Chapter 30 The training from hell – Arianna

Arianna swung her mace down—Bludgeon. Again. Her arms felt heavy. Again. Her breath came in ragged gasps. Again. A deep, relentless burn spread from her shoulders down to her fingertips.

Her world shrunk—there was no park, no sky, no morning air cooling the sweat on her skin. Just her. Just the mace. Just the endless cycle of motion and pain.

She had long stopped wondering when Cassis would let her rest. There was no point in hoping. There was only enduring. So, she swung.

She had stopped using just her arms. That would have been impossible. Instead, she let the force flow from her hips, her stance, her core—just as Cassis had shown her.

The sweat stung her eyes, thankfully, her hair was tied back. She felt like she was drowning in exhaustion. This was worse than fighting monsters. At least then, she had adrenaline, fear, the sharp edge of survival pushing her forward.

Here? Here, there was only the merciless weight of the mace and the silent demand to keep going. One more swing. One more. One more.

It felt endless. Then finally—

"Stop."

The word barely registered. Arianna's fingers loosened involuntarily, and the mace slipped from her grasp, clattering onto the ground. She sank down, gasping for breath. Her health regeneration would heal her faster. She would recover quicker than before. But that didn’t mean it felt good.

Whoever said pushing past your limits felt amazing was a damn liar.

Cassis let them rest for a bit. Arianna looked at him and saw that he also had sweat running down his face and body. He had pushed himself probably even harder than her. When he called out the end of their rest, Arianna’s arms still trembled as she pushed herself upright, but Cassis gave her no time to linger in exhaustion.

"Defensive stance," he instructed.

She bit back a groan. She had barely caught her breath, and already, they were moving on. This time, she was to focus on blocking, parrying, deflecting—and, if possible, countering.

Cassis demonstrated each movement, his hands guiding her into the correct form, adjusting the angle of her mace, the placement of her feet. It still felt unnatural, but she had learned something from their earlier drills—if she kept at it, the motions would eventually settle into her body.

And, just like before, she was to continue until he told her to stop. This was going to be a long day.

They finally stopped for food around noon.

Arianna could barely hold her sandwich, her arms aching like they had been wrung out and left to dry. Conversation was beyond her, so she ate in silence, chewing mechanically.

Cassis looked just as exhausted—sweat dripped from his jawline, dampening the collar of his shirt. But the moment his sandwich was gone, he was back on his feet.

“Alright,” he announced. “Time to spar.”

Arianna stared at him in horror. It wasn’t over yet?

He must have noticed the panic on her face because he offered a small, amused smile.

“We’ll start slow,” he reassured her. “You need to get the timing of offense and defence right. And you need to practice dodging.”

Her stomach sank further.

“Will we be fighting with our weapons?” she asked warily.

“Yes,” Cassis said without hesitation. “You need to practice for serious fights, and even if some blows land, you can heal them. Maybe we’ll even get the Pain Resistance skill.”

Arianna didn’t know where she found the strength, but somehow, she forced herself to stand and reached for her mace. Cassis nodded approvingly. She didn’t want to admit it, but his recognition meant more to her than anything.

They took their stances, facing each other. Cassis stepped forward, his blade cutting through the air in a slow, deliberate arc. Arianna brought up her mace to deflect. He followed with a stab—she parried. She retaliated with Bludgeon—he countered.

At first, their movements were measured, controlled, but after every few successful exchanges, Cassis picked up speed.

Faster.

Faster.

Before long, they were fighting at full intensity. She couldn’t block everything. Small, shallow cuts bloomed on her arms and legs where his sword slipped past her defences. They stung. But she had managed to land a solid hit on his arm. That counted for something.

Still, he didn’t slow down. They continued until— Cassis’ blade halted sharply in front of her face. Arianna stood frozen, chest heaving, sweat dripping from her brow.

Her exhaustion was overwhelming, but a part of her felt satisfied—Cassis was breathing hard too. He studied her for a moment, then gave a curt nod. "Again."

And so they started over. Slow at first, then faster, their weapons clashing in the air. Each time, he won. Each time, she got better.

By the time they finally stopped, shallow wounds covered both of them. Cassis, of course, was barely fazed.

“Time for some healing,” he instructed with a smile. Arianna didn’t even argue—she just raised her hands to touch him, let the mana flow, and watched as their injuries faded.

It was already afternoon. They had been at it all day.

“Next,” Cassis continued, as if their bodies weren’t already screaming, “we’ll practice with our mana. You also have been awarded an advanced mana circuit pattern, don’t you?”

Arianna barely managed a nod.

“It would be a good idea to start integrating it into your mana stream. For that, let’s change locations.”

Too tired to question him, she returned her mace to her inventory and followed.

They stopped at a small stream, where a fire pit sat nestled in a grassy clearing. A picnic spot, peaceful and quiet.

