In just a few hours of training, Tyrus gained a lot of knowledge. With the help of his willing participants, the lesser hounds, he made many lightning-related discoveries. With enough magical power, he could momentarily stun his enemies. Their bodies would freeze, creating an opportunity to finish the job. He was still weak, so the time window was only one second, meaning he had to work quickly. It was only after growing tired and sick of the beasts eluding him he opted for a more proximate approach.
By activating augmentation to provide a boost, he pounced toward one of the lesser hounds and entwined his arm around its coarse neck. While it thrashed about like a wild stallion, its companions growled and inched nearer. Considering the dogs' tendency to be easily frightened, Tyrus emitted a few unsteady Lightning Bolt. Their purpose was not to cause significant harm to all of them.
As he had predicted, the spell caused them to scamper away, abandoning their struggling companion with a single boy. Because of augmentation, it was a breeze to subdue a lesser hound. Although the lesser hound was twice his size, Tyrus compelled it to submit by pinning it onto its back and pressing his arm against its throat.
It remained thrashing, making it uncomfortable to restrain. In his view, it was akin to clutching a wriggling fish out of water. Once Tyrus had reached his limit, he simply frowned and wished that it would stay still.
It was as though Sthito had listened to his entreaties, for lightning promptly emerged from his palms and ensnared the lesser hound. Its irregular movements promptly ceased, and its physique became rigid as blue sparks continued to race around. Its eyes still moved, and a sense of dread flooded over them. One second later, the light flickered away, and the hound regained its movements slowly.
“What was that…?”
Tyrus's confusion allowed the beast to take advantage of his slackened grip and escape. It swiftly bolted away on all fours, following the same path as its allies. Its escape didn't bother Tyrus, as he was too focused on what happened. When he imagined the lesser hound remaining motionless, his magic kicked in and carried out his wish. It was a much different feeling back then with the boar.
For the boar, his magic was meant to harm it, and he managed to wound the beast severely with hot temperatures. But for the lesser hound, it was the complete opposite. The smell of burning flesh didn't invade his nostrils, and the beast was fine. There were no marks, burns, or visible white flesh to be seen. The crucial factor was its restricted range of motion. One scenario had the intention of harm, while the other had the intention to subdue.
“That means if I want to subdue them, I just think about the intent to stun? But if that were to happen, then little to no damage would occur.”
Tyrus needed more information before drawing a conclusion. A flutter caught his eye, a bird of medium size that perfectly blended with the tree bark. It was named a flutter because it flaps its wings rapidly. While it was looking around on top of a branch, Tyrus aimed his arm at the bird and thought of stunning it like last time, but with a twist. He shot forth a bolt the size of a marble. It sped forward and hit the creature square on its wing. The bird twitched and went rigid, dropping like a stone.
Upon inspection of his work, the creature emerged unharmed. When he counted to three, the bird regained its movements and flew away safely, which was not the case before. He remained unsatisfied and then he saw a horned squirrel near a bush. Another spell was shot forth, causing its body to harden. In just five seconds, it stood up and scurried away.
In no time, Tyrus discovered a crucial detail. Different creatures were immobilized for varying amounts of time depending on their size. Tyrus was half the size of the lesser hound, and it took three and five seconds for the remaining beasts to recover from the stun while the smaller hound took only one second. The smaller the creature, the more time it was stunned, and vice versa.
Realizing he could use his lightning magic in a new way, he decided to name it something unforgettable, such as Lightning Bolt. Tyrus chose the name Thunder Stun because it accurately represented his ability to stun his opponents. Thunder Stun was an ideal choice as loud noises had the potential to disrupt an animal's senses and make them tense.
Another revelation he made was that he could manipulate the form of his element with unwavering focus, fashioning it into basic shapes such as spheres or tendrils. Given his limited control and comprehension, more intricate shapes were unfeasible. That didn't faze him considerably as something more fascinating grabbed his attention.
The sphere operated similarly to a Lightning Bolt or Dual Shot, therefore, he didn't give it much heed. Regarding the others, they were the ones that stimulated his curiosity. Now that Tyrus could shoot lightning magic out of his hands with silent casting, he quickly found out what purpose tendrils served.
