Chapter 111: Mana Surge: Pushing Limits
"Okay, let’s begin. Come down from the bed," Lyra said.
Nolan climbed down, standing.
"You both should turn your backs," Lyra instructed.
As Linda and Celia turned around, Lyra added, "Now, go shirtless."
Celia and Linda’s faces flushed bright red, and even Nolan’s face tensed. All three of them exclaimed, "What are you saying?"
"I’m saying you should go shirtless in order to proceed smoothly with the transfer of mana," Lyra explained.
"No, no, no, this is too much," Nolan said.
"It’s fine," Celia and Linda said, as they walked into a small room to prepare. They covered the front of their bodies with their clothes, leaving only their backs exposed.
When they came out, Nolan sat a short distance away.
"Now, sit on the ground," Lyra said.
The three of them sat on the ground.
"Place your hands on their backs," Lyra instructed.
Nolan placed his right hand on Celia’s back and his left hand on Linda’s back.
This was the first time Nolan was touching their skin so directly. His heart raced, and his mind struggled to concentrate. No, they might feel uncomfortable. No unclean thoughts, he reminded himself. He shook away any wandering thoughts, focusing entirely on the task. These ladies needed to be strong, he thought.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes, we are," Celia and Linda replied, their faces still bright red.
"Now, close your eyes," Lyra instructed.
Nolan, Celia, and Linda obeyed, closing their eyes.
"Nolan, imagine... try to see your mana. Zero. Try to become Nolan. Breathe in, breathe out. When you transfer your mana to them, even a little, they will be incredibly strong, very powerful," Lyra said.
"Okay, I’m calm. Begin the process," Nolan said.
"Try to see all your mana. While you close your eyes, visualize the mana particles. Don’t try to separate it. The mana you’re suppressing should not be added to the 0.1%, because even that small amount could kill them. Even if it’s just 0.001%, it could be fatal if it touches them," Lyra explained.
"So the mana transfer I am doing... the one I’m to give them, whether 0.1% or 0.01% of the total... that’s the safe amount?" Nolan asked.
"Yes you understand?" Lyra asked.
"I still don’t fully, but I’ll try," Nolan said, closing his eyes deeper. He focused, visualizing all his mana. He separated the active mana from the suppressed portion, using only the controlled, safe portion.
He imagined taking 1% of that, then gradually reducing it to 0.1%.
"No... that’s still too much. I need to make it 0.001%," Nolan said. He refined the visualization, extracting the tiniest fraction. Then, carefully, he touched their backs. "I’ve seen it. The mana I’m transferring is 0.001%, not 0.1%. Just in case. Nothing will go wrong."
"How do I put it into them? Transfer it?" Nolan whispered, still with his eyes closed.
"Just imagine pushing it out of your hand. It’s up to them whether they accept it," Lyra said.
Nolan focused. He imagined the mana flowing out from his hands. As he did, it was as if gravity filled the room, pressing down on everything. Celia and Linda stayed firm, refusing to move. Slowly, the yellow light of mana entered them, and they accepted it.
Then it happened. Their magical energy surged from within, erupting in a massive explosion that shook the room. The force was so powerful, it threatened to blow the roof away. Nolan activated used his shield magic to protect himself,
The room was filled with smoke. Celia leaned over and noticed the haze curling around them. Nolan carefully carried both Celia and Linda in his arms. From the open roof, he leapt outside, landing safely in the garden. Lyra followed, jumping after him.
"What’s wrong? Why are their eyes closed?" Nolan asked, concern lacing his voice. "Even after lowering it... I gave them just 0.001% of my mana. What’s going on? Smoke is coming out of their bodies... what is that?"
"There’s no need to panic," Lyra said calmly. "They’re still breathing. Your mana was just too powerful. Even 0.001% of your unsuppressed mana is immense. Imagine if you had added the suppressed portion or used your full power—they wouldn’t have survived. This is safe. I expected this. They might just sleep... for maybe a day or two."
Luna exhaled, trying to steady herself. "I hope you’re right."
He gently laid them flat on the ground. At that moment, Cynthia ran out, alarmed.
"What’s going on? What did you just do? What happened?" she demanded, rushing forward.
Luna stood calmly, leaving Celia and Linda lying unconscious. "Sorry for that... it looks like I’ve caused you a lot of trouble," he said quietly.
"Hey! Are you running an experiment on house or something? You should learn not to spoil things," Cynthia scolded, then turned her attention to the girls. She reached out, touching their bodies. "What happened to them? Why are they so... hot?"
Her skin burned under her hands, almost like being touched by a hot knife. Cynthia’s eyes widened. "Their so hot... their skin is almost scalding."
"I’m actually really sorry about the house, but they are fine. I don’t want you to worry about them. Please take this. Please go call someone to fix the house, and I’m really sorry about it. Forgive me," Nolan said with a small smile.
"Well, no need. Thank my goodness they are okay. No need for you to pay for anything. You gave me a lot of money and there’s still a lot of it that remains. I’ll go get someone to get it done before nightfall," he added as he rushed out of the gates.
"Wow, good thing they are breathing. My heart almost stopped thinking something bad might have happened to them. I would have tried to protect, but it was useless because it felt like some of the mana I put into them came back out. It came out because it was too intense for their bodies. I could even feel it on their sides."
"Yeah, even that tiny bit of mana was too much for them," Lyra said.