EPISODE 116: MIND
— Hall of Attributes, Year 7291. Season: Color Fading.
When Madria finally opened her eyes, steam erupted from her body in a small display of might. Her eyes went wide as she felt her body change to become stronger.
“That’s…,” she paused, unsure of what word to describe the feeling. “ …something. ”
“Congratulations Madria,” the voice of her prince said.
She gazed over at him, pushing the notifications off to the side to read later. He sat not too far from her, watching her calmly. She shifted, tucking some hair behind her right ear. It was starting to get long and unruly. In front of Law was a plate of food and other small necessities. Madria blinked, once, twice, as she noticed Lawruthian’s outfit changed. His hair was neat and brushed and looked to have been recently washed… with soap.
“There’s a bath here,” was her first question to him. She immediately disregarded everything she just accomplished as she leaned forward—fire in her eyes.
He chuckled, at her question, but the burning desire in her eyes quickly made him speak up. Even still, she couldn’t help but notice the small hint of a smile that stayed on his face. She quite liked it.
“The stairs you found? Well, they lead to some interesting places. If you go below, you’ll find a dormitory with private rooms. Further down the hall is a bath-,”
Madria didn’t hear the rest, as she was already taking off. She’d nearly activated her movement skills as she sprinted down the hall and to the stairs. It only took her seconds to open the doors and find the bath Lawruthian mentioned.
***
Several hours later, Madria returned. She was refreshed and feeling far better than she had in weeks. They’d been able to conjure water to clean themselves in their travel through the Hall of Attributes, but there wasn’t anything like a fresh, hot bath. What surprised Madria was the accommodations for the previous Activators were still present. Fresh clothes, soap, and other necessities to take care of oneself were available. Not once in Madria’s life had she been forced to wear the same clothes for more than several hours. Everything here was a new experience that she bore with—not because she wanted to.
She returned to a meditating Lawruthian. Her prince sat comfortably as he waited near the stairs for her to return. Not too far from him was a plate of food covered—saved for her by him. Madria walked over and chanted a simple fire spell to heat the food back up. By the time she finished eating, her prince’s eyes were open—mirth in them as they watched her. He leaned on his good hand, the golem one strapped to his chest, as he gazed at her. She gazed back, her head slightly tilted to the side.
“Feeling better,” Lawruthian eventually asked.
“Much,” Madria responded immediately. Even with their capture at the hands of Aspect Rasheed, Madria did her best to keep her appearance neat. It was during their time in the Hall of Attributes that she wasn’t able to keep up with herself as usual.
“You were saying something about discovering…,” Madria blushed, looking away from Law. She’d been in such a rush the moment he spoke about a bath that she’d forgotten what he said.
Lawruthian’s smile grew wider as Madria returned toward him. “I was exploring as you underwent your comprehension of Vitality… did you succeed?”
Madria perked up at his words, she’d read over the notifications during her bath. It was during this that she understood, the need for these puppets and them to be available. It would be easy to sacrifice Vitality for Power for an exceptional increase in strength. The boost provided in the several minutes would allow you to showcase extremely powerful attacks.
“Yes! I understand how Vitraio was able to devastate the forest in the manner he did.”
Her eyes lit as she spoke and thought back to their harrowing event. They’d only manage to see the Lord of Vitality dump five hundred points into Power, but that increase was far from what he could have done. The Lord released a (Wing Burst Blast) that completely devastated the area. It was unfortunate Olvido escaped.
“Good, there is a second hall upstairs that is… well, it’s vastly different from everything down here. I think comprehending the Mind Attribute will be far easier than anything else.”
Madria Juud Gamal – Level 39
HP: 405/405
SP: 270/270
MP: 683/690
DP: 690/690
Madria glanced at her HUD, she was nearly full on her Mana Points, and if the trial involved the Mind attribute she was more than prepared to go.
“Why is that,” she asked curiously.
“Well, it’s difficult to explain, so it’s better to just show you…,” Lawruthian began, standing. He gestured toward the stairs, and together they began to walk forward.
“It’s unfortunate we didn’t have a chance to fight any of the creatures in the Vilmind Forest. I’m sure there would’ve been special variants…,” He trailed off.
“I doubt we’d even need to use the hall to comprehend Mind,” Law finished.
“You’re that confident?”
Lawruthian just gestured to the stairs. Madria sent him a glance before ascending. She’d changed into a slim black suit with a small insignia over her left breast. It was a matching outfit with Lawruthian’s. The outfit was smooth and felt great to be in, and reminded Madria of the same type of training fits they wore at the academy.
Madria took the stairs, nearly two at a time. Lawruthian was in step with her, and together they emerged onto the second floor.
This floor was quite different from the first. Ten long black pillars emerged from the ground and pierced their way into the ceiling. Each was of a different color, and Madria could immediately tell what they represented.
“The ten primary elements. Oh, this is interesting.”
