Magic, a generic term which describes the transformation of reality from one form to another. People used it to explain phenomenon that science or logic could not. Once synonymous with evil, its unexplainable nature caused everyone to fear it. However, it was actually not that mysterious. Fundamentally speaking, magic bent the laws of reality a little to achieve a special effect. This was the same as everyday life. For example, a baker could 'transform' ingredients into bread, a blacksmith could 'transform' metal into tools, and a seamstress could 'transform' cloth into clothing. Could this not be considered the same as magic? Surely, the result was different, but the process was the same. Using energy to create one thing from another…
Elizabeth heard this explanation from the bow spirit, Rena, inside her collapsing Core. The speech was surprisingly simple at first glance, but digesting it required more effort. It destroyed the misconceptions she had about magic. That was right… If viewed like that, then magic was not that special at all. In fact, it was almost ordinary. Elizabeth frowned though. If it was so ordinary, then why was it so difficult to grasp? Why are there Perception Realm Masters like Sir Winstin, but only ten Low Condensed Drop Arcanists like the Ten Dawns? The disparity between martial artists and Arcanists failed to make any sense. But she pushed that question to the back in order to ask a more important one.
"How is this relevant to my Core collapse?" the girl asked bluntly.
Around her was the familiar sight of her living quarters in Castle Reinhard. A large bed on one side, a desk on the other, and a fireplace holed up on a wall. The other wall was covered in an enormous sheet of glass, a window to peer from the castle straight down into Algard, across the bridge, toward Corasen, and beyond. The sight was so awe-inspiring that one might die to see it. Even Elizabeth could not help but admire the unrelenting beauty of it all, despite having lived here for months already. But Elizabeth returned her gaze toward Rena, the spirit, who was sitting in front of her. Although they sat here, in this room, enjoying this fabulous view only those blessed by the heavens could witness, it was an illusion. It was fake!
They were presently still in Elizabeth's Core, and as spirits, the semblance of body here was more akin to imaginary. Since Elizabeth came here through her consciousness and Rena by transferring her spirit, it was less of an actual place, and more of an elaborate dream world. So, they were able to create things simply by imagining it. The spirit waved their hands in a languid manner, and light snacks instantly appeared across the table. Even a teapot with boiling tea was prepared on the side. Instead of answering Elizabeth, they picked up a biscuit and inspected it curiously, as if it was the first time they were seeing it.
Growing impatient, Elizabeth grumbled, "Hello? Did you hear me? I asked you a question."
"I heard you," the spirit replied. "Is this any way to speak to your teacher?" Elizabeth's eyes twitched in irritation, but she remained quiet. Rena seemed to make a look of bemusement and continued, "The method to resolving your Core destruction is to replace it before it disappears entirely."
"That simple? But I'm a spirit right now, aren't I? How can I replace my Core if I'm not in my body?"
"To be precise, you're not a spirit. You are essentially the mind of the person called Elizabeth. Perhaps, consciousness is a better way to phrase it. As a result, how could the body be completely separated from the mind?" Upon seeing the girl's confusion, Rena added, "You might not be able to feel your limbs or muscles, but you can feel your Core's degradation, no? That is a clear sign that you are still connected to your body, albeit through your Channels and Core. Although it sounds simple to stop your Core's destruction, it is not. Timing and sense will have to be perfect."
Timing and sense? Elizabeth inwardly questioned. Why would timing be important here?
"But before that, you need to first sense Magic Energy," Rena seemed to read her thoughts. "You might have had a High Condensed Drop Core, but that was built subconsciously. Its foundations cannot compare to a true Core built by hard work. Therefore, you need to start from the beginning again."
The spirit did not say anything else, forcefully ending their conversation. Elizabeth grimaced, adjusted her posture, and closed her eyes. In truth, she had already sensed Magic Energy multiple times before. From New Havens, the fight with Emperor Lianghu, and finally from casting her first spell, she succeeded around five times. She was a quick learner so soon, that familiar sensation of becoming intimately connected with the universe flooded her again. Despite residing in her Core, she could sense the World Energy from outside her body! That was great and all, but the next step in constructing a Core meant absorbing the energy and purifying it into Magic Energy. That was the fundamental idea behind magic. Elizabeth had no idea how to continue though…
Wait! Rena said that magic was ordinary. What may seem extraordinary in my eyes is indistinguishable from everyday life. It all boils down to the concept of energy. Then… In that case, absorbing World Energy for me to use… is like eating. Elizabeth's eyes brightened with this epiphany.
Indeed, if one considered it from a higher perspective, then absorbing World Energy was akin to eating food to survive. Both converted the raw energy of the world around them into energy they could use. It was a crude comparison, but it exposed the truth. Magic was not that special at all! Then why could humans not use it easily? Perhaps, it was a matter of ideology. Humans instinctively regarded magic as a transcendental or supernatural power. Bending the laws of reality to one's whim sounded absurd, no matter who heard it. That might have become a shackle, preventing humans from wielding magic as easily as martial arts. Or maybe it was a biological limitation? Humans might have a fundamental handicap when it came to magic. Either way, Elizabeth understood the method now and tried to 'eat' the World Energy.
