The sun had risen, and Mika's sleep had been fitful, filled with dreams of Moon Owls and their relentless pursuit.
She awoke, her body stiff and sore from yesterday's battle. Stretching, she groaned, feeling the dull ache from her wounds. They weren’t fully healed, but at least the bleeding had stopped, and she could move freely.
Mika sat up and looked around her small tent, her gaze falling on her backpack. She reached over and carefully retrieved the Moon Owl egg, cradling it in her hands. The egg's iridescent shell shimmered in the morning light, reminding her of the breathtaking sight of the Luminara Tree.
The events of the previous day felt surreal. Mika risked her life to obtain this egg, and she wouldn’t even use it. Hell, she didn’t even know what the people who posted the mission would do with the egg.
“So, this is the life of a mercenary, huh?”
Her respect for the profession grew, even though her first experiences with mercenaries had been anything but good. She couldn't help but wonder if she wanted to continue doing this, as she didn’t feel good about risking her life for someone else’s benefit.
Still, she figured that being a mercenary would give her a better understanding of the world than sitting inside all day.
With a sigh, Mika began to pack up her belongings, carefully placing the Moon Owl egg in a secure spot in her backpack. Now that she had finished all of her missions, she could head back to the Barlton Kingdom, but she decided against doing that, at least for now.
Mika knew that to survive in this world, she had to become stronger. Her wounds served as a stark reminder that she was far from invincible. Touching the tender bruises and cuts, she reflected on the importance of becoming more adept in her magical abilities and honing her skills.
Her fight with the Starhounds proved that although her Mana Cultivation might be low, it can still be helpful.
Glancing at her status screen, she realized that it hadn’t changed since she obtained her Spatial Affinity.
“It’s time to change that.” She muttered.
There wasn’t much she could do for her Mana Cultivation right now, as there were still several more steps she needed to take before working on that, but she could improve everything else.
The sun climbed higher in the sky, casting warm light on the small tent. Mika decided to seize the day and start her training immediately. She needed to rest and recover but couldn't afford to waste time. The scent of fresh grass and the distant songs of birds drifted in the air, invigorating her spirit.
She emerged from her tent, stretching her limbs and filling her lungs with the crisp morning air. The cool breeze brushed against her skin, gently ruffling her hair, making her feel alive and connected to the world around her.
The Ethereal Flatlands was an ideal place for Mika to train in peace. The vast, open landscape was a stark contrast to the dense forests she was used to. The seemingly endless horizon allowed her to focus without disturbance, and the unique mana in the atmosphere filled her with energy.
Before diving into her training, Mika chose a secluded spot in the flatlands where she could concentrate. The gentle rustling of the sparse grass and the distant calls of ethereal creatures provided a soothing soundtrack as she began to meditate.
Closing her eyes, she took deep, slow breaths, allowing herself to become one with her surroundings.
After going through numerous battles, her Body Cultivation had improved slightly, albeit much slower than it did while she was in the Noxious Jungle. So, she decided to put that on the back burner for now.
‘I can work on strengthening my body at Aurelia’s house. In the meantime, I think I’ll spend my time improving my magical capabilities.’ Mika thought.
As there were all kinds of Elemental mana in the air, Mika could finish organizing the elemental mana in her core into a shell that wrapped around it, just like she did with her Darkness Affinity.
Taking deep breaths, Mika focused on the Spatial Mana in the air, locking onto the little specks that floated by, and tried controlling them, leading them to her core. The faint hum of mana resonated with her senses, both thrilling and challenging her.
She managed to grab a few, but luring them to her core was easier said than done, as the ethereal mana around her was like one cohesive unit rather than just a bunch of mana that happened to clump together.
An hour passed by with her doing this, but she barely made any progress. At the rate she was going, it would take her months or even years to finish her Space Affinity shell, which was almost completed!
‘Maybe it’s just Spatial Mana which is harder to control.’ Choosing to put that on hold, Mika switched to absorbing Fire Mana.
The change was almost instantaneous. Fire Mana seemed much more responsive to her control, and she could feel it flowing toward her core.
The warm energy of the Fire Mana ignited her spirit, contrasting with the elusive nature of the Spatial Mana.
Mika was relieved that not all elemental mana was as difficult to manipulate as Spatial Mana. She focused on creating a shell around her core with the Fire Mana, carefully organizing and condensing it.
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It was still complicated, slow, and took all of her concentration to do, but at least she was making visible progress.
As she spent more time working with the Fire Mana, Mika began to feel a growing connection with the element. She felt its warmth, its energy, and its potential for both destruction and creation. This newfound understanding spurred her on, and she became more determined to continue.
The more she dove into her Fire Affinity and interacted with the Fire Mana in the air, the more insights she gathered, boosting her understanding of the element.
Hours ticked on by as Mika fell into a trance, and it wasn’t long before the sun began to set. Feeling the presence of the Fire Mana in the air diminishing, Mika opened her eyes, finishing her meditation session.
