Becoming a wizard requires the essence of elements, a concept Arthur had never heard of and had no idea how it looked.
Parish, knowing Arthur's lack of understanding, had already decided to guide him onto the path of wizardry and naturally began explaining everything. Within the mirrored world, Parish casually flicked droplets of water into the air, shaping them into various models. Pointing to a spherical shape at the forefront, he said, "This represents the essence of metallic elements that I know of." As Arthur looked at the water-made sphere, it spread apart, revealing a molecular structure of interlinked small spheres. Parish continued, "The essence of metallic elements essentially uses its unique molecular structure to alter the human body. Not every piece of metal can achieve this transformation; identifying the right one is key."
Arthur instinctively reached out to touch the metallic sphere, but Parish waved his hand, and the sphere dissolved into mist. The next was a double helix structure spiraling upward. "This is the structure of wood elements. The water's form can't fully express its vitality, but you can see how it can transform human organs or meridians into something as vibrant as a plant."
Arthur was entranced. As the essence of wood faded into mist, he eagerly looked at the next model. However, Parish didn't bother replicating it with water. "Fire, I'm not very familiar with. As for water, it doesn't have a fixed form. It's sensed biologically. The essence of water is, paradoxically, the easiest to find because it's everywhere, and yet, nowhere. Let me just show you earth elements."
Parish clasped his hands together, conjuring a small cube before Arthur. "Doesn't it look similar to the metallic element structure?" Arthur nodded, and Parish pushed his hands outward, causing the cube's outer layer to peel away, revealing another cube inside. "The essence of earth allows the human body to harmonize with nature. You might not understand it now, but once you encounter its essence and communicate with it, you'll grasp its meaning."
"As for air, I've mentioned it's the trickiest. Its essence, like water's, is sensed, but its adaptability and destructive power far surpass water." Parish manipulated the water into violent bursts, mimicking arcs of electricity.
"And this is lightning," he said, "the most ferocious of all attacking elements. Every wizardry I've seen using lightning results in large-scale devastation. Its essence is these ever-leaping arcs of electricity."
Arthur leaned in closer, and a water-made arc of electricity suddenly zapped his face. Night Hawk burst into laughter, only to aggravate his injured left shoulder and collapse back onto the sofa in pain. Outside the mirrored world, Cookie and the brown-skinned elf stared in confusion. To them, the trio appeared as indistinct shadows in the mist.
After the explanations, Parish slumped onto the red sofa beside Night Hawk, continuing to treat his injuries. "In reality, there's no stronger or weaker element. A wizard's strength lies in their comprehension and communication with their element. Take me, for instance. You could ask me to use water elements to sever Night Hawk's left arm, and I couldn't. But that wind-element wizard you mentioned? He couldn't heal himself either. Each element has its own specialties. No matter which essence you encounter, you must learn to appreciate nature's gift."
"So, what I want to know is, how do these essences appear?"
Parish crossed one leg over the other. "Wait. Wait for nature to show mercy, or... kill a wizard."
Arthur inhaled sharply. As Parish uttered those words, Arthur felt a wave of killing intent—the same chilling aura Parish had emitted four years ago when facing the Enforcers. Beneath his gentle demeanor lurked a heart steeped in violence.
"Stop scaring the boy. If you've got the guts, go scare that wind wizard for me and avenge my arm," Night Hawk teased, slapping Parish on the back, causing him to wobble. The suffocating pressure on Arthur lightened considerably. Parish quickly resumed his smile. "Actually, I have an essence on me. I got it from an old friend."
Parish's expression darkened as he recalled a traitorous wizard from his team kneeling and begging for his life. "I'd planned to return it to nature, but since you're interested, I'll gift it to you. Consider it the fee for using Elikrom's Fang."
Night Hawk laughed heartily. "You actually found the Hebraic treasure that the Human Alliance searched eleven years for? Impressive—I'd say it's worth losing an arm for!"
Ignoring Night Hawk, Parish pulled a small metal box from his pocket and tossed it carelessly to Arthur. Fumbling, Arthur caught it but immediately felt a numbing jolt through his fingers, causing him to drop it.
"What is this?" Arthur asked, grimacing and clutching his numbed hand, already guessing which element it might contain.
"The essence of lightning. I suggest you use it now. This is the mirrored world, which can mitigate some of the energy leakage. I can't touch it directly—wizards can't interact with another element's essence. If two elements clash within a body..." Parish flicked a water projectile at the metal box, and currents of electricity erupted around it. "This happens. The conflict would cause a wizard's body to collapse. Don't bother asking what 'collapse' means. You don't need to know yet." Parish returned his focus to treating Night Hawk, offering no hints on how to use the essence.
Arthur cautiously prodded the box on the ground. Seeing faint arcs of electricity flicker across its surface, he quickly opened the latch and withdrew his hand, wary of another shock. Inside was a dazzling orb of light. The moment the box opened, the orb exploded outward, releasing dozens of arcs that scorched the ground with blackened marks.
Arthur retreated a few steps, afraid of being struck. He thought the arcs were temporary, but to his alarm, more erupted as time passed, threatening to reach Parish and Night Hawk. Seeing Parish ignoring him, Arthur decided to close the box to prevent further interference.
As he carefully reached for the box amidst the chaos, the orb seemed to recognize his intent, leaping onto his hand. A surge of violent electricity engulfed Arthur's body, charring him to a crisp before he could scream. Hair standing on end, he crashed into the mirrored water wall. Parish, having anticipated this, had already softened the wall and neutralized its conductive properties, preventing Arthur from frying himself completely.
Arthur lay twitching on the ground, covered in burns and glowing faintly with residual electricity. Night Hawk crouched by Arthur's still body and checked for a pulse. Confirming that Arthur was alive, he wrinkled his nose at the smell of charred flesh and asked Parish, "Why didn't you warn him about the risks? Only one in ten people survives an elemental baptism."
"Would he have hesitated if I had? I don't have time to linger in Brighton City," Parish replied. He had stopped treating Night Hawk long ago, keeping his full attention on Arthur.
"You're that eager to make him a wizard?" Night Hawk sounded surprisingly empathetic.
Snapping his fingers, Parish smiled coldly.
"Because his name is Hebrew. He carries the blood of Hebrew. Arthur Hebrew is destined to become a wizard and bear the fate of wizardry."