"So, Avures. What do you think the Principles of Zen are?" Zen gazed out over the cliff edge as a slight breeze grazed his skin.
"Hmm... It sounds like something you made up." Avures tilted his head to the side as he looked out over the horizon.
"Eh-...." Zen's eye twitched as he gritted his teeth. A remark like that was not something Zen had ever come to expect from Avures. "Hah... No. Okay. What about the States of Insight?"
"Oh?... Isn't that something that monks study? I think I read about that somewhere..." Avures crossed his arms and turned to his teacher, maintaining the tilt-angle of his head.
"Correct. The States of Insight refer to the main three Principles. These Principles are methods of attaining enlightenment and perfection developed by monks who dedicated their lives to this study." Zen turned and raised his hand. It curled up into a fist, but then Zen counted with his fingers as he spoke. "The main three are the Principles of Zen, the Principles of Flourish, and the Principles of Arbor. That is, mind, body, and spirit respectively. Or, for more clarity, mentality, physicality, and emotionality."
"What do you mean by teaching me that then?" Avures's eyes gave an indication of confusion. Like he had heard everything Zen said, but didn't really understand it.
"Well. Simply put, the Principles of Zen deal in clarity, focus, and intuition. To master this, you must achieve these three things. By passing my test, you demonstrated that you are capable of doing so. The egg was merely a benchmark. And, luckily, your intuition is already fairly impressive. So, we won't have to train that."
"So... Then we just have to train my clarity and focus? I thought this was just something to make yourself sound smart and fancy... This "Zen" stuff is for real then..."
"Yup. See, I grew up in a monastery. I even got my name from that very concept and my mastery of it. This monastery in particular held a focus on magical mastery for combative arts. So, mastering the art of Zen was a must. My goal for you is to have you using "Zen Mode" by the time this one week is up."
"Mode? What do you mean by Zen Mode?"
"Zen Mode is a form for vastly improving your clarity, focus, and intuition all at once. It essentially makes you hyper-fixate, ups your mental prowess, and is one of the only known ways to improve your Magic Potency... Asides from sacrificing other people."
"And that's what all of this training will be for?"
"Precisely. I mean, you didn't expect to simply practice a few mental exercises and be stronger for it... Right?" Zen smiled and laughed as he shrugged his shoulders. "Though the training itself will make you stronger, it is this form that will distinguish you. However, it needs to be tempered and needs to be only used when needed. After all, there are times when it's important to be in Zen Mode, and other times when you shouldn't use it at all."
"So, it's something that can be switched in and out of... That leads me to believe it's not natural. Am I right?" Avures placed his hand below his chin. At first, it sounded like the natural culmination of the Principle of Zen. But now, it sounded like some sort of different idea.
“Right. Normally, most people can easily enter a state of focus required for the highest level of combat. Which makes it become a mere matter of training and knowledge and other things. But for others who struggle to grasp that state, like us, achieving Zen Mode is a must. It's also worth mentioning that Zen Mode is much more refined and intense than the natural alternative. It brings a harsh mental strain because of this…”
“How so? It seems like there’s a bigger catch to this than just that.”
“Well, you never grew up with monks… So, I doubt you learned or practiced any other principles of meditation. So, you have no foundation. Think of it like this: Practicing and mastering the other Principles creates a solid and stable framework for Zen Mode. Zen Mode acts as a sort of window that your mind looks out of which alters your view. With a solid framework, the window can take some punishment and keep your mind unharmed. But, without those reliable frameworks, that window is naturally weaker and unstable. Intense emotions or feelings bring instability to Zen Mode when in use. This can lead to the window shattering. I suppose you would remain in Zen Mode if you wanted to consciously, but it would lead to a total mental breakdown. You would lose your mind while in this form because the separation of extreme focus, ego, and mentality would no longer exist. It would just become a melting pot of your most insane thoughts and urges.”
“That seems extremely dangerous and drastic.” Avures looked wide-eyed at his teacher.
“If this happens, it can be repaired through healing and meditation. And, I really only suggest it since you always seem very in-check emotionally. Think you’re up for it?” Zen pulled his hands out from his pockets and placed them on his hips.
“Why else would I be here?” Avures sighed as his mind began to run wild with the possibilities. “How can I learn more? Where do-”
“No-no-no. I will teach you. If I let you go off on your own to do it, you might miss the point. And it is precisely because of this that I must make you relearn something.” Zen crossed his arms and shook his head with instant disapproval. Avures was taken aback at his teacher's sudden dismay.
"W-what am I relearning?"
"Avures. You've had quite the knack for learning magic thus far. But, one thing that has stuck out to me thus far is how incredibly inefficient your casting is." Zen wagged his finger in his student's face. Avures furrowed his brow and listened with harmed pride to his teacher. "It's my fault for letting you run free to teach yourself. While the initiative there isn't bad... I never bothered to correct you. But going forward, for the sake of any situation you find yourself in, and for the purpose of mastering Zen Mode... I must teach you how to channel Mana and flow your Mana in the best way possible."
"But master Zen, I thought I was already fine in that regard. I can even cast mana without physically moving..." Avures darted his eyes to the ground by his right foot. In truth, he felt like he was correct in his methodology. Avures could have Flow enter any part of his body, convert it into Mana, and then expend it without any physical movement. To him, that seemed like peak casting.
"It's a neat trick I've seen you put in action... But it is just that. A trick. Reserve it for when you need it, but do not rely upon such a method. It will get you killed. Everything has a time and place..."
"But... Why?"
"Avures. Remember when I said that in order to cast, you should imagine a flowing river?" Zen turned his gaze away from his student and took a deep breath. He placed his hands together at his chest and closed his eyes.
"Sure. That was our first day of class ever..." Avures watched with narrowed stare as his teacher stood there in this pose.