Cassis gestured toward the water.

“Sensing elemental mana is easier when the element is already present in your surroundings,” he explained. “All mana contains elemental aspects, but having a real source nearby—water, fire, air/lighning, earth—means a higher concentration of that element's mana crystals.”

Arianna nodded. That made sense.

“For healing,” Cassis continued, “and for a mage’s Magic Missile, you use non-elemental mana. That means your body filters the mana, stripping away its elemental nature before channeling it.”

He crouched beside the water, dipping his fingers in. “That can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. The four basic elements—fire, earth, air/lightning, and water—have a hierarchy. Fire trumps earth, earth trumps wind, wind trumps water, water trumps fire.”

Arianna frowned. “A cycle.”

“Exactly.” He nodded. “But supportive relationships work differently. Wind and fire enhance each other. Water and earth do the same. If you mix elements in different ways, you get secondary effects—ice, steam, plants…” He glanced at her. “That comes later, if you ever unlock a second affinity.”

Arianna absorbed the information silently.

“But for now,” Cassis continued, “let’s go back to healing. You have a water affinity, and I have fire. Technically, our elements oppose each other, but you can still heal me. Why?”

She thought for a moment. “Because the system removes the elemental aspects?”

He smiled. “Exactly. When using Heal the system forces your body to convert all mana into non-elemental energy, which I can then absorb and use to supplement my fire mana and as a consequence my injuries heal."

Arianna slowly nodded. That explained why healing worked on everyone, regardless of their affinity.

“For Magic Missile, it’s the same,” Cassis added. “If your element is at a disadvantage in battle, using a non-elemental attack is the best choice. But if you have the advantage, you should always use your element.”

Arianna exhaled slowly. This was a lot to take in.

And judging by the determined glint in Cassis' eyes, they were only getting started.

Cassis sat down on a flat stone near the stream, gesturing for Arianna to do the same.

“Now,” he began, his voice steady and instructive, “let’s talk about meditation and mana circuits.”

Arianna straightened, trying to focus despite the exhaustion pulling at her limbs.

“For every spell you cast, you consume a certain amount of mana,” Cassis explained. “You’ve already started learning to control how much mana you use, which affects a spell’s efficiency. In the other timeline only very talented people could do this at F-rank. Once people reach E-rank they natural get better at controlling and manipulating their mana. Then they can even make new spells. I wonder if you can create on already.”

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He continued his explanation without waiting for her answer: “To a lesser extent, skills use mana too, but because they’re more physical, it’s harder to notice. That’s why warriors and rangers don’t typically run out of mana—unless they rely heavily on imbuing their spells into themselves or their weapons.”

Arianna nodded, absorbing his words.

“To replenish mana, we meditate,” he continued. “We draw ambient mana from our surroundings, filtering it into our bodies to merge with our own mana stream.” He studied her carefully. “You can already do that, from what I’ve seen. Which means your mana saturation must be quite high.”

It wasn’t exactly a question, but Arianna answered anyway.

“Yeah,” she admitted. “It jumped up to 33% after the fights yesterday.”

Cassis’ eyebrows shot up.

“Thirty-three percent?” he repeated, surprise clear on his face. “That high? Wow. You must be some kind of rare genius. Or… maybe it’s because you’re a deity.”

He looked deep in thought, but Arianna hesitated before shaking her head. She didn’t think of herself as a genius—after all, she had help.

“It’s because of my necklace,” she explained. “I told you when I touched it while meditating for the first time, it helped me see my element. And ever since, whenever I meditate, it grows warm, absorbs ambient mana, and feeds it to me.”

Cassis’ gaze flickered down to the sapphire pendant resting against her collarbone. She had told him about it before and he had seemed curious but they hadn’t had time to discuss it. Now he studied it thoughtfully again before hesitating. Then, with a careful tone, he asked, “Can I try meditating while touching it?”

Arianna nodded and reached up to remove it, but Cassis stopped her.

His hand gently caught hers before she could unclasp the chain. His golden eyes were uncharacteristically serious.

“Never take it off,” he said firmly. “Not for anyone. Not even me. This… is a precious artifact.”

Arianna swallowed, a little taken aback by his intensity. But she nodded.

Instead, Cassis stepped closer—way too close—and reached out, wrapping his fingers around the pendant.

His hand brushed against her collarbone.

Arianna felt her breath hitch, her body suddenly too aware of the heat radiating from him. When their eyes met, she saw it.

That same flicker of tension reflected in his gaze.

Then, Cassis closed his eyes to meditate.

They stood like that for a moment, so close she could feel the faint warmth of his skin, the quiet steadiness of his breathing.

Then, suddenly, he let go and stepped back.

“…It doesn’t work for me,” he murmured. “It’s probably bound to you. That’s good.”

He exhaled and then met her gaze, his expression turning dead serious.

