The pages of a thick book ruffled. It sat on a boulder in a clearing. A young man stood beside the rock, and a blonde woman stood beside him.
Clasping her hands, she began to speak.
"Mana—or essence—shapes the world around us. It is the water in our bodies, the minerals in the water, and the light from the sun. It's the fire that gives us warmth, the ground beneath our feet, and the air that we breathe."
Taking a breath, she pointed to Kai.
"As a mana shaper, it is your job to control and subjugate ambient mana to impose your will on the world."
She raised her hands in a grandiose gesture."Like this—Tempastatum Invoco."
The world began to distort, crackling green energy gathering above her outstretched hands. Her lips turned into a smile as she moved her arms. With a flick of her wrist, the storm swirled out, rushing over the open land. It ripped the grass from the ground and sent the earth scattering.
"And that's magic."
She turned away, pointed a finger at a nearby magic stone."Arcesso."
The stone flew into her hand.
"With this, you'll awaken your latent mana. This crystal is firmly seated in Tier Two, lacking any impurities. That means awakening with this stone will place you among the elites of various noble households." She puffed her chest. "Including me."
Kai rolled his eyes at her ego and caught the crystal she promptly tossed to him.
"So what do I do…"
He gripped it in his hand and squeezed. A rush of energy exploded from the crystal as it disintegrated. The lady opened her mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again.
"That's… one way to do it. Uh, but start moving it through your body quickly, or you're going to be in a world of pain pretty soon."
Kai closed his eyes and breathed, visualizing the energy inside him. He coaxed it into circulation. Then, with a soft glow, it clicked into place. Each particle of mana found a cell of its own and locked into his body—unyielding without significant effort.
Opening his eyes, he looked at the priestess.
Sylvia bit her cheek. "You're just like him, aren't you? Gods, between the two of you, I'll go insane."
She forced a strangled smile."But since you're my charge—and I, your gracious mentor—I'll teach you anyways."
Kai squeezed his hand, feeling the small empowerment in his body. It felt oddly comforting, as if his body were being scraped clean down to the last cell. A deep sense of refinement settled over him as the remaining mana was absorbed.
He frowned, however, noticing two points where his innate mana gathered—one over his heart, and the other behind his eyes, in the center of his skull.
"Ah, I see you've found the juvenile nexus."
She pointed to her temple first."This nexus, once developed, will cut off the mana circulation in your body and carve it only into your mind, enhancing your connection to the outside world. This is the path of the Caster. While a Caster's body may seem weak, you'll still be stronger than your average human. This is the path I chose."
Next, she pointed to her heart."This nexus' development will lead to full body refinement. However, you won't be able to send your magic into the world as a drawback. This is the path of an Augmenter—or body refiner. The resident 'sword-master' of the village is an Elite Body Refiner, someone who awakened with a Tier Two crystal and chose the augmentation path."
She placed both hands on Kai's shoulders and stared into his eyes.
"It is imperative that you choose wisely. Do not choose a path solely for the sake of the advantages you think it holds. Choose the one that suits your personality."
Sylvia released her hold and straightened once more. Her green eyes sparkled.
"And since I'm so magnanimous, I've used the favor Sorin owes you to force him into a duel—so you can see both paths clearly."
Gritting her teeth slightly, she added,"This is a very expensive lesson. So don't waste this opportunity."
Kai nodded. He'd be stupid to let such a treasure go.
-
"Since Sir Sorin is a Tier Three mage, and Lady Sylvia is also Tier 3, neither party will experience a limiter." A short man with a round belly commentated, standing on a floating mana circle to the side of the battlefield.
Grey eyes lazily gazed across the field, meeting a pair of verdant, energized ones.
"Are you worried I'm gonna finally beat you, Sorin?" Sylvia teased. "You were reluctant to accept this duel, after all."
He gave no response other than,"It's not worth my time."
His shoulders arched back as he stretched. A black t-shirt clung to his chest, paired with loose martial pants. Sylvia wore white leather pants, padded for stability and flexibility. Her top matched in color, trimmed with silver. Her excited gaze sharpened.
His dark grey eyes suddenly turned piercing."Gladium."
The ground beneath his feet wrenched apart. He began his sprint. A dark grey sword burst from the earth and snapped into his hand like a magnet.
Unwavering, Sylvia held out her arms."Tempest Murus."
A bright wall of green manifested in front of her. Then with another spell,"Aura Celeritas."
A soft green hue surrounded her body. She moved, retreating from his attacks, and summoned a half-dozen orbs—barely perceptible, visible only by the faint distortion around them.
"Ventus Bullet!" she cried.
The magical ammunition whistled through the air. Sorin muttered something, and a faint silver glow appeared on specific spots of his body. Six disks absorbed the bullets with perfect precision, accounting for each trajectory.
At last, he reached her. A giant mass of rock mounted his sword, and with one swing, he shattered her barrier and sent her tumbling—heels over head.
"Arresto Momentum."
Her body slowed.
"Levitas."
Magic lifted her to her feet. The shattered barrier reformed, drawn back to her in scattered pieces.
"Benedic mihi, deus ventorum."
Her eyes closed. When they reopened, a gale bellowed behind her. Her hair whipped around her face. She had called upon the holy magic of the wind god.
The dark-skinned man gritted his teeth and pierced the ground with his sword. Earth grew up his legs and sword, anchoring him against the wind. Dozens of bullets materialized behind the wind priestess.
Swarmed and battered by the assault, the man summoned a wall of earth. Once the attack subsided, he rushed forward. His eyes flashed black—and her barrier shattered. His hand closed around her neck.
Her face flushed. She closed her eyes as he released her, and she fell to the ground with a soft thud.
"My win."