Jacob has spent 4 months with Aaron practically doing the same thing over and over everyday. The routine being Train, fight, fight over Aqua's homemade food, sleep and repeat.
Jacob began to form a close bond with Aaron, just like he had done with Aqua. Jacob soon came to realize one thing. That being no matter how close he got to Aaron, Aaron would never stop being a messy slob.
During one of the weekends where he trained less than usual Jacob had asked Aaron about the "incident" that Aqua mentioned.
Upon hearing Jacob's seemingly innocent question, Aaron quickly shut down the conversation and doubled the intensity of Jacob's training for the following weeks.
Jacob soon concluded that while Aaron is fun to have around to some extent and extraordinary combat abilities, he truly wasn't what one would call "bright" or "the sharpest tool in the shed".
In shorter terms, Jacob's evaluation of Aaron was "Foolish Mentor" and that was when Jacob was in his most joyous mood.
........….................
AT THE TRAINING GROUNDS, MIDDAY
"All right, I think that's enough." Aaron says nonchalantly with a wave of his hand.
As soon as he hears this Jacob drops on all fours while sweating profusely.
He looks up at Aaron while breathing heavily "How long.....how long was it this time?"
"You've managed to improve once again, this time you managed to keep it up for a whole hour." Aaron replies with a not so innocent smile.
Shortly after Aaron's reply, dozens of gigantic boulders easily ranging from 15 to 25 meters in size, crash with emphatic thuds to the ground.
"Question."
"Shoot."
"Why am I not using my sage multiplier technique again?"
"We've been over this Jacob, the multiplier technique is useful for when you're in a fight against a stronger or when you want to make a point against a weaker opponent."
Jacob rolls his eyes in response to Aaron's second reasoning. Aaron then continues feigning obliviousness to Jacob's apparent thoughts to his "sound" reasoning.
"However, Your multiplier technique will act as a hindrance to your growth rate and experience during training.
Jacob then nods his head absentmindedly, seemingly convinced by Aaron's reasoning this time.
"Gotta say for someone dumb, you sure do have solid points at times."
"Yes praise me more....wait, what do you mean by dumb?"
"Nothing really, just thinking out loud. Don't pay any heed to my words." Aaron's eyes narrow in response but shrugs off the conversation regardless.
"Alright kid, as fun as it has been, I'm afraid we must say goodbye."
"what?"
"But I must say, your endurance is mighty impressive."
"what?"
"Alright, time to go."
"Wait, what are you-"
Aaron snaps his fingers which cuts off what Jacob was about to say, as Jacob gets covered in a light brown aura and vanishes.
Jacob reappears in an area covered with dark rocks and lava like streams.
"Why do they keep doing this?" Jacob asks himself in a helpless tone.
As Jacob is surveying the area, he notices a huge volcano hundreds of meters away and atop that volcano stands a woman with blonde hair, crimson eyes and red tips at the ends of her hair.
But what intrigued Jacob most about her was the fact that she looked identical to Aqua.
.......................
(A/N: Due to excessive training in aether absorption, Jacob has greatly enhanced physical abilities as well as senses. He has learned to subconsciously limit his enhanced senses so as not to be overwhelmed by his surroundings but can use his enhanced senses whenever he wishes, especially when in combat.)
......................
"Aqua? Since when are you blonde?"
"The name is Hestia." A soft voice seemingly rings out of nowhere.
"What!? who said that?" Jacob looks around frantically due to being freaked out.
"You are looking right at me?"
Jacob then looks back at the volcano and stares at the beautiful figure.
"Are you using telepathy or something?"
"No, behind you."
"What?"
"Look behind you."
Jacob looks behind and notices Hestia looking right at him.
"Wait if you're here then who's..."
"A flame clone." Hestia interrupts Jacob.
"Right, who did you say you were again?"
"Hestia."
'Hestia, I've heard of that name before, wait the goddess? yeah, there's a goddess named Hestia, right?'
"Right."
"What?" Jacob looks at Hestia with a confused expression. 'Did she just read my mind?'
"No." Hestia replies impatiently.
"Wait but you just..."
"Can we please move on? This conversation has grown quite tedious."
Hestia requests Jacob kindly while giving off a very scary vibe.
"....Yes mam." Jacob replies nervously realizing that his compliance or stubbornness will lead down to a path of either life or death respectively.
'Mam? how cute.' "So what's your name kid?"
"Jacob."
"Overreacher, huh?"