“Arianna,” he said quietly. “We can share our status with each other anytime, but you must never tell anyone else about your necklace or your mana saturation.”

She understood keeping the necklace secret—but why her mana saturation? She asked, and to her surprise, Cassis chuckled.

“I’m probably the strongest human right now,” he said, crossing his arms. “And my mana saturation is at… 14%. Now granted I’m a Warrior, so my class doesn’t help me in terms of mana as much as yours, but it’s still far too high.”

Arianna froze. She had almost double his mana saturation?

Cassis watched her reaction carefully before continuing.

“From the Hall of Fame videos, we know something important—we’re the only two people who have unlocked their elemental affinity. And everyone knows that.”

Arianna swallowed hard.

“They saw us—especially you—fighting and meditating. Any cleric or mage who understands mana will realize just how insane your growth is.” Cassis’ voice lowered slightly. “Arianna, even late into the apocalypse, experienced clerics would struggle to do what you’ve done. If they knew how high your mana saturation is…” He trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.

Arianna shuddered.

She hadn’t considered what she had done as special or even dangerous. Others could try to kidnap her, the government could try to take her, she could be used as a lab rat to be studied... Many scenarios came to mind. To have it put into perspective like this… it was unsettling. Suddenly she was again glad for Helen’s meddling. At least now she existed in the data base and had some protection as a legitimate citizen.

Cassis waited until he saw that she truly understood. Then, and only then, did he continue.

“Mana saturation represents the percentage of mana our bodies can hold,” he explained. “At 100%, your body reaches its absolute limit. Any more, and it harms you.”

Arianna nodded slowly.

“But every time you rank up, your body expands its mana capacity. The percentage drops again—usually divided by ten. So, imagine what happens when you evolve into a higher rank.”

Arianna’s mind flashed to the E-rank monsters they had fought. They had been so much stronger than F-ranks which she and Cassis could now cut down easily.

A new rank was a massive power-up.

“Once your rank has gone up it gets more difficult to fill your mana saturation again. You need more mana and more mana. That’s why it’s recommended to have at least 50% mana saturation before evolving,” Cassis said. “Because you need mana to gather more mana. In F-rank MS can jump rapidly by having a breakthrough. Later on because the mana density is different for each rank even a few percentage points make a huge difference.”

Arianna absorbed this carefully. It made sense. If mana saturation determined how much base power a person had, then maximizing it before ranking up would ensure the biggest boost.

“Now,” Cassis continued, “to gather and use mana more efficiently, we build mana circuits. Instead of just relying on the basic mana stream inside us from awakening.”

His tone turned a little grim.

“In the other timeline, it took a long time before anyone figured this out. We only started using mana circuits after someone was awarded one as a system reward after the second wave. Until then, no one knew they were possible.”

He let that sink in for a moment.

“So, the fact that we already have advanced patterns is a huge advantage,” he said seriously. “Building a mana circuit from scratch is dangerous. If it’s faulty, it can be life-threatening.”

Arianna’s stomach tightened at the thought.

Cassis exhaled. “Which brings us to now. We’re going to build our respective mana circuits.” His eyes flickered with something unreadable. “And honestly… even if your necklace helped, you’re clearly better at this than me. So…”

He gave her a small, self-deprecating smile.

“…If you finish first, maybe you can help me. I’ve never been too good at mana related stuff. As you may remember it took me forever to unlock my affinity the first time. You saw how frustrating it was.”

Arianna blinked. Then, slowly, she grinned. She liked that about him. That he acknowledged her abilities without pride or insecurity. That even though he was more experienced, he had no problem asking for help when he needed it. She smiled broadly at him. “Deal.”

Arianna settled onto the grass near the stream, the cool earth beneath her grounding her as she adjusted her posture. She took a slow breath, closed her eyes, and grasped her necklace, allowing its familiar warmth to spread through her fingertips.

As she sank into meditation, her vision shifted. The world faded, and once again, she found herself inside the blue stream alongside her blood stream that represented her mana.

Inside the stream blue mana crystals shimmered like sunlight dappling the seabed. Around her, the ambient mana carried even more concentrated blue crystals, drawn in by the real-life stream nearby. She could see how the water element in nature affected the flow of mana, making the process of drawing it in easier.

Then, she turned her full focus inward. The advanced cleric mana circuit pattern flashed in her mind—the one the system had awarded her.

Once again, she saw the calm, endless ocean, stretching in all directions. Next, she looked beneath the surface. The sight was again dizzying.

Currents, swirls, spirals—all shifting in a delicate, intricate dance. She could barely make sense of them, but she knew they had purpose.

Determined, Arianna attempted to replicate that flow within herself.

She envisioned her torso as the vast ocean, her arms, legs, and throat as streams, and her hands, feet, and head as lakes where mana collected. From her ocean, mana flowed—just like blood, spreading through her body in a natural, rhythmic cycle.

