Kaden was indeed extremely curious about this matter. Even if his previous assumption, that would have given him extreme advantage, was wrong, if he did know what mana types he was good with, he could test and experiment with confidence. Obviously the part that allowed him to use mana systems without purification effect from god was priceless, but not being able to cast all spells stung him. Still, there was nothing he could even begin to do about it unless he knew how things truly were. Therefore, as a test, he first picked something opposite of what he used before, a water spell, Presure Blast.
He was able to gather water related mana, but no matter how many times he tried, the spell would simply not cast. In fact, it was so opposed spell to his nature that Kaden could actually see the mana not act according to his will. It even seemed to dissipate slowly the longer he kept it around his body before attempting to cast.
Other types of spells were quite similar, but were seemingly easier to control. One of them actually did work. A wind spell, Air Blade, was succesfully cast. Kaden guessed birds should likely be well attuned to wind type mana. Phoenixes were high tier bird beasts after all.
At this time Walden who had been observing others continuing their training, noticed Kaden actually cast a wind spell.
“None of the other basic elemental spells worked?” He asked Kaden.
Kaden shook his head. While this gave him understanding, it was still saying his previous fanciful assumptions were just that. Fanciful assumptions. All those mana types he wouldn’t be able to use! At least at his level. He knew High Beasts generally could only use their natural abilities. He didn’t know too much about Lower Cari, but a Cari, phoenix like Anuu, would most likely be able to cast spells. It would be crazy, if that wasn’t the case. He had not witnessed Anuu use any, but he felt it would be strange.
How would his beast type cultivation at High Beast stage affect his abilities? Kaden picked the one remaining spell he had not tried, a common Fire Ball spell, and was able to cast it immediately, effortlessly. Even a simple spell like that should take a few tries, but this one succeeded immediately.
Walden was on the side watching and nodding. He had indeed discovered the problem with Kaden.
As for Kaden, he was feeling the Fire Ball spell to be wasteful and inefficient for some reason. It was a common spell and well practiced and optimized and yet Kaden was feeling it was no good. He felt something else should be done with fire.
He raised taloned hand towards the training target. He had just tested different types of mana. Wind. Yes, that seemed right to him.
A spark of fire appeared inside his hand, then seemed to light up with wind mana added in.
Then *CHOOM!*. A beam of fire, compressed by the wind mana, shot at the training target. It was extremely quick and Kaden felt he could have extended the time or made it stronger, if he stopped supressing his core, but there was no need to do that.
A molten dent of diameter about ten centimeters was left on the metallic training target which was supposed to be able to take hits from Channel Opening stage spells. Perhaps, if he had kept at it, he would have drilled right through it.
“Holy shit!” Walden shouted right after the spell was cast. “Thats not a spell I gave you.”
“The fire ball seemed inefficient”, Kaden decided to say truthfully. “I felt like I could mix in wind mana. Let’s call that Fire Beam for now.”
“Thats pretty good! Mixing mana types like that pretty good at your level and make it into a working spell on the spot. Even if you had instructions like for that Devour spell, it likely took you relatively long time, right?”
“I’m not quite sure, I wasn’t in a position to really see passing of time, but yes I did fail with that for quite a long time”, Kaden replied.
“Not a suprise, mixing mana always takes more effort”, Walden nodded. “At Formation stage its expected and much easier, but generally speaking, more mana types the more powerful you need to be to cast it. Its depends on a spell, of course, but at Formation stage you likely can use three. Perhaps four, if you find a good spell or you are close to Condensation stage.”
Mixing mana? That fire beam was something that felt natural. Perhaps one of the memories again? He had been able to cast that fire burst from since his rebirth. He had not thought much about it, but perhaps these were natural abilities of phoenixes?
Perhaps there was something more to mix. Kaden immediately tried to take that fire beam and add in mana from the devour spells, but that failed miserably. In fact, as soon as he started to mix them together, he felt like he was being drained of power and he almost lost control of his core suppression. He only did receive a backlash.
“Don’t try to go beyond your limits”, Walden said as he noted Kaden’s failure. “It might spell your doom in combat. Even here, if you took it too far, you might suffer consequences. Spell failures do that and you should be aware of at all times. Yet, you just failed with mana of probably large quantity of types in it, yes? You just tried to cast spell far beyond your limits. Be happy, you aren’t unconscious or had your mana channels crack.”
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That was rash. The Fire Beam had fire and wind and his current understanding of Devour had two. He had tried using four types.
Kaden tried another way and stuck with the Fire Ball spell since it was extremely easy and had room for failure. Suddenly the spell cast became difficult and failed. He had been using two types, fire and consume. With only two styles, he only felt similar back when he failed learning Devour. The fire mana on the loose seemed to be absorbed back into him, but consume took part of it along the way until it was done.
What he was trying to cast was basically a common fire ball, but with some extra mana added in. The effortless spell suddenly became extremely difficult. Kaden might have given up, if he didn’t already know he was able to cast spells with the two mana types before. These were also relatively simple mana! Nothing strange!
