Bran Ai, Kaira and Kao looked away from their meal for only a second, whoever spoke first would set the tone from here on out.
Should the response be hostile the group's merry attitude will change in kind, should it be dismissive it will give a bad impression, should they simply answer they will both be seen as submissive and a fool.
It wasn't that the kids thought like this, but it was the impression that it gave off without them realizing it.
Bran Ai answered first without hesitation "fire, wind, wood and metal" having finished eating but not chewing he didn't have any reservations.
Kao looked at Bran Ai with mild disgust, 'does he have no brain?' he thought.
Kiara thought about it for a second before asking "Metal? I thought the five elements are Wood ,water, fire, earth and wind. The old lady that tested us told me mine are everything but earth, yet called me a four element spiritual root... What's that avout?" After a moment of silence she continued "Does that mean you also have water element? Or did you mistake earth and metal?"
Kao noticed how she hid her elements by distracting them with a question 'She did technically tell us her elements'.
Man-shik and Bran Ai both looked puzzled, all three of them had a quad elemental spiritual root, Bran Ai and Man-shik had a metal root which wasn't part of the five main elements.
Brain Ai "I... Dont know, the light below our feet just glowed and the names of the elements just popped into my head. There were a few others besides me with metal element as well"
Kiara had a doubtful look, she also heard a few others be given the 'Metal' element but most were simply 'you have everything but ___'.
Kao "Metal is from the earth branch, it is not exactly an 'earth' element so it cannot be put as the same. They are often considered interchangeable even if they have no real similarities, the reason that it's done is to avoid..." Sao stopped himself, he looked ahead only to see Bran Ai, Man-Shik and Kiara look at him with awe and confusion.
"Lets just say metal is of the earth but not really earth, a tougher earth!" Kao knew metal's origins came mostly from the stars and deep in the earth, it could even be considered part of fire path under the right conditions yet saying so would only add to the confusion which would only make for more questions.
For a young cultivator it was considered unwise to over teach them, the reason being that it may lead them to incorrect conclusions later during cultivation.
While yes metal comes from the stars, it is not a star. Yes it is found in the earth, but it is not really earth.
Then what is it?
If you give them such difficult questions early on it could lead to future confusion.
Metal is considered a variant under the earth element because it has the most direct comparisons.
Man-shik "Wow so I am tougher then earth!? As is Bran Ai I guess"
Bran Ai seemed to understand yet not comprehend, earth that wasn't earth? How does that work?
Kiara "So what are your elements Kao?"
Kao looked at her, he thought a few second back before saying "Somethings should be kept secret".
Kiara "huh..?!"
Bran Ai "huh? Why"
Man-Shik "Hey no fair we all said ours, tell us yours'"
Kao "Consider my knowledge about metal a trade off" he crossed his arms and closed his eyes while saying this.
Man-shik was disgruntled "What how is that the same?"
Kiara simply frowned a little.
Bran Ai felt he wasn't heard so asked again "Why should somethings be kept secret?"
Kao opened his eyes to look at Bran Ai 'this kid truly has no brain'
Kao "Because if you reveal everything then what happens if we become enemies in the future?"
Bran Ai "?"
Kiara "Oh"
Man-Shik "What enemies! Are you saying you don't trust us? I fed you! Hmph"
Bran Ai wanted to ask another question before Kiara beat him to it "Since you won't tell is how about we try and guess?"
Man-shik "ohhh~ I like that! Lets do that"
Bran Ai "...ah"
Kiara "Let's see, since both Man-shik and Bran Ai have metal, do you also have metal or earth maybe?"
Bran Ai was about to make a guess himself when he once more being interrupted.
Kao was silent for a moment asking "Why do you say that?"
Kiara " well- since both Man-Shik and Bran Ai have metal my guess is that it has to do with your gender? Like boys are said to be tougher once they grow up so maybe they more often ah, come together? Like a pair?I don't know I just saw during the test most metal and earth element were boys while only a few girls were"
Kao was impressed, while not only men held metal and earth element, it was more often associated with them. Kiara had made a judgement based on two factors, her personal experience and the two comments made by Man-shik and Bran-Ai, a simple thing to do yet often kept either un-said or un-done.
Kao 'She has good deduction skills, lucky, I'm lucky not to have been brought in the same group as her otherwise with how much she speaks she might have simply said my elements on her own'
Man-shik "Sounds like you got him on one! Again go again!"
Kiara "I think the other elements would be ~ Wood and ~ wind while maybe having a little bit of fire? Like Bran Ai but instead of metal you have earth?"
Kao was shaken, did she already know or is she really just guessing? Accurate! Too accurate!
Kao "hmph- I am not telling"
He crawled over to his own mat and laid back down.
Man-shik "ah what a downer"
Kiara "Let him be"
Man-shik "Can I see your flying thing?"
Kiara "oh the paper bird, sure"
Kiara handed him the paper crane, he immediately tried to make it fly but couldn't.
Man-shik "Why won't it fly? how does it work?"
Kiara didn't know, she simply grabbed it and it started to fly once more.
Man-shik "huh!?"
He kept trying a few more times giving up once it was clear he would not answer.
Bran Ai had gone back to his mat, he felt a bit like a third wheel and didn't really like the feeling. Bran Ai started to meditate, or at least attempted.
'Why can't I gather energy like before? Like in that room or earlier'
Bran Ai was still gathering energy from the surroundings the only difference was the amount entering his body.
Within the room he absorbed the spiritual stone in there were amplification effects allowing for everyone no matter how untalented to be able to feel and absorb spiritual energy for the first time, as long as one had spiritual roots that is.
The formation made by Kao on the other hand forced and focused the surrounding energy onto Bran Ai as a way to alleviate the effects on Kao, otherwise it would negative effects on just Kao alone.
Kao received less then 1/3 of the effects the formation was truly capable of.
Bran Ais' current state could be considered fickle, he had always been near death while doing any action.
Currently an element not considered a part of him was layered across his body, he didn't feel it's affects simply due to being numb.
The thorn bushes in the forest cutting into him would have alerted anyone normally yet Bran Ai walked forward without regard not only because he was so desperate, simply he couldn't feel!
A normal person, a normal child would have died under these circumstances.
Bran Ais' body was moving by a miracle.
The earth element in his body sealed any external wounds by chance, while any muscle he had was covered with a thin layer of energy giving it a yellow luster that reinforced the durability and tension it could hold.
His weight had increased by 5 kgs without any actual growth. This added weight put more pressure on his bones causing him to ever so slightly hunch his back a bit.
Bran Ais' very minimal increase in spiritual energy further fueled this process, it was like adding a very small and subtle amount of water to dirt lessening the affects of the earth energy without stopping the process.
The food he just ate further helped this, the food was made of many wood type ingredients giving the earth energy a sort of glue that didn't simply let it rampage without restraint.
By pure chance Bran Ai had achieved what would be impossible for most.
He achieved a very fickle equilibrium with the energy inside his body.
Had he absorbed more -earth- energy then he did, he would have instantly turned to sand and died.
Had he absorbed more -spiritual- energy then his measly talent allowed he would have gone into shock while his organs shut down unable to balance the energy within him.
Absorbing no energy at all would turn him stiff until he simply turned to stone over the course of a few hours.
Luck.
For the first time in his life without him knowing it was in his favor.