Yesh Academy
Luna, Terra
Gaea Solar system
Milky way Galaxy, Charlie Sector
Neutral Free Zone
February 17th 2019
Weeks had passed by, and yet Sam had still not made any effort to progress her arcane skills. She still did not know what to do with the mass of energy she was always channeling into her soul core. And the system or whatever that blasted interface shit was, did not help or give her any clues as to what she should do. Sam read the book Emily had given her. She had finished reading it, though she had no clue as to what the rest of the information meant when she was still stuck in the prerequisite stage. All she had managed to do with the mass of energy was to use it to strengthen her body. A basic magic strengthening spell. She didn't need that not when she had mana enhancement from the Mystic arts which she was excellent at. Every day Sam would meditate, siphon Od from around her, and saturate her soul core, which also strengthened her Odic force. This was a daily routine she had done while she entered her soul realm to practice the martial arts that the system had given her. Sam was at high minor mastery of the martial arts as she had learned the second form of the martial arts. And yet, her progress with magic was stagnant. And what was worse...
"Yes, Henry, that's it," Emily said clapping her hands as Henry executed a perfect magical geometric formula that produced a gale of wind twisting around his palm. It seemed that Henry had a knack for magic to the point that he was the only one out of two students who had formed a second magic circle. He was now a second-circle Wizard. The other student to reach the second circle was Trynr. Trynr was a wonderful skilled Magic user, and it helped that she had the Magic crest of her family to boost her skills. The rest of the class was still within the first circle while Sam.... Sam didn't even want to think about it. Emily on the other hand was astonished by Henry's talent. While humans were the weakest of the Nine races, Emily knew that humanity was capable of adapting. They were able to adapt to any situation or environment by learning and growing from it. This growth had led to some of them producing what was known as Geniuses. Humans who were excellent in one field of occupation such as scientists, inventors, scholars, warriors, and wizardry. Most of the groundbreaking technological growth that the Federation had experienced came from the ingenuity of humanity. The Humans were welcomed within the Federation based on how much worth they brought to the Federation. Emily had seen it for herself. She studied Henry's Magic circle that he had manifested to cast the Tier two spell. Fire was an element of destruction as such most of its spells began with a Tier two incantation. Henry held a paint brush which he had used to manifest the circle with his mana. The use of items to aid in casting magic was a normal thing for Wizards, such as the use of wands, talismans, or staves. But a paintbrush. She had never seen such a thing before. It was unorthodox, to say the least. But if that was how he wanted to express himself, then it was all good. That was what magic was about anyway. A tool for one to express their will to the world. Emily turned to Trynr the other student who had made great progress. Though it was to be expected since she was in Inheritor, Emily was also caught off guard by her growth. She was both a Beastman and a Human, both races that sucked at magic, yet her skill was well above the average for even a Fae or an Elven. Her skills were obviously above that of Henry and it was thanks to the Magic crest and her innate talent. She moved to Sam, whose face was downcast. She had yet to figure out what to do with the mass of energy she had in her core. Even with the book telling her to condense the energy, and mold it into a star like the humans mold their mana into a circle within their body, Sam had no idea how to do it. Emily didn't blame her. Unlike the rest of her classmates, Sam was unfortunately or fortunately stuck with the largest collection of mana that blew even Emily's mind. She had felt the amount Sam would always convert whenever she siphoned Od from the Odyllic. The Mass was extraordinary. And because of that, Sam couldn't handle it. She would have to figure out a way to condense the energy, otherwise, she would not be able to use Magic.
Still though, that wasn't what impressed Emily abut Sam. It had been weeks since Emily began helping Sam with her lessons on controlling her Empathic abilities, and the result of it had surpassed her expectations. As she helped the students with their lessons, Emily thought back to her first day of training with Sam.
_
Sam was in the clearing where she had first trained with Emanu, within the nine Menhirs. She was here this time with Emily, the Pleiadian girl who was friends with Leon. Sam noticed the way Emily was dressed. She was dressed in a magenta colored suit, a white laced blouse with black heel shoes and her reddish-orange hair was long, braided into individual braids to a certain point, and then it was left to be loosely wavy. Everything about her was so chic and impressable, that Sam found herself being envious of the girl. Since Sam had entered the Academy, she had come across lots of beautiful people, but Sam couldn't help but note that Emily might be the most beautiful person she had come across. Her beauty outclassed even Leon's but because of the deadpan expression she always had, it dulled her beauty, that most people would barely notice it. But Sam did. Sam felt an itch to draw and paint Emily, realizing her potential in a career as a model. No, she would destroy all the models on this planet. Sam dismissed the idea of Emily becoming a model. She didn't wish for them to lose their self-confidence. Sam looked at the plain crème colored shirt and blue jeans she was wearing.
