landbeastnovel Chapter 215: The lesson (2)
Chapter 215: The lesson (2)
Luna and Henry stood facing each other, the faint sounds of the trainees struggling with their spells drifting in from the horizon. Luna crossed her arms over her chest, her emerald-green eyes fixed on Henry with a mixture of impatience and curiosity. "So," she began, her tone sharp, "what do you know about Mana?"
"It’s energy," Henry replied flatly, as though that simple answer was all that needed to be said.
Luna’s foot tapped against the frozen ground, a steady, irritated rhythm, as if she were hitting the pedal of a drum. "Of course, I know it’s energy!" she snapped, her voice rising slightly. "Give me a real explanation. Where does it come from? What is it for? How does it work? For goodness’ sake, don’t just parrot back the obvious."
Henry paused, his gray eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the golden-haired woman in front of him. She stood there with complete disregard for decorum, speaking to him, the king of Stahl, as if he were a misbehaving student. Everywhere he looked, from the horizon to the very ground beneath their feet, this land was his. Yet, here she was, talking down to him in a tone that would have sent anyone else to the dungeons or to the beheading grounds.
Meeting her piercing gaze, Henry finally responded, his tone calm but firm - "Mana is the essence of life. It’s what flows through everything that breathes, moves, or exists in this world. Every creature that walks, every plant that grows, it is Mana that holds own existence together."
Luna raised an eyebrow, her impatient tapping slowing as she listened.
Henry continued, trying to organize his thoughts. "Mana is what makes this world... possible. It’s the foundation of all things, the force that connects and sustains everything. But as for where it comes from... I don’t know. Perhaps no one in the North knows" His gaze met hers, steady and unyielding, though inwardly, he braced himself for her response.
Luna nodded, her restless tapping finally coming to a stop. "Not bad," she said, her tone carrying a faint trace of approval. "For someone from such a backward region, you have managed to grasp the basics." She began pacing back and forth, her golden robe brushing against the damp earth. "You’re right, Mana is the fundamental energy that forms everything around us. As for its origin, there are dozens of theories, but the one I prefer is... poetic, in a way."
She raised her hand, and the damp soil beneath their feet stirred, rising into the air. Slowly, it reshaped itself into the form of a large, hollow eye. "There is said to have been a being" - Luna began, her voice softer, almost reverent - "an existence that watched over the endless void of darkness. This being, bored of the emptiness and of its eternal existence, chose to end it all. To destroy everything."
She paused, pacing slightly as her green eyes flicked back to Henry - "The sigil determines how Mana behaves in your body. Most techniques only allow the transformation of Mana into a single element, because the human body can’t contain multiple elements at once. If it tried, the conflicting elements would clash violently, likely killing the warrior."
Luna stopped pacing and gestured with one hand. "Some sigils are designed to open more Mana circuits, allowing Mana to flow faster through your body. Others focus on directing the elemental Mana into your muscles and bones, strengthening them at the cost of limiting how many circuits you can create. Every aspect of a warrior’s strength, the speed of their Mana, the durability of their body, the power of their attacks, is dictated by their technique and the sigil it forms."
Henry nodded, understanding the concept. The sigil was like the blueprint of a building, everything about the structure was pre-designed and predetermined. From the placement of rooms and gardens to the iron supports and doors, the entire plan had to follow the sigil’s design. Likewise, for a warrior, the sigil dictated the number of Mana circuits they could open, the methods for strengthening their body, the speed at which Mana flowed through their circuits, everything was governed by this blueprint.
"However" - Luna continued, her voice taking on a more thoughtful tone - "despite most things being set by the sigil, there’s one thing that isn’t fixed. And this is something warriors share with us mages." - She raised her hand, and the air around her seemed to ripple as strands of Mana began to gather. The strands aligned and formed into a glowing sigil in her palm. The sigil pulsed briefly, and a pressurized arrow of air materialized, hovering just in front of her.
"It’s combination" - She said - "You can guide Mana through your circuits in countless ways, creating combinations to discover new applications of Mana. With the right combination, you can even bypass some of the limitations of your sigil. For instance" - she pointed at the arrow - "if your sigil doesn’t naturally allow you to strengthen your body, you could create a combination that forces Mana to circulate in a certain pattern and at a certain speed, letting you enhance your muscles. Of course" - she added with a slight smirk - "it will never be as effective as a sigil specifically designed for physical enhancement, but it can still give you an edge. The problem is..."
Luna paused for a moment. Then, just as she was about to continue, Henry spoke up, almost unconsciously.
"The number of combinations" - he murmured, as if piecing it together himself.
Luna’s emerald eyes widened in surprise. For the first time, she looked mildly impressed. "Well, it seems there’s actually a smart head on your shoulders," she said, a playful hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"You are absolutely right. The number of combinations is the problem. A typical warrior can open at least twelve Mana Circuits, while those with transcendent sigils can open hundreds. The possibilities for combinations grow exponentially. Sorting through all of them is nearly impossible. And even when you do find combinations, many will only be slightly stronger or weaker than others while producing the same effect."