"Your Magic Potency is something that will most likely stay the same until you die. Asides from making a pact, mastering Zen Mode, or expending souls... There is no way to change it. However, it can be pushed past its limit by a slight amount with the right handling of Mana." Zen shifted his arms to his side and then raised them both up until he was in the shape of a "T". He then turned his head towards the horizon while maintaining this stance and lowered his back arm to his side. "When you cast without shifting around your Mana... Mathematically, you're casting at around only eighty percent of your Potency. The main way your Mana accumulates power through your Potency is by traveling around your Ley-lines and repeatedly pulling from and refreshing through your core."
Zen's arm pointing out towards the horizon pulled back and fell back to his side. At the same time, his back arm raised and pointed back towards the forest in the same fashion. He repeated the motion then by lowering that arm and raising the front one once again. Avures watched closely.
"Now that this portion of Mana has passed through my core twice, it should be ready to cast at my full Potency. However, we can do better..." Zen then used his back foot to pull his body back... Then following up by lunging with his front leg and quickly extending out his back arm. He then turned his head towards the other direction and did the same motion in the opposite manner.
"Does-... Does physical motion mean anything?" Avures watched with wide eyes at his teacher's movements.
"Nope. But, it helps to cement the feeling. When you repeatedly pass Mana throughout your entire being... Rounding it throughout and making it refresh at your core several times over... The Potency raises by a small degree having been reinforced several times. This... This is what the most optimal casting is. When I taught the simple way of casting, it was enough to reach one-hundred percent Potency. This method can make you reach one-hundred and twenty percent."
"But if this method is better, why would you only tell us about the simple one?"
"Therein lies a mistake by me... My wording there... "Simple"... Is a mistake." Zen's movements came to a halt as he took another deep breath. He lowered his vision to the ground. "Simplistic for me. Not for you or the others. In order to achieve this method, your Ley-lines have to be well exercised so they can handle a larger than usual Potency. Not only that, this takes an extreme amount of precision and control over Mana. The type of Mana control which is naturally only seen in very few select people."
"Oh... I get it. The higher Potency would make your Ley-lines evacuate Mana in response if they weren't accustomed to it..." Avures had a faint idea on how that worked. After all, Bif had that issue in a more serious form. "Do you think I'm able to do that? Do you really think I can control Mana like that."
"You have calmness working in your favor. And considering your intuition and studious nature... I think if there was someone who could do it aside from a Magi... It would be you, Avures." Zen grinned as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
"But you can do it?..." Avures pointed his finger at his teacher. Zen nodded his head in response. Then, Avures carefully watched his teacher as he spoke again. "Then what does that make you?"
"Hm... Good question. I guess you could say it makes me the perfect person to teach you." Zen very cautiously turned his head towards the forest and peaked a single eye open. Avures was completely unaware, but Zen knew better. His open eye caught a glimpse of one of the Academy's assistants. The nameless, faceless hands of the staff. "Why have they always incessantly spied on us, yet never brought any of what I found on Meius to light?..."
"Huh... So. How do I get started?" Avures gazed down upon his hands. After he thought that he had it mostly figured out, it seemed that he was still a novice. And it was because of this, that he was falling behind. In fact, Avures was certain now that everyone else had caught on to this stuff when he hadn't. But now, he was going to get a leg up on them. This was where real power was found.
"Well... First, start copying the movements I demonstrated." Zen sighed as the assistant dashed off once they seemed to notice Zen spotting them. "You'll move Mana throughout your body with a similar timing, path, and motion... In fact, actually, do this."
Zen opened his hands and held his arms in front of him. His palms faced out towards the sky as he focused on the space in front of him. Avures watched with curiosity as a shadow stretched out from Zen's feet to a meter out from him. Then, without indication or warning, the shadow coagulated with a strange bubbling turning into a full solid object that shot out from the ground. The object refined, changing it's overall shape until it looked like a shadow figure of Zen. Finally, the chest area of this shadow had a small, blue glow in the direct middle.
"Copy this. And then, the mass of Mana you plan on flowing through you... Sync your copy up with it so that when it moves inside you, it matches on your copy like so. It should all start to make sense to you." Zen then wasted no time in getting back into his rhythm. Starting with his arms, then his legs, then his full body movements. Avures stared on as the blue orb on his shadow whirled and circled around his body in smooth, rapid circles. It would trace down the length of one limb, then round out and loop back towards his chest. There, it would travel to another limb or even his head while following the same pattern of timing and movement. Avures recognized it for what it was. Zen was manipulating his mana to traverse around every single focal point on his body in a uniform fashion, passing it through his core during every loop.
The sight itself was bizarre, but eye-opening. As the orb zipped around the shadow, it compounded and increased in magnitude along with its pressure and presence. And that was when it clicked. The egg test. When it came to the magic core in the egg... Zen's Mana must have been splitting off and following these movements. And while it seemed far fetched at first, Avures realized that it was entirely possible. After all, the core had complicated magic built into it. If anything, it basically confirmed that Zen created a tiny core of Mana for the egg test. And, it kept looping to where in one hour, the egg would burst from the sheer strength of his Mana. It was all on the smallest level. And all Avures had to do was attack it at the source... At the origin... Where it began.
"Understanding it now?" Zen stopped all of his movements, and thus, the shadow stopped too. However, the orb kept circling around independently. Avures understood that Zen was now just showing his proficiency... Showing what was possible. Avures nodded. "This is pure, bottom-line efficiency. Regardless of Mana control, this is how you should be examining situations when using magic. It's a two-in-one lesson. So, when you aim to use Snaking Shadow... Instead of coating the target in Mana, you should attack at the basis of their movement. And this applies to all techniques."
"And that's how all magic works... It's not about the grand picture, but also about how it works at the smallest levels too!" Avures put his hand to his head in disbelief as it started to all come together for him. "Magic is built from the smallest level up. Which means that a powerful magic user is constantly doing this..."
"Correct. But, it takes one with great control over these concepts to do what I'm doing here. Come, Avures. If you can master this, you will be ready to train under the Principles of Zen..."
