Chapter 37 - Mastering the Thunder Element

I was mastering my element, and just like the phenomenon of nature, I wanted to harness its full potential. So, I applied the knowledge I had learned at Athena's School, where my mind was shaped for wisdom. At the school, we had to learn everything Athena had prepared for us.

I also secretly had knowledge of my element from a certain enemy in my past, but I won't tell you about that just yet.

I classified my element into three types of power within one: Lightning, Thunderbolt, and Thunder. Although I often refer to everything as lightning or thunder, upon closer analysis, these are three different effects that occur in a storm.

Lightning is the electrical discharge shot from the clouds. The Thunderbolt is the visual embodiment of this electrical discharge, creating that blue energy we see. Thunder is the resulting boom. When the air is rapidly heated by the generation of that energy, it expands and explodes, creating the booming sound which is the vibration of the air's maximum expansion. This was the main usability of my element that I was trying to master.

You saw me using part of the Lightning power to generate the magnetism in the doorknob and the light I generated to illuminate the area was made from the Thunderbolt. Now, I was trying to create a boom through Thunder, but you must understand that I couldn't test this in my room or I'd cause a huge commotion and alarm a place full of trained assassins.

I would also get a scolding from my mother…

As I opened the door, I saw the little monster sitting by the lake.

“Nate, look! I’m doing what mom does and creating water,” she said, shooting a jet from her hand into the lake.

I had to hide my level of mastery over my element while Chloe, even though forbidden, didn't get scolded much if caught playing with her power due to the lower risk of hurting someone.

“You’re just showing off,” I said.

She smiled.

“I’m showing off a little to you, but I need to. I’m not as good with swords as you are with Master Sifu and everyone keeps praising you, so I need something to show off too.”

I just sighed as Cylla ran to play on the wooden toys.

“Come here, I’ll show you some things I’ve been practicing,” she said, patting the ground beside her.

“Looks like I don’t have the option to refuse,” I murmured.

As soon as I sat down, Chloe refocused with her hands.

“I’ve been trying to imitate what I saw the mages doing in the training field outside,” she concentrated, closing her eyes, and a ball of water formed in her hands.

“That’s pretty cool,” I said.

“That’s not all… let me tell you a secret,” she continued concentrating, and the ball of water began to freeze.

“WHAT!?” I exclaimed in disbelief.

Chloe started laughing. The ice ball fell into the water.

“Told you! Now I can show off too. I have two elements like mom and can also generate ice,” she said, laughing.

“You lucky devil… you were born with Water and Wind… and can create ice with them…” I murmured.

Chloe put her arm around my shoulder and pulled me close.

“You can compliment me now, I’ll be strong in the future too,” she said, laughing.

She’s very close…

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing,” I said, standing up.

While I was walking, I had an idea.

“Can you make that water ball again? But don’t use air to create the ice,” I said.

“Of course! You’ll see my level of control. I’ll make the water ball perfect,” Chloe replied.

She concentrated, and a ball of water formed, mana flowing from her hands.

“Keep it floating like that,” I said as I approached, pointing my hand at it.

Concentrating my power, I saw blue sparks coursing through my hand as I focused on the water ball. Chloe’s eyes widened as she saw the sparks swirling around her water ball.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous,” I reassured her while keeping my concentration.

She refocused on the water ball.

“Can you add the wind element? But do it slowly,” I instructed.

“Sure! I’m very good with magic,” she said confidently.

Does she understand the danger?

Chloe started to concentrate, introducing her air element into the water ball from the inside out and then around it. I took advantage of this by manipulating her element and making the sparks concentrate on the exterior, like roasting meat over a fire, gradually increasing the energy around the water ball.

This girl is a genius… I can only do these things because I used Aura in another life, and she’s naturally fusing elements at just eight years old.

As Chloe realized what I was doing, she focused even more, allowing my thunder to merge with her element.

“What is this?” Chloe’s eyes widened.

The electrified water ball was darkening, and lightning was escaping from it.

“We better stop. I think this thing might explode,” I said, slowly withdrawing the electricity from the water ball. As soon as the energy was removed, the ball turned to ice.

“What was that black stuff?” she asked.

“A storm-charged cloud,” I said with a grin.

Chloe’s eyes widened further.

“You’re crazy! We were creating a charged storm? That could have done some serious damage.”

“Admit it, that was cool,” I said.

She rolled her eyes.

“Okay, it was cool… but still dangerous. The more elements you fuse, the more volatile and dangerous the magic becomes. Especially since your element is purely offensive. Even with our minimal mana applied, it could have created something dangerous due to the fusion of three different elements,” she explained.

