Phaidra wore a firm expression and the lack of her usual nonchalant comments emphasized the severity of this matter. She's trying to put into perspective the difference in life between that of a mortal on Earth and then one on Elara. A warning so to speak. She's warning me not to grow complacent or underestimate the harsh reality in Elara. It's bad enough as is on Earth but I guess humans will be the same even in another world.
But the key point she is trying to convey is that of murder and its relevance to Elara. I subconsciously gulped. I needed a breather from this short exchange of tension. I took hold of my tea cup only to find it empty. Noticing my predicament, Phaidra refilled my cup with a wave of her hand. Grateful, I took a brief moment of respite to think about her words and the meaning behind them.
I sat back and exhaled deeply.
I've maintained eye contact with Phaidra for the entirety of our interactions. I know some people who would have great difficulty doing the same but I'm glad I'm not one of them. I've come to realize a certain trait of mine, perhaps even a talent that has proved to be rather useful, especially after that incident. I seem to have developed this talent or become aware of it only recently, though.
For the most part, I'm able to notice a rather slight change of expressions or peculiar movements, especially regarding one's eyes. It is commonly said that eyes are windows to our souls due to the recognition of varying emotions. But due to my lack of experience in genuine interactions without any deceit, I'm usually unable to determine specific reasons or causes.
In summary, I can tell how regular people are feeling at the moment by reading their expressions and eyes but am unable to determine why. I can only go as far as speculating if I'm unwilling to be straightforward and ask directly.
Phaidra has been fairly forthright from what I can tell and sincere. That's a major reason why I feel so comfortable casually talking with her. Of course, I could just be reading things wrong or she could be simply adept at deceiving others, which is certainly an option considering how skilled she is at acting.
But at this very moment, for a split second, I could sense deep solitude and anguish hidden in those seemingly ordinary eyes. What could cause such extreme emotions? I don't know and I don't plan to find out any time soon. What I do know is that she is being genuine in asking for my help. So this warning must be in my best interests.
"... Am I right to believe that you want me to prepare myself to kill?" I asked with slight reluctance.
"Indeed. Such is the case for countless people in Elara. It could range from all matters of monsters or beasts to humans of all ages. If you are unable to amass the necessary amount of strength to protect yourself, naturally you'd be unable to protect others as well. All that awaits such an individual is to become the dog of someone more powerful, someone more cruel." Phaidra responded without any lapse in her words.
"Me? Protect others? I find it hard to imagine."
Her words made sense. The law of the jungle has applied to humans across every generation, simply only changes in its manifestation. It'd be no different even in a world as beautiful as Elara. I would need to cultivate myself in more ways than one, tempering both body and mind accordingly. But for the sake of securing the safety of others? Why go to such lengths?
In reply, Phaidra's expression softened considerably. I recognized that but did I say something funny?
"You were unable to find something so precious to you in this lifetime but I assure you, that won't be the same going forward."
Phaidra smiled as if she knew her words would come true. Another sudden mood change. Quite drastic once again, but pleasant nonetheless.
"...If you say so."
She appears a few years younger than me but that's solely the appearance why. The knowledge and experience I have garnered, which aren't much, to begin with, are as small as an ant in front of her. I'm not skeptical of that but of my abilities and relations. They've been everything but welcome. It'd be difficult to change that so suddenly. I could only place my hopes on this second chance.
Anyways, the act of killing itself appears to be rather commonplace and necessary to survive in Elara. If I am to achieve my goal of a successful second life while lending my aid to resolve Phaidra's issues, I would need to train myself in preparation as early and efficiently as possible. How I would do such? I have no clue. I'll have to wait and see how things turn out before deciding.
"I still haven't given you a proper grasp of what I'm talking about. There's a limit to how much you can figure out from words alone, right? Experience is the best teacher as they say so what say you?" Phaidra suddenly stood up with enthusiasm as she extended her hand.
"What are you up to now?"
I took hold of that hand as I got up, taking in the scenery once again. It reminded me that this entire time, we were still up several hundred meters, sitting, standing, and chatting mid-air. She had blocked out all sounds at some point but as I got up, that changed.
The first thing I heard was a defeating roar in the distance. It made all my hairs stand on end as I covered my ears. For some reason, I was out of breath and couldn't breathe properly. Just with that, I was practically out of commission despite the evident distance from the source.
"What in the world... was that?!" I exclaimed amidst my struggling gasps for air.
It was obvious that it came from some abnormality of a monster such as the great dragon I first saw when I arrived. But I wasn't asking about that. The only thing that occurred in that instance was a dragon's roar reaching my ears. I'm not ill or severely injured on any part of my body at the moment either so my current condition couldn't be from that.
All signs point to that roar in the distance. But that begs the question, how could a mystical creature's roar from who knows how far disable me from even breathing properly?!
I was sweating buckets in mere moments since then and my vision was starting to cloud up. My mind was all jumbled and I couldn't think straight at all. It took everything I had just to manage thus far and even that wasn't enough to prevent my eventual collapse.
While my consciousness was beginning to fade into nothingness and I was sure death was approaching, suddenly, a hand was gently placed on my head. Following that I miraculously recovered. My breathing stabilized, and the constant shaking, headache, and sweat stopped. The weakness in my legs that were on the verge of crumbling was no longer as well as the ringing in my ears.
The only thing that didn't stop was my tears which reminded me that what just happened was indeed reality.
Despite my recovery, the symptoms were still vivid in my body and mind. I have no doubt they'll remain so for several years to come. Nothing short of traumatizing, even for a grown adult like myself.
"Have you come to?" Phaidra asked softly as she withdrew her hand
"Y-yes, somewhat. Thank you." She healed me of all my wounds and suffering once more. How she did it doesn't matter to me anymore, as long as the pain was no more.
"How was it." She asked mischievously.
"How was what?" I responded while struggling to pick myself up. After several attempts, I finally succeeded only to find Phaidra holding back her laughter.
"..."
"Sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh." She said that but did so anyways. Was my suffering that enjoyable? I didn't know she was like that.
"That was mana." Once she finished her bursts of laughter, she took a moment to wipe her tears before resolving my query.
"Mana?" I've come across the term before while reading some ancient and religious books. It's something along the lines of spiritual and supernatural power.
"That isn't exactly it but it works for now. Mana is the very essence of Elara, and many others at that. There are several terms for it but mana is the one most commonly used and referenced." Phaidra read my mind and responded.
"You'll learn about it in detail shortly but almost all lifeforms on Elara have mana. Their ability to utilize it is up to their talents, knowledge, and consistent practice but there are some special exceptions. Most importantly though is that by incorporating a certain degree of mana and taking into consideration other factors, one is able to, for example, enhance their physical capabilities or senses proportionally. As long as control and balance are maintained, this can be in effect for a few seconds up to several days on end" Phaidra explained briefly before giving me a moment to digest.
"...Since you said mana was the cause, does that mean the dragon's roar had mana in it?" I asked despite the doubts I had about my own question.
"Exactly. You're quick to catch on. Not only was a tremendous amount of mana contained in that attack, but it was also capable of rendering people paralyzed. Since your body is untrained and unprotected, it's only natural that it was especially effective despite losing most of its lethality across such distance." Phaidra remarked as I dwelled on her words.
"Such is the mysteries of Elara, the world you will soon enter!"