(Author: Hello all. The heat wave sure sucks. Had a massive headache and slight fever. Drink plenty of water and stay indoors. Anyway, Seti goes out of his way to try to talk sense into his sister, hoping that things would change as he became a magus. He was wrong and she remains blinded and arrogant. Seti makes his resolve to close himself from his family and quickly endure the three years learning under Flint before going to the Royal Academy and leaving upon reaching the fifth rank. He studies diligently, but faces a trial. Writing this story and my new story,Star Dragon as side projects as they are not my main story. My main story, The Necromancer King, will have a more regular release schedule in my mind. Enjoy.)
--------Chapter 4: Mana Backlash-------------
Seti awoke the next day as if a large burden was gone. He had given up on his father and sister. He only cared about two people now: his mother and Adam. The rest of the world can burn for all he cared. Seti gave out a series of orders so that a cabin. He would have less distractions away from the palace. He also collected books on strategy, records of fire magus, and books on the history of the magus. He had a lot to learn and wanted to know more about the world.
Seti also had another cabin built for when a general of the army would come and teach him the spear. His mother said the general would arrive in a few months and to focus on learning from Flint first until he arrived. It did not take long for a wood magus to build him the two cabins and for the servants to organize the rooms. Flint arrived, surprised to see two more cabins and learned all of what transpired over the last few days from when Seti started searching and cultivating violet fire essence, to his declaration of exploring the world.
"What is the extent of your ability to manifest and control fire?" Flint asked.
"I can create a small ember on my hands and control the heat of that small ember and the heat of a fire on a lit candle," Seti answered. "I'm not able to create fire bigger than the size of a thumb, but I can't be burned by fire."
"It must be because of the meteor," Flint said.
"How did you know?" Seti asked.
"You don't think I had my cabin built where the crater was for no reason did you? Your mother also told me about the meteor. The meteor must have been the reason you awakened your magic in the first place," Flint answered. "It had to have some profound energy to externally awaken your magic. What else it did, is your business Seti. It would be wise not to tell anyone else about the meteor and how you awakened your magic. Where is the meteor now?"
"In small boxes in my spatial ring," Seti answered.
"Good. You can make very powerful weapons. Meteors are not from this world. Perhaps you can make a spear with it one day. Now, for your training. You can make an ember. That is good. That means that you are indeed a rank 1 magus," Flint said. "That seed of fire essence will develop as you increase in power and rank. It is the source of your mana. To be a fire magus, one must learn about fire in order to learn how to control it."
"What must I do?" Seti asked.
"Fire burns material and devours the wind to continue to burn and expand. Your body is the catalyst for the fire. Your mana, the object the fire burns and devours to grow and incinerate. Most magus choose not to learn how to fight barehanded or learn how to use a weapon. They are fools. A magus is not a mage and limited to chanting to cast spells. Our magic takes form in our imagination. Mana is energy. How can a magus not combine his magic with martial arts to become even stronger than both?" Flint laughed. "What is more powerful? A fireball? A simple fist with no mana? No. A fist that is wrapped in fire is more lethal and more versatile. You can continue to grow the fire around your fist, even throwing it to cast an even larger, more powerful fire ball if you can't hit your foe. You can fight from afar as most mage do, or fight in close combat like a warrior. Why study just one path when both increases your potential far more than either. A spear would not be my first choice, but hardly any magus uses a spear so I cannot judge for certain. I can't teach you how to fight, but I can teach you how to strengthen your body and learn to wield fire."
"There's a chance I can defeat others if I learn this?" Seti asked.
"Yes," Flint said as he stared back at Seti. "If you can't defeat your enemy with the pure power of your fire, you can defeat them by controlling fire above their own capabilities. Those who become rank 8 and 9 magus are not all necessarily the most powerful, but the ones who truly understand their elements. Those who fight with power, win battles. Those who fight with control, win wars. Your first lesson is to strengthen your fire and shape it. Fire always starts at an ember. Make that ember truly ignite and become fire."