"Umm....what?"
"Don't worry about that, anyways I believe you already know the drill."
"Drill?"
"Oh come on Jacob, the only way you can grasp the fire element, is through fighting me."
'Why is it always fighting with these guys, aren't elemental spirits supposed to be loving and benevolent.'
"Here I come, Young sage." Hestia says this as she readies her arm which is already being engulfed in molten lava like energy.
"WAIT!" Jacob yells with both his arms stretched out, with his facial expression screaming of helplessness.
"....What is it?" Hestia sighs as her arm returns to its original complexion.
"Wh-Why?"
"What do you mean by why?"
"Why do you guys resort to fighting me the first time we meet?"
Hestia ponders a while on this question but then finally formulates an answer.
"Jacob, I believe you've realized that the longer you continued your aether training you've gradually unable to generate the elements."
"Well yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"Well you see Jacob, when mages gain understanding over their own energy, they undergo a stage called enlightenment which leads to aether awareness through mana, which is then influenced into enhancing the already existing mana circuits."
"Okay, so?"
"Jacob you don't have mana circuits."
"Oh? oh...then how am I able to control the elements."
"Unlike any other mage Jacob, you alone have reached aether awareness without mana circuits and you're are also able to manipulate it which makes you more like a god than a mage."
"So what you're saying is that....I'm a god?"
"No. You're completely human." 'Which just makes it harder to believe that you're able to absorb and manipulate aether.'
Hestia then continues. "Remember this Jacob and remember it well, soon all of the mana coursing through your body will be completely used up and once that happens you will no longer be able to use magic."
"Will I still be able to control water and all that?"
"Yes."
"Then what was the point of telling me all of that? And you still haven't answered the question that began this entire topic."
"Jacob, I'm saying that you will only be able to manipulate the elements but you WONT be able to enhance or wield the elements. and you will no longer be able to manipulate the ambient spirit particles in the atmosphere. Using aether to manipulate let alone generate the elements without the catalyst that is mana will be incredibly difficult if not outright Impossible." Hestia then catches her breath and continues.
"Look, it's complicated but simply put you won't be able to use spells or magic, ever again."
"I...see, so will I be able to....."
"No, in your case once you use up the mana in your body, I'm afraid you won't be able to generate the elements or manipulate the spirit particles."
"I...see..."
"And to answer your question, fighting us in this realm requires a massive amount of energy expenditure on your account, which will result in using up your mana very quickly."
"But why?"
"Why.....?"
"Why make me use up my mana?"
"Well if we don't, due to the contrast in the nature of aether and mana in your body, you will suffer another backlash and you won't be able to recover."
"So it's either aether or nothing."
"Yeah, the path to Absolute strength is never easy by any means, and unfortunately your physiology does not allow you to manipulate aether and mana simultaneously like we spirits do."
"I see."
"Anyways, enough talk, now it is time to fight." Hestia says this as her arm gets covered by lava energy once again.
Jacob's sad expression converts immediately into a mixture of fear and shock.
......................
As Hestia's arm connects with Jacob's chest, the volcano erupts as if to emphasize the potency of the attack. Jacob's body crashes at the base of the volcano.
Lava then splashes on Jacob's arm. "SHIT!!!!" Jacob cusses as he experiences a pain that can only be described as excruciating.
Jacob's arm then proceeds to heal. Hestia smirks at this sight 'This kid's pain resistance and durability is insane, not to mention his healing factor.'
Jacob looks at his healed arm. "Oh l, it's...healed." Jacob then gets up and dusts himself off.
As Hestia looks on, Jacob then assumes a fighting stance. 'Alright, don't underestimate her Jacob, remember she is a spirit, not human, blink and she will kill you.'
"Oh you gonna hit a woman?"
"Woman? What woman? All I see is a fire spirit."
Hestia slightly chuckles "Oh, Then bring it on."
Jacob reappears behind Hestia and throws a punch. Hestia then tilts her head and dodges Jacob's punch.
The punch creates a shockwave that blows a hole into the side of the volcano resulting in lava spilling out into a lake.
'She dodged it?' Jacob thinks seemingly questioning his abilities. Hestia then swiftly turns and punches Jacob in the gut.
As Jacob receives the attack, He clenches his fist readying for a punch which results in Hestia kicking Jacob in the face which forces Jacob to fly once again.
