Years? Okay, that was enough to put a slight damper on his enthusiasm. His face fell with a mixture of dismay and disappointment. "I'm... not that great with studying." Especially not science. "There isn't an easier way? I didn't see you doing anything that looked like science back there."

Pausing for a bite of salad, he turned and looked at Al. He swallowed, then nodded. "Something like that. That was my mana, the energy inside me. If I concentrate it, I can use it in my attacks. I guess I thought it was pretty cool when I first learned how to do it, but I've been able to do that for a while now."

In other words, the novelty has worn off.