"Zero, what do you plan to do about Nova?" Valna asked, her voice gentle. "I know what you said to that human and all but will you really leave it up to them."

Zero remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on a distant point. "Nova is fine and she’s still within the limits of the town. Yoko and I already checked before they went out on this outing and there was no one capable of hurting or even kidnapping her. Therefore, she must have gone with them willingly. She’s been cooped up in the castle for a while now so she took this as a chance to go out and play."

Yoko sighed, understanding the complexity of the situation. "Yes, when she gets back in two days she’ll need a stern talking to. Don’t worry thought I took precautions and cast a protection spell on her and Avarus before we came here so she’ll be fine."

Valna looked at Zero with a mix of concern and curiosity. "You seem remarkably calm about this. Are you not worried for Nova's safety?"

Zero turned to face Valna, his eyes piercing. "Worrying accomplishes nothing. We’ve taken measures to ensure her safety, and I trust that Yoko will handle the situation if anything occurs. Nova is a capable young girl, and she can handle herself. Now, let's focus on other matters. So Valna, what did you say happened to Avarus?"

Valna shifted Avarus in her arms, the baby stirring but still asleep. "Avarus is fine. He's been restless, though, as you remember he doesn’t like being around me. So why make me take care of him? Ah, I also forgot he said his first words today."

Yoko's eyes widened with excitement as she approached Valna and Avarus. "First words? That's incredible! What did he say?" Yoko gently took Avarus into her arms, her attention fully focused on Valna.

Valna had a look that was a mix of amusement and slight irritation on her face. "His first words were, 'Hwte ywu.'"

Yoko's brows furrowed in confusion. "Hwte ywu? What does that mean?"

Valna chuckled, "Well, considering Avarus, it's his way of saying 'Hate you.' Apparently, he decided to express his feelings today. If he wasn’t wearing his bracelet he might have also used his powers to attack me too."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Yoko burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the room. "Hate you? Oh, Avarus, you're just adorable! Don't worry; I'm sure it's just a phase."

Zero, who had been observing the exchange, joined in. "I doubt it, it seems Avarus has a strong personality most likely due to his Seed of Greed. It clashes with my Seed of Pride and Valna’s Seed of Kindness. We’ll have to train him to use his power wisely or he’ll attack us eventually. Anyways more importantly we called you here to help us with a little experiment."

Zero then went on to explain how they wanted to create Elemental Spirits. Zero pulled out a bag filled with gems of different colors and sizes. “These are mana crystals. The animals of this world coalesce mana in their bodies and it mixes with their blood forming these gems. They’re usually darker in color due to the blood but I removed it leaving only a pure mana crystal.”

“Oh, that’s interesting, but what’s that got to do with why you called me?” Valna asked with a confused look as she picked up one of the crystals.

“Yoko and I have figured out how to create these crystals artificially. We’ll now be making a large crystal of each of the 6 elements: air, fire, water, earth, light, and darkness. Since you’re the best with fire and light mana I want you to make those. I’ll take care of darkness and air. Yoko will handle water and earth,” explained Zero

Zero then raised both of his hands up and began gathering mana above his hands. He then slowly mixed in his own mana with the mana from his left hand being green and the right being black. Once there was enough man he slowly condensed it while rotating it causing his colored mana to slowly mix with the mana he gathered and condense. The mana first started as mere wisps then became air, and after that took on a liquid-like consistency, before finally turning into a crystal.

Valna observed Zero's demonstration with keen interest, her eyes following the transformation of mana into a crystal. The play of colors and the intricate process with the mana intrigued her as she witnessed the creation of the crystal.

"That's truly fascinating," Valna remarked, her fingers gently caressing the crystal. "So, you want me to create similar crystals with fire and light mana?"

Zero nodded, "Exactly. We want to create elemental spirits, and for that, we need these crystals infused with the purest form of each element. Yoko and I can manipulate air, darkness, water, and earth mana, but we need your expertise for fire and light."

Valna held out her hands, her eyes glowing with an orange radiance. She began to gather the mana, feeling the warmth and brightness emanating from her palms. Simultaneously, she focused on her internal flame, attuning herself to the fire mana within. The dance of two distinct energies in each of her hands was a delicate process, but Valna's mastery over her elements allowed her to control them seamlessly.

As the mana converged, Valna carefully molded it, creating two crystals that shimmered with an orange and red fiery hue and a white radiant crystal that shined. The crystals took on a unique beauty, each capturing the essence of fire and light.

"There you go," Valna said, presenting the two crystals to Zero. "One of fire and one of light mana. Now, what's the next step in creating these elemental spirits?"

Zero examined the crystals with satisfaction as he put Valna’s crystals next to his and Yoko’s, "Excellent work, Valna. The next step involves using my power to create a cradle of life and inserting both the crystal and a soul inside. The elemental spirits will be born from the essence of the type of mana within these crystals."