R. A. T. H

Twenty-Nine vol.2

Rose watched a mana orb disappear in her grasp, its luscious blue dying until it became fragments that soon became nothing as well. The swirl of that gas like energy entered into her as she placed the object at her chest and her core took it hungerly. Just like so, her charge jumped to 100%.

'That's 4 currently in my possession then,' She thought, unworried, as she retied her shoes, tighter, 'I wonder what the next level will be about.'

She stood, running a hand through her black hair and the length of her ponytail. Perhaps, she'd have to ask Elsa to help her comb it when they returned home. She glanced over to the girl who was busy resting her mind and body. Though, that went up to the extent of glaring at her pad, scratching her head at a math problem.

The white space was quiet for the most part and—when she focused—Rose could still hear the hum of mana in the air.

"This is perhaps a good place as any," Lilia's voice rang, stepping towards her, back facing the door to the third floor of Alos's Great Dungeon, "I can teach you true magic here. In the next floor between floors, we'll spar with nothing but our swords. Alternating as we climb the dungeon."

Rose blinked her golden eyes, staring at the extensively serious girl that seemed to have already began walking the thin line of a teacher. She smiled, nodding.

"Let's start then."

She sat, legs folded, upon the white floor of the space as Lilias stood behind her, able to see her outstretched palms face each other.

"Do you know why we can't simply retrieve mana from the air and use it as an energy source that way?" The dragonian asked, "In place of collecting mana cores from mana beasts?"

Rose shook her head. She didn't know, and she wondered what such a question had to do with true magic.

"No, but I'm curious," She replied.

"It's simple," The dragonian explained, "The surrounding mana simply cannot be used that way. It is a force of nature, an energy belonging solely to Merim itself. It is the thing that creates the ground you walk on, the air you breathe, and the sandstorms of the desert. Mana belongs to the world, and true magic is merely an individual's ability to tap into and borrow that force."

Rose nodded, understanding then that the mana within mana cores and that of the world itself were identical, but different energies. One belonged to the world while the other was stolen from mana beasts. It was no wonder her weapon burned the surrounding mana to create flames, merely copying the power of Merim itself.

"All elves can tap into and ask the world for power, dragonians of the mana path can do so, and some extremely few humans can do so to limited degree, but no beastmen can ever hope to wield true magic," The girl said, "Their souls are simply incapable of hearing the hum of mana in the air and connecting to it."

Rose nodded once more as the girl moved on.

"An individual who can wield true magic is guaranteed to be able to tap into two different frequencies of mana, their so-called individual elements of nature. . ." Lilias spoke, her voice seeming to blur until it became a distant echo, "Your first is lightning. . .the most chaotic of the six. . ."

The world blurred.

Rose found herself, standing shorter than any of the previous memories she had experienced, blonde hair reaching to her hips as she faced a woman before her. Gray hair, amber eyes, and wearing clothing resembling robes more than anything, the woman, a beauty that, though having the air of authority and age, looked no older than perhaps twenty-seven.

Bandages fell onto the floor, unwrapping from Rose's arms through the actions of the woman. Then, the individual furrowed her brows, sighing.

"You should cease your practicing. . .lightning is no toy," The woman said, "You will kill yourself some day, child. I wouldn't want to see such a young death."