Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons-Chapter 576: Charlotte’s Talent [2]

Skills had costs. Powerful abilities drained reserves. Even domain maintenance required sustained mana expenditure.

Despite having mana that was higher than most, he still didn't have anywhere near infinite.

If Charlotte truly had infinite mana...

Charlotte nodded, her eyes still fixed on her status screen as she read the detailed description. Her voice gained strength as she spoke, though the wonder never left her tone.

"The first effect is... my mana never runs out and is always increasing. Like, it regenerates faster than I could possibly use it, and keeps growing without limit."

Arthur felt his jaw drop slightly. His own mana reserves were substantial for his level, but they had clear limits. He could exhaust them through extended combat or by using multiple high-cost abilities in succession. The idea of mana that never ran out, that couldn't be depleted no matter how much you used...

"And there's more," Charlotte continued, her voice carrying increasing disbelief at what she was reading. "The second effect is that my mana will increase in purity every week. Automatically. Just... getting stronger and more refined with time, regardless of what I do."

Hearing her talent's complete effects, Arthur's mouth dropped open in genuine shock.

His sister was the ultimate magical powerhouse. With a talent like that, she could theoretically cast the most expensive spells indefinitely without ever worrying about resource management. She could maintain domain effects permanently once she awakened one. She could power abilities that would bankrupt other awakeners' entire mana pools without even noticing the expenditure.

And the purity increase meant her magical output would grow stronger week by week, month by month, year by year—a passive advancement that required no effort or training. Every spell she cast would become more powerful. Every magical effect would grow more potent. Just through the simple passage of time.

But her talent was so powerful that it had almost killed her, Arthur realized with a mixture of awe and horror.

Of course it had caused mana poisoning. Charlotte's body had suddenly been granted infinite magical energy when the system activated, flooding her with more power than her human physiology could possibly process. The mana had overwhelmed her biological systems, accumulating faster than it could be naturally expelled or utilised.

Without any way to discharge that energy—without combat training, without magical skills, without even understanding what was happening—Charlotte's body had been drowning in its own power. The "cancer" had been her system desperately trying to contain or expel the overwhelming mana flooding through her.

"Arthur?" Charlotte's voice pulled him from his racing thoughts. "You look... shocked. Is this... is this bad? Is my talent going to poison me again?"

Arthur shook his head firmly, forcing his expression into something reassuring despite his internal amazement. "No, it's not bad. It's actually incredible. Arguably the most powerful talent I've ever heard of. And it won't poison you again—now that we understand what it is, we can teach you how to control it. How to use the mana instead of letting it accumulate."

Charlotte's expression shifted to cautious hope. "Really? I can learn to... to use this safely?"

"Absolutely," Arthur confirmed with growing certainty. "You'll need training. You'll need to learn magical skills and techniques to channel all that power productively. But once you do..."

He paused, considering the full implications.

"Once you master your talent, Charlotte, you'll be unstoppable. Infinite mana means you can cast continuously without rest. You can power abilities that other awakeners could only dream of using. And with weekly purity increases, you'll keep getting stronger forever."

Charlotte absorbed this information with wide eyes, her hand unconsciously moving to her chest where the "cancer" had been most concentrated. "So all that pain, all that dying... it was because I'm too powerful? That seems backwards."

"It's the paradox of extreme power," Arthur explained gently. "Your talent is so extraordinary that your body couldn't handle suddenly receiving it. But now that Jasmine's healing has stabilized your system and cleared the accumulated poisoning, you have a clean slate. We just need to teach you how to use what you have."

A thought occurred to Arthur, making him smile despite the gravity of everything they'd discussed. "Actually, your talent makes you the perfect candidate for learning magic. Most people have to carefully manage their mana, balancing costs and benefits. You can just... practice endlessly without worrying about exhaustion. You'll master skills faster than anyone because you can train without limitations."

Charlotte's expression shifted from uncertainty to determination, a familiar stubborn fire igniting in her brown eyes that Arthur hadn't seen since before her illness. "Then teach me. I don't want to be helpless anymore. I don't want to be the person everyone has to protect."

Arthur felt pride swell in his chest at his sister's resolve. "I will. We'll start slowly—basic meditation techniques to help you feel and control your mana flow. Then, simple spells to learn how magical discharge works. By the time we're done, you'll be powerful enough that I won't have to worry about you ever again."

He squeezed her hand gently. "Charlotte, I'm proud of you. Not just for having this talent, but for wanting to learn how to use it instead of being afraid of it."

His sister's smile carried exhaustion but genuine happiness. "Of course I want to learn. If I'm going to have infinite magical power, I might as well figure out how to blow things up with it, right?"

Arthur laughed—a genuine, unrestrained sound that felt foreign after months of stress and fear. "Alright then. Let's start with the absolute basics before you fall asleep on me."

He adjusted his position beside the medical table, making himself comfortable while keeping hold of Charlotte's hand. "First lesson—mana circulation. Close your eyes and focus inward. You should be able to feel the energy flowing through your body now that you're aware of it."

Charlotte closed her eyes obediently, her brow furrowing with concentration. Arthur watched her carefully, ready to provide guidance if she struggled with the fundamental technique that most awakeners took days to grasp properly.

"Feel for the warmth inside you," Arthur continued softly. "The energy that's constantly moving through your body. Don't try to control it yet, just... observe it. Sense how it flows."

Charlotte's expression shifted almost immediately, surprise crossing her features. "I... I can feel it. It's like... like there's a river inside me. No, more like an ocean. It's everywhere, Arthur. So much of it."