“Alright, ‘mommy,’ I get it,” I teased.

“Mommy? I’m not mommy,” she retorted, pushing me with her water element.

“Stop it, you little pest. I can’t retaliate with my dangerous element,” I said, laughing.

She started chasing me, launching water balls.

“Better for me!” she shouted.

In the end, I had to keep running from the water shooter while she pursued me. Then we both had to escape from Cylla, who got excited and chased us with her powers. The problem was that her fire burned… though it didn’t burn me, I still decided to join the fun.

When we realized we had been playing for a long time, we panicked and rushed to get out of there. We needed to meet the teacher.

“I’m going to have to clean up. I got all dirty,” I said.

“Me too… my mom’s going to scold me,” she replied.

“Yours? Yours is nice; mine gives me a real scolding. Not even my ears are safe when she decides to pull them.”

We hurried before anyone could see us in that state.

“And you, what are you going to do with Cylla at bedtime?” she asked me.

“Hmm… I thought about calling her at night to sleep with me once the mansion is sealed, but I’ll need to reconsider since they don’t like us walking around the corridors at night.”

She seemed to think for a moment.

“Why don’t we sleep together with Cylla in the lake room? We can camp out like we did last year. I’ll ask a maid to set up the materials so we can make a tent and sleep together,” Chloe suggested.

“Better not…” I said.

“Stop being so boring,” Chloe said, grabbing my hand. “Friends do this all the time.”

I sighed. “Alright…”

***

After saying goodbye to the little monster, I ran to my room before my mom could see me in that state. I needed to clean up and change clothes.

I entered my room and rushed to the bathroom, grabbing a bucket of water and a cloth to wipe off the dirt.

“Oh, I see you’re back. Finished playing with your little girlfriend?” Athena taunted.

I glanced at her and ignored the apparition, focusing on cleaning myself up.

“Who would have thought I'd see a General playing water wars… I'm fucked, Icarus. I'm stuck with a child and can't even talk about spicy things without feeling guilty because you're still a minor.”

I listened closely to her words.

“So it’s true, you crazy goddess? Am I really influenced by the biology of this body?” I asked.

She looked at me, surprised.

“Well, look who finally decided to speak up… part of me wants to leave you without answers, and another part wants to relieve the boredom by talking,” Athena replied.

I stared at the apparition.

“Weren’t you the smartest goddess in Olympus? Just answer this. Am I really a child?” I asked.

“You need to phrase your question better, dear. You’re less than five feet tall; of course, you’re a fucking child.”

I sighed.

“You know what I mean. I mean, is my mind also influenced by being a child?” I clarified.

She stood up and walked over to me, laughing.

“Of course, you’re influenced. You died, dear Icarus. You were reborn and are now a child. If you’re a child, you’ll go through the dilemmas of a child. The only difference is that you have memories of your past life. Do you know what that means for you?”

“I don’t know, what does it mean?” I asked.

“Absolutely fucking nothing. You may know how to apply the skills you learned in your past life, but you still peed and pooped your pants when you were a baby. You learned to love your mother, you can feel embarrassment, and you can fall in love. These are the feelings that someone your size experiences all the time while their brain is developing. You’ll go through a whirlwind of emotions.”

I absorbed her words. Although I suspected this, hearing it from her confirmed what I already knew. In my previous life, I learned to set my feelings aside, especially after what happened with that person. I lived only with a murderous rage, letting nothing else dwell inside me.

“So I really am a child? Damn it. Is that why I’m scared of getting scolded by my mom? I’ve been tortured many times in the past, but here in this world, I’m afraid of making my mom angry…”

Athena started laughing. “Didn’t you say you wanted to live a new life as a human? This body of yours is totally clean from the shit you went through, and what you experience now also affects you. The only difference is that you have the memories of your previous life awakened. Look on the bright side… even as a child, you’re not afraid of the dark,” said the Goddess of Strategy, messing with my hair.

“Get away from me, you crazy woman,” I snapped.

“What a naughty boy…”

I thought about the recent things happening to me, and everything started to make sense.

“What’s the point of not being afraid of the dark if I still get nervous around a girl?”

She burst out laughing again, so much so that she had to sit down on the chair, wiping away a tear from laughing so hard.

“What’s so funny?”

She kept laughing.

“Come on, Icarus… you were always nervous around girls, even when you were the Sovereign God. Or was running away from Chronos every time she flirted with you a mature response?”

“I don’t know why I even bothered listening to you… I’m out of here, Athena. Bye!”

“Wait! I’m sorry, I won’t bring up the past anymore. Don’t ignore me, Icarus!”

I stormed out of my room, followed by the crazy Goddess shouting desperately for attention.