Flint began training Seti. Everyday, Seti would swim five laps around the lake. If he ever stopped before the laps, Flint would fling Seti up in the sky using water magic as Flint was both a fire and water magus. After a ten minute interval, Seti would beginning jogging ten times around the lake. Seti was given weights on his wrists and ankles which were five pounds each. It didn't feel like nothing at first, but the weight would seem heavier as he got tired. He would then spend the afternoon learning about magic and try to create fire and control it.
As Seti had enhanced strength and reflexes, his body naturally got used to the training very easily. Flint always increased the weights whenever Seti seemed to have it easy. Seti was already very knowledgeable and he was able to ignite the ember and create a small, violet flame on his hands. As the weeks flew by, Seti began creating small orbs of fire that levitated around him in a circle, each the size of a child's fist.
One night, Seti was meditating under the full moon when three dark shadows crept to him from the shadows. Seti opened his eyes in alarm as he sensed unknown mana heading to him. He looked back in time to see a golden flash. Seti felt as if needles were poking all over his body as he was sent flying. He groaned in pain as he landed on the wet soil next to the lake. His muscles strained as Seti tried to push himself to his feet. He shook his head as his vision was blurry and made out three figures emerging from the tree. His eyes widened as he recognized one of them to be that brat noble he had whipped from before.
"So it's you then," Seti said coldly as he created small orbs of violet fire. "You'll be sentenced to a slow death for this."
"You two, distract his master. I'll deal with this princeling myself," Trey snarled. The two other men rushed at the other cabin and threw large spears of lightning and a wave of earth. Flint burst out of his cabin as it was destroyed and stared at the two men. Both were magus of the fourth rank and had elements to counter his fire and water magic.
"You're gonna pay for having me whipped and fining my family," Trey snarled as lightning crackles his arms. "I am a magus of the second rank! I'm more powerful than you. I will whip you with my lightning before I kill you and your master. No one will know how you died."
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'You're around my age but you've already fallen so low. Just because you're powerful, doesn't mean you'll win," Seti said coldly. "Enough talk whipped dog. Come and get a beating from your master. In front of royalty, you're nothing but a b*tch."
"YOU--!" Trey roared and charged at Seti. Seti grinned as he successively broke the boy into a rage. The air grew warm as Seti had his fireballs blast at the ground around Trey. Trey just threw spears of lightning in his rage, destroying the fireballs and striking at Seti. However, Seti was ready this time. Seti saw the lightning move in slow motion and dodged and back flipped over some of the lightning and landing on his feet. He created tiny flames below his feet and spread fire wherever he walked. His mana was depleting rapidly due to the constant use, but Seti could not waver.
"What's wrong princeling?" Trey laughed as he kept running at Seti. "If you had ordinary fire, this might have been fun. This is just too easy!"
The fire slowly rose until a giant wall of violet flames appeared around Seti. The soil turned black and Trey started to sweat as he approached the fire. Snorting, Trey covered himself in lightning and jumped through the fire, unharmed. His eyes widened as he saw the lake so close behind the wall of fire.
"This is way you fight with a calm mind. Too bad it's too late for you," Seti said as he grabbed a large chunk of wet soil and used his enhanced strength to throw it at Trey. Trey screamed as he felt his back bruise under the impact and then screamed even louder as the wet soil and his lightning combined, hurting him. Seti saw a large steam rise from where Trey crashed into the lake, head first, due to his lightning and the lake making contact with his body wrapped around the lightning.
The lake glistened as Seti heard a few crackles of lightning before the sound ceased. Trey's body slowly rose to the surface, badly burned but still breathing. Seti watched as Trey painfully made his way to shore. Seti could smell something akin to burnt meat coming from Trey's body.
"And now you die a dog's death," Seti said as he created three orbs of fire. "This is the price to pay for underestimating your opponent. A lightning magus should never fight near a body of water. Water conducts lightning and thunder. Why do you think books said that a water magus is superior to a lightning magus near a body of water? It's hard for a water magus to create his own water, but very easy to manipulate water that already exists."
