Verdenia's eyes glinted as though she were a predator toying with its prey. Her voice crooned, "Now, we find ourselves with an intriguing puzzle, don't we? You see, Falond, you possess something special, my bound. A bearer of a world beast. Do you even realize how rare you are? That promises unique traits, power, and danger, especially in portal travel. We aim to keep you alive, so we must teach you how to control and use this power. And believe me, I'm more than pleased to be the one to guide you."

What she was saying made sense; what didn't make sense was her hands roaming freely over my body at this point. I had thought Elnara was bold. The real tigress was Verdenia all along.

She drew her face close to mine, our lips mere inches apart. Her eyes held mine captive, and I found myself unable to move. Don't get me wrong, I was a man, and this beautiful woman was coming on to me. Still, my inexperience left me feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. That didn't miss her eyes; when it came to me, nothing ever escaped her at this point. Her hand hovered teasingly just above my nether region.

My only response was, "What's the problem then?" Verdenia found this incredibly amusing as laughter soon came from her lips. My flushed cheeks only made the situation even more hilarious to her.

"It appears I've come on too strong for your delicate manliness, Falond." she chuckled. "Don't worry, I promise to take it slow from now on. But don't blame me if you cannot resist me." There was nothing to say; after all, she was right. It's one thing to desire something, quite another to experience it unexpectedly. She could've left the manliness part out, however. I was perfectly secure in my masculinity, thank you.

"In any case, the time has come to push you to the next stage. You weren't down here just for punishment; truthfully, you would have ended up here regardless. Although, not necessarily in a cell, if you hadn't chosen to run off," Verdenia chided, her gaze becoming stern towards the end.

Seeing a chance to defend myself, I began, "You drugged me, bound me to a vine, and did some unknown ritual while I was half-naked. What did you expect me to do?"

"Normally, we would have carried out the ritual more... openly. However, someone is quite skeptical, wouldn't you agree? Do you genuinely think if we had asked for your consent, you would have allowed us to perform the forest rite on you?"

I was left speechless, unable to respond when she put it that way.

"Let's put this argument aside for later. The portals won't care if you are aggrieved or not. You enter a void realm while you transfer from one end of a portal to the other. Those places not only hold terrifying creatures but also corrupt forces. This training makes you stop looking like a torch light in the darkness when you enter the void."

The void realm? The few books on portals never mentioned the details of transferring from one side of a portal to the other. There was even more information withheld in Reverent than I'd realized. A puzzled expression crossed my face. Not even having to ask, Verdenia began to explain, albeit more roundabout this time.

"What do you understand about the portals, my bound? When did portals first appear in the world of Gansia? Do you know?"

"It's been more than seven hundred years," I tentatively suggested, recalling that the oldest portal I was aware of—the origin portal—had manifested over seven centuries prior.

"No, Falond, we Elves know that portals have been around for over seven hundred years."

"What, really? I've always been taught that the great portal in the heart of the ocean storm was the first and the largest of its kind."

"While it's true that the gate of origin mana is the largest, history has been tampered with and distorted. The when and perhaps even the why of the portals' emergence has been concealed from man."

She shook her head slightly. "However, this isn't meant to be a history lesson. Instead, I'll enlighten you. Mana came from the portals, a fact not concealed from most humans. But do you know that traversing a portal to the other side unprepared is deadly? Particularly so with mana portals."

"It feels like everything in this world is out to get me. Including mana portals?" I let out a weary sigh.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I'll be a good kind of danger to you," she responded, a mischievous smile on her lips.

"At this rate, I'll be dangerous back soon enough, my contractor."

Her response was an unexpected silence before she resumed our impromptu lecture on portals. "The reason for that is your power; your aura is natural to this world of Gansia; mana is not and never will be. Mana came from portals most connected to Eon. The portal you see in the encampment is not a mana portal at all. It radiates aura and nature's essence, not mana."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

She paused, ensuring I followed along and paid attention to what she was trying to teach.

"While the natives of this world, at least most who are at the very top of its power structure, celebrate mana, it's not something to celebrate. Just know that mana will reject you because you are its competitor. In a way, it's an invasive species to your natural habitat. Both of you occupy the same spot in your power ecosystem of this world.

Her words gave me a new perspective. Mana, the celebrated power source of our world, was nothing more than an invasive species vying for the same spot I occupied in the world's energy ecosystem.

But this raised more questions. I hadn't always possessed this aura. Mana had rejected me long before it appeared and even harmed me when I tried to force its use. Now, her explanation made sense as to why mana would act that way. But why did it do so before I even had aura?

