After an invigorating session of playful splashing and wrestling with Fluffy in the crystal-clear waters of the lake, Ryan decided it was time to leave its refreshing embrace. Emerging from the water, droplets cascading from his glistening form, he turned his attention to the set of dry clothes Elora had thoughtfully prepared for him.
Slightly flustered by his presence, the elf, respecting Ryan's privacy, momentarily turned away. Once it sounded like Ryan had finished changing, she gracefully pivoted back to face him. To his surprise, the attire she had crafted for him was remarkably conventional, prompting him to inquire about its origins.
"How did you make these?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"Trade secret," she responded, allowing Ryan's imagination to run wild, before signalling for Fluffy to head off.
Internally, he pondered, 'Do elves have some kind of silk-producing capability, like silkworms or certain spiders? But these clothes don't feel like silk. Maybe they're more like sheep...'
Realising he wouldn't uncover the secret so easily, he quickly donned the freshly crafted garments, their material soft against his skin. He then moved to catch up with Fluffy and Elora, who were already on their way back to the cabin. Concerned about getting lost in the vast, tangled forest, he called out, "Wait for me!" as he hastened to rejoin them.
Then, upon their arrival back at the cosy cabin, Elora gestured for Ryan to take a seat. He obliged and settled into a rustic wooden chair, his curiosity brimming as he awaited what came next.
But it didn't take long before she embarked on an intellectual ambush, inundating him with a barrage of information and critique about his mana utilisation and magic. Her insights, filtered through her astute Elven perspective, offered a wealth of knowledge, and her words carried a mix of gentle guidance and pointed observation.
And that's how it suddenly began.
Ryan's intense training with Elora and Fluffy, which ended up lasting an entire 2 weeks...
-
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye, and for Ryan, these were days teeming with a relentless cycle of training, nourishment, and slumber. The routine had etched itself into his daily life like the rhythm of a heart, and it dictated every breath he took.
Days blurred together as he traversed the diverse landscapes of learning, with each moment accounted for. Whether it was the sweat-soaked toil of physical training or the exhilaration of sparring against Elora and Fluffy, the relentless pursuit of magical mastery consumed his very existence. It was Magic Training, Independent Training, Physical Training, and Sparring, a ceaseless kaleidoscope of progression.
His every conscious second seemed dedicated to the pursuit of growth and enlightenment. The journey was nothing short of captivating, but the rigours of ceaseless advancement left his body and mind aching under the weight of fatigue. Those 14 days of unswerving devotion left him feeling utterly drained.
Yet, the harvest of his labour was striking, nearly alarming to Elora, who had never imagined that such rapid progress was even possible. Meanwhile, with her own life echoing the very same cadence of discipline, she benefited from instructing Ryan and engaging in friendly duels with him. It became evident that the young mage would swiftly surpass her if she failed to keep pace with his meteoric growth.
Together, they embarked on a journey through the myriad domains of magic. From Spatial Magic to Combat Magic, Elven Magic, and the intricacies of the enigmatic Mana Ring, Ryan proved himself a formidable and adaptable learner. He melded his innate abilities with his new insights, often with a grin and a hint of jest.
"I don't need a connection to any World Tree. After all, I am the Mana Lord. Even the Great One approved of the name," he'd tease, a hint of pride dancing in his voice, even though the mention of Odus left him feeling somewhat disconcerted.
He pressed onward, his skills maturing, his command over Spatial Magic becoming more intuitive, and his manipulation of mana evolving to include diverse shapes and forms. Despite the remarkable growth, he remained keenly aware of the chasm that separated him from the likes of the Warlock, Wayde, and the formidable Elora. Their vast capabilities still transcended his own, and he aspired to surpass them one day.
But before that, he wanted to gauge just how capable he really was...
-
In the quest to assess his current magical prowess, if he had to affix a label, Ryan would confidently place himself in the echelon of a Master Mage, especially when it came to the sheer volume of mana he could harness and wield with an air of comfort. This marked his progression to a realm similar to that of a Great Beast, akin to Fluffy's remarkable evolution.
And from what he understood, here is how it worked: Mana Cores, as well as mana itself, have different hues that mysteriously follow the wavelengths of light - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.
Mages and Beasts are ranked as follows:
Red to Orange Mana Core - Novice Mage / Mundane Beast
Yellow to Green Mana Core - Adept Mage / Enhanced Beast
Blue to Indigo Mana Core - Master Mage / Great Beast
Violet Mana Core - Archmage / Mythic Beast
Ryan being able to harness mana similar to that of a Master Mage was a remarkable accomplishment, especially considering the relatively brief period in which he had discovered the existence of mana.
He could also strain himself further to draw in even more mana and unleash even more raw power.
Nonetheless, Ryan acknowledged the vast disparities among Mages of the same rank, recognising that among Master Mages, his mastery likely hovered at the bottom, overshadowed by veterans of the craft.
Raw mana output also wasn't all there was to a magic battle.
He pondered this in comparison to Wayde, a fellow Master Mage, who was one of the only individuals he had to compare to. While the raw might of their mana output might prove comparable, the chasm between their skill, versatility, and combat proficiency was a gulf of its own.
On the bright side, he skipped being a Novice and Adept Level Mage.
'My constitution really is OP,' he couldn't help but think to himself before falling to the ground from sheer fatigue after his final spar against both Fluffy and Elora...