'Master my magic?' Charlotte's thoughts raced as her gaze met Thanatos'. His words echoed in her mind, a cryptic promise that sent a shiver of intrigue down her spine.
As if sensing her confusion, Thanatos spoke. "I'm sure you're confused by what I said. So, we'll start by teaching you…basic alchemy."
Charlotte raised her brows in surprise, the mention of alchemy piquing her curiosity. "Alchemy? But I thought that was just a myth."
"Not a myth, but a legend," Thanatos clarified, his tone serious and steady.
Charlotte's brow furrowed, her curiosity mounting. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice a mix of confusion and interest.
"Once upon a time in this world, alchemy was a common skill that many people could perform," Thanatos explained.
"Long ago, it was part of everyday life, used for everything from medicine to magic," he continued.
"But all that changed with the rise of spellcasting."
Thanatos shook his head. "People began to view alchemy as ineffective, turning their focus to spells for daily tasks. As a result, the art of alchemy was abandoned, and the knowledge of its power lost to the ages."
His voice was a low murmur, the weight of his words heavy in the silent chamber.
"However, the power of alchemy is not gone. It merely lies dormant, waiting to be rediscovered."
He chuckled before continuing. "Spellcasting in this world has a major flaw," Thanatos declared, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air.
Charlotte cocked her head to the side, her curiosity evident. "What is it?" she asked.
Thanatos' lips curved into a knowing smile. "Incantations," he said simply.
Charlotte's brow furrowed, confusion clouding her features. In her mind, she could not fathom how magic could be used without incantations.
Thanatos could sense her confusion, his smile deepening. "Incantations are a crutch," he explained.
"A way for ordinary humans to access the raw power of magic. But true mastery of magic doesn't rely on incantations. It requires an understanding of the fundamental forces at play."
Charlotte listened intently, her expression shifting from confusion to intrigue as the promise of this ancient art captured her imagination.
"The key," Thanatos continued, "is to channel the mana within yourself without relying on words."
And with that, the montage began.
Thanatos' lessons in alchemy were a whirlwind of discovery for Charlotte.
He explained to her how to create elixirs that could improve her magic power, cure ailments, and even enhance certain spells.
She listened intently with wide eyes as Thanatos taught her to combine monster parts, mystical herbs, and even fragments of the environment to create these potent brews.
She listened with keen interest, her magic responding to his guidance with newfound strength.
Time passed in a blur as Thanatos revealed the secrets of alchemy to Charlotte.
Under his tutelage, she learned the art of mixing and matching, of understanding the properties of each ingredient and how to combine them to create powerful effects.
She began to view the world with new eyes, no longer seeing just the everyday objects but the latent potential within them.
Thanatos tutored Charlotte in the subtleties of magic, showing her how incantations were not just unnecessary, but a hindrance to true mastery.
He explained how to cast spells through focused intent, weaving mana into precise shapes and structures without relying on words.
Under his guidance, she found that she could cast faster, weaving the strands of magic with the speed of thought.
Spells that once took long incantations to summon now formed with a mere thought, her control over magic growing with every passing minute.
Despite his mastery of alchemy and magic theory, Thanatos was no mage.
And though the boss room offered a myriad of unusual ingredients, their options were limited by the confines of the chamber.
Still, Charlotte's progress was remarkable. Though he could not demonstrate every aspect of alchemy, Thanatos' tutelage laid the foundation for her understanding.
She had become adept at sensing the magicules within objects, those tiny building blocks of magic, and began to grasp the true potential of the power within her.
Yet, even in the absence of his ability to show her, he held faith in her potential. Perhaps in time, she would discover how to maximize her magic power on her own.
Thanatos' mind drifted to the possibilities. He could envision her spells laced with magicules, their potency and lethality would increase beyond anything she could achieve without this understanding.
This was something he wanted to try for himself too, but such a feat was beyond him.
While he could sense the magicules, his undead form prevented him from properly harnessing them for his own use.
He looked at Charlotte, hope and pride mingling within him.
She was the one who could make this knowledge her own, who could unlock the secrets of the magicules and harness their power.
Thanatos considered the nature of magic and the role of these elusive magicules.
Mana in this world flower like strings, and these strings flowed through the magicules in the environment.
To him, they were strings that he could pluck, tugging at their fabric to achieve the desired effect.
But for a living mage like Charlotte, the possibilities were far greater.
'She, and other mages…have the ability to manipulate the threads of magic, weaving them into complex patterns with each spell she casts. If only I had that same capacity,' he thought, a tinge of longing in his silent musings.
Thanatos' thoughts lingered on the potential of becoming a hybrid warrior-mage, an undead with the capacity to manipulate magic like his living counterparts.
'In time, perhaps,' he mused, his crimson gaze fixed on the cavern ceiling.
'As I continue to evolve, to grow in power, I may yet gain the ability to weave magic as Charlotte and other mages do.'
For now, though, patience was the order of the day.
Evolution would come in due time, he just had to be patient.
Thanatos' silent contemplation of his purpose settled on a singular, resolute conclusion: Charlotte's growth was essential.
'I cannot carry her alone,' he mused. 'She must become strong enough to fight by my side, to defend herself in the moments when I am unable.'
Her well-being was a core concern for him, and he knew that the dangers they would face would only grow more perilous.
Teaching her these new skills was not only to make her his ally, but to ensure her survival in this unforgiving world.