Curiosity got the better of me, so shortly after explaining my experiences with mana to her, I asked. "Why would mana always reject me, even before I had aura?"

"Seeing as you were selected by one of the world beasts, The Moth, it must mean your body cannot be completely corrupted by mana. A blessed person of Gansia. Your way of acquiring the aura you now have is by far the rarest method." She left an intentional pause, then went on.

"You must be born with the innate blessing for it, then be lucky enough for one of the world beasts to select you. Others who learn aura have some inheritance, natural talent, or are taught. For you, aura appeared with a touch of the Moth."

The reality was a bitter pill to swallow. All my life, I had wanted to master mana like my family. What a cruel joke to be born in a family of great mages, only to be sure you could never become one. I was meant for something else, but it was not to be a mage. The thought depressed me. Besides that, what were world beasts? The Moth was one, sure, but what did that mean?

"You have a body incapable of being completely corrupted by mana. This is both a blessing and a curse in the world now. Time will show you more of what I mean. Although you've already experienced this your whole life, I'm sure."

Then Verdenia took me by the arm and guided me through this underground prison. I noticed that none were filled. I guess either crime was low or death for crime was high. Seeing my current situation, my curiosity to find out was zero.

We arrived at an underground dome, its roof pure stone adorned with pulsating elven symbols. The roots integrated with the stone structure through the ground, appearing trimmed and neatly kept. However, they barely protruded into the open space.

This is one of our Mutatio chambers," Verdenia stated matter-of-factly.

"Mutatio chambers?" I echoed, confused.

"Yes, this place will host your training until you're prepared to enter a portal. To escape this underground prison, you must conquer the trials you'll face here."

Her gaze drilled into me. "Falond, I won't be holding back from this point forward. Take this seriously, or the training will kill or cripple you."

I gulped audibly.

Without waiting for a response, Verdenia turned to a rack of weapons. She thrust a dagger into my hands while selecting a sword for herself. The moment the blade settled in my grip, she lunged at me, moving faster than before. I had no real experience with a dagger, so my blocks were incomplete, forcing me to leave gaps in my defense. Before I knew it, she landed a blow, leaving a nasty bruise on my neck.

"Again," she commanded.

And so, we began again. The runes overhead pulsed a vivid red. I noted that neither Verdenia's power nor mine seemed to function within this space. Even the heightened senses I had begun to rely upon heavily had disappeared. This training was purely about physical strength and technique, which Verdenia possessed in abundance. But then, that was why she was my teacher.

Being repeatedly beaten was annoying and quite detrimental to my already low self-esteem. This training highlighted my lack of knowledge and experience; there was no easy way out. Getting bested by a woman was a blow to my self-esteem again. She was a gorgeous, magic-using, powerful woman, but still. I suppose that's just male ego for you. Biology was a hell of a drug. Because I was lost in thought, I didn't notice Verdenia's next strike until it hit me, leaving another bruise on my right shoulder.

"Falond, you need to focus," she said. Her eyes were pleading, but her voice was as cold as ice.

She was correct; my thoughts needed to focus. The only thing that mattered now was absorbing everything from this training. This world was too hostile to stay the same. That would be a lesson in nativity my life couldn't afford. My gaze steeled; a sort of trance took over me.

"This is our most secure training dome, at least on this side of the portal. You'll notice those elven runes that change color. Each color has a purpose. Only our natural techniques and pure physical power are usable when pulsing red. Neither your aura nor my nature's essence will be able to function. The runes will seal our ability to use it. Even if you tried to force it, all you'd do is cause a backlash within yourself."

"Surely they aren't unbreakable, right?"

"Only the mightiest can defy the runes and shatter them. That Grand mage, for example, could repel them with her mana, and the runes wouldn't be able to withstand it. Naturally, Lady Elnara has the same capacity."

"And just how powerful is she? I mean, neither Hadrian nor you don't hold a candle to what she can do."

"Indeed, Lady Elnara is the most formidable elf in our camp. Even the elders beyond the portal pale in comparison. As for her exact ability, I can't say. However, I can assure you that Grand mage wouldn't stand a chance against her."

The conversation didn't let me slip up for once, and my dodges were becoming more effective.

"Lady Elnara is why we've managed to stake our claim in the Naien forest. Without her, humans would have long since eradicated us from here."

"Is she that old?"

She raised an eyebrow at me, a wry smile on her lips. "A bit of advice, Falond. It's considered impolite to inquire about a lady's age."

Seeing no alternative, I told her to continue this one-sided duel.