“I think Mind is attuning yourself to one of them. To get 100% in an affinity.”
“Well that’s simple,” Madria stated—already moving toward the Life Affinity pillar. “Especially if something radiating such potent life energy is present.”
She’d been training upon the affinity ever since she was a child. If all she had to do was complete her affinity and get it to one hundred percent… then this would be a simple walk in the park. This would make any healing skills she used double in their effect once she fully comprehended the element.
She moved in front of the pillar, gasping as such strong life affinity bashed against her body. She’d only moved a half dozen meters away before stopping. Any more, and the life radiating from the Pillar may harm her. Grass and small bushes surrounded the pillar as it radiated life—giving birth to nature where none should be present. She sat, crossed-legged, in a meditative position before closing her eyes and basking in the element.
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I smiled as Madria began to comprehend the Life affinity, a smile that quickly faded once I turned toward the pillars.
I don’t want to comprehend one element.
“ I want them all. ”
The pillars formed a circle and I could see a spot in the hall where all the elements would converge with one another. However, chaos reigned in that spot as a random burst of magical effects took place. The ten pillars fought against one another for dominance in the center. Yet, it was a space in which none reigned. I cast a wary glance at the pillar that represented Time and Space. They were respectively… enigmas to me… how were Time and Space elements?
I turned my attention back to Madria—watching her for several moments to ensure that she was truly meditating on the Life affinity. Assured that she was, I began to approach the center of the hall. Only, I approached from a side where the familiar elements of Water, Fire, Earth, and Air were. I’d always had a special connection with my four most used elements. However, when I developed the pseudo version of (Elemental Harmonization), those four elements weren’t the only ones I held in mind.
The spell was developed by me when I was thrust into the artificial dungeon[Goblin’s Den] by my mother for my Three Steps. The training I had to do to make sure I’d receive high-rarity classes.
I understood my mother’s reasoning behind the Three Steps I did, but when I finally did receive classes, those in the Three Steps were overshadowed by my first choices.
As I walked toward the center… I began to chant, starting with the elements I was familiar with.
“ Water is the Origin of Life…
Fire is the Origin of Man…
Earth is the Origin of All…
Air is the Origin of Change… ”
The moment I called for each element, there was a reaction from their respective pillars.
The Pillar of Water released a small geyser that quickly approached me. The flames emerging from the Pillar of Fire surged, and wisp of fire mana left before circling me playfully. It was the same for the other two elements, as stones and heavy gusts of wind surrounded me.
I called to the next element I was familiar with. However, I was careful in my pronunciation of Kair-unian. I didn’t hold as much familiarity with the rest of the ten primary elements.
It was said these elements were the building blocks of all reality, and thus they governed above all. I decided to call the two I held the least familiarity with first. Space was used when creating mana batteries, but I still wasn’t familiar with its wide range of techniques. Instead of a normal pillar, a black emptiness seemed to hold its place. The Pillar of Time was far weirder… to me… it appeared like the same off-white unattributed mana was. This was the only pillar in which no effects seemed to be present. Only when a wisp of the other elements drew close, did something happen.
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I watched closely as a burst of flames approached, only the moment it got within a certain radius of the Pillar of Time… it simply… vanished.
“ Space is the Origin of Emptiness…
Time is the Origin of Eternity…
Life is the Origin of Creating…
Death is the Origin of End…
Light is the Origin of Courage…
Dark is the Origin of Fear… ”
Quickly, as the elements began to lash against my body, blocked by my (Mage Barrier), I called to the rest. Step by step, I made my way toward the center, where the clash of elements was most prominent. It was only as I called upon Light and Dark that I reached the equilibrium between all pillars.
These pillars each released a burst of their element that quickly began to hover around me. Each avoided the other in an attempt to not clash, but sparks of lightning began to crackle between them.
I took a deep breath and began to weave a spell into existence. One that I needed no words to bring to life, but when I found myself with nothing but my two hands and magic in the den of goblins… it was these words that I said.
“ Harmony is the Origin of Elements… for it is through Water that Life flourishes. It is in the Earth that Dark hides, and within the passage of Time, we comprehend Death . It is within Space that Fire turns to stars and Light blossoms the flowers that Air flows through to create (Elemental Harmonization).”
While I talked, I watched the elements circle in front of me, clashing against one another. Yet, when I called each element, they drew close to their respective partner.
The pattern in which I called to the elements was vital… for they had to be elements that couldn’t… wouldn’t clash with one another.
Water drew close to the sparks of mana that represented Life, and together they created the platform for Earth to stabilize itself as Dark hid within. Death was the only element that didn’t immediately disperse once it neared Time. While Fire still managed to burn in Space. It was through this process that Light shined and Air flowed.
It didn’t make sense, but I created this spell when all other tools were removed from me. The elements floated around me, my concentration locked in, ensuring now clashed against one another.
