Day 120
Our training in Element Combination began in the academy courtyard, which was teeming with energetic students pushing the envelope. The professors had warned us that it wouldn't be easy mastering this intricate art because not everyone could have two magical elements under control. While hundreds of students had congregated, only a tiny percentage of us possessed dual magic.
For me, Fire with Wind made Lightning Magic seem possible. It was thrilling to be tested this way. I could feel and see the sparks of electricity crackling and twirling between my fingers as I experimented with what I was finding myself beginning to tap. It wasn't much yet - just little shocks of energy for the moment. But others around me were really struggling to mingle their own magic, even with evident frustration.
It was apparent that, even for those blessed with double elements, the process took patience, precision, and a vibrant imagination. Whispers of the outside world filtered in between training sessions. The most interesting rumor involved Renford Castillon, the new king of the Castillon Kingdom. It was said that he hunted down and destroyed branches of the Dark Guild across many kingdoms.
Word had it that his relentless campaign was personal: the guild had targeted his fiancées, and in retaliation, Renford annihilated them within a single day. It had been weeks since I'd last crossed paths with any assassins from the Dark Guild. Although I felt relieved at this lull, the Dark Guild was much like a swarm of roaches.
No matter how many of them you crushed, there was always a way in which they could endure and regroup to come back. Renford's deeds may have temporarily disabled them, but I was sensible not to let my guard drop. The thought of a person like Renford taking an active role in combating the Dark Guild gave me an odd kind of comfort. At this point, I could focus on getting stronger, perfecting my Lightning Magic.
Day 140
Today, I realized that there's much more to sword fighting than raw talent and sheer muscle. Silvia brought me something exciting in her lectures and training, almost magical yet totally different from it. It's called Aura, a form of energy swordsmen wield. Magic is hereditary, but Aura can be acquired through the severest of training and self-control. Mana comes from the heart, while Aura is generated from the skin.
However, there aren't many ways one can activate it. There are at least two; First is Meditation: The only slow but controlled procedure in which a student gradually starts practicing their technique of opening and closing their aura nodes, which is a conduit carrying this power. In simpler terms, it requires a lot of concentration and calmness. Second is Activation: A quicker but much more dangerous approach, where an external surge of aura violently opens the nodes. Though it works, it's a crapshoot—it can cause broken nodes, meaning someone can never use aura again, or worse, kill them.
According to Silvia, there is some controversy regarding whether talents for aura are inherited based on genetics or family heritage. However, apparently, nothing matters in terms of age, body type, or sex; it only depends on practice and hard work. Silvia's professor had, in fact, been urging meditation for the entire class, warning of the dangers of forced awakening.
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He emphasized that aura mastery was not just a matter of strength but also of patience. "The path to wielding aura is as much about the mind as it is about the body," he said, and Silvia seemed to have taken those words to heart. She revealed that she had awakened her aura only yesterday. It was quite a milestone. It could perhaps complement my powers.
Who knows how strong I could become if I could train myself to wield it?
Day 160
I decided to skip classes today and head south into the vast, unforgiving desert bordering the Yelarien Kingdom. Rumors had spread among adventurers that a Young Adult Brown Dragon had been spotted taking refuge in the sands—a prime opportunity to claim Earth Magic and expand my growing arsenal of elemental powers.
I flew through the blazing heat on currents of Wind Magic, scanning endless dunes for some sign of the dragon. The desert, however, was unnaturally silent, with the unceasing howl of the wind and the wave patterns of the heat that rose off the sand. Activating Infrared Vision, hoping for a chance to improve matters, all that existed seemed to be searingly hot and blending distinctions into a homogenous smear.
If the Brown Dragon was burrowed beneath the sands, it was well-hidden. Frustrated, I descended and landed on the hot, grainy surface. "What a waste of time," I muttered, glancing around. "Those adventurers must've mistaken some other creature for a dragon." Just as I turned back, my Danger Sense flared. Instinctively, I leaped away from my spot.
Not a moment too soon, the sand exploded where I'd been standing, and a massive, draconic head shot out with jaws snapping shut on empty air. The Brown Dragon emerged, its golden-brown scales blending seamlessly with the desert. It was a cunning predator, sneaky enough to evade even my Keen Senses. Had it not been for Danger Sense, I'd have been nothing more than a meal.
Before I could react, the dragon slithered back into the sand, disappearing like a ghost. "Fucking wuss!" I snarled, but my taunt was cut short as the ground beneath my feet began to swirl and collapse. A swirling vortex of sand dragged me downward, a trap engineered by its Earth Magic to swallow me whole. Furious, I leaped up in a blast of Wind Magic, throwing the sand below me into disarray to expose its hiding spot.
There it was, glaring up at me through cold, reptilian eyes now that its cover was blown. With a furious roar, it retaliated, releasing a torrent of Stone Breath that rained jagged stones toward me. I countered the attack with Wind Magic, but it was just a distraction. Before I could clear the debris, the dragon was burrowing again.
"You're not getting away!" I bellowed and dived down, just managing to grab its tail as it disappeared under the dunes. The Brown Dragon writhed and lunged, pulling me deeper into the sand as if trying to asphyxiate me inside its natural element. "Alright, that's enough!" I shouted, finally losing my patience.
Summoning all my remaining energy, I unleashed a gigantic gust of wind blast that sent us both crashing to the surface in a sandstorm. With superhuman strength, I heaved the dragon high up into the sky, twisting its body midair. "Let's see how you manage without your precious sand!" I yelled, releasing all the remaining mana in my body. A blaze shot from my palms and engulfed the Brown Dragon with a fierce inferno.
The intense heat turned its body to ash midair and scattered it across the desert like a fleeting mirage. Exhausted, I knelt on one knee, and my mana reserves were completely drained. The exhaustion was worth it. I felt the power of Earth Magic flowing into me, and I realized that I had gained much more than raw power. With Earth Magic, I could combine it with my Fire Magic to create Lava Magic or merge it with Wind Magic to form Dust Magic.