When Lia walked out of her room, it was two days after the whole incident. The remaining leaders were slowly returning after taking control of their targeted cities. Some had to be put under quarantine, but none had the same fate as Cathalica. Keily was the first to come up to her, trying to bring some food and trying to cheer her up, simply talking about anything to take her mind off of things. The second visitor was Solren, gently hugging his sister, offering no words but only the sincerity of his embrace.

Later, both Lauron and Razael contacted her, and by nightfall, Reyra also appeared in person, having a long talk with Lia. Even though she was worried about her, as things were going, she couldn't shelter her sons and daughters and could only hope they would be strong enough to face the upcoming years. Around a week later, Lia announced that she would visit back home, and nobody had any complaints, encouraging the idea.

What they didn't know was that Lia wasn't truly going back home but to a particular cave. She only told this to her Mother, and it was enough to mention a certain hole in the mountains before she merely nodded, knowing Lia couldn't say more. This time, she arrived alone. By now, only a sentry post was stationed there, with a few soldiers and a mage at the 3rd Tier from one of the Amarins' subordinate kingdoms.

The guards were surprised and scared of the visit, thinking it was a sudden inspection. Their life at the camp was the epitome of boring; stationed in nowhere with nothing to do, it was akin to being exiled. When Lia ordered them to stay vigilant and not approach the cave at any cost. It sent them into wild guesses about what was happening; what prompted the daughter of Reyra to come? What was really inside? But they never got their answers to it…

…

….

……

"I knew it…" Lia smirked, waking up in the familiar, hidden sub-realm. She knew the wolf would bring her in if she came and wouldn't refuse her seeking an audience.

"Why have you come back?" She heard the familiar voice of the ethereal wolf appearing next to her.

"I need to get stronger."

"You are like your ancestor…"

"Am I?" Lia flinched, surprised a little.

"Yes. He came back, too, multiple times, in fact. But… you already achieved the first step without our help, which showcases your talent!" The wolf said, walking around her body, sniffing at her, getting a feel of her soul. "You are troubled. Confused. That is not good; it will hold back your advancement.

"I…" Lia sighed, taking multiple deep breaths before telling her everything.

"And? It was a good decision. Why are you troubled by it? Their life was saved and sent into reincarnation. Our people will take care of them."

"What do you mean by that?" Lia furrowed her brows, asking at once.

"They, the Soulbound Sect, can't interfere with it. They didn't consume their souls, which is a worse fate than death, but I already told you about it. Am I correct that you are here to learn more about merging elements?"

"Yes. I am not strong enough! I need more power…"

"No, you don't." She cut in, her voice firm.

"Excuse me?"

"You would have been a core disciple if you had been born in our time. Come, I will explain!"

With a flash, they teleported onto a vast pillar with lush, green grasses and before a golden, nine-story pagoda. Walking, she led Lia to the first floor, which had a marble floor decorated with all the elements' colors, forming a circle with lines drawing out their synergy and conflicts. It took Lia a few seconds to realize it was an elaborate and complex formation that housed all eight elements and made them all work together simultaneously.

"Stand in the middle." The wolf said calmly, waiting for her to follow orders. When doing so, two elements lit up on the ground, Fire, and Water, all glowing in a bright red and blue light, almost blindingly so. "Very good. Your mastery of the two is perfect. You can effortlessly merge and unmerge them. You need not learn about them but simply increase your base strength. You are an Evolver and not a Discoverer."

"Wait… what?"

"Sit." She 'ordered' while also doing so, waiting for Lia to plop down the hard floor. "We had two kinds of masters. None are better than the other; they are simply different in their methods! We called the likes of your Ancestor the 'Discovery-type.' They were the ones who learned to combine the elements, and they made up the majority of our Sect. Eight out of ten elders were Discoverers. They explored the functions of the elements, studied the laws, and combined them. It was a meticulous and hard process that needed understanding, intuition, and strong will!"

"What was their advantage?"

"Versatility." The wolf answered at once, "Their type could create a plethora of spells, all different, all unique, all-powerful! Usually, they were people who first reached the minimum strength required to leave the Realm. It is the level of strength that you now call Tier 7. In your so-called 'Three Ri' stage, they had enough knowledge and experience to combine elements and create new magic! From then on, it was only up to them to climb the ranks and become even stronger!"

"So… my Ancestor… and my Mom belongs to this type? Because they learned it?"

"Yes. People who belong to that category grow up mastering their chosen elements. They study it and go through countless experiences before combining them. It is learned by experience and not solely driven by their intuitions. I am not saying they don't need to feel the change it brings, but it comes from understanding the elements and not from instinct." She nodded her wolf head, gazing into Lia's eyes, almost as if reading her mind, "You are different. Evolvers do not learn it that way."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Bullshit!" She scoffed, rolling her eyes, "I attended the Academy, I read a ton of books, I learned it myself!"

"You learned about it because you always had an innate feeling, a drive that led you to this road. It is rare, a gift…" She shook her head, "Just compare your work combining the two elements and learning how to travel No-Space. They were not the same..."

"..." Lia said nothing, but her mind went chill for a second. She never talked about her lessons with Lucian... and it confirmed that the wolf before her could tap into her memories. Into her mind...

"We named it Evolver," She continued without noticing, "because people with this disposition managed combining elements at an early stage, and as they grew in strength, so did the power of their spells. In comparing simply the raw output, they were stronger than a Discoverer."

"But not as versatile."

"Exactly. When you combine your elements, what happens?"

