SSS-Ranked Skill in a New Filthy World

"You're doing it but there's something wrong, what is it?" Ava asked as she saw Roman's face.

"I can't feel the Mana moving, I'm doing it but I have no idea"

"If that's the case then it's okay… it means your body knows what to do, but your mind hasn't caught up yet," Ava said.

Roman kept looking at the stone, watching the light fade away. "So I'm doing it… but blindly."

"Exactly," Ava replied. "It happens smetimes during Mana training, but I didn't know something like that would affect you giving you're in the magic academy"

Roman looked at her face as she looked away, once again she was enjoying this too much.

Roman picked up the stone again. "So what do I do now?"

Ava leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. "Keep doing it until your mind starts to catch the feeling. The more you repeat it, the more familiar it becomes. One day you'll notice the Mana moving"

Roman nodded slowly. "Sounds simple"

"It's better than nothing," Ava said. "And you're not starting from zero anymore, at least you're somewhere, now you can just continue practicing, also try moving Mana to your eyes and the rest of your body"

Roman smirked a little. "Thanks… even if you're still enjoying this too much."

Ava just shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "Pick up the stone again. We can keep going"

Roman took a breath, closed his eyes, and tried again. The warmth was there in his chest, he could feel his Mana core.

Even if he couldn't feel his Mana moving, he knew it was moving—because as he opened his eyes the stone glowed, soft and steady in his palm.

For now, at least that was enough, he just have to keep at it.

"So Ava, you're an elemental mage, you know flame and ice spells right?" Roman asked.

"I'm not teaching you any of my spells" Ava spoke immediately.

"I haven't even asked the question yet, when did you start training?" Roman asked.

"When I was 9 or 10, I start training with magic at age 15, why are you asking?"

"Age 15, how did you know what magic type you had?"

"My family name is Firefrost, did you think I was going to be a blood mage, no one from my family had ever been anything but an elemental mage, so it goes without saying I was trained and cast my first spell after two week" Ava spoke, Roman could tell she was proud of that.

"Really, that's amazing" Roman said stroking her ego as a smile formed on her face.

'How the fuck am I even going to compete, I really didn't think this through, even though I'm planning to leave illusion spells, are they even a guarantee' Roman thought as he looked at the ceiling.

Ava looked at Roman, noticing he had gone quiet. "What's wrong? Regretting coming to the academy already?"

Roman shook his head slowly. "No… just thinking."

"About what? You're a male, I still have no idea why you're doing this since it has absolutely no benefit"

"I want to ask you a question, if you weren't born in the Firefrost family, and awaken as a C-rank, would you still be a mage...and currently why are you a mage?" Roman asked.

"I would try, even though it's unlikely that I'll get into the academy, and I'm a mage because I want to rid the world of demons, not because I'm a member of the Firefrost family, I just happen to be born in my family by chance" Ava spoke.

"I also have a good enough reason as to why I'm here, just like you"

Ava's smile faded a little. "Then don't think about anything. Just focus on yourself, currently you're the weakest one amongst all the class 1 students, and in a month it'll be like this, unless you train harder than everybody"

Roman let out a small laugh. "You're surprisingly good at pep talks."

"I'm not trying to encourage you," Ava said, her tone flat. "I just don't want a weak roommate."

Roman smirked. "Right, you do know we're going to be more than just roommates after a month, I'll be deep inside of you"

Ava stared at him for some seconds as she didn't actually get what he was trying to say then her eyes widened as she realized and Roman's lips curled into a smile.

She immediately stood up and without speaking she walked outside the room and closed the door, her cheeks were red as her mind went to what Roman was saying and she began imagining it in her head.

'The girls in the world are far too easy, I don't even have to try'

Roman stood up and sat on his bed, he was still holding the stone in his hands, and this time he infused Mana without closing his eyes.

Roman looked at the stone in his hand. It glowed softly, even without him closing his eyes this time.

"Guess I'm getting the hang of it," he muttered to himself.

He leaned back against the wall still on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind felt a little lighter now, and even though he still couldn't sense the Mana moving, the stone proved it was working.

Roman tossed the stone lightly from one hand to the other, watching it glow each time it touched his skin.

After a while, his eyes felt heavy. He set the stone beside his bed, then stretched out on the bed, folding his arms behind his head.

His thoughts drifted between Ava, the upcoming tournament, and learning illusion magic and all the rest.

Slowly, his eyelids dropped, and Roman drifted off to sleep.

.

.

.

Roman eyes jolted open and he found himself somewhere else.

The sky above him was dark, painted with red clouds and streaks of black smoke. The ground beneath him was cracked and burned.

Then he looked in front.

In front of him stretched an army of monsters—twisted things with horns, scales, and bone armor.

Their eyes glowed, and their roars shook the ground. He immediately knew there were Demons. Molted beasts with demon blood. There were thousands of them, a sea of claws and teeth.

But Roman wasn't alone.

Beside him stood ten figures. He couldn't see their faces clearly, like shadows hiding under hoods.

But each of them held a weapon, and each weapon was different—one had a staff, another a golden sword, another a golden chain, and one of them has a weapon made out of blood.

He could see the rest of them but his face immediately went forward.

Roman knew, somehow, they were all on the same side.

He felt fear, but at the same time, his heart beat calmly, like he had done this before. His body felt light, almost like it wasn't fully his.

Then the demons charged, and the ground shook under their weight. The air smelled of blood and smoke.

Roman moved, now he knew he wasn't in control of his body.

His hand shot forward, and words he didn't know left his mouth. A wave of flame erupted, roaring across the blackened ground and swallowing the front line of demons.

The demons burned, screaming, but others rushed forward, unfazed.

One of the shadowy figures beside him raised hands and lightning cracked from the sky, striking a giant demon and blowing it apart. Another swung a blade wreathed in wind, sending out blades of air that cut through the monsters.

Roman felt Mana pouring through him, stronger than anything he had ever felt.

His body moved again, drawing symbols in the air. Pillars of stone burst from the ground, crushing demons beneath them.

The demons roared, some leaping over the stone, wings spread wide.

Roman pointed both hands forward, and ice spears shot out, skewering a line of them in the air.

Still they came, endless.

Roman had no idea what was happening, he knew this wasn't him, he wasn't the person fighting, he wasn't good with magic, but somehow it felt familiar like he had lived like this before.

Roman's body turned, and he shouted a word that echoed like thunder.

A black mist spread out from him, and where it touched, the demons slowed, their eyes turning dull, their steps heavy.

Beside him, the figure with the chain lashed it, and the chain turned into flame, slicing demons in half. Another figure, the one with the staff, raised it high, and the ground cracked open, swallowing whole groups of monsters.

Roman felt his heart pound, Mana rushing through his veins like fire. He raised his hand to the sky, and lightning danced around his arm. He slammed his hand down, and the lightning crashed into the demons, leaving smoking craters.

The roar of battle never stopped and he was sinking deeper into the battle.

The demons were close now, too close. Roman drew a circle in the air, and a barrier of light formed around him, stopping claws and teeth that slashed at him.

Then he cast again, and shards of crystal flew from his hands, slicing through anything in front of him.

A huge demon, taller than the rest, charged at him with a massive bone club. Roman moved without thinking, ducking low, and his arm moved by itself.

Dark energy gathered in his palm, and he released it in a wave that ripped the demon apart.