But now, she needed to shape it.

Focusing on her right arm, she manipulated the flow, introducing spirals and swirls like the ones she had seen in the pattern.

It was difficult.

Each swirl needed to be deliberate, each spiral needed to be maintained. The mana resisted at first, the unnatural shapes causing friction against the natural current. But then—something changed.

The spirals began drawing in ambient mana on their own.

Arianna’s eyes widened in her mind’s eye.

They were acting like little vortexes, pulling in water mana from the surroundings, requiring no extra effort from her. The swirls, which had seemed purely decorative at first, actually had a purpose too—they stabilized the new mana, keeping it from disrupting the natural flow.

And just like that, mana pooled into her right hand, before flowing back in a parallel stream to her heart—the centre of her ocean.

It was beautiful. Arianna simply watched in fascination for a while, mesmerized by the sheer elegance of it.

Then, emboldened by her success, she turned her attention to her left arm, attempting to create the same pattern.

The moment she shifted her focus, her right arm’s spirals collapsed.

She frowned as her carefully built structure unravelled, the ambient mana dispersing without direction.

Gritting her teeth, she went back to fix it.

Once her right arm’s circuit was stable again, she carefully split her concentration, trying to maintain the right while constructing the left.

It felt like trying to split her mind in two.

The sensation reminded her of learning to play the piano as a child—how her right hand had to play one melody while her left played the accompaniment or an entirely different tune. It had felt unnatural at first, and even after years of practice, it had still required focus.

This was even more difficult.

After several failed attempts, she finally managed to hold the pattern in both arms at the same time.

But only for a few seconds. Then everything collapsed again.

She tried again. And again. Each time, she could hold it a little longer. Each time, her control improved.

But now, even her mind felt exhausted. She let out a breath and allowed the patterns to fade, choosing instead to simply watch the mana flow naturally.

Arianna sat there in silence, gazing into the intricate dance of her own power, marvelling at how alive it seemed. And as she rested, she couldn't help but muse over the endless possibilities mana control could bring.

Arianna’s curiosity stirred. Could she see other types of mana as well?

Her affinity was water, making it natural for her to perceive blue mana crystals in the air and within herself. But was it merely more difficult to see other elements, or was it impossible altogether?

She glanced at Cassis, who was still deep in meditation, his expression calm and focused. She wanted to ask him—but she didn’t want to interrupt. As his patron in the other timeline she hadn’t asked about the detailed mechanics of the system, just what items and other help he needed. And he hadn’t volunteered any information. He had been a lot more taciturn than now.

Instead, she recalled what he had said: Water and earth had a supportive relationship. If she could see any other mana, then earth should be the easiest to start with.

The thought sent a spark of excitement through her, chasing away her exhaustion. The mana circuit pattern could wait—for now, she wanted to explore.

Arianna focused on the ground beneath her. She sat cross-legged, pressing her palms firmly against the dirt and grass, trying to sense something—anything.

Nothing. Frowning, she leaned forward and flattened her hands against the soil.

Still nothing. Maybe… she needed more contact?

Driven by determination, she lay completely flat against the earth, fingers digging into the cool soil. She breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of grass and damp earth, willing herself to see.

At first, there was nothing.

It was like staring at a wall in her mind—something blocking her vision, something she couldn't push past.

But she refused to give up. Again and again, she pressed against that wall, pushing, reaching—until something inside her shifted.

Her vision reeled. For a brief, dizzying moment, everything spun—and then, all at once, the world exploded into colour.

Brown mana crystals.

They were everywhere, woven into the earth beneath her, mingling with blue and yellow fragments. Red appeared only sporadically—but when she looked further, she saw that the red mana clustered near Cassis. Of course. Fire.

Then the longer she looked she could see variations in the colour saturation of the crystals and then even some other colours. Were these more advanced elements?

Arianna’s breath caught in her throat. The mana around her sparkled, shifting and moving with an energy that was both delicate and powerful. It danced, swirling in an intricate, endless rhythm, existing in a balance so perfect she couldn't fully grasp it.

It was breathtaking. She became entranced by the movement of the mana, mesmerized by the way it played together, drifting in unseen currents.

Her fingers twitched against the dirt. Without thinking, she moved her own mana, drawing in a small amount of water energy. The dance changed. The delicate balance shifted, becoming more complex, the crystals adjusting in response to the new flow.

Then, something even stranger happened. New water mana joined the dance. Arianna’s eyes widened. It came not from the air—not from the stream—but from her own body.

Her heart pounded as she quickly turned her focus inward. Her mana reserves were unchanged. She hadn't lost any mana—but somehow, she had created more. Arianna froze, realization creeping over her like a chill down her spine. Was she… producing mana herself? Was this normal? Or something else that was different about her?