"It becomes a blue fire that freezes everything," Lia replied, already seeing her point. Her fire had no other forms.

"Did your fire, and I mean, normal fire, ever work like water? Flow like it? Maybe turn thick, sticky, clamping onto your enemies' skin?"

"No…"

"Did your water spells ever consume anything as fuel and grow in power? Did your spells ever fly through the air like a water storm?"

"No. Its form remains the same all the time… because I am acting from… instinct? What if I try to learn what you just said? I can't do it?"

"You can try, but it will never satisfy you." She answered with a voice that suggested she was highly amused by the idea. "The form that your blue fire takes is the manifestation of yourself. Be proud of it! You can combine the two now with only a thought! A Discoverer has to focus on it before casting a combined spell."

"I was teaching my friends a little… trying to tell them how to do it. None of them managed to replicate what I did so far... can they become a Discoverer?"

"They still need experience, but the chance is up for them if they are talented enough." The wolf tilted her head, thinking about it a little, "Some things have to be felt and learned by your mind, body, and spirit; words simply can't do it justice. If you teach them well, they will grasp it after reaching a sufficient level and may manage to combine their chosen elements. This is the only way."

"I see…" Lia bit her lip, raising her hand and summoning her blue flame, twirling it around her fingers, looking at it. She was trying to change its state, turn the fire into more of a strand of water, but it was refusing to do so more and more. It gave her a strange feeling; it became uncomfortable to maintain as if her harmony with the two elements were disturbed. "I think I am starting to understand what you mean."

"The two types are not that different and lead to the same place. Just as in other facets of life, there are people who are simply talented in one thing while the others make up for it with their hard work and comprehended mastery."

"So… how do I get stronger? Besides reaching higher tiers? I don't want to be weak and see innocents die all around me!"

"He said the same…" She murmured before standing up and pointing towards the different elements with her head. "Learn more of the elements and combine them! For you, it will be hard at the beginning... Mastering a new element is always arduous and difficult for an Evolver, but when you finally manage it, combining them will be easier."

"It's different for a Discoverer? Because they are already used to learning?"

"Yes. For them, it is a meticulous process, but that's it. Smart Discoverers could easily triumph over a dumb Evolver, no matter if the latter had a more explosive spell at his or her disposal."

"If you call me dumb once again, I am going to freeze your soul and kick it down from this plateau!"

"You can try." She chuckled unexpectedly. "My teaching method is more forceful anyway. But… it will be not me who will teach you about the elements."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't use them." She replied without shame. "But we have someone who is a master in all of them!"

"The fish?" Lia remembered, standing up, looking at the wolf with a ready expression. She now had all the answers she needed on how to get stronger and couldn't wait to start. She will learn all the elements and start combining them. His Ancestor had to have the same idea as he managed to learn up to four elements and also combine them! She will go even further than him.

"Swimmy." She corrected her, "Don't call him a fish. He doesn't like that. I will take you to him, and you will choose your element! You will start learning and practicing with him!"

"Then… what are we waiting for?" She stomped her feet, looking deadly serious as in her head she was constantly shielding her mind now, guarding against the wolf's gaze, making sure she didn't try and influence it. Erias's warning was loud and clear, and she didn't take it lightly… She wouldn't trust the ancient sects, but she needed their knowledge… she needed more power.

…

….

……

"You look troubled." Somia's voice rang out in Lucian's mind, who was standing in his office, looking out, watching the night sky over his Academy.

"The casualties are too high."

"I read the reports. They are still below my personal estimations, so you are doing a good job in controlling the outbreaks."

"..." He had no answers, only looking back over his shoulder, glancing at the placid expression of Somia.

"Here." She waved her hand, and Lucian's bracelet activated, displacing a complex blueprint of the newest version of it. "With Hajna's knowledge, I designed a second version. This one has a rudimentary version of something like her implemented into it. It won't be easy to make; my estimation is that creating one is equivalent to four or five years of the Institute's funding.

"Damn… And you expect us to make it?"

"I detailed everything on how to create one. It should be possible with the Realm's best artificers gathered together… and funding wouldn't be an issue, wouldn't it?"

"I am going to notify the rest of the Six. But Lady Reyra is unavailable; she started to raise Lord Rangi up… also, the head of your house is in retreat, trying to break through. After conversing with Hajna and his battle, he said he saw the light."

"Doesn't matter." Somia tilted her head, "The first batch should go to the Six anyway. Then trickle down to important personnel afterward. It will make transferring knowledge and information quickly throughout the Relam… and we all know it, it is the biggest weapon in any war."

"Yes, and we are in dire need of it!" Lucian nodded, "The Undead can communicate via extreme distances almost instantly. We need to level the playing field!"

"Exactly my thoughts. I am also here to suggest that Hajna be appointed as a teacher. She should host lessons about ancient knowledge for selected students. Those who show utter loyalty and talent… they can be trusted with her knowledge in light-based magic."

"Mhm." Lucian hummed in acknowledgment, "I will send her to be under Lauron! I still don't trust her as you do, but I trust the Amarins to keep an eye on her."

"My fascination with her knowledge may have been… problematic. I acknowledge that." Somia murmured, sounding a bit… apologetic. "You are right."

"Thank you." Lucian smiled at her, visibly surprised as he didn't expect her to say something like this, watching the somewhat transparent woman slowly disappear. "I hope you are right and we are truly doing well… if what happened to my only disciple is the worst we will face… I can deal with it, and I am sure she will manage to do the same!"