the basics, then tell me—what does light consist of?”

Ed immediately recognized this question. He had read about this in his previous life.

“Light is both a particle and a wave,” he answered. “Some theories claim it’s purely made of particles, while others argue it behaves like a wave.”

Arianna’s lips curved slightly. “So you do understand the fundamentals. Good.”

She placed a hand on the table. “Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s move to the most important part—practical application.”

Arianna gestured, and with a flick of her wrist, the room shifted.

The smooth wooden floor beneath them rippled slightly, as if it were alive.

The walls flickered, and suddenly, the enclosed classroom transformed into an open training field.

The ground beneath them had turned to smooth, dark stone, stretching into the distance.

It was a controlled training space, likely created using advanced magic.

Ed’s fingers twitched.

This wasn’t something he had ever seen before.

Arianna stood in the center of the space, calm as ever. “Magic is not just knowledge. It’s not just power. It is the ability to control both particles and waves at will.”

Her hand lifted.

The air hummed.

And then—

A flicker of pure mana materialized at her fingertips.

It was small at first.

A simple point of white-blue energy.

It floated above her palm, shifting, vibrating—alive.

“This—” she said, her voice even, “is mana in its rawest form.”

Ed stared.

It was strange.

He had seen magic before—fireballs, lightning, enchantments.

But this wasn’t the same.

This wasn’t shaped into an element.

It was pure.

Arianna closed her fingers, and the flicker of mana compressed.

The once-shifting energy turned into something **solid—**a small, glowing sphere.

“This is what happens when you focus on mana’s particle nature. You give it form, density, and presence.”

She snapped her fingers.

The sphere shattered into light, dispersing like mist.

Then—before the remnants could vanish—she waved her other hand, and the particles began to move.

The light didn’t fade.

Instead, it stretched. It twisted and pulsed, moving in waves—rippling, flowing like liquid air.

Ed’s breath slowed.

This… was different.

Arianna watched him carefully. “And this—” she said, her voice softer, “is mana when controlled through waves.”

The energy pulsed once more.

Then, with a single motion of her wrist, it disappeared.

The air stilled.

She turned to them, eyes sharp.

“Controlling magic isn’t just about throwing fire and ice at your enemies. It’s about control. Precision. Understanding when to use particles, and when to use waves.”

She folded her arms. “And today, you will learn to do both.”

Arianna gestured for them to step forward.

“Before you can manipulate mana, you must feel it.”

She nodded toward the space in front of them.

“Close your eyes. Breathe. And try to sense the mana around you.”

Ed exhaled slowly.

He closed his eyes.

And then—

He felt something.

A faint hum. A presence in the air.

It wasn’t physical. It wasn’t something he could see or touch.

But it was there.

Like the low vibrations of music before a sound played.

Like the tension in the air before a storm.

It was subtle—but it was everywhere.

Arianna’s voice was calm. “Good. Now… focus. Try to reach out to it. Try to pull it toward you.”

Ed furrowed his brow.

Pull it toward me?

He concentrated.

At first, nothing happened.

But then—

Something shifted.

The air around him grew heavier. The hum became louder.

And then—

A spark.

For a brief second, something flickered inside him.

Something small, something weak—but something real.

His eyes snapped open.

Arianna was watching him, a small, approving nod on her face.

“That—” she said, “is the first step.”

Ed inhaled deeply.

His first step into magic.

The first step was taken.

Ed could feel mana now.

Previously, Ed didn’t sense the mana; he simply conjured fire magic directly, which is why he couldn’t control it.

But now he can feel.

It was faint, weak—a flicker in the vast ocean of energy. But it was there.

The problem was simple. Feeling mana wasn’t enough.

He had to control it more precisely.

Arianna’s gaze swept over the three of them. “Now, you might be wondering—how do we increase our ability to use mana?”

She paused, then continued. “The answer is simple—practice.”

Her words were absolute. There were no shortcuts. No tricks.

Only effort.

Ed exhaled and glanced sideways.

Vynesaa.

She stood with her arms crossed, her expression calm.

She had already done this before.

She had no trouble feeling mana.

She was about his age—maybe a year older. But standing next to her, Ed felt smaller. Weaker.

It wasn’t just her posture or the way she carried herself.

It was her bloodline.

Bloodline of Sylvanheart Ascendancy.

A legendary bloodline. A connection to ancient power.

She was a prodigy.

Even after Ed had sacrificed his past memories and emotions to gain an edge—she was still at the same level.

Or perhaps… she was stronger.

His gaze shifted.

Zareth.

The elven prince was only 12 years old.

Yet he, too, had already taken this step. He could sense mana, control it, and shape it into something tangible.

Ed clenched his fists.

I can’t fall behind.

He had given up so much to stand here. His past self, his attachments, the emotions that once defined him.

And yet—these two were still ahead.

It wasn’t jealousy.

It was determination.

He couldn’t afford to be ordinary.

Arianna’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Ed.”

He snapped back to attention.

“You will practice until you can not only feel mana—but move it.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “And you will not leave this training session until you do.”

The weight of her words settled on his shoulders.

This was just the beginning.

And failure was not an option.