Birds and insect sounds created a natural tune that filled the background. The ground was mostly empty, covered only with grass or small shrubs. Every few meters apart stood a tree trunk.
It was still early in the morning, but even so, the forest was noticeably darker—about 60% less bright compared to the open grass fields. Peter followed Joseph's lead, observing how all the trees combined to form a vast umbrella, allowing very little light to reach the surface.
Once in a while, they came across mushrooms growing on tree roots.
"Try using your Mana Sense to survey our surroundings," Joseph said, stopping near a shrub.
They had walked barely four minutes into the forest, so it was unlikely that they had already found the herb they were searching for.
Peter nodded and willed his skill to activate. This time, instead of looking inward, he focused outward.
His eyes widened. Everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but a multi-colored fog.
So that's what mana looks like, huh? he wondered.
It took a bit of focus to recognize shapes again through the colourful spectacle. The trees, mushrooms, and shrubs were all filled with mana. Yet, there was a distinct difference between the mana present inside them and the one lingering in the atmosphere.
There was a flow to mana in living beings that the mana in the atmosphere lacked.
Peter stared as shades of blue and brown mana rose from the roots into the trunk of a tree, flowing in a steady rhythm.
"A beginner mistake."
Joseph's comment pulled him out of his reverie.
"W…what?" Peter asked, confused.
"The skill is called Mana Sense. What do you think it means?"
Seconds passed as he gave the question some thought.
"The ability to sense mana?" He gave the textbook answer, wondering what mistake he could have possibly made.
"Mhm. Then tell me—why were you trying to see mana?"
Joseph looked amused, yet his vigilance never wavered. His sword hand remained on the pommel of his weapon, ready for any danger.
Wait… what? Because you told me to?... Oh. Sense, not see.
"Was that wrong? Was I not supposed to see it?" Peter asked hesitantly.
"You could, but it's inefficient. The skill never said you needed your eyes to sense mana. It could be your ears, nose, eyes—but most importantly, your soul."
"Just now, when you used your skill, your eyes glowed. In comparison, I've been using the skill since we entered the forest."
He made a fair point. Peter had been looking at it the wrong way.
Peter silently agreed. Indeed, why should I limit myself like that?
Joseph continued, "Each sentient soul is a mana furnace. In fact, all the mana you see in the environment was once expelled from beings when their mana pool reached saturation."
He pointed at the shrub in front of them. "You already know how to do it. Think about it—how did you sense mana inside yourself? You couldn't have used your physical senses."
"Take the same approach. Only this time, look outside," he encouraged, patting Peter's back.
Taking a deep breath, Peter opened and closed his palms before focusing on the shrub.
Seconds turned into minutes, but there was no success.
"Mhm. Try a different approach. Look inside first, and slowly shift to outside," Joseph added.
Peter followed the advice, starting with something he was already familiar with. He closed his eyes—
"Keep them open," Joseph interrupted.
Peter obeyed, keeping his eyes open while simultaneously looking inward. The effort took longer than expected, and he stumbled slightly as the conflicting sensory input disoriented him.
A steady hand on his back kept him from falling.
"Good. Take a minute to get used to dual vision. I know it feels like having eyes looking in two different directions at once," Joseph said.
The hand on Peter's back rose to rest on his shoulder in a reassuring pat.
"The pressure will decrease once you start looking outside. It'll be like suddenly being able to see heat in your surroundings on top of your natural vision," Joseph explained.
Following his advice, Peter shifted his focus outward, using his mana sense to perceive the environment beyond himself.
True enough, the experience was much easier compared to attempting to see two different places at once. His normal vision remained unchanged, while his mana sense added an additional layer atop it.
Unlike before, he no longer had to concentrate intensely to recognize the proper shapes of objects—his perception felt more natural now.
"Congratulations. You've passed one hurdle," Joseph said, offering another round of pats.
Peter sighed internally. Why does everyone like patting kids so much?
Still, he caught something in Joseph's words.
"Just one?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We still need to work on expanding your mana sense past your visual boundaries. I can perceive in every direction at once using mine," Joseph explained. "But that's enough progress for today."
With that, they resumed walking.
"Let's focus on what we came here for. Using your skill this way consumes mana faster, so turn it off when your mana pool reaches 50%."
Peter nodded. Given the amount of mana he possessed, he could keep the skill active indefinitely without worrying about depletion.
His natural regeneration restored 10% of his mana pool every hour—279 per hour—far exceeding the amount required to sustain the skill.
"What kind of herbs are we looking for? How will I identify them?" he asked before mentally facepalming.
I was so excited about visiting the forest that I forgot to ask something this basic, he grumbled at his own oversight.
"I was wondering when you'd ask that," Joseph giggled.
Peter suppressed a shudder. You're not some cute anime girl, Dad. Smirk, don't giggle. Ugh. The thought sent an uncomfortable chill down his spine.
"Some plants are much better at circulating mana than others," Joseph continued. "This allows them to gain certain properties. These plants can be used as reagents to produce various potions."
He explained further, "An herbalist or an alchemist would have specialized skills to identify such plants. Sadly, neither of us has any such skill, so we have to get a little creative."
To be continued...