The spirit gave a look of slight surprise, but nothing more. Compared to other humans, Elizabeth was definitely a peacock among hens. Her sense for magic was far above others, even standing triumphant over Ten Dawn Nassandra, heralded as one of the greatest Arcanists of her time. Elizabeth's Magic Potential could be truly called unrivalled! Unfortunately, that was a human's viewpoint, a brutally flawed one. More powerful civilizations could easily boast unimaginable power and using priceless artifacts and technologies, they could push further ahead endlessly. That was the reason why humanity was ignored on the global stage. They were too weak! Would an elephant care of the ants below its feet? It would not! What Elizabeth could do was barely seen as acceptable to higher powers, and just barely.
An hour passed as Elizabeth continued to try. It was harder than it looked. How could she eat something intangible? She had no 'mouth' for World Energy, nor could she see the 'food'. As a result, she became stuck. However, there was the distinct feeling that this method was correct. You could not treat World Energy as something foreign. It had to be familiar enough that she could use it without much thought. And when enough effort was put in, eventually, something will change. That change materialized on the second hour as a tiny wisp of World Energy followed Elizabeth's will and entered her Channels. Then… Elizabeth's expression twisted!
She felt World Energy wiggling its way into her like a hot knife digging into an open wound. The pain exploded inside her body, and she unleashed a horrifying scream. Thankfully, this was a fabricated and empty world so besides Rena, there was no one around to hear it. Within a few minutes, the pain began to subside, leaving a panting and distraught Elizabeth. Her expression was mixed with both confusion, fear, and anger. The process was not the problem. Rather, the second World Energy entered her Channels, her body fiercely rejected it! It was like water meeting fire, causing an eruption of steam known as pain to follow.
"You were too hasty," Rena chastised calmly. "Remember your body's own condition. Your Core and Channels are a mess, so this was the natural result."
If Channels were likened to flowing rivers of water, then damage to them was almost like filth building up to impede its flow. Normally, the damage would be swept away by the current and the Channels would be restored with time. However, that was only when the damage was minor enough. In Elizabeth's case, where the Channels were wrecked to an outrageous degree that even their flow was stopping entirely, then cleaning the blockage was not an easy task. Backlashes were feared for a reason! Even if one was fortunate enough and survived, then recovering their former strength would be a titanic mission. The pain Elizabeth experienced was a mere tip of the iceberg.
"You couldn't have told me earlier?" Elizabeth hissed.
"It was better for you to try yourself," the spirit seemed to shrug. "It won't be easy to solve your Core's problem. This is why I said you needed perfect timing and sense. In the instant that your Core completely collapses, you must forcefully create a new one. If you miss it by even a fraction of a second, then the accumulated energy will detonate and destroy everything, including you. There's no need to reach your former level of High Condensed Drop though. Just… High Gaseous Fog should be sufficient."
"High Gaseous Fog?" Elizabeth went pale. What kind of nonsense was that! She knew full well how hard it was for Arcanists to climb Core Levels. The fact that only ten out of tens of thousands could reach Low Condensed Drop was indicative of that! To wield enough energy to forge a High Gaseous Fog Core instantly, how hard would that be? It might even be impossible!
After a long silence, the spirit spoke up. "Your thoughts aren't wrong." Rena could read the thoughts of Elizabeth through a peculiar skill. A terrifying skill. Nevertheless, Elizabeth had no time to worry about that and focused on their following words. "If you continue at your normal rate, then you will have no chance. However, if I bestow upon you… the correct method to using Magic Energy, then everything will depend on you."
Although they said 'correct' method, that was technically erroneous. Correct implied that there was one singular answer, and all others were wrong. However, that was not the case here. There were many reasons why humans stagnated at Rank 2, while a few extraordinary geniuses like the Sword King or Protector Avin breaking into Rank 3. But one of the main reasons was undoubtedly related to their primitive nature. Forming their Channels and Core by simply rushing World Energy madly into their body… was too inefficient and ineffective. If a bladesmith hammered away randomly, could they create a peerless blade? Obviously not! What Rena wanted to give was a training method to properly temper the Channels and Core in a specific way!
Raising a finger, a tiny glow of magic briefly materialized before disappearing into Elizabeth's forehead. Idea Transmission, a medium-level spell that anyone could use. It could transmit any idea from one person to another in a highly concentrated form of information instantaneously. There were various limitations, but it was extremely handy regardless. It was easier to do this than to explain things personally. And the thing that Elizabeth received was known as a tempering technique that focused on explosive Magic Energy control. It would slowly modify the body into one that could unleash a frightening amount of strength in a single move. Perfectly fit for creating a High Gaseous Fog Core at all once!
"You have around one month to practice this tempering technique before your Core reaches critical. At that time, you will have to forge a High Gaseous Fog Core!"