Many creatures of Abelia can only grasp up to three gifts of mana. But some instances are considered fatal for both the mother and child. While inside their mother's womb, when their shell accumulates manas further than an offspring can handle, it will collapse along with their mothers.
For Abelians, it is a curse, but for Amon, it is a gift. He tasked his servants to save the supposed imperfections and their mothers. In exchange, the child will not know of their parents and will be raised as an Edolian. They are trained differently and will embark on a journey to aid people across the lands. Though their abilities are not different from a typical Edolian, Amon believes they are destined for more...
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Salvino has mastered the five manas and is now tasked to survive in the forest until Lena returns and deems that he is worthy to proceed to the next lesson. Amon went silent the moment the test began. This leaves Salvino alone and confused, hoping that Lena returns soon before he starves to death.
But days passed, and Lena didn't return. He was on the verge of starving, so he created a camp and started preying on small critters. He practiced his manas to know what was missing, but there was no more room for him to grow. Day by day, he starts hunting for creatures increasing in size.
One of the beasts he hunted was a wyvern. Its wings stretched to reach the heads of the tallest trees, its long lizard face painted with a piercing glare, and its two legs as wide as a tree trunk. It roared sharply and ferociously charged at Salvino. He then used Earth magic to raise the earth into thorns to impale the beast. Most of the spikes hit the wings, but it didn't stop the wyvern from charging.
When it was about to reach Salvino, he instinctively raised a barrier of rocks, but the wyvern easily thrashed through it with his tail and sent Salvino flying. As he lands, he is unable to move. It was because of the poison on the wyvern's tail.
Salvino blows the wyvern away with wind magic and begins to channel water magic to cleanse the poison. While doing so, the wyvern then breathes fire at him. Before the wyvern's fire reached his paralyzed body, he completely removed the poison and dodged the fiery breath.
Salvino thought this wasn't the training he imagined. It was too harsh for a young man like him. He forgot that he brought this battle upon himself. And Amon was playing along. Once Amon finds the situation dire, he'll intervene. But for now, he believes that this is the training Salvino needs.
In Salvino's mind, how can he defeat a creature far superior in strength and speed? Then he remembers what Lena said that Azarinus makes the body tenacious. So he channeled fire magic in his body and felt lighter. He can now move faster and jump higher.
He shot fireballs aiming for the wyvern's head, but it barely twitched. And the wyvern breathes fire at him. He dodged it but didn't notice how near he was to the wyvern. The wyvern whipped his tail and tossed him again, but this time he could stand effortlessly from the fall.
Salvino now knows that brute force won't be enough to defeat the wretched beast. So he gathers what he learned from Lena and chooses which will be practical against his prey. He remembered that those who have Dharina have a better awareness of their surroundings. So he channeled earth magic in his body.
The wyvern charges at him again and tries to bite his neck, but he dodges all attempts the creature makes. The wyvern tried using its tails again, but Salvino jumped over its attack. He thought how convenient earth magic was. He felt all the small changes in movement and posture on his target. But before he lands on the ground, the wyvern breathes fire again.
He instinctively covered his body with a wind barrier, but the wind barrier burned and made him unable to breathe. Thankfully he canceled it before he suffocated. But now half of his clothes are burnt. Frustrated by this, Salvino starts a volley of attacks that push the beast back.
But he forgot that the beast uses magic too. So the beast created a wind barrier that was strong enough to deflect his attacks and made him dodge them. This alerted Salvino and made him calm down. He knew he couldn't win with such an attitude. He then remembers that Aninus is a far-reaching magic.
So he tested his creativity and used what he had witnessed earlier against the beast. He enveloped the wyvern with a wind dome and used fire magic on the wind cage. This causes the fire to get mixed with the wind magic, which makes the wyvern suffocate. The wyvern tried using wind magic but couldn't control the air inside. The fire was drawing all the wind.
