-You're rushing things too much, girl. Using magic doesn't just happen. I've heard that people can learn magic for months, even years. But then, that was about fifteen hundred years ago... Now, the Signs have been replaced by a system that helps use magic. I think if you keep training in this, sooner or later you'll be able to draw the Signs.

  The girl stood and looked at the tree. A moisture was visible in her eye, which she didn't intend to let go. She wanted to learn magic. Her red eye looked so unwavering and serious that it seemed as if even the gods couldn't stop her from her goal.

  She clenched her hand into a fist. She raised her right one again. Concentrating, her hand began to trace the Signs again. Slowly and carefully. Each Sign must be perfect, otherwise it won't be drawn. One Sign, a second, and now a third was already completed. When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing.

  -Hmmm... I suspect your possible problem is that you can't sense the mana thread in your body. Unfortunately, I don't have the authority to look at your mana veins. But most likely, you should have at least one functioning shrine. Even two... Then it turns out you can't use the mana within you and push it into your hand...

  While Mikua was pondering his own thoughts, Kalidonia tried harder and harder. She tried drawing the Signs slower, faster, with greater force, and even with both hands. Not a drop of her magical trace was visible.

  -Well, I've come up with an idea. If you can't make Signs with your hand, try using your finger. Feel the mana within you and send it through the mana veins that run through your entire body to your fingertip. And try writing the Signs again.

  The girl stood with her eyes closed, stubbornly trying to find that one thing. That something she needed to grasp. That something that would imbue her Signs with mana.

  And so she stood there for a couple of minutes, trying to find mana within herself. After standing idle for too long, she opened her eyes and looked at the tree, which had also lost its enthusiasm. It seemed that if the tree could exhale deeply, it would.

  -Apparently, not everyone can harness their mana so easily. You can continue to thrash about finding the mana in your body, and you'll definitely succeed.

  You can practice later at home when our training is over. For now, it's best for you to take a break from mana and magic. It could backfire.

  Mikua stood a little further away from Kalidonia and whispered something very, very quietly. If the girl hadn't seen the black needles on the tree's face moving, she would have surely thought it was just the wind whispering something. As soon as the words were spoken, roots began to sprout from the ground, and something was instantly born. It looked like a tree, felt like a tree, smelled like a tree, but something was definitely off about it. As if it were dangerous. That's what the girl thought, her intuition telling her so.

  The tree made of roots was truly unusual. After standing in its usual place for a while, it began to move and creak. It seemed to come to life. And indeed. This tree truly was alive. At least it moved; whether it possessed a keen intelligence was still unclear.

  -I think you've already figured something out. This is no ordinary tree. It was born of me and obeys me. Even though it has a basic level of intelligence, it still grovels before me. Interesting, huh?

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  -I guess that's... cool? And why would anyone need this thing anyway?

  -You see, I'm too strong for you. But! My henchman will most likely be able to handle it and will help you in your training. By the way, I saw you training on your own... That's wonderful. You can keep it up and it certainly won't hinder you in the future. Now this dummy will help you. And I think I can go about my business.

  -Hello. Do you have a name? I don't have one. But you can call me whatever you want. Is that okay with you?

  -Girl, you understand that she doesn't have that kind of intelligence? And if I don't give her any orders, she'll just be an ordinary tree, ready to be thrown into the fire.

  -What do you mean? So he's just a shell, unconscious? Oh... Then he doesn't have a name either? That's sad.

  -He's just my subject, needed to obey me; don't think he should know or know anything. He's just a thing, a nameless object. Simply. A nameless thing. Please remember that, it will be useful to you in the future.

  Mikua walked toward the forest. He passed through the trees and vanished into the horizon of all the spruce, cedar, and oak trees.

  To Kalidonia's surprise, the sun had already begun to set outside. Even in this spring, the sun sets so early. Although, the girl felt like the days had truly gotten longer. "What should I do with this thing, anyway?" she thought. The tree simply stood motionless, seemingly unimpressed.

  -So you're supposed to help me train? And how are you planning on doing that? If Mi... The tree wanted to train me, I doubt it just gave me something I could hit. Quite a few things could fit that description. Then what... What are you doing?

  -Training.

  -Huh? Training?

  Without announcing an attack, the henchman launched an attack on the girl. He moved a few meters closer to her and was about to strike with his needle-strewn branch.

  His movements slowed, the wind disappeared, and the air grew heavier. Again. That feeling again. But this time, her opponent was much slower, and now she could dodge the attack.

  Since the attack was coming from right to left, Kalidonia only needed to dodge back to the left. Which is what she tried to do. Pushing off with her left foot, she flew to the ground. The attack missed its target, but now that target lay on the floor, trying to catch its breath. In reality, the attack could have passed through the girl's side and torn her skin and muscle tissue, but she was extremely lucky that the soulless dummy missed her.

  Movement during slow motion consumes a lot of energy. Therefore, one must somehow replenish one's strength. But in this world, nothing is easy. Before she could catch her breath, the tree struck again, aiming for her head.

  She didn't immediately notice the attack and again had to dodge it at the last moment. Rolling to the side, she felt a sharp pain in her side. She glanced there and saw numerous needles protruding from her body. It seemed that while she was dodging the attack, the tree had attacked her from the blind spot of her working eye. Something she was definitely not used to.

  The tree retreated a few meters and only looked at her. Is that all? Kalidonia thought. But no. A few moments later, the tree exploded, and all its thousands of needles flew in all directions. At incredible speed, they also flew toward the girl.

  The next thing Kalidonia saw was a needle aimed at her good eye. It was a few centimeters from the pupil.