It took tens of minutes until I felt comfortable enough to slowly lower myself to the ground. Around me in a compact ball were the ten elements. Two, air and time, seemed nearly invisible as their properties didn’t truly hold any seeable form. While dark, space, and time held their own unique properties.
Rapid, deep breaths helped me keep the elements stable, but it took all my concentration to just hold them in place. What I wanted to do was study the elements and deepen my connection with them.
(Elemental Harmonization) was based on elemental affinity. When Eliana taught me the basis of magic, naturally she taught me about elemental affinities and the effect they hold.
Attuning oneself to an element allows you to cause extra damage using that element. That was the reason mages specialized. If two [Fire Mages] were dueling—both held an equal number of attributes and levels… I’d bet my money on the winner being the one who held the higher affinity with fire magic. Their damage output using the element would be higher.
The reasoning was simple. If you deal ten damages per fireball, but hold a complete one hundred percent affinity with the element of fire, naturally, your damage would now double. The reason specialized mages were so dangerous is their final damage output received the affinity multiplier. That meant if a skill-based attack did three hundred damage, a complete affinity-based attack would double it. If Vitality and other boosts were to be applied… the damage you could deal in a single attack would be astonishing.
With Olvido still prowling around, any enhancement to my strength would be one more life-saving measure. My breath slowed, and I began to use another sense to study the elements.
Intent was an aura-based sense that did more than just provide a zone of control around its user. It allowed one to sense things within the area, and from what I’ve seen… command those weaker than the user.
Now, as my concentration was entirely used to keep the elements from clashing, my Intent provided me with information on each of the primary ten. Information pertaining to how each operated.
Fire was simple combustion, if it could burn something to fuel its flames—the element would. Not out of malice, but to keep its spark alive.
You have partially comprehended the element: Fire.
You have gained a ten percent increase in the affinity.
It was simple high school knowledge, but I’d never sat down with the elements in this manner. If I was understanding the Prime System correctly, then, it was all about your intentions and actions when rewarding someone for something. The act of acknowledging a part of what fire has enabled the system to reward me for it.
I felt some mental burden lesson as I held the elements in place. It wasn’t by much, but the hovering ball of fire before me seemed not to hold the same resistance it had previously.
“If… its… that simple…”
Water is a process of condensation, consolidation, and evaporation… it can hold several properties and continually changes to fit its container.
You have partially comprehended the element: Water.
You have gained a ten percent increase in the affinity.
The same burden once again lessened, and I continued with the two elements I held the most familiarity with.
You have partially comprehended the element: Earth.
You have gained a ten percent increase in the affinity.
You have partially comprehended the element: Air.
You have gained a ten percent increase in the affinity.
A massive mental release came the moment I finished the comprehension of Air. The four elements moved closer to one another and began to spin in a slow circle before me. I looked toward the rest I’d yet to touch, unsure of what to pick first.
I held no spell knowledge of Time, Dark, Death, and Light.
That left space and life. I’d learn a basic healing spell that served as a quick first aid. Basically, I’d be able to stop a weak blood-loss de-buff. I’d force myself to learn it after I spent the week in the Royal Forest and killed the Jackalope — ★ .
“What exactly is the Life element?”
“Is it Vitality which governs your Health Points and raises your life span?” Instinctively, I felt that wasn’t the case.
“No, that’s not it. Then…? Life…”
I focused on the element. Doing nothing but solely observing its outward appearance and effect. The elemental ball of life-attuned mana didn’t do much, but its presence alone seemed to stimulate everything around it. Light and Dark elements hovered closest to the affinity, and they both were a size larger than the rest of the elements present. Their colors seemed deeper and appeared more vibrant. On the ground, small green roots shot out from between the patio like grey stone. My eyes finally locked onto the elemental ball itself.
“Life is formless but deep within there is a golden radiance that invigorates everything around it. Life is an expression.”
You have partially comprehended the element: Life.
You have gained a ten percent increase in the affinity.
I moved the elemental ball away from the remaining five and toward the spilling balls, I’d partially comprehended. Now, five elemental balls hovered in a slow-rotating circle around me. My attention was already on one elemental ball that appeared like the void.
“Space… space is a vacuum— but, ” I paused—before looking at all the other elements. “It cannot exist by itself. It is the barrier between worlds—one that flows as does Time. It is through this we understand distance and the dimensions of the world.”
You have partially comprehended the elements: Space, Time.
You have gained a ten percent increase in the affinities.
Piece by piece, I began to deconstruct the final elements until the final three joined the rest. I’d only managed to gain a partial understanding of most elements but as a final notification showed itself to me, I understood that my pseudo-knowledge from earth would only take me so far.
You have partially comprehended a piece of the Primary Ten Elements. Would you like to merge this comprehension?
Yes.
No.
Congratulations!
You have passed the Trial of Mind.