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Avures outstretched his right arm forward as he released the air from his lungs. Everything followed a rhythm. Then, he pulled back his right arm as he gathered oxygen... Followed by his left leg pulling back and stretching his stance along with the exhaling of his breath. And again, Avures reset himself by bringing his leg back to resting position and taking another deep inhale. As he worked on his form and focus, he couldn't help his vision straying off to his teacher.
Zen danced in the fashion he had before, his movements clean and pristine. No faults or errors, and Zen's speed at which he conducted his exercise was astonishing. Not only that, the shadow he made of himself was following in tow. Avures had taken note of how it started with those movements, and then found himself awestruck as it turned into a shadow-boxing match. Zen weaved the basic movements into punches and kicks. His shadow flowed and danced around the threat of his attacks, becoming fully independent. But then, at the end of his moves, Zen and his shadow swapped roles. The shadow threw out the same motions, and Zen would evade them with ease.
Avures knew he needed to reach that certain point. It was a necessity. Whether by a desire to reach his goal quickly, or to show that he fully understood the concept... Avures tried to mimic Zen's speed. Where he had started slow, Avures ramped up and accelerated his movements. The same pattern as before, Avures had committed the meditation to muscle memory. However, that wasn't the issue. He was getting proficient with the movement, like it had been the particular weaving he would initially use to learn a technique. But...
Avures came to a halt as the air got heavy and thick all around him. To him, it felt as if he was encased in a block of molasses or jelly. He could move his arms, but to very little, if any, effect. A midnight-black oozed out from his entire being, taking the shape of an aura that continually flowed outwards. There was no extreme heat, but Avures began to sweat as if he had just finished a marathon and it was smoldering outside. The sheer pressure and thickness of this aura evacuating his body smothered him to a tiring degree. His muscles in his arms and legs grew tired and sore. His chest began to throb and ache with each wheeze he mustered.
He gave in, falling face-first into the ground as the dark aura began to clear from around his body and disperse into the air. Avures was left gasping for breath. He struggled and dragged his arms back up in front of him. He leveraged himself under them as he bent his elbows. After a few moments, he was on his hands and knees...
"Avures... Tsk tsk. You're going too fast." Zen bent over and wagged his finger in front of his student's bowed head.
"Damn... It doesn't help... When you're distracting me." Avures shook his head, his bangs swaying in motion as he watched sweat plop onto the dirt below his face.
"Oh? Getting a little lippy are we? You know, Avures. Were this a while ago, I would have never imagined you back-talking me like this. I'm starting to think you've finally grown a backbone of some kind..." Zen smirked as he stood back up straight. He crossed his arms and tilted his head as he watched Avures continue to rest on his hands and knees. "But... Whatever has changed with you has also made you a little too hasty. If you keep doing it like this, you won't make any progress."
"I just... I have a dream of the future... And I want it..." Avures shuffled one of his legs under him and planted a foot on the ground. Slowly pushing off with his hands, he managed to get his other foot under him too. He seemed to be standing solid once more as he rose up. But, the exhaustion was plain to see.
"Man... You sound like a golem learning how to be a human. It doesn't surprise me or anything, but that's just how you always look to me." Zen watched Avures's legs shake and tremble. It wasn't pity that Zen felt, but closer to a mixture of disappointment and wonder.
"Thanks..." Avures let out a big sigh, gripping at his sore chest. When the air vacated his lungs, it felt like a grating pain.
"You're not giving your Ley-lines time to adjust. So, you're going to keep going through Mana Exhaustion if you try to continually rush this... I want you to slow down, Avures. When you do this slowly, you give your Ley-lines more time to adjust to bigger amounts of Mana and higher Potency. Then, when you no longer suffer Mana Exhaustion from repeated looping, you can speed up. Until then... Slow... Down..." Zen strode over to his student and rested his hand on his shoulder. He peered at Avures's gaze which was locked to the ground ahead of him. His eyelids rested barely over his pupils.
"Okay..." Avures took another deep inhale and released. He began to take a stance again... But Zen patted his shoulder and tugged him backwards.
"C'mon. Let's go take a break. We've been working on this since you passed the test yesterday."
"No... Mi-...Master Zen. I have six days left... And this is only the first part." Avures shifted towards his teacher and vacantly stared at him.
"And I said you'd be three times stronger in a week... Didn't I? Not a lot of people can say they've been able to improve that fast. I have our timeline set, don't worry... Besides, this is the easiest part. You may not be able to take breaks like this later." Zen placed his hand behind Avures and gently shoved him in the direction ahead of them. "Let's go by the cliff face and rest."
"Okay..."
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"See? Isn't this nice?" Zen sat against one of the many trees at the edge of the wood line. The cliff was several meters away, but the beautiful view of the horizon was all the same. It sometimes struck him as strange that the change in environment was so severe. If they were to travel south a few miles, there would be no cliff, but instead a vast open, plain field. That same field where that pitched battle took place...
"I suppose." Avures was also resting against the same tree ninety degrees to the right. He didn't bother to stare off over the cliff or anything, but gazed directly south. It was some distance away, but Avures could see it and certainly knew it was what he thought it was. That same tree as a couple nights ago...
"When you push yourself too hard trying to learn something, you can set yourself back further than where you started. You'll drive yourself crazy if you try to learn everything as fast as possible, even if you catch on quickly sometimes. Improvement and change are gradual things." Zen yawned as he put his arms behind his head and laid back against the tree bark.
"Something has been stuck in my mind." Avures relented against his inner thoughts. He wanted to say that it was easy for Zen to state that. Avures had his suspicions, but he also felt as if he wasn't making progress so far. He'd already fallen behind everyone else. Though, he had learned how to fight through extensive trial and error with Bif. So, he had the ability to get better. Avures felt conflicted on what his own inner monologue had devised to respond with.
"Speak freely, Avures."
"I asked before what this knowledge and capability makes you... Am I wrong to assume that you would happen to be the... Magi?"
"Hm... I figured that's what you meant before. But, to be honest with you, I'm not sure that it matters. Regardless of if it's true or not." Zen turned his attention towards the clouds in the sky.
