CHAPTER 44: MANA SENSE

The duo remained seated facing each other and it was time when Athar would learn something for the first time from his master. A very important topic. Mana Sense.

"Mana sense is a complex concept to grasp," Angelica said.

"You would not fully understand it until you master it yourself. But I will try to explain it as simply and in rudimentary terms as I can."

"At its most basic and rudimentary level, mana sense is a supernatural perception ability, an additional sense apart from vision, hearing, etc., that cultivators develop. It is a form of extrasensory awareness that allows us to perceive and interact with the world beyond the limits of normal human senses."

"A kind of sense which allows to see and feel those places and areas which are far beyond the limits of our natural senses," she added. "Behind our back. Something hidden behind the rock. Above our head."

"Never confuse mana sense with vision of the eyes. This is a different kind of sense altogether. Even a blind person can have mana sense. And would probably have a very powerful mana sense as he would have to actively use mana sense to even ’see’ what other people can see with their eyes," she added giving some clarity to Athar.

"Cultivators can extend their mana sense outward like an invisible field. Through it, they can detect life forms, even those that are hidden or invisible, sense movement, danger, changes in the environment, and much more."

"We can minimise our presence preventing others from locating us or we can force our presence."

Athar nodded in response; his brow furrowed in partial understanding.

Angelica continued, "Now, how does it actually work?"

She raised her hand, and a ball of pure mana formed above her palm. It then splintered into dozens of smaller orbs, which floated around her in a loose formation. Each orb was connected to the others by faint, glowing threads of mana, and one of them was still linked directly to her hand.

"Using this network of connections," she explained, "I can sense what is happening around me— not everywhere, but specifically at the points where my mana is present."

"At the moment," she added, "I can only sense a few dozen points at once."

Suddenly, a pulse of mana rippled from her hand, and the orbs rapidly multiplied, forming a web like structure that surrounded both her and Athar.

"Now the field is larger," she said. "I can perceive a greater area."

"But of course, this method has limitations," she continued. "The picture I am able to form is not clear because of the obvious gaps in this field and even if I pump in more mana, some gaps will always remain."

"I cannot keep my own mana floating around me all the time. It is visible, so it defeats the purpose of stealth. It also consumes a huge amount of energy. And even then, the area I can cover is limited and far from perfect. If my mana is not present at a point, I would not know what’s happening there."

She paused, then raised a finger. "For mana sense to truly work, for it to be efficient and subtle, I need something that already exists everywhere in the environment. And I need to be able to connect with it."

"The natural mana in the environment," Athar said, eyes widening.

"Correct," Angelica nodded.

"Mana is present at every point in our surroundings. Unlike my artificial net, natural mana does not have gaps. There is no empty space without it. It is omnipresent, invisible, and it is not bound by range the way my personal mana is."

She turned to him with a faint smile. "So, the question is... how do I use it?"

"You remember the feeling when you absorb mana during cultivation?" She asked.

And Athar nodded.

"When we absorb mana from the surroundings during cultivation," Angelica explained, "we momentarily form a faint connection with the natural mana just before it enters our mana veins."

"That subtle connection is what we build upon," she continued. "Through it, we gradually strengthen our link to the natural mana and expand our sensing range as far as our control allows."

"The stronger the connection, the clearer the picture becomes. It allows our mind to perceive the surrounding area in great detail—we can feel and almost see everything within that range."

"Any disturbance in the natural flow or alignment of mana," she added, "can be sensed like ripples in water. By observing those ripples, we can form an understanding of what caused them. Whether it is movement, a presence everything can be picturised."

"Do you grasp the concept?" Angelica asked.

Athar nodded. "Yes, Master."

He had not understood everything, but he had grasped the basics. The rest, he was confident, would become clearer with a few more revisions. For now, his focus remained sharp.

"We will talk later about how to build upon this connection and begin practicing it," Angelica said. "But first, let us understand a few specific aspects of mana sense. That will make things much easier for you going forward."

"The first and probably the most important use of mana sense is detecting presence in our surroundings," Angelica began. "Like when an enemy tries to sneak up behind us or when an ambush is being set."

"Using mana sense, we can detect these threats easily," she said.

"Everything whether it is a human, a beast, a tree, or even something non-living—contains mana," Angelica explained.

"When we use mana sense to detect them, what we are really sensing is the disruption they cause in the natural mana flow."

"The natural mana in the environment exists in a smooth, continuous alignment. An alignment of its own. But whenever something occupies space, anything with its own mana signature, it breaks that uniformity. That difference stands out, and that is what we detect. This is the ripple in the water that I previously talked."

She paused, then added, "You could say that, through mana sense, everything appears as a form made of mana a silhouette or presence outlined not by light, but by its contrast, its difference against the natural mana field."

Athar nodded in understanding.

"That is the simple part," Angelica continued further.

She paused for a moment, then added, "But let us take it a step further. Suppose both of us are blindfolded in this room. I can still sense your presence. But can you sense mine?"

Athar narrowed his eyes, trying to understand her point.

"You can but only if I allow it," she said. "If I do not want to be sensed, you would not feel anything. In your mana sense, I would appear as nothing more than a part of the natural mana around us completely indistinguishable."

She gave him a moment to think, then asked, "How does that work?"

Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "The next step, after establishing a connection with the natural mana, is learning to control it."

"Connection then control," she said with a soft tone.

.

.

.

[Thank you for reading. Rate, Review and Comment on my novel. Also send the power stones]