< System Space, Circe's Room >
Circe and Ragna do the thing again and then decide to discuss some topic which makes Circe interested as Ragna mentions it out of nowhere.
" So, you're telling me... "
" You already had an 'apprentice' whom you taught the ways of the 'Aether', before you become 'mine'? " Circe asks while still clinging over Ragna, hugging him tight while holding his face.
" Oh, that's... " Ragna suddenly remembers Galen, the moments of his death as Galen saved him.
" Look me in the eyes! " Circe forces as he puts her hand on Ragna's cheek to ensure he sees her.
" Are you out of your mind to dare mention you had an 'apprentice' before your 'master'? "
" Since you're adept in the 'Aether', then you should've at least learned the ways of 'Mana', which means 'Mage', you should know why I'm pissed after hearing this... "
" Do you know that there's something called the 'Rule of Apprenticeship' before!? " Circe asks.
" I do, but not so much from 69 during my 'Magic' lessons. "
" The lessons were done during my brief calm moments inside the Abyss Tower, so please forgive me if I forget it or don't take it seriously. "
" But did he at least tell you the contents of the rule? "
" ' In the ways of Mage, there are strict rules on learning it. ' "
" ' For a mage, one could only be an apprentice to one master...' "
" ' And one could only be deemed as a 'master' if the master anointed them. ' "
" ' Allowing the new master to take an apprentice, teaching again the ways of the Mage and Mana. ' " Ragna recounts as much as he can, which is right, despite he didn't take it to heart.
" Then you know why I'm furious in hearing this, my dear apprentice? " Circe asks, releasing her Aether as touches Ragna's body.
" How could you teach the Aether to another person, while you're still in the 'apprentice' level yourself? "
" Circe, you misunderstand. "
" The reason for me teaching my friend, Galen at the time was not purely of my ignorance over the said rule. "
" But simply as an exchange of knowledge between me and him. " Ragna raises his body up, holding Circe's hands.
" I taught Galen in the ways of the 'Aether', Galen taught me in the ways of the 'Ki'. "
" Both of us become the master and the apprentice to each other due to the exchange of our knowledge. "
" So on the other hand, Galen is also my master too. "
" But now, he's gone... " Ragna says while holding Circe's hands harder.
" Even after I managed to make him learn the Aether, as well as him, manage to combine it with his Ki and obtain the 'Black Spirit' form. "
" He is still dead, for he died saving me from Adrian's explosion. " Ragna says to Circe which made her realize something.
" He combined the Aether and the Ki? " Circe asks.
" Yes, because of that, he achieved the 'Black Spirit' form which I follow as you could see from my current pale-silver white form. "
" This form of me, the one you see, is the form of the 'Black Spirit' after surviving the 'Aether Metamorphosis Ritual'. " Ragna explains which made Circe try to feel it.
" A complete mixture of Five Forces in the Universe, hmm? " Circe says.
" Pardon? "
" Your form, you achieved it by combining the Aether with Mana, Ki, Deviant Power, and Divine Power do you not? " Circe asks as she already suspects something even after meeting Ragna for the first time back on her island.
" Yes Circe, why? "
" Does your friend 'Galen' transform just like this, too? " Circe asks again, asking for more clarity.
" Yes, but my skin turns whiter than his. "
" Probably because I had many injections during the 'Aether Metamorphosis Ritual', Galen did it on-battle. "
" After all, the 'Black Spirit' is a transformation that Galen's Clan created, the 'Hive Stinger' Clan. " Ragna tells Circe which makes her show interest.
" Interesting, a Clan of Martial Arts who managed to combine the Aether with their Ki. "
" Then, this Clan must've had the secrets of the Ancient Martial Arts during the Holy Wars if they still knew about 'Ki' itself. "
" I thought the Diviners already wiped out all records about it, about the very energy? "
" Not all. " Ragna responds.
" I already recovered it from the Hive Stinger Clan's Residence which I found after the Abyss Tower Event ended. "
" It was in a sorry state since Adrian and his fellow Demonic Sect comrades destroyed it. " Ragna explains.
" The power of Ki is feared among the Divine and the Deviant, it's usual... "
" For the power itself is a power that a mortal produced within their very flesh, an independent force if trained to the highest limits, could overpower both factions. "
" But it had a weakness since despite the potential, it will take hundreds or millions of years for a Ki user could match the Divine and Deviant. "
" That's why the Diviners and Deviants ripped it out from the mortal's history, wiping all records of it and giving their power to the mortals so they won't ever think about producing any Ki within their body again. "
" Like Mana? "
" Yes, Mana and Magic too? "
" Both forces are the greatest assets of humanity but... "
" The foolish human ancestors of yours had made that foolish choice as they received the Cores from the Diviners and Deviants. "
" Since they knew that both energies required eons to master into the highest level, they instead diverted to use the given alternative which actually binds them from the inside. "
" That's why, I'm amazed that this 'Hive Stinger' Clan was still able to keep the records of the Ki for centuries. "
" To even learn the 'Aether' too, somehow. "
" Indeed. "
" But is it really alright if the Aether is combined with those other forces? " Ragna asks.
" I'm asking you since you're the expert in this, Aether Enchantress... "
" Of course, it can, seen by the result I could see in you. "
" The Aether circulates and balances the flow of the other contrasted energies within you. "
" For it is very nature, an energy that belongs to the Soul and Flesh. " Circe tells.
" Really? I thought it only affects the Soul like the Divine and Deviant Power. "
" Oh, it actually can affect the body. "
" Unlike both Divine and Deviant Power that covers and mutates the user with an armor made from their energy. "
" The Aether is both Spiritual and Natural, for death is the state where one transcends from their natural flesh into a spiritual soul. "
" It also had some good properties despite it was not as strong as Divine power. "
" Would you like to know about it? "
" Really, would you teach me, Circe? "
" Of course, prepare yourself. " Circe says as she prepares to teach more things about the Aether.
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Extra:
Hello guys, after some time Hiatus, I've finally returned with more Chapter, thank you!.