"But is it? You were clearly using the Dark Element earlier. You've always demonstrated with Lightning. And, I've remembered you using Earth magic in a slight capacity too." Avures shifted his body and glared at his teacher. Zen didn't budge an inch as Avures pressed further. "It's said that the Magi has the ability to use all elements and types with flawless mastery. If you are the Magi, it would explain how you can even utilize the concept you're trying to teach me."
"I already told you it doesn't matter. You know what it sounds like to me, Avures?" Zen closed his eyes and sat himself up with his back straight against the tree once more. "It sounds like you're trying to make an excuse for yourself."
"No. I just want to-"
"Vrela Lakentos can use three Elements. Does that make her the Magi? No. Here's the truth, Avures. Some people are born inherently stronger than others. Not everyone is equal. I was born with a great amount of power. That doesn't make me anything special. It's just how things are..." Zen stood himself to his feet and opened his eyes towards the sky.
"Master Zen... I'm just not sure-"
"There's a lot of uncertainty, Avures. But, if you're certain about calling me a Magi... Then you understandably know about the gaps in talent between some people. The difference in power that naturally occurs can be tremendous. If it were a matter of you versus Ventrix with nothing but your birthrights... You would be destroyed. Even with your heritage being tied to the Variental and Kolisti line, you're very average compared to anyone else... Maybe below average... You have your inherent ability and that's it. And if that's all there was to it... If that decided whether or not you were capable of being strong or cultivating power, then perhaps I would validate your concerns fully." Zen felt the warm breeze graze his skin as he took a step forward. The grass wavered with the wind and cushioned each step Zen took as he neared the cliff edge. He stopped with his toes nearly touching the absolute end of the earth. "But we're all just human."
"We can all begin at different starting positions... We can all have different amounts of potential within us... But where we end up is a product of our own wills. It is the determination one has. The fire inside their soul... This is what determines your destiny. You could say it's easy to talk from the position of being born powerful... I say that all humans have choices and paths they could take. Avures, you can choose to keep comparing yourself to me or anyone else... You can choose to believe that you weren't born with the ability to learn what I'm teaching you. But in the end, it wasn't some potential you were born with that made me decide to take you under my wing, nor was it some birthright that made me think you were capable of learning what I have to offer... It was that you, as a human being, as a person, have shown that you can learn and adapt to anything given enough time!" Zen spun around with an intensity and presence that Avures had not seen from him before. It was like the air rippled around him, like he emitted such a fiery spirit that threatened to ignite the world around them. It was intimidating... Terrifying, even... He pointed directly at Avures, and it was as if he was pressing at his very soul.
"Zen... It's just..." Avures forced himself to stand upright as he addressed his teacher's speech. He clutched at his chest... In a way, since he had been here... Since he had first gained consciousness, Avures had always compared himself to other people directly and inadvertently. "It's hard to not compare myself to the people around me. Especially when, like you said, I was merely filling a role... No, when you implied I was holding them back. All I could think about was how right you were... They're all more competent, stronger than me with a head-start to boot... Minus Rael, I guess. It just seems like, compared to everyone else... I'm nothing special. I'm not capable of keeping up or achieving much without them. Even when it came to our first contract, they only looked to me because Lylas told them to. Otherwise, they have no reason to expect anything from me. And as I keep failing and coming up short here, it just reinforces those thoughts."
"Being strong or born with great abilities doesn't make you special. Your view and opinion of them comes from a place of tremendous respect, but you're entirely misguided if you think they are any greater than you. So, Avures... Heed well what I am about to tell you. Promise me... That when I tell you this... You will cede your self-pity for now, and give me everything you got for these remaining six days without quitting or giving up. And then, when it's all said and done, if you can stand in front of me and honestly proclaim that you're still lagging behind... That they don't need to rely on you or look to you for anything... Then, I will believe what you say to be true. And, being that I am your teacher and you are my student, I will find whatever way I can to help you close this gap in power. Even through the most unsavory methods... Are you willing to make this bet?" Zen lowered his finger and tilted his head downward.
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Avures wasn't exactly sure what might be said after that... He knew that he wasn't making it easy for Zen to deal with him. Avures nodded... But, to his shock, what Zen said next scattered the uncertainty in Avures's heart to the wind. Grasping at the hope he had, Zen gave him the keys he needed to move forward. The two of them stepped forward into the training once more. And Avures, reinvigorated, would continue forth on his endeavor…
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"No one is born special. No one remains powerful by simply existing. What makes someone special is understanding their confines and position in the world, and wanting to exceed those inherent limitations. The truth is that anyone and everyone can be special."
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Avures closed his eyes. He stood motionless with his feet planted on the ground shoulder-width apart. His hands were held just below his chest, palms facing upward, and his fingertips touching. Though the sight of the world was blocked, Avures witnessed exactly what he needed to see...
"Oh?... Taking note of my Mana before I even do the accompanying moves? The fact that you can pick it out and mirror it before I even do the physical meditations speaks to how much your Mana control has grown today." Zen patted his chest as he grinned at his student. But, Avures gave no vocal response in return.
The motion at which Zen had his Mana shuffling around... Was copied exactly by his student. Both of their speeds were slow, and Zen remained consistent in order to help Avures. Avures visualized the orb of mana swirling in Zen's body. The pattern it took was optimal... And Avures had managed to recreate it.
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"However, only a few select people are special... Because to want to become special, one must admit they are not held back by their lot in life or by some arbitrary amount of power someone else has compared to them... One must admit that they are responsible for their own position. They must come to grips with the fact that they are unremarkable because of their own actions... Because they continue to compare themselves to others instead of comparing themselves to where they want to be."
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"Oh... He stopped?..." Zen locked his eyes onto his student. The bounds of Mana that were following his own movements came to a halt and dispersed. Avures stood there without moving at all. "Wait... What's he doing?..."