"Are you done comparing us," Emily said.
"Are you reading my mind," Sam said. Emily's eyes moved up and down over Sam's body. A part of her felt insulted by Sam's thought. The girl has no idea how she looks. That she would be the one putting those poor models out of their careers.
"Like I said, your mind is vulnerable to psychic intrusion," Emily said. "It's the reason we're here."
"It feels weird, being the one who's been read," Sam said brushing her left arm. "I've never wondered what it would be like if I was the one whose thoughts were left open for someone to peek into,"
"It's not a nice feeling," Emily said.
"No, it's not," Sam said.
"Well, that's why we're here. So don't worry about it," Emily said. "From what I've seen of your training with Emanu on Mana application, you've come a long way. Your foundation is a bit shaky since you skipped two realms to get to your current realm as an Adept, but you're adjusting nicely."
'Thanks," Sam said. Sam was still getting used to mastering her mana flow control and the first level of mana application, but she could feel the improvements in herself. She was getting stronger, and the feeling was incredible. Now, she was looking forward to this.
"Telepathy, which includes Empathic abilities falls under Internal sense manipulation which also falls under mental manipulation," Emily said. "Every Ascendant is capable of mental manipulation. It's not something one is taught but one innately understands how to perform as one climbs the path of ascension. But there are cases like yours when you naturally possess empathic abilities without cultivating it. It is part of your innate ability," Sam remembered something from her status window, something about ability factors and unique techniques. She remembered that one of her unique techniques was called Música conductor, an ability that allowed her to peer into the wavelength of one's soul. She mentioned this to Emily, who looked at Sam with an astonished expression. For the first time, Sam saw a change in her expression. It was a little bit stunning.
"You can peer into the wavelength of one's soul," Emily said. She was astounded to learn that the girl in front of her possessed some soul related ability. "How...describe to me how your emotion sensory skill work,"
"I...I don't know how to describe it." Sam said as she thought about it. She remembered how she had influenced everyone's emotions back in the Echo field. How had she done it? It was simple. By singing. Sam had sung the nursery rhymes that her father and Aunt Stella had sung to her as a kid, and it had helped to stabilize her emotions and those of the others. Music had always been a soothing balm to Sam whenever she was faced with a breaking point. Sam explained her thoughts to Emily, telling her how she had taken control and influenced people's emotions through her song.
"So you use music as a medium to manipulate the emotions of others," Emily said. "It's an amazing skill, though I believe it's just an aspect of your true ability factor." Ability factor. This was an innate skill that only Ascendant mystics could possess, a factor that was part of their very essence that made them who they were. While many may possess the same Ability factor, how it is utilized or applied to reality varies based on the worldview and perspective of the individual, and the process of bringing said ability into the world is known as the Unique technique. From what Sam had told Emily, she had realized that the Música conductor's unique technique was partially a passive skill that allowed Sam to peer into the souls of others and the information she got from it came in the form of emotions. She can then manipulate or influence the said information through music. "A dangerous skill indeed."
"This is why you need this lesson," Emily said. "Soul-related abilities are very dangerous and life-threatening if not handled properly."
"What?" Sam said in surprise.
"Don't worry. Once you master mental manipulation, you won't be in any danger," Emily said bluntly. "Mental energy, or Odic force is the power of our mind. It is the energy that makes up our Soul realm, the metaphysical landscape that is within our mind. By using Odic force, we can project part of our consciousness beyond our body as Internal sense-"
"If we're projecting outside our body, then isn't it external," Sam said.
"No. We have our physical senses which belong to the physical body. Our Internal senses are a part of our Internal self which is connected to our soul. Internal senses are what allow us to be able to communicate mentally. To be able to perceive the thoughts and memories of others. Of course, to be able to do this requires more Odic force than it is required to just perceive the external stimulus around us." Emily said. "Watch and observe," Emily stimulated her Odic force, focusing her Internal sight on Sam. Her vision tunneled in on Sam's mana flow as it ran smoothly inside her mana pathways, the way it moved through the mana nodes that allowed for passage and regulation. She observed her blood circulation system and then her cells which played a part in producing her vitality-the essential building block of life. As Emily's Internal sight settled on Sam, Sam felt something brush up against her, something that made Sam feel like she was naked before it.
"Did you feel that," Emily said.
"Yeah, that was not a good feeling," Sam said.
