Back at the large training hall, Daniela crouched over catching her breath.
"The pathway keeps disrupting after circulation. Whenever I flow it into the pericardium, it fails," Daniela slightly pouted.
"It's alright," Wyge comforted Daniela.
"Being a semi one-star and still can't form a build, that is not alright."
"It's not exactly your fault princess. Your vast quantity is the problem, it keeps disrupting the flow, even if you were to try to slow down the abrupt descent by thinking of the dam, there is too much mana."
"What do I do now?"
"This is a more basic build and pretty much useless without a large reservoir of mana but the principle is easier than the current one," Wyge replied as she tapped on her Vördr and another hologram manifested.
"Isn't this way too basic?" Daniela asked.
"It is, but that's why it is going to be easier."
"Alright I'll try it," Daniela said as she sat down her back straightened, placing her hands in front of her abdomen, interlacing her fingers and crossing the thumbs and forming a circular shape.
The idea is a triple infinity loop. Unlike the other build where it was formulated and planned, I just have to form a loop from my Dan Tian to my chest and close the loop at my brain and let the energy spin around.
Huff, she tried again, taking in one deep breath, before concentrating. This time the mana flow was smoother because of experience she had obtained from earlier trial and error. The mana erupted but she stayed focused, letting the mana form the first arc around her Dan Tian all the way up to the heart, and around the brain, making another arc and bringing it all back to form a perfect triple loop.
"I did it!" Daniela sprang up.
"The build should be perfect for the moment, but please continue building smaller pathways or the build might end up permanent and any other form of circulation can fail."
"I'll try, but now teach me how to cast spells." Where's Gabriel?
"Already? Aren't you tired?" Wyge asked out of concern.
"Um, no. Was that supposed to be tiring?" Nothing is tiring compared to the work I had to do back on earth.
...
"What were the three steps of spellcasting?" Wyge asked.
"Input, processing and output."
"Alright and what was the elemental triad?"
"Essence, property and resonance."
"I'll show you a basic spell," Wyge said as she placed her hands forwards and concentrated. Blue energy began flowing out of her and coalesced into a sphere. She flicked her palms and the sphere shot forward striking a dummy, exploding.
"That's easy."
Wyge shot her a look.
"That's easy, right?"
_________________________
"You can see him?" Jack asked.
Hailee pointed at her hazel eyes, slightly glowing, "I can see into a realm beyond this world, aside from that, every Sovereign has a powerful presence."
"This guy's a Sovereign?"
"He is."
"You hear that?" Jack asked the Count who was floating behind him.
"Animic eyes," the Count spoke as he manifested in front of Hailee. "Where I come from, such a skill is one-in-a-million."
In a moment an aura enveloped Hailee as a female figure partially manifested out of her shadow trying to push the Count.
"Queen, he's not a threat," Hailee said. The aura around her went down as soon as she spoke.
"A Sovereign, Hm, you are quite the powerful animancer," the Count commented.
"Where did you get this spirit?" Hailee asked.
"I don't know, he's always been there," Jack replied.
"That's an interesting case, I've been doing research on spirits for a long time and such cases are rare. Can you help me with this later?"
"Sure, I mean it's the least I could do."
"Shall I show you around the campus?"
"Alright."
"Why are you so stiff BIG GUY?"
Jack groaned in embarrassment, "Why does everyone keep referring to me like that?"
"Hmm? You're big?"
"Just stop."
"You're still easy to tease."
"And everyone's having a bit too much fun with it."
"That's the point."
"Not for me."
"Then loosen up a bit, I'm here," Hailee spoke as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
...
Hailee noticed Jack was still nervous, asked him, "What stage are you at?"
"Sixth-star."
"Sixth-star!? When did you get that far?"
"Two years ago, after all the events I was able to breakthrough."
"I've been stuck at the fourth-star for some time."
"I can help you if you want."
"Thanks but I'm close and I'd like to do it myself."
...
"I'm sorry, I feel like my apology isn't eno—"
"Shhh," Hailee placed her index finger on his lips, telling him to stop. "You're here now. I'm sorry if I made you feel bad but that was not my intention."
...
"Show me around," Jack replied.
"You're still not relaxed."
"I'm sorry it's..." Jack paused, his fists clenching, "I never stopped for a moment to think of you, and now that I'm here and you're offering me something like this, I can't afford to take when I never gave you anything."
"You never gave me anything?" Hailee lets out a small lifeless chuckle. "Are you stupid?"
"Huh?" Jack grunted in confusion, his face tinted with fear.
"Do you really believe that?"
Jack stood there, silent, unable to form the words, the guilt of having left his only family gnawed at him.
"That's not who you are. Are you really the same Jon? The one I remember never gave up even when his family decided to send him off to death."
"But I—"
"No. Is this all the resolve you have?" Hailee asked.
Just then a man who was walking by noticed the duo. Seeing Hailee he decided to pop in and say hello, but to his horror he noticed a familiar face, one he could never forget.
"Brother? Is that you?" the man asked.
_________________________
"Every spell follows the same basis, input, processing and output. By using incantations, handsigns and visual imagery, mana gives life to our imagination resulting in what we call spells," Wyge explained.
"Aurelios Burst, I could use it with just incantation, why?"
"Such a low level spell can be activated solely based on the casters emotional state," Wyge said, a faint glow emanating atop her palm. "I can activate such a spell without incantation."
"Can you do the same with other spells as well?"
"Specific ones, not all of them but at that stage incantations and handsigns can be cut down by a lot based on understanding."
"Should I try the spell you showcased earlier?"