Avures's arms tensed up. His body froze as his muscles all strained at once. With his focus centered on his Mana pool, Avures split apart bits of Mana individually. Four pieces, all roughly the same size... Then, one by one, they started to shift around his body in the same pattern as before but at a slow speed.
"Oh! I get it! Avures... That is clever..." Zen crossed his arms as he smiled with disbelief.
With four orbs, Avures had to focus on maintaining control in several different places at once. He had to keep his current speed, the size, and path of the orbs all uniform... And, his hope was that it would translate to when he upped the speed later for a single piece of Mana. Not only that, Avures was most likely in the belief that it would speed up the rate at which his Ley-lines adjusted.
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"And once someone accepts these ideas as truth, they must take action. Reflection and meditation are wasted without action and improvement. The reality of it is that recognizing your faults and putting a stop to comparisons is the easy part. The last ingredients in becoming special are diligence, determination, and discipline."
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Avures gasped out for air as he collapsed onto the ground. The pain seared throughout his body as his chest, arms, and legs all screamed out in agony. As he caught his breath, still lying flat on the ground, Zen strode over to his student.
"Here... Want to take a break?" Zen knelt down next to Avures... But was startled back up to his feet when his student suddenly pounded his fist against the ground. Avures's body trembled as he forced his torso up with his hands and pushed back his body onto his knees. He then moved himself back onto his feet in one swift motion. His body was completely covered in dirt. Avures tried to wipe the sweat and grime from off his face with his hand, but only made it messier. Still, it satisfied that urge for a moment as he got back into the same position as before…
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"Avures... Your problem is your overactive mind and flawed approach to learning and training. You created a Shade in order to constantly have Mana, and developed an ability to cast without weaving or cycling around Mana. This, if I'm not mistaken, was in response to your Mana pool not growing fast enough... Am I wrong?"
"No, sir..."
"And because of this, you missed out on valuable knowledge and experience in casting that would have made you stronger. Let this be your new truth, Avures. Repeat after me: There is no shortcut to true power."
"There is no shortcut to true power..."
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Covered in a mixture of sweat, blood, and dirt, Avures took exhausted, deep breaths as he held his pose. There were several cuts all over his face and arms as well as he had rolled up his sleeves. How many times had he failed now?... At least over twenty... But Avures remained steadfast. By agreeing to hear him out, Avures promised he would give it his all. Despite the numerous failures and inability to greatly speed up the motion of his mana, Avures had managed to up the number of independent orbs to eight. It involved nearly every aspect of his body and Ley-lines now to maintain the cohesion needed to control his Mana. And, it seemed as if his body was starting to accept the higher Potency without outright rejecting it. However, to work up to this point to not undergo Mana Exhaustion took too long. He was closer... But still far off.
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"Your comparisons of yourself to your classmates have been detrimental to your growth. I understand that when you compare yourself to someone like Ventrix or Olicia... You are not doing so out of spite or jealousy. You do it out of your own desire to want to keep up. Avures, these people mean a lot to you... Don't they?
"I can't express it... Or really tell you why I feel it... But, they're probably the closest group of people I have to a family. I suppose that sentiment is important to me... I wish I knew why..."
"It's natural to not want to disappoint people who are like family to you... But do yourself a favor and stop with the comparisons. Do not worry about how strong Bif is, or how much farther Rael has come compared to you... Focus on Avures. What can Avures do? What can't he do? What should he improve on according to his own self-reflection? Repeat after me: I will focus on myself."
"I will focus on myself..."
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It didn't matter anymore. Avures knew there would be a time and place to think about his friends... But he needed to only look at himself right now. Zen was some feet away, effortlessly juggling around his Mana within his Ley-lines like a circus clown.
But it didn't matter... Sixteen orbs... That was how many Avures now managed. He hadn't had a collapse in several minutes. The more his Ley-lines constantly adapted to being wider, the better. His focus was getting more consistent. It was time to increase the speed... One step at a time…
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"Avures. Who do you want to be? What kind of person do you want people to know you as? What sort of power do you wish to cultivate?"
"Master Zen... I do not know. I don't know who I want to be. All I really know is that I want to be able to keep the people I care about out of danger... The power I use to do so is my Future Sight... But it doesn't really say anything about me as a person. If anything, all it does is torment me."
"You can be known as someone who wishes to protect their loved ones... But if your power to see the future torments you, then perhaps you shouldn't rely on it for that purpose. A person who protects the people they care about acts in the moment, not in accordance with a vision of the future. To rely on a foreseen outcome with friends and family involved is to admit to powerlessness in the present. Avures... Do not use this "Future Sight" power when it comes to the lives of your friends. It will only end in tragedy. However, for your own sake, we can cultivate it for battle. So, repeat after me: I will not rely upon the future for answers. I will force my will unto the present to forge my future."
"I will not rely upon the future for answers. I will force my will unto the present to forge my future..."
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"Gah!..." Avures caught himself with one hand and knee as he keeled over. Any pain or semblance of soreness in his body was being overridden by a sheer desire to achieve perfection. Avures could never recall a time he felt so... Determined. It was like his heart was ablaze. His hand curled up as he grasped at the ground below. He tightened and crushed a clump of dirt in his hand. It was time. He opened up his hand and let the soil cascade out from his palm.
"He's going for it!..." Zen halted his own practice and stared at his student. Zen watched with unbridled anticipation. Then... He felt it. A single orb of Mana in Avures's body bubbled forth. The boy made no movement as the orb began to swirl around.
At first, it was a slow, dragging pace. Then, within a moment, it shot up in speed. Zen's eyes went wide as he hadn't anticipated Avures abandoning a build up. He surely expected his student to fail... But it just didn't happen that way. That single orb whisked and swirled around his body at a speed close to what Zen could do...
"No way..." Zen's jaw froze while agape. His own concentration couldn't be held right now even if he was practicing his own control.
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"You will meditate everyday."
"You will exercise everyday."
"You will keep moving forward with diligence, discipline, and determination because you must."
"You will do what you must to forge your future."