Walden was observing Kaden and only frowning. To him it seemed Kaden had a knack of mixing mana into functioning spells. Even if one did do that, it would usually take quite a bit more effort and one couldn’t even be sure just what would be the result. Perhaps something functional or perhaps it would just fizzle… or in worst case explode on your face.
Eventually Kaden was able to generate a small flickering oddly colored, a bit red, fire ball as if it was just barely smolders. Kaden frowned and threw the ‘fire ball’ at another target, something flammable this time. As soon as the fire ball hit, it basically burst like spark on a dry leaves. The fire ball grew and grew as it consumed more material to burn more. That was until the flammable target was entirely gone.
“Just… I wonder if you had this talent before you were messed with”, Walden said to Kaden with a serious voice. “Spell modification is difficult matter that people learn eventually, but you did it on the spot. If this experiment, that mutated you, robbed you of ability to use most mana types, then its a huge loss.”
“I’m not sure if its useful”, Kaden muttered as he inspected his body. “That was just part of Devour mixed in fire ball. Two types of mana. Even if Devour is two types too, this time it felt like it took a lot of mana to cast.”
Indeed, Kaden could see his mana channels almost dry. Perhaps his core could support more, but no spell so far had taken that much out of him in a single go.
“As I said, it is difficult matter that have people studying and creating spells for most of their lives and still not able to answer many questions”, Walden told Kaden. “Perhaps the types of mana you used, need more effort to mix, that they are concept far apart from each other. Mana can alter reality, but the greater degree the more effort it takes to do so.”
Walden was far more versed in the matter of spells. At Formation stage when one starts refining their own mana and use more complex spells, it probably comes naturally. Kaden decided to question more.
“I don’t like to be limited like a beast!” He started. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but if it was so, then it was so. He would then find other ways and study how and when beasts begin to use spells. It would be waste to not be able to use his ability to easily separate all kinds of mana and use them! “I have mana channels! I want to use spells that don’t match my affinity!”
“Hmph, now you start caring about your mutations?” Walden replied with some limited amusement. “Perhaps the fact that your body still seems to internally grow like humans is the reason that you can cast anything to begin with. No one can help you here. If you truly aren’t entirely cut off from path that normal humans follow, you still have to find your own way.”
Kaden looked at the fighting platform where others were using spells during their sparring fights.
“Then I shall find a way!” Kaden said finally. “I have long been aware I will have to learn and solve everything by myself. Things that normal humans take for granted don’t seem to match with me. I will find a way. I must find a way.”
“Let’s hope you can”, Walden agreed. “You have talent, the more obstructions you can remove, the greater warrior of Saint Empire you will become.”
In his mind, Kaden sneered. “Yeah right.”
“It seems this is the way it is”, Walden continued. “You have some beast like traits. Not entirely debilitating ones despite everything. Yet one thing was noted by others earlier, you had a predictive ability? This too is a common beast trait. Instinct.”
“Huh?” Kaden was confused.
“Beast sense things better than humans do”, Walden started explaining. “Their bodies have more mana and they have cores. All of this makes them more sensitive. Humans get that ability much later at varying degree. Usually at Condensation stage once mana starts to solidifying process safely. Beasts can sense mana changes, as our ‘aura’ changes. You apparently have a pseudo core made from mana channels and high body mana. I do not find it surprising that you can sense it too already this early.”
A moment of silence.
“Yet, its not fool proof”, Walden pointed out. “Overwhelm beast with good use of movement techniques! More people in the fight at the same time! Use spells that simply cannot be avoided no matter what steps you take. Be fast enough to simply ignore any moves made by the beast. These are just some. I’m sure your fights with others felt easy, but I think even without Instinct, you would be able to beat them. You seem to have much higher fighting experience than them and you are close quarters fighter anyway.”
Kaden agreed with Walden, but he also knew he was hiding his true cultivation stage.
“You might think of it as a movement technique that beasts use each in their own way”, Walden explained. “Movement techniques were first invented to counter it. Beasts always have stronger Instinct than humans even on higher stages. Thats just how things are. On higher stages, be it human or beast, your actual speed and ability means less, magic is part of everything. Things must be sensed beforehand or it is already too late.”
“I understand!” Kaden said.
“Good that you do”, Walden continued. “We will look for you a wind type movement technique. Wind was something you could cast and its also very good mana type for movement. In fact probably too good. High level techniques were not included in that basic selection we went through earlier. One has to be specially retrieved, but I believe this is not a problem after your condition is explained. Usually you would need contribution points for it, but perhaps we can get some lower tier wind movement technique. Otherwise you just have to wait until we get some work done.”
Kaden nodded. It would likely be just fine. His Instinct would likely be enough. Possibly enough even, if he did not have a movement technique to begin with. It was also likely he would not need one soon enough to begin with. Walden was the only Formation stage cultivator in Verdict. He would not need any fancy techniques against anyone at Channel Opening and, if he was working with a team, he wouldn’t have to release his suppression. Even in the worst case, he could do so, but it would have to be done as discreetly as possible.
It seemed to Kaden that he was now well prepared. His future training path was open. No obstructions or anything new to add to the list. Everything was ready!