It's been few days since Andri stays in our house, and much to my surprise, he looks comfortable staying here.
Albeit, he looks too comfortable.
I don't mind of his presence, and god damn, he's so cuddly! He loves getting hugs and I didn't help by continue to hugs him.
I always love fluffy animals, it's the only thing that comforts me when I was not okay. I guess that my love towards them carried even in my next life.
Andri is a great help in helping with my mana control. Due to his direct connection towards the source of all magic, being a spirit and all, he knows what did I do wrong.
Thanks to him, I manage to successfully to perform manakinesis better than before, albeit that it's still have ups and downs. He told me that I shouldn't force to control it, but guide it instead.
I was at first confused at the advice, but apparently, mana isn't something you force to submit to your will, but we suppose to act as a guide for the mana itself.
That explains why its much easier to use mana subconsciously, as our body knows how to guide mana, but our mind think otherwise, hence the reason why learning how to control our mana output is hard.
I guess that my belief of spirits being a being best in using magic isn't Farfetch'd at all, no matter how young they are.
Even so, despite knowing all of this, sometimes I failed to do so. I guess that changing their own mindsets are easier said than done.
"Come on, Matt! You can do it!" I sigh before smiled at Andri who excitedly shaking like a leaf. I decided to give it a go again, try to control-I mean, guide my mana from my body into the orbs.
I still need more training before I stop thinking about forcefully controls the mana.
Thankfully, I manage to do it as two orbs starts to flying around my palm while rotating around each other. I notice the movements are still a bit unstable but compare to before, it's much smooter.
"Still needs more training, but other than that, great job! I'm amazed at the improvements you made in such short time!" I can't help but smiled at this little guy's cheery attitude. It's so infectious.
"It's thanks to you and mom that I'm able to progress this much." Mom told a lot of theories that help me with my speculations while Andri confirms and debunks my speculations. So, yeah.
"Thank me by giving more 'scritches'." I can't help but snort at Andri's attempt of using my world's butchered words. No one will convince me that scritches isn't a butchered words, even though its funny. I simply complied to his words as he purrs blissfully. "Ah, yes, more....."
"Matt, it's breakfast time." Mom enters the room before looking at the table. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long, mom." I reply to her before grabbing Andri with my arm. "Just trying to learn how to control my output again."
"Please don't overdo it, Matt. I know you love magic, but don't go too far." I simply nodded while showing mom Andri.
"No worries, Andri will help me keep in line." As I said that, Andri nodded while sticking his tongue out, making mom chuckles.
"Alright, now go take a warm bath, Matt. Winter is slowly approaching." As mom said that, Andri look towards the window. I did it too and surely enough, snow starts to fall from the sky slowly. "Yeah, a warm bath is necessary."
Later
"Mom, is that suppose to be warm!? It's as hot as my first time using fire spell!" I can't help but yell in disbelief. Why is the bath so hot!?!
"Sorry, Matt." Mom chuckles as she helps dry me up before using wind magic to cool me down. I sigh as cool breeze hits my body. "At least you react better than Andri."
"Ma'am, no offense. But, I'll melt if that so-called warm water hits my body." Andri deadpanned at her as mom looks sheepish.
"Sorry, I never meet one of the season spirit in my life and grandpa never exactly did a lot of research due to how hard it is to find them." This information perk my interest. Soul Hunters hunting down spirits, mom looks shaking.
So, adding another theory that Soul Hunters are human that hunts down spirits for profit. I mean if it's hard to find, then it must cost fortunes. Human loves to give high prices for rare shits.
"I can't blame you. I rarely interacts with human until now. Especially, those Spirit Hunters blend with one of them." Okay, not even a minute and Andri confirms my theory.
"I see. Well, if you want, you can stay here as long as you like." Mom suggested.
"Thanks, but it'll be better if I didn't stay for long. I rather not want to attract the hunters." Andri looks away nervously. I guess if there's a bastard trying to hunt you, you tend to be nervous.
"Not to worry, our village consists of people who can push those hunters away." I perked up at hearing this. "In fact, several former adventurers decided to live here." Okay, that's new.
"Okay...." Andri still nervous, but he looks more relaxed than before.
"Alright, let's get you two some breakfast." Apparently, spirits can still eat food. I still don't understand how, but it does.
I simply summarise it as 'magic'.
After breakfast, Andri and I decided to continue with the magic training. This time, Andri will teach me more about ice magic.
"Since your control is now better, I think you're good enough to do the next steps. To do this, I need you to try to do the same thing as before, but this time, try to create an ice that won't melt."
I'm sorry, what?
"A never-melt ice, it's one of the first thing you need to learn how to create before focusing more on ice magic. It'll greatly help with your spells, especially with how easy ice magic countered by fire magic." Andri stated while summons an ice crystal. "A demonstration. Try to melt it with your flames."
I use Ignicullus before let it touch the ice. I amped up my mana and much to my surprise, the ice didn't melt.
"You can see how much of a help it is, right?" I simply nodded. "If you can create a never-melt ice subconsciously, every ice spells you create will automatically use a never-melt ice."
"How can I do it?" I know there's ice that never melt. But the question is, how?
"I want you to compress the water vapour as hard as you can before you froze it. And don't forget to imbue it with mana. If you manage to coat the ice with mana inside out, heat won't be able to touch the ice." That may work, but there's a problem.
"But, we can't sustain mana forever. The ice will melt." I point out as Andri chuckles.
"I didn't expect you to hold it forever. Just enough to stay for a short amount of time. It's your first try, after all." I guess that make sense.
"Why is it call never-melt ice then?" The oxymoron is very obvious that it sounds dumb.
"Because of you master this, you'll eventually created one." I'm sorry, what?! "Now, enough talk, try it!" I guess I won't get the answers even if I asked.
Okay, now let's see... freeze the water vapour around the air.....then coat it with mana.
I blinked as instead of an ice, I got a drop of water.
".....I forgot to tell you, try not to change the mana into different type of energy or else the ice melts instantly." Easier said than done. Okay, let's try it again.
I kept trying to do it over and over again, only results with a puddle on a floor. After an umpteenth time, I finally manage to create an ice with the size of the orb I used for my mana training.
.....I swear, this orb really haunted my mind.
"Hmmm...." Andri looks at the ice. "Try to use your fire." I follow his request. The ice only holds for 10 seconds before it melts.
".....needs more training." This is gonna be sucks.
To be continued