"You will not accept failure!"
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Avures's eyes shot open with bloodshot veins. His visage was completely still as if he were a statue. Then, he leapt to life with his movements taking all of Zen's attention. But it wasn't just his physical actions which caught Zen's vision. It was also the way in which he manipulated his power. Avures hit a personal best for his top speed. In fact, Zen was stunned to find that Mana was traversing Avures's Ley-lines as fast as his own. But not only that...
It wasn't the matter of one simple clump of Mana, or many at the same time. Although he was sure Avures could do multiple at the same time with ease, it was what he was doing now that had him speechless.
Avures punched forward with his left fist, and in doing so, unleashed a torrent of sparkling, midnight black shadows that emanated from his arm and shot forward past his fist. Though there was no target or particular aim, Zen could recognize how that was the culmination of Mana which had circulated several times through his core and Ley-lines. There was no type associated with it. It was pure, Potency-enhanced magic being thrust out. But if that were simply it, Zen wouldn't have been so shocked by what he saw. What left him without anything to say was the way Avures controlled his Mana.
As Avures had pushed out the Mana with that motion, so did he replenish himself with the pulling back motion. Zen gazed with careful and steady eyes as he could sense Mana entering through Avures's arm once more after it had just departed. That was when Zen fully understood what Avures was doing. As he would manipulate the Mana in his body to full Potency with cycling, Avures would then push it out. When it was time for Avures to pull his arm back, he used that moment to utilize his Shade. This allowed him too start rotating and shifting his Mana in a faster and smoother motion than by pulling from his core. Not only that, it only had to be a minuscule amount as it would be passing through and around his core. This would allow it to pull more Mana as needed while it's building Potency.
In essence, Avures was able to control several different portions of Mana, release them outwards with higher Potency than normal, and then replenish them as they are spent without having to spend a moment to reset at his core. Zen was flabbergasted. It was more than just a solid, clean rotation of Mana Control. It was all done in one motion. Release, replenish, control... He had turned what Zen called a "trick" into a more efficient way of Mana Cycling... It baffled Zen how someone could be so intuitive with a difficult concept like this, yet struggle half a day on an egg...
Avures hopped and spun his body around, whipping a kick through the air with his right leg. A heap of dark mana swiped and cut through the air like a scythe through a field of wheat. He fell back to the ground, landing on both his feet effortlessly as he raised his left leg up at his knee. He turned his body with his knee raise, and then thrust his foot out with a solid kicking motion. Mana exploded outward in a solid pillar-like shape, imposing its force upon a tree several feet ahead. The blast of shadowy mana broke through the hard exterior of the bark and punched past a couple feet worth of sturdy wood. With the damage made at hand, Avures sought to finish the job. As his body's stance reset, Avures straightened his right hand out, making it stiff. The moment his left foot was on the ground once again... Avures swung his right arm up. A lengthy, thin line of shadow originated forth from his fingertips and hurled through the air in front of him. The shadow sliced through the entire tree vertically as if it had already been turned into paper. Avures's magic emerged on the other side and dissipated. A groaning echoed throughout the portion of the forest the two of them stood in. With a slow, droning of wood cracking and leaves shaking... The tree fell apart with both halves falling opposite of each other.
"There is no shortcut to true power... But he sure did work smarter, not harder here... Works out all the same too..." Zen stood with his head turned at the split tree. He figured that Avures would have figured out how to cast at one-hundred percent Potency once he showed him the way. But, he never expected Avures to catch on and adapt to casting this way as quickly as he did. "If he truly has one advantage over anyone else... It's his ability to adapt and learn once given a small push. And if all goes well... He may not even need anyone to give him a push anymore... I should really stop slacking on my own training."
"Wow... And I've never even put much thought behind any Destruction prowess..." Avures brought his right hand to his face. He was in complete awe. It was as if he was able to see through his own physical body and actively measure and control the cycling of his Mana. But that wasn't what had him frozen. If what Zen had said was the entire truth... Avures had only been casting at around eighty percent of his innate power. Now, that number was one-hundred twenty. That was an increase of forty percent. Even with magic being his strong suit, Avures had still managed to feel lackluster in comparison to his peers in that regard. It all made sense now.
Avures curled his hand into a tight fist. For the first time ever, it felt like he had real power. Avures attained a feeling of accomplishment, something completely unfamiliar to him. It was overwhelming and all-encompassing. His body tingled as he stood there motionless. What did it mean to feel like this? Was it an instance of pride? The bottom-line for him was that he had improved in a drastic and demonstrable way.
"I think I'm ready..." Avures glanced up at his teacher, still clenching his fist.
"Whoa... Is that... Confidence?..." Zen was a statue in the face of Avures's words. He stared at his student with total confusion and joy. Though he fought hard against it, a brilliant smile crept its way onto Zen's face. "That's fantastic!... Here. Let's go relax and recap..."
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"So, you understand the concept well?" Zen rested his back against a tree with his left knee bent and sticking up. His arm rested on his knee as he prodded Avures.
"I think I got it from the get-go... Idea-wise, I had an understanding of it that panned out. The hardest part was adjusting my Ley-lines and maintaining consistency." Avures rocked back and forth with his back grazing the bark of the tree behind him occasionally. His legs were crossed as his arms draped over his lap. As he swayed, his hands grasped his boots and released. "I had no idea just how much I was missing out on."
"Mm... It seems as though your focus is already improving a little bit as well. You achieving this concept today has put us a little bit ahead of schedule. But to be honest, I think it'll be evened out with the next parts." Zen turned his head to face back over the horizon. The sky had turned to a lovely orange, and the two of them were just resting in the shadows of the trees. "Not to say you might be able to get this quick too, but the next part of your training is the most difficult."
"You've been saying that a lot... What exactly makes you say that?" Avures continued to rock back and forth with a gentle motion.
