One With Nature

Big Sign of Trouble: 1

I carefully cut out a door in the house in front of me. I was in my rock element and was back at helping with the city's expansion.

The houses I make now were better in quality. They looked less rough around the edges and most would confuse them for being carved by hand.

The walls I make now were perfectly smooth along with being exactly the shape I want them to be. I also learned how to build houses of more than just one level. An example is the house I just finished making, which had two floors and rooms down and upstairs.

"That should take care of the East side," I said before turning to the guard. "We will take care of the West side of the city tomorrow. After that, we should see about more roads for easier transport."

"Very well, Elemental Zack," the guard nodded before he and the others began to work on the houses, assign them to people and check whichever of them would be better as a storage.

The guards of Uruk began taking my advice when it comes to renovation and the city expansion. There was also less fear of me amongst the people, and some stalls even offered some of their merchandise after I helped it being delivered to the city.

It was a little awkward to explain that I don't eat or drink, but they seemed to understand.

Anyway, I changed to my wood element and began trying to sense where Enkidu was to continue with our training. The disturbance from Gilgamesh's magical energy was still there, but I learned how to... well, I can't say ignore it, you can't exactly ignore something like that, so I guess the correct term is look through it.

Finding him in front of the castle, I began walking towards the living weapon while wondering what will he be teaching me today.

I also had an idea for something, but I wanted his opinion first.

Finding Enkidu at the top of the stairs that lead to the entrance of the castle. "Hey, Enkidu, I'm here," I said but he didn't reply. In fact, he was just looking at the sky with the closest expression to a glare I've ever seen on him. "Enkidu?"

He seemed to break out of a daze. "Ah, you're here, Zack?"

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

He sighed and shook his head. "Not exactly. I... simply am not found of this time of the year," he said but didn't explain further.

I guess I could have asked him about what he meant, but I decided against it to not make his mood worse.

"Well, shall we get started for today?" He asked, his usual smile returning.

"About that, I wanted to ask you something," I said, which got a raised eyebrow from him. "You said that living beings, even trees and plants, naturally draw magical energy from the world around them, correct?" I asked and he nodded. "Well, is it possible for them to absorb that energy by force?"

Enkidu looked confused. "You mean forcefully take the magical energy from the world or something else?"

"Yeah. I was wondering if I can use roots of branches to absorb the energy from opponents that come from the Mystic," I explained.

Energy absorbing is something very useful. Especially when many things in the Nasuverse rely on magical energy. I don't use it myself, and even after absorbing it I wouldn't know what to do with it, but this method can help by greatly weakening my enemies.

Enkidu placed a hand on his chin. "While I personally have never seen it done, I suppose it's not impossible. Since you do not use it and it obviously wouldn't flow into you, it would need an outside source of some kind," he explained before smiling at me. "I suppose we have what we'll train on today. Let us see if achieving this trick of yours can be done."

I was seriously grateful for that idea. For many reasons.

One of which would reveal itself really soon.