Chapter 68: Elemental Magic

Chapter 68 - Elemental Magic

Kai stood rooted on the spot.

Did I hear wrong? Is it really happening?

Come, we can sit in the garden, Dora said, taking the lead.

He followed behind her bewildered. He had waited for so long, it didnt feel real now that it was finally time. His heart started pumping in excitement. He was going to do magic, today.

Him. Magic. Today.

Technically he had already been practicing magic for a while, using his mana to enhance his body. But that hardly counted. Getting slightly stronger or faster, in a world where every adult had superhuman abilities, didnt feel very impressive.

Sketching runes felt mystical, but he had yet to make anything happen with them. He wasn't allowed to use any mana-infused ink until he could draw seven successful runes in a row. His record was three, still a long way to go.

That wasnt the sort of flashy magic he dreamed of performing as a child. Controlling the elements, on the other hand

With a giddy smile, Kai followed Dora through the rows of blooming shrubs to the arboretum. They sat on an empty spot between two trees, shaded by their canopies.

His fingers fiddled with the blades of grass, expectantly looking at his teacher.

I see youre impatient to start. Maybe we should start with some meditation to enter the right state of mind.

Even before his brain could register her words completely, blood drained from his face. Like receiving the best present in the world, only for it to be taken away right as he was about to touch it.This chapter's initial release occurred on the n0vell--Bjjn site.

Dora burst out laughing. Ok, we can start immediately, but you need to focus. Can you do that?

With salvation within his grasp, Kai shook his head back and forth like a woodpecker.

The alchemist smiled, amused, and began her lesson. A little explanation is necessary. Ill try to make it brief. If you listen carefully, I wont have to repeat myself.

Kai zeroed in on her words, his eyes staring at her unblinking.

Your body naturally absorbs ambient mana, but elemental particles are only a small part of the mana found in our environment and are far harder to convert. So, their percentage in your body is even smaller. Until now, each time you used mana to do anything, the aligned components were so small and diluted it might as well have been completely unattuned mana.

Kai was puzzled by the revelation. Every time he observed his mana network in the last two weeks, the elemental particles appeared abundant to him. Apart from Space mana, he could easily detect all his other major affinities flowing inside his mana veins.

Distracted by a new dilemma, Kai momentarily forgot his impatience. Dora paused her explanation to let him think.

There is no chance her information is wrong

I must have been fooled by the high density of mana inside my body. Kai reasoned out loud. Having to look in such a small area, the elemental mana seemed at least on par with the outside.

Even after realizing the problem, it was difficult to judge how denser his mana was compared to his surroundings. Let alone make an accurate estimate of how much lower the percentage of elemental mana inside of him was compared to his surroundings.

Once she had his attention back, Dora continued. You are correct, which is why youll need to learn how to distinguish which types of mana you absorb. But lets not jump ahead. We were speaking of unattuned mana. Tell me, what other uses have you found apart from temporarily enhancing your body? Dont lie, I know you must have tried even if I told you to wait.

Kai blushed under her gaze. Of course, he had tried, how could he not?

I wasnt able to do much. He sheepishly replied.

Seeing that Dora wasn't mad, he added a few details. I tried to concentrate my mana as much as I could on an object to see if it would have any effect. The best I could do was rustle a piece of paper.

That was after he exhausted half his mana, and got a headache for a day, but he left that part out.

I also tried to push my mana through a few objects, but I never noticed any change. The only exception was if I used plants that already possessed mana of their own like in alchemy. Even then, I didnt achieve much except ruining their internal circulation and making them wilt after a while.

Did you perhaps mess with a few plants in the greenhouse?

Damn, my large mouth.

Absolutely no, Kai said, giving his best angelic smile.

Plant it, Dora said digging a small hole in the pot. It needs nourishment to grow.

Kai hurried to put the seedling on the soft ground as delicately as he could. Dora quickly covered it with a layer of soil and conjured a sprinkle of water.

That's the next lesson. She winked.

Kai wanted to ask more questions, but all his attention was captured by the seedling. He could only see it churning with his mana under the thin layer of earth. Just seconds later, two small jade leaves pushed aside the dirt and proudly rose.

The little sprout showed no intention to stop anytime soon. Minutes passed as it rose in height, adding more and more leaves. Kai and Dora cheered it on from the sidelines.

After almost five minutes the process started slowing down. The mana inside the tiny bud had been consumed to fuel the growth, and now it shone with a much more subdued light.

From a seed now stood a plant a palm high. If someone had told him it had sprouted less than a week ago, he wouldnt have believed them.

I did this.

The realization filled him with wonder. It might not be as cool as shooting fireballs from his hands, but his chest puffed with pride as he stared at the little jade leaves.

Its so tiny and cute.

So, what do you think, Kai? Do you like Nature magic? Dora asked with a bright smile.

Yes, can we do it again?

Slow down, dear. I dont think our little friend here can take more for today.

Is it going to be, okay? He worriedly looked at the little sprout.

Its more than fine. It just needs a little rest, its a delicate plant. You can infuse it with mana once a day. It will not grow this much every time, but it will help. You also need to water it often and fertilize the soil. Nature mana alone isnt enough to sustain it.

Kai nodded distractedly, still mesmerized by the little plant. The lesson was not over yet, so he found a secure spot under the shade of the trees to secure the vase.

Are you sure you dont want to become a gardener? You seem to have a knack for it, Dora said as he was sitting back down.

I dont think thats for me.

He really liked Nature magic, but spending the rest of his life working in a garden was another thing altogether. It was very exciting for now because it was his first magic lesson and the little sprout was tiny and cute. But what about after a hundred times? What about a thousand or more?

Dora didnt insist. Now that weve seen the basic use of Nature mana, there are still Water and Earth. From which one would you like to start first?

What about Shadow? Kai asked.

Elijah is going to teach you about Shadow magic.

Here dies my last speck of self-confidence with shadows.

I want to start with Water.

The next few hours proceeded on a similar path. He slowly gathered the elemental mana in his hand before following Doras instructions on how to make use of them.

There were two basic methods to use Water mana. He effortlessly condensed a blob of water from the moisture in the air. Dora told him that, using the same amount of mana, a water mage could conjure a bucket. But it was a very good result on his first try.

The second basic use was water manipulation. Which sounded much more interesting, but they had to pass to his last element.

Earth mana didnt come as easily as Nature or Water. Not only were the motes harder to detect, but they also felt less willing to follow his commands. The difference wasnt insurmountable, but it took ten minutes longer to gather enough.

The basic use of Earth mana was only one - elemental manipulation. It had a very cool name, but all Kai only managed to create a dirt pyramid that crumbled as soon as he touched it.

It wasnt exactly the deadly earth spike he imagined, but there was a certain euphoria seeing the earth move guided by his will. It wasnt impressive magic, but it was magic. He only needed to give it time.

Whats next? Kai excitedly asked.

Well, now you need to learn how to refill your reserves. Dora gave him a smile that wasnt really a smile.