"Can't reveal it yet. I don't want you to try and prepare yourself for anything. It would defeat the purpose of it... The only thing I can reveal is my order for you starting now. Don't eat anything for the rest of today and up until after training tomorrow." Zen crossed his arms and grinned while bowing his head.
"What?" Avures's motions stopped as he was struck with an annoyed curiosity. Annoyed at how he hadn't eaten since this morning, and curious as to what exactly Zen meant.
"You won't be able to keep it down... Anyways. You still look a bit nervous over there. Everything alright?"
"Huh? Yeah... I'm just still... In awe I guess." Avures flexed out his entire hand in front of his eyes. Fingers outstretched and refreshed. "I don't even specialize in Destruction... The instant feedback I got from hitting that tree still has me feeling high. I can't stop shaking."
"Well... With that kind of control, maybe you should take an interest in Destruction? Maybe even Time?"
"I think I'm already pretty spent as is." Avures looked out at the sky from the corner of his eyes as he began to rock back and forth once again. "I initially set out to master Enchantment and Manipulation... But at this point, it's more like I use Utility and Protection just as often. So, I'm just average in all four of those."
"Hm... I suppose being decent at those four things isn't the worst. But knowing you... Avures, you probably memorized all those techniques and can hardly use any of them because of this." Zen sighed as he hopped up to his feet. He rubbed his chin as he eyed his student.
"Exactly. And here I was thinking I could maybe start diving into Healing..."
"Oh... Avures, buddy. Advanced types are a pain in the ass. Healing is the most commonly known and seen one, but is totally ineffective on yourself and without extremely high Potency."
"At this point, how can anyone even get into advanced types? Even if I just stuck to the original two, I'm not so sure I could have even made progress into the combination type." Avures quit rocking himself and leaned back against the tree.
"Interesting that you ask that, I was going to propose to you a method. One that everyone in your class should do as well if they wish to go beyond their normal means of power."
"Well... Elaborate." Avures twirled his wrist in a circle, waiting for his teacher to continue as he used his other hand to stand himself up.
"Impatient are we? Being that I am an expert, I have the ability to make your soul split... If you're willing." Zen's left hand sprouted a bright green aura that enveloped his appendage in a moment. The mana rippled with tiny, slow waves.
"Soul split? Is that literal?"
"Soul splitting is an enhancement that is literal to its name. As long as you're willing, I can put you under a quick ritual that will split your soul into multiple pieces. That, of which, is dependent on how resilient you are. The most I've ever seen someone get are four pieces."
"That sounds horribly painful." Any semblance of curiosity that emanated from Avures vanished.
"The entire essence of your being slashed into multiple pieces? Couldn't be any more harmless..." Zen used his mana-covered hand to wave off Avures's remark. "Jokes aside, once you find your potential used up, and have a Shade... Technically, the only way to get stronger from there is good 'ol fashioned training... Maybe a Pact... I guess you could learn one of the three Principles... But that's already a huge thing to just get up and learn."
"I guess I'm at least a little interested." Avures covered most of his face with a single hand as he sighed. "How exactly does it work?..."
"Ha... Well, you see..." Zen cracked his knuckles as the corners of his mouth reached their highest point. "Using one of the earliest forms of Runic Magic, one can have their soul split without immediately dying. Weird discovery story aside... When a soul is split, one part retains all of the Magic stuff and Shade while the other acts as a clean slate. The Runic Magic stabilizes the split pieces so the person doesn't die. Then, those pieces regenerate into functional aspects once again. So effectively, you have a blank soul alongside the original."
"Wait... So it's a blank slate for you to do whatever with? And you keep all of your original abilities?"
"Kinda. When you split, blank souls will have a certain amount of potential based on how many pieces were made. So, one piece would be half... Then two pieces would be two-thirds... Not only that, but because these blank souls are only a fraction as powerful, you can only have either a Shade or potential."
"You made this out to seem way more impactful than it currently sounds. Why can you only have magic potential or a Shade?"
"The answer is simple. Because the pieces are smaller and blank... Longer answer: Your soul is the connecting piece between your body and metaphysical Mana Pool. Your Mana Pool is where you obviously get your Mana. And your body is the main conduit for Flow. When these pieces are only a portion as effective as the original, they can't function like it. Your original soul piece is used to it, so it works fine. But these others are blank. So, trying to do both will overwork it and cause it to break down. That will render you unable to use it and probably hurt you a lot..." Zen moved his hands and fingers around as he tried to convey his explanation physically to Avures.
"So, the main benefit is expanding your potential or using another Shade... It seems like the latter would be the better choice as far as I can tell. Shades can be anything." Avures shrugged as his teacher caught their breath from the quick breakdown.
"Not exactly. Keep this in mind, Avures. Any Shade ability can be replicated with magic given enough time and experimentation. Just like how any Shade can also mimic any given magic technique if so desired. The difference is that a Shade gives instant results."
"Yeah, so a Shade is better-"
"No... Though I think this discussion would border the realm of theology, I will flat out say that Flow and Shades are a power most utilized by those with evil spirits. You take in a dangerous energy source for short term power that ravages your body and soul with extended use..."
"Huh? Well... Maybe?..." Avures scratched his head as he gazed off to the side. "What about you then? Don't you have a Shade?"
"No. Never have. Never will." Zen left no room for doubt as he shook his head without hesitation. "Don't take that the wrong way though. I don't think you're bad or anything for it... Hell, I've encouraged it with you guys. But those who especially utilize Flow overall are typically some pretty nasty people."
"I see..." Avures looked off into the distance as he contemplated the prospect of it all. While Zen had mentioned that it would hurt, the prospect of the pain seemed rather uninviting to Avures. Especially if he would only end up with one extra piece. However, this would be a very quick solution to his problem. Though, now that he was casting on a level higher than before, would he really even need the extra specialization?
"I won't make you pick one way or the other. It's completely optional." Zen put both of his hands up by his head.
"I... I think we should do it. Go ahead." Avures resolved to follow through. With the way it sounded, it seemed that it would only last for a moment or so. The only way to verify it would have been for him to ask Zen... But with the way he seemed ready to do it at the moment... Avures felt like he just made a split second decision that he would short-term regret, but long-term appreciate.
