Chapter 0:A Strange Manual

  I woke up today like usual made breakfast, went to the bathroom, the usual routine.

  It’s a pretty boring life, I know. But despite everything, I’m happy with it.

  I have family and friends, even though I was diagnosed with an illness called ManaShackle.

  In other words, I can’t release mana outside my body.

  It works fine when enhancing my body I can strengthen myself when needed but I can’t use any magic abilities beyond that. My mana is locked within me, restricting me to purely physical enhancements. It’s one of the rarest illnesses among magic users, and honestly? It sucks.

  Especially since a person’s mana capacity is tied to their physical strength, and mana control is tied to mental fortitude.

  Ah right. I should probably introduce myself. My name is Bennett Anderson. I’m 24, human, and average in most things. Because of my illness, I ended up with a rather mundane job transporting “goods.”

  In other words, garbage.

  With a sigh, I close my notebook, setting it aside after finishing today’s entry. Then, I get up and head to work.

  I arrive at work and greet my co-workers. "Hey, guys, anything new, or should I just start my shift?"

  One of them waves me off. "Oh, hey Bennett. Yeah, go ahead and take the first truck out. Drag your partner with you, haha."

  "Thanks, man. See ya."

  I scan the area for my garbage partner. He's from another country, and his name is Shiro. I know it means "Black" a pretty common name back in his homeland, but not so much around here.

  "Yo, Shiro! Ready to head out? Got the green light, and I’m taking the first truck."

  Shiro looks up, giving me a half-smile. "Hey Bennett, yeah, I’m ready. I’ll collect the garbage as usual, right?"

  "Nah," I say, shaking my head. "I’m taking the collection part this time. You do the driving."

  "Heh, of course. But don’t come crying to me when you get your hands covered in dog shit, ahaha."

  "Oh, har har. Only because you can use your magic and focus on telekinesis."

  "Of course, it’s convenient. Plus, it's summer, so I figured I might as well help you out until summer ends and the military school opens up."

  "Jeez, you’re bragging again, aren’t you?" I grab Shiro and mess with his hair. "Let me guess, you’re going to be the top student, huh?"

  "Oi, oi! Leave my hair alone, Jesus."

  "Whatever, Shiro. I’m sure you’ll pass. You’re an Oni, after all, so you’ve got superior mana reserves compared to most of us humans."

  He sighs. "You say that, but we both know that while our races give us an advantage, there are other races with either superior or inferior genetics. Every race has had its generation of legends."

  "I know, I know," I reply, shaking my head. "But still, humans have the fewest legends. I’m surprised we’re even keeping up. If we get any weaker, I fear we’ll end up like some of those other races from the past…"

  "You worry too much," Shiro says, chuckling. "These days, everything’s peaceful. All races are mingling, unlike before when we were constantly at odds."

  "Yeah, you’re right. But you know me I worry sometimes. Anyway, we’re at our destination. I’ll go grab the garbage."

  The day passed as usual collecting trash, tossing it into the truck, and moving on to the next stop.

  As I was collecting the trash, a strange book fell out from one of the bags. I tossed the garbage into the truck, then picked up the book. It had some odd designs on the cover, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions it could easily be a book from another race.

  Curious, I opened it and started skimming through the pages. To my surprise, it was a skill book a manual focused on interior magic control. It seemed perfect for someone like me with the ManaShackle illness.

  I closed the book and walked toward the house the trash came from, knocking on the door. I figured they might’ve accidentally thrown the book away, signaling for Shiro to wait.

  A foxy woman opened the door. "Excuse me, young sir. Why did you knock on my door?"

  "Well, miss, this book fell out of the trash," I explained. "It looks like a skill book or manual. Was this a mistake?"

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  She looked at the book and shook her head. "Oh my, I’ve never seen that book before in my life. It’s possible someone else threw it in my trash bin. That happens sometimes."

  "Ah, I see. Thanks for your time, miss. Sorry to bother you."

  "It’s alright," she said with a smile. "It’s kind of you to check. From what I see, you should keep it since it was tossed away anyway."

  "Sure, miss. Have a good day."

  With that, I turned and headed back to the truck.

  Shiro, ever the tease, called out, "So, why did you approach that woman? Do you like her? Is she your secret girlfriend?" He chuckled.

  "No, Shiro. The book fell out of the trash. It's a skill book/manual, but apparently, it doesn’t belong to her. She told me to keep it since it was thrown away anyway."

  "Oh, really? What kind of book is it?"

  "The first few pages focus on physical enhancements using mana," I said, shrugging. "It’s stuff I can already do, well, we all can do."

  "Haha, dang, such a waste if it’s just that," Shiro teased.

  "I don’t know, it might be useful," I replied. "I’ll read more of it later. Maybe it’ll go into more detail or help me get stronger."

  "Sure, man. Let’s head back then."

  "Thanks."

  We drove the truck back to the dumpster and emptied it. As usual, we had to clean out the truck to make sure no spoiled or rotten items were left behind before checking out.

  "Alright, bye Shiro. See you tomorrow."

  "Cya, Bennett. See you tomorrow."