In his quest for another creature to hone his skills on, he stumbled upon another horned squirrel and began his work. Lithe tendrils of power surged forth, racing across the earth like undulating snakes. The moment the tendrils contacted the creature, it ensnared its tiny limbs and neck. It put up a struggle and chattered in response to the new threat, but the tendrils remained resolute. Once he had seen enough, he lifted the spell.
This time, he called it Lightning Snare, a spell meant to trap enemies in a vice grip. He gained inspiration from Meadow’s earth magic against the drake. Locking its limbs and stopping it from attacking his throat helped him survive, and he learned about her magic from how she used it. Limiting an enemy’s movements and allowing himself and others an easier chance in fights seemed like a useful benefit. Most importantly, it keeps him out of immediate danger and reduces the risks of severe injuries.
Like his other spells, the efficiency of this one was determined by his strength. Anything less powerful than him would struggle to get away, whereas anything stronger would cut through it like stems with a knife. It was currently useless except for causing annoyance, but it would carry out its task.
In a short time, Tyrus learned a lot and showed it with curled lips. He extended his limbs as he watched the serene moon. Dappled rays broke through the leaves as he retraced his steps to the sanctuary.
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In the course of his journey, he made a switch to fire and ignited a flame atop his index finger, letting it persist. He had to use it repeatedly to strengthen it before he could focus on spells. Whenever he had some spare time, he would do the same thing, but he had to be cautious of his mana heart. Passing out in the middle of a forest would’ve been embarrassing.
Almost at the end of his trek, he encountered the earth spirits near the sanctuary outskirts. The fairies’ hands were caked with dirt while slender humanoids called the wood nymphs each carried flowers. Bark made up their skin, while their hair amalgamated branches and leaves. They attired themselves in dresses made of leaves and other flora. When Tyrus got close, he recognized Meadow blending in with the crowd. She quickly spotted him and rushed forward, stopping a few steps away.
“Greetings, Savior. I see that you have completed your target practice.”
Tyrus examined her and observed that her hands were also dirty. “Did something happen? Why are your hands like that?”
Over her shoulder, she took a quick peek. “We are covered in dirt because we just finished the burials. As for the flowers, it is our way of paying our respects to the dead and sending them to paradise. Our bodies are almost entirely composed of mana, meaning that when a spirit dies, their body becomes one with nature.”
“…Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. It’s really kind of you guys to go out of your way like that.”
“Although we find it hard to accept the death of our friends, we find comfort in the thought that they have gone to a better place.”
Tyrus said nothing, only shifting his gaze back to the spirits. They wore frowns, but it didn't create a negative mood. Typically, negative emotions are projected when people frown, but he sensed neutrality from them. They didn’t see it as an entirely sad or happy event.
Without warning, the earth spirits moved in a line away from the sanctuary. Meadow noticed and gave Tyrus a half smile. “We’re heading to a pond to wash up. Do you want to follow?”
“No, that’s okay. You guys can go alone. I need to speak with Elder Treant about something, anyway.”
Meadow shrugged. “Is that so? Well, I’ll be off then. When I’m finished, I’ll be giving you that haircut. Bye!”
She waved goodbye and flew off to join the others. A couple of them waved at Tyrus, but the majority just kept moving. After the spirits vanished, Tyrus entered the sanctuary. The moon’s glow was at its zenith, embracing the clearing with its gentle waves. He spotted Elder Treant in the usual place, eyes wide open as it stared at the celestial body above. Once Tyrus got close enough, the tree took notice of his arrival and greeted him.
“Good evening, Hero of Wildwood. Have you finished what you sought to do?”
Tyrus put out the fire and proceeded to lie down on a nearby patch of nepora, far away from the corpse. “Hello to you too. And yes, I did what I wanted to do. I learned a lot from my little journey and discovered new ways of using lightning magic. Fighting that drake really helped.”
