After leaving the inn Azura and others were at, Christina’s speed slowed down compared to how she walked out the room. Azura was following her from her back, they both were walking on the street.
As they moved through the streets of the little town, Azura saw many portable shops on the surrounding. There were people sitting on the floor with just a mat, on which were various things like vegetables, utensils and weapons were present.
Some vegetables were familiar to Azura like potatoes and onions. While most of them she had never seen before. There was also a small medieval merchant caravan selling weapons like staffs and swords. As Azura saw the various things selling on streets, she couldn’t help but let out a little ‘wow’ sound from her throat.
After walking for around 5 minutes, they were close to a large gate made of wood. The gate was connected to the large wooden fences in which the town was enclosed. The fences were almost twice as tall as an elephant.
There were watchtowers every 200 meter of the fences.
Two people were standing on the gate, guarding it. Before leaving the town, Christina said to Azura in a serious voice, “From now on stay cautious of your surroundings, also try to stay by me. You get it girl.”
“Yes mam,” replied Azura in an obedient tone.
They both went out of the town at the same time, they both were walking on a paved road, Christina at front and Azura closely following behind her.
They were silently walking, and Azura was thinking ‘I really need to learn ray from her so I can get enrolled in the academy, and see Shin again. Oh, Shin I wonder what you are doing right now.’
***
“Dear student, time to start with your training.” As Lapis said this, Shin nodded his head.
“Before we start, tell me what you know about Ray my dear student.”
Shin started speaking, “Ray is the staple of this world, everything in this world is made from Ray. For a person to be able to use Ray, he needs to be able to manipulate the Ray present in the air.”
Shin told some of the things told to him by the goddess.
“Is that everything you know Shin?” asked Lapis in a gentle voice.
“Yes.”
‘There are some more things the goddess told me about ray, but those things might just be something not known to the general public, it will be safer to tell her just that. After all I can’t fully trust her yet.’ Thought Shin.
“You must be extremely talented to be able to use the orb just at a glance, too talented in fact only knowing this much about ray.”
Shin just stood there, with a cold expression on Lapis saying that.
Lapis was standing there thinking something, after about a minute she finally opened her mouth, “Okay, even though you could copy the orb me and Flaine used. We will start from the basics.”
On saying that Azura kept her staff down and raised both her hands to the front, suddenly a water orb size of her palm was floating on front of her. It was light blue in color and was translucent.
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This orb was different from the one that Flaine, Lapis, and Shin had used before. It’s appearance in front of the orb those three had used before was like comparing a housefly to a hornet.
“This is the 1-Star Ray called water ball.”
Shin pretended to not know about how stars work and asked her, “1-Star Ray?”
“Let me explain, there are 7 ranks on which the type of ray one uses is classified, from 1-Star to 7-Stars.”
Shin asked her again, “Then what was the star of the Ray I used on the tree.”
“That was a 4-Star Ray, it was a Ray made from combining my 3-Star blue night orb, and Flaine’s 3-Starred sunset orb.”
Lapis continued speaking. “Another thing to keep in mind is one’s manipulation level, there are 3 stages to it.Your ray manipulation skills determine the star of ray one can use. You know dear student you being able to use 4-Star ray is even more shocking, knowing that you were able to handle 4-Star ray while never having used ray before, right now your ray manipulation must be at initial stage.”
“Then what would have happened if I couldn’t handle it?” asked Shin in an emotionless voice.
“There was a high chance that you would die, but thankfully it didn’t happen. For now, don’tusethat ray again.”
“Yes,” said Shin.
Lapis then slightly raised her voice and said, “Now dear student, now try to use the water ball ray.”
***
The paved road Christina and Azura were walking on, was left behind. They had been walking for 10 minutes when Christina stopped in a slightly elevated plain, and spoke Azura, “To begin your training, what ray can you use.”
Azura replied in a slightly embarrassed and light voice, “None.”
“Then look closely.” On saying this, Christina traversed her index and middle finger together through the air in a spiky motion. Causing a small white cloud, the size on one’s face to form from seemingly nothing in front of her. “This is the 1-Star Ray called light cloud, its one of the easiest ray to use. Try to use this by following the steps I did.”
Azura slightly open her mouth seeing this, since this was the first time, she had magical things take place in front of her. She quickly closed her mouth and with a determined expression, did the same actions as Christina. Though nothing happened.
“It not going to happen in a single try, keep trying.” Said Christina as she sat on the ground in an elegant way the cloud she had summoned disappeared into thin air, Azura nodded and started trying again and again. Moving her index and middle finger in an spiky motion, for 5 minutes straight. Still there was no change.
Christina slightly sighed and said, “Do you even know how to manipulate Ray at a basic level?”
“I don’t,” replied Azura with her head lowered.
“You could have told before girl.” Christina sighed again, “now listen me closely, as you are moving your fingers through the air. Try to consciously gather the ray particles there, as you should know that ray is everyone and everything is made from it in this world. So by moving your hand in the air you collect the Ray present there.”
“The ray particle you collected is connected to the other ray particles, it causes a ripple effect causing some of the ray to be manipulated by you. The more Ray one can collect the higher star ray one can use. Also the more experienced you get at manipulating ray the better you get, now keeping these words in mind get to work.” Christina concluded her explanation.
Azura said, “I think I now understand teacher.”
Azura again moved her fingers in a spiky motion, but this time she was thinking about gathering the ray present in the sky, rather just doing that motion. After trying for 2 times, finally on the third try she succeeded, and a cloud same as the one Christina had made, appeared in front of her face.
The only difference between the two being that the one made by Azura was more transparent, then the one Christina had summoned.
Christina was slightly surprised that Azura made a cloud appear on her third try, earlier she didn’t know how to manipulate ray. But after learning that she did it on her third try, one might take a week or two just to manipulate ray, it was quite impressive that she learned that and used a ray in less than 10 minutes.
“Now try to have bolts of lightning appear from it, like this.”
Saying this Christina made the cloud reappear, and then without her doing anything. A small lightning bolt came out the cloud, the lightning hit a rock located 5 meters away. Its size was as big as a football. But from her attack the small rock was broken into bits.
Azura’s face had a ‘wow’ expression on it. Christina kept explained, “To make lightning bolts appear, try to imagine the cloud as another arm of yours. Then from this imaginary arm, think of throwing a dagger or knife at your target.”
Azura was about to speak, but suddenly a voice devoid of any emotion spoke inside her head.
[Initializing of the ???-Star ray ‘Helpful’ has been successfully completed.]