"If I wanted, I could have transmitted my senses into your mind, and I would be able to observe every thoughts and feelings you've ever had," Emily said. "Of course doing such a thing as entering your mind with my Internal senses also leaves me vulnerable,"
"Vulnerable,"
"Well, let's say if I were to go inside your mind, and you were able to overwhelm the Odic force that I use to enter your thoughts, you would be able to trace the point of origin from where the foreign force originated from and-"
"I would be able to take control of your mind," Sam said.
"Exactly. I've come across so many Mystical beasts and Abominations that have mental abilities, able to deal mental damage and take control of one's mind. This is why it is important to be able to protect your mind from outside interference."
"So how do I protect my mind," Sam said. She didn't want anything that could invade and control her through her mind.
"Mental ward. A mental Barrier that protects your Internal stimulus from outside influence." Emily said. "A mental barrier is a complex structure of Odic force and mana that blocks outside signals. And to form this structure, we must use Counterflow."
"Counterflow," Sam said.
"Counterflow allows you to reverse the flow of mana within your pathway, directing the flow opposite its natural path," Emily said. "Of course, this does not apply to all the mana in your system, but mainly around your cerebral cortex in your brain," Emily said. The mana pathway was a complex network of nerves that instead of carrying electrical impulses, carried mana through the other complex networks in the body such as the blood circulatory system and the nervous system. As such it was possible for mana to flow within the nerves that connected to the brain. It was this mana flow within the brain and the Odic force, the Internal strength of one's Internal self, that allowed for the barrier to ward off one's mind. Manipulating the flow of mana within the brain was a dangerous process that required delicate and precise mana control. Something that took years of hard work and practice. It wasn't something that Ascendants in the Novice, Acolyte, and Adept realm could manage. But Emily wanted to see if Sam could manage it.
"Observe me with your Internal sight," Emily said. Sam nodded and activated her Internal sight, extending her vision to see Emily's mana pathways, focusing on the mana flow within her brain. She observed how the mana flowed delicately with precise movements, infusing within the cerebral cortex, and strengthening the neurons that were located in there. "Try and see if you can feel my emotions," I can't feel anything. Sam had already tried to sense Emily's emotions but she got nothing from her. It was like Emanu, Adonis and the others. All she felt was a blank space where their emotions were supposed to be.
"Good. Now I'm going to help stimulate the mana flow in your cortex, show you how to perform the process and you can take it from there," Emily said. "Do you mind,"
"Sure," Sam said, giving her permission to channel her mana into Sam. It was exactly as how Emanu had guided Sam in learning the proper mana flow, but instead it was mostly within her brain. Sam felt Emily's cold mana with it's icy qualities like her expressions pushed softly against her own mana, making it flow in the opposite direction. She made sure to pay attention to how her mana moved counterclockwise, memorizing the feeling. It didn't take long before Emily withdrew her own mana, leaving Sam to do the work herself. And like that, Sam began to circulate her mana by herself. At first she stumbled, trying to adjust the proper flow speed, but soon her control over it stabilized, surprising the hell out of Emily. Again, for the second time there was a glimpse of emotion other than her usual stoic expression on Emily's face but this time Sam didn't see it. With her eyes close and her Internal sight focus on her mana flow, Sam couldn't pay attention to Emily. As Sam's mana flow enriched her neurons, her Odic force began to respond to her mana, the force moving in unison as Sam began the process of building a gateway to her consciousness. Emily continued to watch in astonishment as Sam's reversal flow of her mana went better than she had expected. It was still sloppy, but it was way better for someone who just begun learning about mana weeks ago. Meanwhile as Sam continued trying to build fortifications in her mind, glowing emerald colored runes appeared within her consciousness, the runes changing it's shape and form into the English words that Sam knew.
Enlightened has gained a new level of mana comprehension, advancing mental manipulation skill and Internal sense manipulation. Again, Sam felt the sensation that there was something within her mind, something very important hidden deep within her subconsciousness that was related to the Gaea spell system. But when Sam tried to dig into that sensation, she felt the sensation disappear, gone from her conscious mind. After nineteen minutes of fortifying her mind, Sam allowed Emily to try and penetrate her mind. Suffice to say, that Emily was able to break the wards but it was still impressive that Sam could resist her for a whole second.
"Truly impressive for a first attempt," Emily said. Her expression was back to it's emotionless look, though there was a glint of something within her eyes that even Emily was unaware of.
"At least I'm getting somewhere with this. My Arcane skills have been more disappointing than I expected." Sam said, panting from the exhaustion of having to protect her mind.
"Don't worry. You'll figure it out soon enough," Emily said letting her rest before Sam could continue her attempt to resist Emily's probing.