  I returned home, washed up, made dinner, and ate. Once I was done, I opened the book again to read more of its instructions.

  Hmm, interesting. While coating the body in mana isn't new it's something any competent mage uses this seems to be an advanced manual. There’s a section that focuses on coating specific body parts rather than the whole body, increasing the durability of targeted areas. But… that’s only if I can release my mana. Sigh.

  Oh, what’s this?

  It looks like there’s a method specifically for people with the ManaShackle illness. The book suggests an alternative training technique that uses mana to strengthen the skin, muscles, and bones, rather than creating a full coat of mana like most mages do.

  Curious, I pulled up my phone and researched this method. According to the internet, while it’s theoretically possible, it’s highly discouraged. The risks are dangerous, and some experts even claim it could kill the user.

  I grimaced. This was starting to look more like a trap than an opportunity, but my gaze lingered on the book. Despite my doubts, I grabbed one of my old books on basic mana control. Comparing both, I realized something interesting. There were differences in their approaches. The new book had more steps, and the process seemed far more complicated than my old, simple one.

  This wasn’t just an advanced version of the standard training it was a better version. Still, the risk of potentially exploding my limbs was a real concern. I hesitated, but ultimately decided I’d test it tomorrow, on Sunday. No work tomorrow, so I’d have the time to focus.

  I closed both books and put them away before preparing for bed.

  The next day, I followed my usual morning routine before pulling out the book I’d found. Might as well risk it. I started with the basic training steps. It took me longer than usual almost an hour longer because of the added steps and unfamiliar motions. My body was drenched in sweat, but the progress was undeniable. This method felt effective, maybe even more so than the standard training I had known.

  It made me question the usual books that all mages get. Was the training incomplete? No, I shouldn't think like that. I pushed the thought away, focusing on my meditation. That last step was common to both books.

  As I meditated, I began to feel… different. More refreshed, like there was a slight increase in the mana within my body. I was stunned—usually, even a slight increase in mana capacity is incredibly difficult to achieve. That alone made the effort worth it. But then, the thought of my limbs exploding, as the internet warned, came back to haunt me. I had to be careful.

  I decided to take it slow and not rush into the next phase of the training.

  Later, as I read more from the book, I was surprised to find an entire fighting style recorded within its pages. It centered around using a quarterstaff, which was unexpected since melee combat isn’t as common nowadays most people would rather just throw a lightning storm or rain fire down from a distance.

  The fighting style was called Savage Cinder. The name sounded pretty cool, and the more I read about it, the more intrigued I became. But there was a problem how could I even start training in it? I didn’t have a quarterstaff.

  Still, I decided I’d order one. This idea was giving me more hope than it should, but I couldn’t help it. Even though I was happy with my life as it was, the chance to be something more… it was too tempting to resist.

  Here's an improved version of the passage, with clearer flow, enhanced emotional depth, and smoother transitions:

  For the next few weeks about a month and a half I stuck to the book’s instructions, cautious not to rush ahead. I didn’t dare take the next step until I was absolutely sure. Only now, after all that time, do I feel confident enough to move forward. But in the meantime, Shiro has gone off to the Flaming Ember Military School. I’ll miss him. Still, maybe with this book, I’ll be able to join a military school myself one day. The Flaming Ember Military School is one of the best in the city.

  As for me, though, because of my ManaShackle illness, I wasn’t able to register for any military school.

  But enough about that. Today feels different. I think I’m finally ready for the next part of the book the part where a single mistake could cost me a limb. Shudder.

  God, this is terrifying. But I have to push through.

  I took my usual meditative stance and began the next exercise. Less than ten minutes in, an excruciating pain shot through my body. I quickly stopped, gasping for breath.

  "Hahh… hahh… God, that hurt so much." It felt like I was going to explode. I stumbled, bile rising in my throat, and barely managed to stumble away from the grass before I vomited. "Ugh... Yeah, I’m definitely not ready for this. Damn it..."

  I reread the instructions, trying to calm my shaking hands. At the end of the paragraph, a line caught my eye. "You need basic mastery of the Savage Cinder fighting style before attempting this."

  OI OI OI! Who the hell wrote this book? They should have put that at the start, not at the end!

  I was furious. If I had seen that warning earlier, I might have avoided almost killing myself. The fact that it was buried at the end after I'd already started was reckless. No wonder I nearly killed myself.

  But at least I received my quarterstaff not long ago. It’s a step in the right direction.

  I turned back to the instructions, gritting my teeth. The first stage of training for the Savage Cinder style consisted of five exercises. I sighed. Five.

  I’ve already done the first one, and let’s just say… it felt like my body was screaming at me. Every muscle, every joint seemed to ache, and I felt like I might pass out. And there are four more? God, this is going to take forever. I’ll be sore for days no, weeks. It’s going to be painful, but... I can already tell it’s effective. I might not have survived the first exercise if I wasn’t at least a little prepared.

  But that’s what I signed up for, right? This path I’m on isn’t easy, and I have to push through it, no matter how much it hurts. I won’t back down.

  Chapter 0: End