Chapter 64: Learning Varren’s Dominion Wall, Revelation Of Seris’ Talent
Amid the white background and black lines, I saw faint grey threads.
These lines moved with rhythm and intent.
"Those are Force Lines," Yuna said, noticing where I was looking. "They show how people move the force in their bodies. It could be force of muscle, mana, or aura.
"You can predict attacks or feints by reading them. In battle, this ability is priceless."
I looked at my own body and saw Force Lines there too.
Thankfully, they didn’t show what kind of force I was using.
If they did, my secret as a mage would’ve been exposed long ago.
Dad gently set me down. "That’s enough Hollow Eyes training for today. You’ve done great. Let’s move to the next lesson."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Varren’s Dominion Wall."
I nodded, though a thought crossed my mind.
’Is he even allowed to teach me this?’
I didn’t know where he got the technique from, but it was created by the Sword King.
And the Sword King didn’t like his techniques being passed around.
Still, as long as I didn’t show it off, no one would know I knew Sword King’s technique.
"This technique has two stages. The first lets you redirect attacks from any direction.
"If you master it, you can even reflect them back.
"The second lets you absorb the force of the attack and store it in your weapon.
"You can release it later to boost your strikes. For now, I’ll teach you the first stage."
I listened carefully as he demonstrated the stance.
He handed me a small branch from the trees around us.
"Follow my movements," he said.
I copied him, step by step.
The stance looked simple, but the balance and timing were tricky.
Each motion had to connect smoothly with the next.
We trained for over an hour.
When we stopped, sweat dripped from my chin as I fell onto the grass, breathing hard.
Dad crouched beside me with a grin. "You lasted longer than I expected. Looks like your body’s stronger than I thought."
I gave a small nod, too tired to speak.
He looked up.
"Ah, drinks are here."
A maid walked over, carrying two cold glasses filled with something minty.
Mom waved at us from the pavilion, smiling faintly.
I leaned back, taking a deep breath.
The garden air was cool, and the faint scent of flowers mixed with the drink’s mint.
I had memorized the entire first stage of Varren’s Dominion Wall. The stance, the breathing, the movements. Now all I needed was practice.
It was more efficient than I expected.
’Maybe I shouldn’t have turned down the Sword King’s offer to become his disciple in my past life,’ I thought wryly.
While Dad and I were still drinking, Mom’s phone rang.
She answered it casually at first.
Then her face went pale.
Dad and I noticed immediately.
By the time she put the phone down, we were already on alert.
Her hands trembled slightly as she looked at us.
"That was Marianne. She said... her daughter created an orb. A white gas-like orb."
"What?" Dad’s brows furrowed.
I was just as stunned.
"It’s mana, isn’t it?" Mom looked unsure. "Marianne doesn’t know anything about Exorcist related things, so she described it oddly. That’s why I told her to bring Seris over. We need to check on her."
Preparations were made quickly.
Within a few minutes, Marianne and Seris arrived.
We were all gathered in the guest room.
Mom sat beside Marianne, holding her hand, speaking gently.
Marianne looked like she was trying not to panic.
Seris sat quietly on another couch, her feet barely touching the floor.
Nisha Hall stood near her, observing with her usual calm.
"Seris, you said you made a white orb?" Nisha asked.
"Yes."
"How did you do it?"
"I was trying to gather the scent in my room. Then it just happened."
I sat nearby, listening closely.
My brows knit together as I tried to make sense of it.
She could smell mana? But she never mentioned it before.
’Maybe her ability to smell mana is her trait.’
’Doesn’t that mean she awakened her trait already?’
That was surprising.
It spoke at length about her talent.
And since her species had evolved, her sensitivity to mana and aura had increased even more.
Her trait and species evolution allowed her to sense the mana that was left in the room after my alchemy, and she gathered it.
’What a fearsome talent.’
It made me wonder how strong of an ally she could become in the future if I raised her right.
"Can you do it again?" Nisha asked.
Seris looked unsure. "I can’t. The scent is too weak in this place."
Nisha nodded.
Then, with a subtle motion, she released her mana into the room.
Seris blinked.
Her head turned slowly as if she was sniffing the air.
Her reaction confirmed everything.
She really could smell mana.
"Can you try now?" Nisha asked again.
Seris nodded.
She concentrated.
A few moments passed, and then white wisps started forming above her small hands.
Everyone went quiet.
Marianne looked like she was about to lose it again.
Her breathing hitched.
But Mom gently squeezed her hand, whispering reassurances.
"It’s not dangerous, Marianne. It’s okay. She’s just... special."
Nisha smiled and patted Seris on the head.
"Good job. As a reward, I’ll give you something nice. Go to the kitchen. I left some special chocolate there."
Seris’ eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Really. You can take him with you too," she added, glancing at me.
I understood what they were doing.
They wanted to have a discussion amongst themselves without us.
"Come on," I said to Seris, and we left the room together.
...
Nisha Hall’s POV
Once the kids were out of earshot, Nisha turned to Marianne.
"Your daughter’s sensitivity to mana is extremely high. The orb she created was pure, raw mana.
"In most mage families, even trained children can only do that after the age of seven. Seris is five. And she’s untrained. That means she is extremely talented."
"Mana? Mage families?"
Marianne looked from Nisha to Lyra, confused.
"Marianne... the world you know isn’t the whole picture. There’s a hidden side to everything. People from our world—mages, warriors, even creatures from myths—they all exist. They’ve been here since ancient times." Lyra explained.
"Wait, are you saying things like... vampires, werewolves, magic... those are real?"
Marianne shook her head slowly, as if trying to process Lyra’s words.
"They are. Odin, King Arthur, Merlin. All of them once existed, and some are still around.
"Over the centuries, people have traveled to other worlds. By the time they return, they become as strong as gods from the myths.
"Some of them hide among us, and create secret societies," Lyra said.
"So Seris... is one of them?" Marianne questioned.
Lyra gently shook her head. "No. She’s not one of them. She’s still just Seris. But it seems she has a talent to become an Exorcist. It’s an incredible ability, and very rare even among children of hidden houses."
"But she’s just a child," Marianne whispered. "She plays with dolls. She even sleeps with a night light sometimes. How can she be.... this Exorcist?"
"You don’t have to understand it all at once. Right now, the important thing is that she’s safe," Nisha said
Marianne rubbed her forehead. "What happens now?"
Nisha looked at Lyra.
Her expression was more serious than before.
A flicker of concern passed between them.
Marianne caught the look and narrowed her eyes.
"There’s something you’re not saying."