(Release times will now be set at one large chapter every other day at 8PM EST. If this blows up, I'll try to increase the release rate to every day. Add me on discord! ARN3wman#7777)
The lighting in this lab was quite comfortable. It was bright enough that everything can be seen clearly but not too bright where it's hard on the eyes.
Despite the hectic maelstrom of a mind that Charles Mason possesses, the room was remarkably neat and organized. This was genuinely confusing to me because someone like him would not deem cleaning and organizing as a worthwhile task.
Mason was standing in front of a whiteboard while I was sitting on a beanbag several feet across from him. He was currently drawing a diagram. The diagram was made up of a square with many dots inside of it.
Mason pointed at the diagram. "Before we get to anything fancy, I must teach you the basics of the light element. Natural mana is made up of the six elements that each maintain a balance with each other. The different elements can be extracted from this natural mana. The element of light is one of them."
"The light element is special as it works differently. As I said before, light isn't just what lights up a room. It is so much more than that. I'll explain it this way since you are adept with water. Water is made up of particles and the flow of water mana moves through those particles. Where the mana is going is dictated by the movement of those particles. Light works in the same way. A beam of light is made up of particles and light mana flows through them in the direction that the light is moving."
"Similar to how you can manipulate the flow of the water by imparting your will on its mana, you can also do the same with light. This, however, is where it gets interesting. Since you were taught by that old hag, I'm sure you already know that light and dark are two sides of the same coin. Darkness is merely the absence of light. You can create this void by manipulating the light mana and separating it from the particles of light rather than just using the mana to direct the particles."
"The absence of the light mana is what creates the destructive force known as darkness. The particles have no direction and start to destroy what is around them. Any questions before I move on?"
I was in a daze for a moment trying to process this information. Based on my knowledge of physics from my old world, mana is comparable to the natural forces that dictate the laws of nature. Removing those forces creates chaos.
I shook my head. "Professor, does the same thing apply to the other elements?"
Mason laughed. "Nope. Light particles are different due to the fact that they inherently have a lot of energy. When the mana isn't there to direct that energy, it goes haywire. Other elements will just enter a stasis like state when their mana is removed. Is that all?"
I nodded. "I guess that makes sense."
Mason smiled. "Good. Now that you understand what happens when there is no mana to direct the light, I must explain what happens when there is excess mana. This is where healing magic comes from. When there is an excess of light mana to direct the particles, it starts to rejuvenate or heal its surroundings. In other words, the high amount of energy that is stored in the light particles gets transferred to the elements surrounding it and energizes them."
Mason smirked. "Now here is where a genius can separate themselves from your average mage. What method of magic should be used when using healing magic? Is it manipulation or summoning and why?"
I sat in silence for a moment. Dozens of trains of thought were speeding through my head. I truly was thankful that I decided to take all of those extra physics classes in my old world. There was one concept I learned that could provide the answer to this question.
I smiled as the lightbulb ignited in my mind. "Summoning. Although this method of magic has the drawback of expending more of your mana than manipulation, the plus side is even more crucial. You said before that the elements maintain a delicate balance with each other. I would even go to say that the individual elements also maintain a certain balance. It is simple when it comes to the other elements but the balance for the light element is extremely delicate. If you were to take the light mana from one place and bring it to another, the source would become darkness and decay its surroundings while the destination would heal."
Mason smiled with delight. His smile was growing larger and larger as I was making my explanation. "Almost perfect. I knew there was something special about you. Maybe I'll have someone who isn't an absolute idiot to hang around with."
I laughed nervously and scratched the back of my head. "Thanks, I guess."
Mason nodded. "Allow me to finish your answer. Everything you said was correct but you missed the last part of the explanation. Healers use summoning because it allows us to increase the light mana in one place without reducing it in another. OH! Another question. How does summoning work? It's okay if you don't know this one. I highly doubt that most archmages even know this."
I thought deeply. This question could not be as simple as it seems. "We have natural mana flowing through our bodies. When we summon the elements, we use parts of that mana to achieve the desired result. Wait, but does that mean we have the elements flowing th… OH! I got it. It is also related to the balance. For example, when I introduce water mana to the outside world, it disrupts the balance and water is formed around it from the air. Is that right?"
Mason laughed manically. "HOLY SHIT! YOU REALLY ARE A GENIUS! You might have explained it in an extremely basic fashion, but that is exactly right. This conclusion actually resulted from the discovery of how to properly use healing magic. I'll explain this briefly. When you introduce an elemental mana to the environment, the balance is disturbed. Nature then pushes to restore the balance by attaching the loose mana to its corresponding element. Here is where a problem with summoning magic originates."
"Let's say that I was in a cave made of ice, far to the north. The temperature is sub zero. If I were to try to summon the element of fire, the results would be lackluster to say the least. Although it will still work, the effects will be greatly diminished. Using magic is just like real estate. Location, location, location. If the environment is virtually devoid of an element, attempting to summon that element will be pointless."
"For the element of light, it is a tad bit different. The flow of mana is what dictates how much energy an element possesses. Just because it is dark, that does not mean that there is no light. Being in the dark is vastly different from the void of light. The illumination from the light element merely results from the strength of the flow of its mana. If there is a weak flow, the area will be dark. If it is a strong flow, the area will be bright. The important thing to understand here is that strength of mana flow and amount of mana are two separate things. Just because there is a strong flow, that doesn't mean that there is more mana than something with a weak flow."