"Not again. Not again. Not again. NOT AGAIN!" Trey screamed and went berserk. Lightning crackled all over his body and his body seemed to glow. Seti covered his eyes and immediately covered his body in violet flames. Trey screamed once more before he exploded into a powerful blast of fire. Seti shouted in agony as the blast easily broke through his wall of fire and knocked him back several yards and through the door of his cabin. Splinters flew everywhere and Seti crashed into the wall, the wooden wall caving in a little upon impact.
Seti groaned as he lost all his mana and felt drained. He thought it was all over, before he felt a burning in his chest. Seti looked down as he felt pain emerge and expand over his body as a purple energy seemed to come from his body and burn him. Fire couldn't burn him so Seti knew what it was: mana fire. It only happened when a magus or mage used to much mana and would simultaneously combust if they used more mana than the body could handle.
Seti struggled to his feet and slowly walked to the lake. The pain was beyond belief as he felt his insides were burning. Small wisps of purple flames broke through his skin as Seti panted with effort with every breath, his regenerative ability the only reason he was still alive. Seti felt his knees crack as he bent down and focused all his energy into his legs. Using his enhanced strength, Seti pushed off the ground and flew toward the lake, the cold water soothing his pain as he crashed into it. Steam rose from his body and Seti held his head in agony as the mana fire continued. He had to endure it until his mana stabilized and returned.
Seti washed up on shore minutes later, unconscious as the mana calmed. Purple fire burned all over his body before dimming and disappearing. Flint had defeated the other two mages, with numerous craters, fissures, and burned or uprooted trees as evidence of his struggles. He was relieved to see the third prince still living and proceeded to use healing magic on the boy. He injected his own mana into the boy to stabilize and return the mana levels to normal levels.
"Ugh," Seti groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and shut them tightly again. It was morning when he awoke and his body ached all over.
"Try not to move Seti," Flint warned. "You barely survived the mana backlash. Most don't die, but there are some residual effects. I forbid you from even cultivating fire essence for a whole week. Let your body rest at this time. You're in your room right now and I left a few books here that should help you as you like to read. Your mother was here often, but your sister and father never showed."
"I cut ties with my father and my sister never listened to me and even injured me on our last encounter," Seti said weakly as he leaned up. "Will I be alright?"
"Yes. You'll be fine so long as you rest a week. The Trey boy's mostly dead but his instructions and orders were found in the spatial ring of the two men he hired to primarily distract me. He even ordered them to kill me if they were able. Truly pathetic and a disgrace in human flesh," Flint spat. "His family is being sentenced to death as we speak and their belongings, titles, and lands will henceforth be yours. Prince Adam's letter arrived earlier today expressing his concern and gratitude that you're alright. You've been unconscious for about three weeks. You're body is mostly healed which is why I said you only need one more week. This is just a precautionary measure."
"Thank you master," Seti said and bowed his head.
"HAHAHAHAHA! That's right! I am your master. Well then, rest well," Flint laughed and left Seti alone in his room.
"I was able to beat that noble until he actually blew himself up. I should make a note of this. Using the environment to neutralize the opponent is good, but I need a method to control my fire and make it bigger faster with less mana drainage. I should also avoid getting close to the enemy in case they also use an extreme measure and sacrifice their own life to kill me," Seti muttered. "At least I know I can defeat someone more powerful than me. However, I can't include those with battle experience."
Seti stared silently and saw new books on his bookshelf. He groaned as and felt his body creak as he got off his bed. As soon as he tried to stand up, he fell to the ground. After not using his legs for so long, rehabilitation would be necessary to be able to use them normally again. He used the walls as leverage as he leaned against the wall and slowly hobbled to the bookshelf. He got the books and sat down heavily on the chair next to it. He sighed from the effort and began to read. He had a lot of free time now and it would be best to read the books now and put them to practice at a later time.