Salvino then ended the beast that was left unable to defend itself. This surprised Amon with how innovative Salvino can be. Amon thought that in the middle of his battle against the ferocious beast, he might somehow learn how to use Kedarinus, but he was wrong. So Amon spoke.
"You did well, my child" ~Amon
"Thanks, Amon. Where were you?" ~Salvino
"I was watching your outstanding display." ~Amon
"I thought I was going to die." ~Salvino
"Don't worry. I wouldn't let that happen." ~Amon
"So, am I ready to learn Kedarinus now?" ~Salvino
"Yes, it is the reason why I spoke" ~Amon
"So, how do you do it?" ~Salvino
"Focus on the mana coming from your core or what your common tongue describes as your heart." ~Amon
Salvino didn't know that his heart was modified to coexist with Amon's mana. So Salvino focused on the mana from his core, where Kedarinus is formed.
"Now release it." ~Amon
Salvino released the mana and felt like his consciousness had spread throughout the area.
"Now, use all five manas outside of your body." ~Amon
Salvino then created water bullets, fireballs, rocks, and wind blades at the same time. He now doesn't need to use his hand to release mana.
"That's the lowest form of Kedarinus." ~Amon
"What's the highest?" ~Salvino
"Commanding the soul" ~Amon
"Commanding the soul?" ~Salvino
"You'll understand once you get there. For now, let's proceed to the next step." ~Amon
"The next step is mana disruption. Kedarinus reacts with other manas. If mana is blocked by it, it will get canceled and disappear. They call it protection magic." ~Amon
"So I need to release Kedarinus in front of a magic?" ~Salvino
"Yes, or you can use it in their bodies before they use magic" ~Amon
"Since there's no way to test it, can we go to the next step?" ~Salvino
"No, you have to learn how to use it first. The next step involves the mind." ~Amon
So Salvino decided that he'll continue tomorrow because it was getting dark. In the night, while Salvino was preparing for dinner, he heard several footsteps that were getting nearer and nearer until he realized he was already surrounded. They were a pact of elemental dire wolves.
So Salvino released a volley of attacks, but the wolves were agile, and none of his attacks hit. One of them pounced at Salvino, and he dodged it, but the moment he did, another one bit him. This forces Salvino to cover himself with a wind barrier and heal his wound using healing magic.
"Now use mana disruption." ~Amon
"How will that help?" ~Salvino
"They are using Azarinus and Dharina to enhance their bodies. Use Kedarinus in their body to weaken them." ~Amon
So Salvino did as Amon say. He channeled Kedarinus in their body to block the passage of mana. Then he tried using volleys of attacks again. This time, his magic starts hitting the wolves. The wolves were forced to retreat except for one. One with an injured leg.
"Heal him." ~Amon
"Why?" ~Salvino
"We need him for the next lesson" ~Amon
So Salvino healed him, and while healing him, he heard the wolf speak directly in his head.
"How dare you!" ~Wolf
This shocked Salvino and canceled the healing.
"What was that?" ~Salvino
"It is Hayanima's nature to communicate with other creatures." ~Amon
"He looks ungrateful while I'm healing him. Are you sure I should continue?" ~Salvino
"Yes, your next step is to tame him." ~Amon
"How do I do that?" ~Salvino
"Use your healing magic to speak with him. If he's still hostile, use Kedarinus to change his mind. Wolves' minds are weak to it." ~Amon
So Salvino tried healing the wolf again.
"You ruined our hunt!" ~Wolf
"I was only defending myself." ~Salvino
"The cubs will starve, thanks to you!" ~Wolf
"No one wants to be someone else's food." ~Salvino
"Shut up!" ~Wolf
"I'm healing you. Shouldn't you feel more grateful?" ~Salvino
"I'd rather die!" ~Wolf
"So Amon, how do I do it?" ~Salvino
"Place your hand on his head, then channel Kedarinus on it. Command him to be your servant." ~Amon
Salvino then put his hand on the wolf's head and channeled Kedarinus.
"Be my servant." ~Salvino