“That's a delightful thing to hear. Gleaning wisdom from past experiences shapes one's future. The more wisdom you attain, the greater your mental and physical strength. Based on my current understanding of you, I am confident you will cherish this knowledge and strive to enhance it.”
With a nod to himself, Tyrus gazed at the moon for a while before he spoke. “What should I do about the drake corpse? I can’t carry it inside my ring, and it’ll go bad in a few days. If I were you, I wouldn’t like a smelly corpse right in front of me.”
Elder Treant chuckled. “Abandoning it for the creatures to devour remains an option, albeit an unfavorable one for you. A drake's body is commonly used for materials and reagents, such as crafting armor from its scales or brewing potions. Additionally, there is the matter of utilizing its flesh for culinary purposes or incorporating its heart into ceremonial practices and the like.”
“What about a mana core? Does it have that? I can sense some mana from the beast, but I don’t know if it’s something else.”
“A mana core? Ah, you mean the soul of a magical beast. Perhaps you're contemplating assimilating and incorporating it into your own?”
Tyrus abruptly stood up and cast a wary glance at Elder Treant. “Soul? I’ve been consuming souls this whole time?”
“In order for a creature to wield mana and control the elemental forces of the universe, they must bind a fragment of their essence to a mana core, a crystalline substance that takes shape and expands over time with sufficient contact with an element. The mana core amplifies and stabilizes the beast’s elemental abilities.”
“Starting from that moment, they are viewed as magical beasts, more powerful than usual. Unlike a lesser hound, a drake is considered to be a magical beast. If given enough exposure and time, they can develop into a magical creature.”
“I absorbed a mana core from a rock spider nearby. Is there anything bad about consuming a part of a magical beast’s soul?”
Elder Treant deliberated on it momentarily. “The key is moderation. Absorbing its mana core will enhance your abilities, but repeated consumption of soul fragments may cause alterations. A soul is a valuable entity that represents the core and uniqueness of a living organism.”
“If there is an overabundance of something, the body can only handle so much. By absorbing a piece of a soul, a living being's behavior and identity can be altered. Depending on their quality and quantity, the mana cores absorbed by the consumer may impact their traits. There is the possibility of the mana core granting the consumer some of the creatures’ magical abilities and other attributes. You'll be safe from the consequences as long as you don't absorb too many cores.”
Elder Treant's explanation ended, and Tyrus's focus shifted to the corpse. He wanted to maintain control over his behavior and identity, with no changes being forced upon him. The idea of becoming a totally different person was intimidating. On the other hand, the positives were quite tempting. Would consuming enough drake mana cores enable him to breathe fire? And would his affinity with fire increase?
“Elder Treant, if it has a mana core, I’m going to absorb it,” Tyrus announced.
“If that is what you wish, then so be it. I am simply giving you information about what to expect.”
“Thank you. I’ll keep your words in mind.”
Tyrus rose to his feet and ambled over to the lifeless body sprawled before him. It was still fresh, and the body had yet to go bad. He removed two daggers from his ring and evaluated them. His old dagger shattered from careless use, so he had to consider his next move. It would be important to cut where there were fewer or no scales noticeable.
Looking around, Tyrus quickly found what he was looking for. The joints around its elbows and knees were unprotected, alongside where its wings used to be; it was all just flesh. To conduct a trial, Tyrus probed the area without wings with his dagger, and the tip was able to penetrate through. He smoothly maneuvered the weapon with delicate force until it reached a scale.
Using precise cuts, he severed the bond from skin to scale, listening as the dagger’s blade met the beast’s skin with a sinuous hiss, like the whisper of silk against glass. There, the blade found its rhythm, its progress marked by a series of soft, deliberate clicks. After a minute of concentration, with the scale becoming loose with every click, the scale finally relinquished its grip. He felt the rough item in his hands, surveying its pale red color with a smile.
His inability to use every part of the corpse as he wanted meant he had to make do with only a few scales, some meat, and the mana core. Following that, he would ask one of the treants to transfer the body to another spot where the beasts could partake in the feast. It would make him sad, but there was nothing else to be done. Tyrus would have to shrug it off and continue on.
“Okay, time for the next one.”