"Yes, Basic spell: Mana Bullet. Although it may seem simple, many of the projectile based spells are a derivation or an advanced form of Mana Bullet."
"Can I try it?"
"Go ahead, and remember, if you feel the output is going out of control—"
Daniela completed her sentence, "Release it before it gets out of hand, got it."
"Proceed."
"Mana, flow and move, coalesce and amalgamate," Daniela chanted as a small sphere of mana formed above her extended palm, barely the size of a tennis ball. 'Imagine a big bright blue bal—, blue sphere.'
"Basic Spell: Mana Bullet," Daniela completed the incantation, flicking her wrist towards a dummy. The sphere shot forward, striking the dummy at the center and disappearing with a small impact.
"That was great princess, would you like to try it once more?"
"Can I increase the output?"
"If you can. Maybe try it once more with the same force as now."
"Alright."
Daniela began chanting once more, "Mana, flow and move, coalesce and amalgamate. Basic Spell: Mana Bullet."
The bullet shot straight at the dummy, striking it and disappearing yet again.
"Let's try increasing the output," Wyge said.
"I just have to increase the amount of mana that went into this, right?"
"Try it with a handsign, maybe one for stability."
"Stability?" Daniela rubbed her chin as she tried to remember the handsigns from Daniela's memory. Handsigns, there sure are a lot. This one seems perfect.
She extended her left hand and connected the tip of her thumb with the index finger while keeping the rest of the fingers straight up.
"Mana, flow and move, coalesce and amalgamate. Basic Spell: Mana Bullet," Daniela chanted as pointed her hand towards the dummy once more.
The bullet that formed was several times bigger than earlier, almost the size of a person's head but more than that, the mana had completely formed a sphere that was stable, the energy stationary without much fluctuation.
She flicked her hands and the sphere shot forward much faster than earlier, tearing through the air and crashing against the dummy in a deafening blow.
Yet the dummy remained unharmed, mainly because it was made to withstand much larger and stronger impacts. The training dummies in the facility were powerful and could withstand several blows. The spells Daniela used were much weaker compared to strikes the dummy usually tanked on a normal basis.
"That was much stronger princess, not bad. Maybe enough for the day?"
"Enough? But I'm not even that tired. Besides I'm a bit backward compared to everyone else at the academy."
"Wasn't princess pretty uninterested in magic? Why the sudden change of thoughts now?"
"I felt like learning it. I have the means and the talents necessary, why waste it?"
"Hm, that is a good way of thinking. Maybe let's try applying an elemental property on the next one but take a five minute break or you'll get hit with feedback."
"Alright, I will," Daniela said, walking towards one of the benches.
All because this bitch wouldn't learn magic, at least she knows the theories, Daniela sat down. This training facility looks cool, the white walls with lights that seemingly blend into the walls, the glass that separates this room from the other sections. This is giving me chills.
Never in my wildest dreams have I thought of seeing this in real life, it's not a dream anymore, I'm really here.
I could have lived a peaceful life without bothering to join in the main story, but things are going to get way too screwed up.
Daniela—no, Rose could have lived her life in peace, after all she did not have any obligation to save anyone but that would make her less human, and that scared her.
Why am I doing this?
Maybe the thought of seeing people die in real life or the thought of seeing people die when she knew she could have saved them.
It doesn't matter, I have to help everyone and I'm already doing it.
For someone like her who had pushed through life staring at characters through a mobile screen, live their life or die trying, she could do nothing but admire them.
I already saved Jonathan, well not yet but I won't let him fall into that path once more.
Rose could remember the chapters, her memory clear as ever, the grim panels covered in blood everywhere, characters—no people who she adorned die off one by one.
Maybe this was life granting my wishes, my wishes of wanting to save the characters I saw die.
"Siste—"
"Gaah," Daniela yelled in fear.
"Aaah," Gabriel screaming back.
"What was that?" Daniela asked.
"I was just trying to talk to you, sister, since you were lost in deep thought," Gabriel explained.
"Sorry, I was just startled."
"It's alright, so how is your training?"
"It's alright, I'm about to try something new."
"Something new?"
_________________________
"Brother? Is that you?" the man asked, frozen in shock.
"Elias?" Jack was shaken by the man in front of him.
Hailee took a step back, Oh no, he was already pretty down from what I told him, will he be alright?
"I heard you were joining, but I didn't expect t—" Elias's words were cut off when Jack grasped him tightly.
"Elias," Jack's eyes welling up in tears. He couldn't hold it in anymore.
"I'm sorry," Elias said, as he patted him on his back.
"No, I'm sorry," Jack sobbed, his tears falling nonstop, "for all those things I said back then, I shouldn't sob have said those things, sob I'm sorry, I was..."
"No brother, do not apologize, it was my fault after all, I..." Elias said, his expression unreadable, "you don't have anything to apologize for brother."
"But I—" Jack was once again cut off by Elias.
"No, you had every right to be angry, because of me you were forced to go, if it weren't for me you could have lived out peacefully, if it weren't for me grandpa never would have told father to send you."
"I missed you,' Jack replied, almost as if a weight had been lifted, "I missed you so much, I never realised how much I missed you until you weren't there."
"I've been thinking of that day," Elias said, his lips curling up for a smile, "but I'm glad I got to meet you today brother, I've been wanting to meet you for a long time you idiot, you know how long I waited."
"You sob you could have come to me."
"You think I can just invade like that?" After that day, I thought I had no right to talk to you without your permission, and after that you got into more trouble with elder brother."
He's been holding in so much, but... he's still the same Jonathan.
_________________________