Blessed to be the Villain-Chapter 46: training 3

Looking at Ethan's twisted expression, which held a hint of fear as if he were expecting something worse, Arthur burst out laughing.

"Hahaha!" Arthur clutched his stomach, shaking with amusement. "Come on, man, that was just a joke!" He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "I just wanted to make you relax."

Ethan's tense posture eased slightly, but his glare remained sharp. "It wasn't that funny."

"No, no, you gotta admit, it was kinda funny," Arthur said, standing upright, still grinning.

"Yeah, it wasn't," Ethan shot back, shaking his head. "Unless you find giving someone a heart attack funny."

Arthur chuckled and gestured for him to come closer. "Alright, alright, come here."

Ethan hesitated, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "You sure? No more jokes?"

"Oh, come on, it was just a joke! Stop acting like that," Arthur rolled his eyes, clearly entertained by Ethan's reaction.

With some reluctance, Ethan stepped forward. As Arthur grabbed his hands again, Ethan couldn't help but think, I really hope that was just a joke, and he's not into men...

Arthur ignored Ethan's unease and began explaining. "What I meant earlier is that you need to feel how I use mana to move. So let me show you."

Closing his eyes, Arthur focused. Almost immediately, Ethan felt a warmth spreading from Arthur's palms. It was subtle at first, but as it tried to enter his body, something inside him reacted, instinctively pushing back against it.

A strange tingling sensation crawled over Ethan's skin. His heartbeat quickened. "Arthur… what's happening?" His voice wavered slightly.

Arthur's tone remained calm, almost soothing. "Relax. Let it flow into you."

Ethan tried, but his body refused to comply. The tingling wouldn't go away. Every muscle in him tensed involuntarily.

"It's not working," he muttered, frustration creeping into his voice.

Arthur let out a small sigh. "Your own mana is rejecting mine. It's an instinctive reaction. You need to consciously allow it in."

"Great… and how exactly do I do that?" Ethan asked sarcastically.

"Control your will. Command your mana. Make it obey you."

"I didn't even know I had 'will' in my mana! How am I supposed to control something I didn't even know existed?" Ethan snapped, irritation flaring.

{ "I can help." }

The system's voice echoed in his mind.

"You can?" Ethan asked internally.

{ "Uh-huh." }

"Then do it."

{ "Okay." }

The resistance vanished. Suddenly, the foreign warmth from Arthur's mana seeped into Ethan's body. It felt strange, invasive yet oddly natural.

Arthur's eyebrows shot up. "You did it!"

Ethan blinked. "I guess…?"

Arthur studied him with amazement. "That's surprising. Normally, this takes a lot longer, especially for someone who's never done it before."

"Is that… bad?" Ethan asked, uncertain.

"No," Arthur said quickly, shaking his head. "It's actually really good. If you can do this so easily, it means you already have an unusual level of control over your mana. The next step is going to be much easier for you."

{ "Aren't I amazing?" } The system's voice chimed smugly.

Ethan sighed internally. "Yes, yes, you are."

Arthur, oblivious to Ethan's internal conversation, continued. "Alright, now pay close attention—" He suddenly froze mid-sentence, his expression shifting into one of astonishment. "This is…"

Ethan noticed the change immediately. "What? What's wrong?"

Arthur snapped out of his brief stupor and shook his head. "Nothing's wrong… it's just your mana."

Ethan frowned. "My mana?"

Arthur's gaze became contemplative. "It's… heavy."

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"Heavy?" Ethan repeated, trying to understand.

"I mean, it's denser than normal. It reminds me of my master's mana—though hers is much more intense and vast in quantity."

"Is that… bad?" Ethan asked warily.

Arthur smiled. "Not at all. It just makes molding your mana a bit harder for me. Fortunately, it's not too dense, so I should still be able to guide you."

As he spoke, Ethan began feeling something strange. His mind became unnaturally clear, and everything around him seemed to slow down.

"Arthur… what's happening?" His voice sounded distant, like it wasn't entirely his own.

Arthur grinned. "You're feeling it. This… is how you perform Flash Steps."

And then—they vanished.

From an outsider's perspective, Ethan and Arthur disappeared from their original positions and reappeared in the middle of the clearing, as if they had teleported. But from Ethan's perspective, things were entirely different.

He saw everything in slow motion. Arthur, himself, even the world around him—it all moved sluggishly, as if time itself had warped. His thoughts felt unnaturally fast, outpacing his body's movements.

Then, just as quickly as it began, it was over.

Arthur released Ethan's hands, and the moment he did, Ethan collapsed onto his back, gasping for breath. Every inch of his body burned, and exhaustion crashed over him like a tidal wave.

Arthur loomed over him, smirking. "So? How did it feel?"

"Ahhh… ahh…" Ethan wheezed. "I feel like my body is on fire. Everything hurts."

Arthur chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah… well, that's because your body isn't used to moving like that. Sorry—I might've pushed you a little too fast."

Ethan groaned. "A little?"

Arthur laughed. "Alright, alright, take a breather. We'll go again once you recover."

Ethan simply groaned louder in protest.