Jacob bounces off the ground and then lands on a boulder. Hestia then attacks Jacob while he is still lying on the boulder. Jacob rolls back and does a backflip, as his body completes the rotation before landing, Jacob jumps using the air as a foothold.
'Vacuum step?' Hestia questions as she is shocked by Jacob's movements.
Jacob then launches a flying kick towards Hestia. 'Sage mode X300.' Jacob's speed increases drastically and kicks Hestia in the face causing her body to crash into a boulder 15 meters away from Jacob.
"Got you." Jacob smirks in delight.
"Indeed you did. Hestia smirks and momentarily blinks out of existence only to reappear with her boot to Jacob's face.
Jacob's body rotates like a screwdriver as he crashes into one of the nearby boulders. Jacob immediately gets up from the rubble and attacks Hestia.
Hestia easily dodges Jacob and then attempts a leg sweep. Jacob immediately backflips to dodge Hestia's attack. As he lands he jumps up high, easily over 20 meters above ground in order to create some distance.
As Jacob looks to the ground he notices that Hestia disappeared. He then looks up only to receive a heel to the back of the head as Hestia does an overhead heel kick.
Jacob crashes to the ground face first.
"Can't handle the heat?" Hestia grins as she questions Jacob.
"It's like a morning breeze." As Jacob gets up covered in back dust as he then proceeds to spit out charcoal.
Jacob swiftly moves behind Hestia and kicks her in the back, as she falls to the ground, Jacob then follows up with another kick but only kicks the ground as Hestia rolls out of the way.
Jacob tilts his head to Hestia's direction and sees a flame like aura enveloping Hestia's body.
"Still think you can handle the heat?"
*swallows hard* "Of course I can." 'Yeah right, as if, the only reason I have been able to keep up with these guys is because they are letting me keep up with them.'
As Jacob thinks this he feels a strange sensation as his body collapses.
Upon seeing Jacob collapse Hestia smirks as she thinks only one thing, that being "SUCCESS!!".
Jacob gets up feeling strange as a random thought constantly circulates in his mind. As Jacob is greatly confused by this thought he doesn't notice Hestia approaching.
Hestia readies her fists, then strikes Jacob's chest. Jacob coughs out saliva and is then launched towards a bunch of nearby rocks.
'Argh, it's sad how me getting tossed around is so commonplace nowadays, but what's wrong with me, my body is acting strange as well this constant thought I a can't seem to understand.'
Jacob gets up. "Well it looks like you're getting serio-"
Hestia appears in front of Jacob and and punches him in the face. Jacob goes through the boulders due to the force.
"You felt it, didn't you?"
Jacob gets up as his body heals from the attack "Felt what?"
"The only energy remaining in your body is that of aether."
'Oh, so that's why I feel strange.'
Hestia smirks. 'Now let's see if that earlier move was a lucky break or if he can actually do it.'
Hestia swings her arm and launches a massive fireball and it obliterates the surroundings while Jacob dodges it by jumping up into the air.
While Jacob's body is still midair, Hestia launches a barrage of flame blasts towards Jacob.
Jacob steps on the air creating a sort of grey vacuum foothold. Jacob dodges all of them, he then ticks his knees and backflips to the ground landing on one knee.
The thought plaguing Jacob intensifies and then suddenly the thought becomes clear as day causing Jacob to grin.
......................
"Alright let's kick this into overdrive." As Jacob is still on the ground with his right knee. He summons his sword and looks up at Hestia.
As Jacob's gip on the handle tightens, smoke begins to form at the edge of the blade.
Hestia's face then expresses confusion as she tries to understand what Jacob is planning on doing.
Green flames then ignite enveloping the whole blade.
"What? How is he doing that? Wait, no." Hestia's face expresses great shock as she finally comes to the correct conclusion "He has formed.....aether circuits.
Jacob then gets up and yells as his hair rises "Sage mode X500!!!" The ground cracks and chunks of rocks rise to the sky in response to the aura being given off by Jacob.
Hestia's face changes from shock to absolute delight as she increases her power. She then condenses a large amount of mana easily into her palm creating a pale blue fireball.
Jacob then swings his sword releasing the green flames in the form of massive crescent attack.
Hestia responds to the attack with that of her own in the form of the pale blue fireball.
As the two attacks collide, a massive blinding explosion occurs which obliterates most of the surroundings.
It takes a few minutes for the surroundings to become clear once more and what's seen is a beautiful blonde lady looking on proudly at black haired young boy who has collapses to the ground due to exhaustion.