Around her mana core was a faint outline of a fiery red shell layered on top of the thin shell of darkness she had created in the Noxious Jungle. She was still far from completing it, but she was more than satisfied with the amount of progress she made in a single session.
After eating some of her rations, Mika moved on to practicing her spells and techniques.
She started with the easiest of all her spells and techniques, [Fireball]. While it was by far the easiest spell to visualize and create, it was also Mika’s least used; it just wasn’t strong enough to do much harm to the type of opponents she fought against.
Still, it was a great spell to train and practice with, as she was still relatively new to magic.
As she was only at (Beginner) proficiency, she noticed that her control was limited, resulting in leaking mana. To improve it, she took the time to visualize the Fireball spell's formation process in her mind. She concentrated on refining her intent, ensuring she channeled her mana efficiently through the correct pathways.
Throwing out fireballs every now and then, gradually, she gained better control over the spell.
Between practice sessions, Mika took breaks to meditate and restore her energy.
She used this time to reflect on her progress and better understand her spells. She also worked on her [Blink] spell, which was still incomplete. It was still a little unstable, and the place she Blinked to wouldn’t always be perfect.
However, her control over the spell had improved vastly over the last few days.
Now, she just needed to integrate those insights into the spell, and maybe she could finally travel further than 1 meter!
Turning her attention to her Mana Control, Mika sought to enhance her Adept proficiency to Moderate or even beyond that. Channeling mana through her circuit, she manipulated it into different shapes and sizes.
As time passed, Mika also worked on incorporating her Fire, Darkness, and Space affinities into her Mana Control training. She found that her Fire and Darkness affinities were relatively easier to integrate as she had more experience with them.
Mika practiced conjuring and controlling fire, molding it into various shapes and sizes while maintaining its intensity. She worked on weaving darkness into her mana patterns, observing how the two interacted with each other and manipulating them with an ever-increasing level of mastery.
However, Mika's Space affinity proved to be a more significant challenge, as it was harder to control. The power of space manipulation was vast and complex, and she had only just begun to scratch the surface of its potential.
Mika found herself struggling to grasp the intricacies of spatial manipulation, as it wasn’t as simple as transforming neutral mana into an element like fire. Instead of feeling an innate connection to the element, she felt more like she was granted access to manipulate space by having that affinity.
As for what she could do with it… That was up to her own comprehensive abilities and effort.
Determined to realize her Space affinity’s full potential, Mika dedicated extra time and focus to understanding its principles. She studied how spatial mana interacted with and affected the world around her through her spell [Blink].
Mika also tried to combine her Space affinity with her other affinities, searching for synergies and unique applications of her powers.
Unfortunately, her knowledge about space, in general, was sorely lacking, so the number of things she could try was minimal at best.
‘I’ll have to research more about space and maybe even the element itself when I get back.’ Mika mentally noted.
As her training continued, Mika found herself becoming more and more attuned to her affinities and the subtle energies of the world around her. Every time she successfully integrated her affinities, learning more about them, she was one step closer to improving her [Mana Control].
The sun had set, and the sky turned into a vast expanse of twinkling stars. Mika knew she needed to rest, but there was one more technique she wanted to practice – her [Volcanic Burst].
After spending some time meditating to refill her core, she began her last training session.
With Beginner proficiency, Mika grasped the foundational concepts of her [Volcanic Burst] technique but recognized the necessity to refine her control.
To achieve this, she began by carefully analyzing the flow of Fire and Darkness mana within her body, noting how the two elements intertwined and harmonized with one another. By understanding their distinct characteristics and the ways in which they complemented each other, Mika aimed to cultivate a more precise and efficient channeling process.
To practice the [Volcanic Burst] technique, Mika first visualized the end result – an eruption of fiery darkness, explosive in power and intensity.
Keeping this image in mind, she focused on the delicate balance between her Fire and Darkness affinities, ensuring that neither element overwhelmed the other. She paid close attention to the sensation of the two energies melding together, feeling their unique vibrations as they converged within her sword.
With each repetition, Mika experimented with varying degrees of intensity and concentration, learning how to manipulate the proportions of Fire and Darkness mana to achieve the desired effect. She practiced directing the explosive bursts with increasing accuracy, honing her ability to target specific points or unleash a more widespread eruption.
She developed a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between her Fire and Darkness affinities, allowing her to make subtle adjustments to her channeling process. She focused on synchronizing her intent with the flow of mana, refining her mental clarity and precision to minimize any leakage or loss of control during the technique's execution.
Once the moon rose high in the sky, casting a gentle glow on the Ethereal Flatlands, Mika ran out of mana and knew she had to rest, so she reluctantly ended her training session and returned to her tent.
The night was calm, and as Mika drifted off to sleep, she felt a sense of accomplishment and was determined to continue training, as the environment here was perfect for her needs.