Mason lifted his hand. Gradually, light emanated from his hand and illuminated his surroundings. "What I did here is simple. Rather than injecting light mana into the surroundings, I imparted my willpower on the existing mana and strengthened the flow. This resulted in what you can see. What I want you to do now is practice this. Grab hold of the flow of light mana around you and mess around with the strength of the flow. Once you grasp that concept, we will continue. Good day, Callum."
He waved his hand and I found myself in my dorm room. I was about to sit down and relax but then I realized something. OKAMI IS STILL IN THE LAB!
I was about to run to the door but then I heard a gentle plopping sound behind me on the floor. Turning around, the kludde was sitting there looking at me curiously. I sighed in relief. "I thought I lost you for a moment."
Okami shook his head. "I just finished my lesson with Chol. That man smells funny."
I laughed. "Sounds about right. How long were we gone for?"
Okami shrugged as he hopped onto the bed and laid down.
I decided to look at the window. The light that is emitted from the fake environment that can be seen through the window resembles the outside world. It was dark and what I presumed were supposed to be stars were twinkling in the distance.
I sighed. "It's already night time. I guess we should head to bed. Wanna split the steak I got earlier? It's massive."
Okami's ears perked up and he growled. "Do you even need to ask?"
I laughed and took out the steak from my storage ring. As I pulled out the box, I found that it was still hot and its scent assaulted the entire room. I began salivating at the thought of being able to have fresh food whenever I wanted. The flow of mana inside a storage ring must be frozen. Otherwise, the steak would be room temperature. Even if it wasn't hot, that wouldn't have stopped me from eating it.
I cut the steak in half and tossed it to Okami who was sitting on the floor. He caught it and scarfed it down at an unbelievable speed. I shrugged and took my time to enjoy it with a fork and knife. It was cooked perfectly. The outside was slightly charred and the fat was perfectly cooked so it was soft and flavorful. The inside was a bright shade between pink and red. Each bite melted in my mouth as I alternated between the roasted potatoes and a slice of steak.
As I was eating, I sighed. Eating such a delicious meal reminded me of when I would go out for dinner with my parents back on Earth. Sometimes we would go to a steakhouse. My dad and I would split a porterhouse steak and my mom would get a piece of grilled salmon. My younger brother would usually just get some pasta dish because he was a picky eater. My favorite part of those nights would be sharing a glass of scotch or bourbon with my dad when we got home.
A singular tear rolled down my face. I wiped it away with the back of my hand and sucked air through my nose. I doubt that I'll ever not miss my old life. It's not that I don't enjoy this one, but it will never be my life on Earth.
I smiled as I came up with a short term goal. Okami looked at me curiously. "What's wrong?"
I laughed. "Nothing is wrong… I just need a drink."
Okami tilted his head. "Aren't you a bit young for that?"
I shook my head. "It's no surprise that you think that. I might be only 12 but my mind is that of someone in their late teens."
If I were to add up the years that I lived on Earth and Aetheria, I would be almost 30 years old. However, this doesn't mean that I am mentally 30. The human mind matures as a result of its surroundings. Just because I have the experience of a 30 year old, that does not mean that I have the maturity of one. Living as a child for a few years undoubtedly regressed my maturity rather than progressing it. I had less independence, minimal responsibilities, and mostly interacted with people my age. Thus, I have a mental age similar to what I had on Earth when I was 17.
Okami shook his head in confusion. "What does that mean? I've noticed that many of your thoughts are not ones that someone your age would have. Wait, why is that?"
I laughed and sunk into my chair. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back as I got comfortable. "Before I start, I must ask something. Will you be able to see my memories once our mind link is fully developed?"
Okami nodded. "That's what Thanatos told us. We are partners for life. Our fates are intertwined."
I nodded, still keeping my eyes closed. I took a deep breath to calm myself. "Rather than you find this out on your own once you can see my memories, I will tell you now."
Okami was intrigued. "Do you have a mistress? Is there some kind of dark secret you have? Are you rich?"
I laughed and shook my head. "Nothing like those things. The simplest way for me to put it is that I am not of this world."
Okami was silent for a moment. I gave him some time to let it sink in. "What do you mean by that?"
I sighed. "It will be easier to understand once you can see my memories. Before coming to this world, I was a 17 year old boy named Jacob. I went to school, there was no magic, and I lived a fortunate life. One day, I woke up and was in the body of a 10 year old boy named Callum in Shellham."
Okami's mouth was hanging open. He then shook himself out of his stupor. "If you are telling the truth, then I guess that legend must be true."
I raised my brow and opened my eyes, looking straight at him. "What legend?"
Okami nodded. "My mother once told me a story. This was right before I was chosen by Thanatos."
I shook my head in confusion. "What do you mean by chosen?"
Okami laughed. "It makes sense that you don't know this. Similar to how King Menadia rules the humans of this kingdom, Thanatos is the Beast Emperor of this region. Although his control extends to the surrounding kingdoms, he favors the Dragon Kingdom."
I was astonished. "That's amazing. So does he control the dragons as well?"
Okami thought for a moment. "Yes and no. Many dragons have chosen to become a part of his empire, others still remain independent. Most of the dragons in this world belong to the Draconic Senate. Now let me continue on about the legend. In the story my mother told me, there is a group of people. No one really knows anything about them so many doubt it even exists. These individuals are referred to as otherworlders. They aren't just humans but include all of the sentient races. The legend says that these individuals were originally from another world but took over the bodies of someone in this world. Apparently these otherworlders are extremely powerful but easily blend in with the rest of society. Maybe the legend is true after all."
My jaw was basically on the floor. To avoid looking like an idiot for any longer, I literally took my hand and closed my mouth. I felt as if I was almost going to cry tears of joy. A huge smile formed on my face. "So I'm not alone…"