"Oh... I didn't expect you to just go through with it like that... Okay! Stand still..." Zen chuckled as he brought both of his hands together. The lime-green aura sifted from his left hand to his right, covering both of them. From that point on, Zen's attitude grew to be monotone and serious. Avures was completely motionless as he watched his teacher at work.
He had heard a tidbit about Runic Magic from Avura during her telling of a story to him... But to see it in action was something entirely different. The aura encompassing Zen's left hand shifted to only sitting overtop of his palm. Zen flattened out his left hand. Suddenly, the mana bent and reshaped itself into a circle still positioned on the palm of his hand. The aura on his right hand chiseled down into a sharp point extending past his fingertips while being molded into a similar shape as it.
Then, without any warning, Zen came to life with sharp, precise movements. Using the blade like mana on his right hand, he carved into the mana on his left hand. Avures tried his best to follow Zen's movements, but they were much too quick for him to pick up on anything. Though, the closest thing he could equate it to was the strokes of an artist on a canvas, but accelerated to a degree much too fast to keep up with.
On this circle-like piece of mana, Zen utilized his sharpened aura to create several lines and shapes. And, when he was finished, the canvas he created art on shrunk down and slid onto one of his fingertips. Then, the aura reappeared back in the shape of a circle in the center of the palm of his hand. Zen repeated the process for a total of six times... Each time was roughly as fast as the previous. And at the final time... The shape did not shrink, but instead sat on his hand. His left hand now had six etchings on it. Each one still resonated with that lime-green aura, but the aura itself took on a new property. Whereas before it mimicked the movements of waves and circled into itself... The aura now shimmered and glowed while the mana seemed to rise out like smoke.
"Don't move." Zen took a deep breath before suddenly squatting down and touching his left hand's palm completely flat to the ground. The lime-green shine sprayed out from in-between the small gap of his hand and the ground. Avures was captivated as a flat, sprawling set of symbols evenly scattered out in a perfect circle with Zen's hand being the origin point. The etchings were undeterred by Avures as they slid across the ground under his feet. The lime-green drawings surrounded the two of them from about ten feet out all around. Avures observed with bated breaths as he studied what was going on. The drawings Zen made in the mana circles surrounded them. Six in total were uniformly spread out in the arrangement of cardinal directions. From that moment on, a green line zipped out from each circle and connected with the other lines to finally finish the shape.
Once again, the drawings on the ground created a smoke effect with the mana rippling upwards through the air. Something about the way it idly acted made Avures feel on edge.
"This... Is Runic Magic. A style discovered by the brilliant Tobias... And further pioneered by a notable scholar who wrote a whole book about it... The perfect blend of Flow and Mana." Zen lifted his hand from off the ground and stood up straight once more. Avures pretended to be unaware... But he knew who "a notable scholar" referred to... Zen brought both of his hands to his face. He used both index fingers and thumbs, and formed a rectangular window shape. "Now. Let's see here..."
Avures watched as the fumes of the Runic Magic rose and expanded. Directly above his head, they began to circle around him. Then, as the circling sped up, the lime-green smoke took form. It was shaped into a perfect copy of the circle encompassing the two of them. In a moment, as it finally finished morphing into the and became etches, the circle shot down to the ground around Avures, only encompassing him. The circle around him shimmered much brighter than the original with small particles of Mana and Flow rising into the air.
Zen brought the rectangular window with his fingers up to his eyes. Though Avures had no clue what exactly was happening... Zen was able to use this ritual to see right through Avures. More specifically, Zen was witness to everything below the physical level of Avures. His Ley-lines... The network of light blue tunnels that mirrored one's veins and arteries, but operated in different ways. At the center, just below his chest... A swirling blue orb of immense power... The Mana Pool... But it was time to go deeper. That lime-green color flashed over the hand-window Zen made and gave a new view. A solid white oval... The edges of the oval flowed in a uniform fashion with very calm and uneventful ripples... Avures's soul...
"Alright... Now how should I-Hold on..." Zen was taken aback as he saw something baffling. He inspected closer... Not just one, but two souls... "Hey, Avures... You haven't... Killed anyone and taken their soul right? Just asking..."
"Eh?" Avures blinked multiple times as he got startled by Zen's question. "No. Of course not. What kind of question is that to just ask someone?"
"Figured. Well. There's no point in us doing this ritual right now. So, you're off the hook for the pain." Zen relaxed his body as the entire set of circles and shapes all dispersed into a colored smoke. He sighed, as he watched Avures turn to look at the runes disappearing. Zen honed in on Avures's left arm. "I guess it was a parting gift. That would be her soul... Wouldn't it? It would explain how his other arm got like that. Supposedly, her potential for magic was massive. If Avures can tap into that... There's no doubt in my mind. He could master most of the basic types, maybe even a couple of advanced ones as well..."
"Huh? Is something wrong?" Avures tilted his head as he looked back at his teacher.
"We don't need to expand your potential. You already have a second soul inside you. That's potential, an Element, and another Shade as well if you harness it right." Zen waved Avures off as he sighed. It wasn't so much that he immediately grew disinterested... But with Avures having the opportunity to be stronger without much effort, Zen figured that, like before, Avures might try to take the easy way out and do it his way.
"What? Are you-" Avures focused on his left arm... It all made sense to him now. Of course he had a second soul in him. Of course he had the ability to see in the past, not just the future. It was the essence of his Guardian Angel. Avura's soul... "To be honest... If it wasn't for my arm, I wouldn't have known. So, I'm not really sure if I can harness it."
"Eh... You'll figure it out..." Zen turned away from Avures and faced the direction of the Academy. Zen knew that tomorrow was going to be the real test to see if Avures was truly capable of anything great. "The second part of our training starts tomorrow. Meet me in the usual arena room in the morning. There... We will start the real stuff on the Principles of Zen..."