A Zombie's Path to Power

Injecting mana was a rather easy task. It was ultimately just letting your magic energy flow into another object. What Azel was worried about was this "natural spring water".

Despite being called water, the item Gryphon showed the young zombie was solid. And not in the way how ice was solid water, but instead it was actual water that had kept a fixed shape.

Azel reached out hesitantly, aware that magic had a way of surprising even the most seasoned practitioners. For something so deceptively simple, it felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for a misstep.

Snatching the "clump" of solid water from Gryphon, Azel felt surprised to its touch. It felt malleable, like clay, and the zombie was fairly sure he could feel a powerful source of mana from it.

The zombie had assumed that the natural-spring water was, well, just natural spring water not unlike the stream he had found just outside of his own tomb. Instead it seemed to be its own element.

Azel turned the strange material over in his hands, marvelling at the way it seemed to shift and ripple, yet never lost its shape. The texture was almost like liquid suspended in time, cool to the touch but oddly alive. He glanced at Gryphon, who watched him with a knowing smirk.

Azel quickly figured out how it worked. The thick density of mana within was acting like a glue, keeping the water bound in a specific shape. It was probably the thickest concentration of mana Azel had ever seen, except of course the mana cores found within all living creatures.

"So," Azel said, his gaze flicking to Gryphon, "what exactly do you want me to do with this? Injecting mana into something already brimming with it feels... redundant."

"You would think so, wouldn't you," Said Gryphon shaking his head with a smug smile, "But the mana within that water has a rather unique property,"

Gryphon was seemingly enjoying this, and Azel felt himself frown as the old man continued speaking like he was teaching a class on magic. "Because of how pure the mana is, when it reacts with foreign energy it mimics foreign properties, in other words it will show us which path of magic you are best suited for."

Azel's eyebrows lifted in genuine surprise. He hadn't expected this strange lump of water to be so significant. He rolled it over in his hands, its weight deceptively light yet substantial enough to be tangible. "So, you're telling me this thing's going to reveal my magic affinity?"

Gryphon nodded, his smirk growing wider. "Precisely. It's an ancient method, though seldom used nowadays because of the rarity of natural spring water. Most people just figure out their affinity through trial and error—or don't bother at all. But for someone like you, someone... unconventional, it's a far more efficient way to know your potential- if you have any that is."

Azel ignored how much Gryphon was obviously hoping the zombie didn't have a talent for magic. After all, if Azel couldn't use magic, Gryphon wouldn't have to teach him. Perhaps Azel would have the old man teach him mana theory out of spite, just to annoy Gryphon.

Forcing his own mana inside the slimy water, Azel and Gryphon both watched in silence as the water... became slightly cloudier. Other than that there was no apparent colour changes.

"Well, typically, the water will turn a specific colour or display a clear reaction based on the user's affinity. Fire mages get a reddish hue, water mages get blue, and so on. But this..." Gryphon gestured at the cloudy lump. "This is... murky. It doesn't make sense."

Azel would of crossed his arms if not for the way he cradled the delicate water. "So you're telling me your fancy ancient artifact doesn't work? Or are you just bad at reading it?"

Gryphon shot him a glare. "Watch your tone, corpse. The water always works. If it's reacting like this, it's not because it's broken—it's because you are."

The young zombie bristled at the jab but decided not to dignify it with a response. Instead, he turned his focus back to the water, which now seemed to swirl faintly, as if something within was stirring.

"Wait," Gryphon said, his voice tinged with realization. "Try injecting your mana again. Slowly this time. Let it flow naturally instead of forcing it."

Azel hesitated, but curiosity outweighed his irritation. He cradled the water in both hands, closing his eyes as he focused. This time, he let his mana trickle into the material like a stream rather than a flood.

The water began to shift, the cloudy murk clearing slightly before blooming into a kaleidoscope of colours. Azel's eyes shot open as the transformation unfolded in his hands. The solid water pulsed gently, like a heartbeat, its hues cycling through vibrant reds, blues, greens, and even shades that Azel couldn't quite name.

Gryphon leaned closer, his usual smug demeanour replaced with genuine astonishment. "That's... unexpected," he muttered, his brows furrowed in thought. "I've never seen the water react like that before."

Azel glanced up at him, equal parts intrigued and unnerved. "What does it mean? Is this... normal?"

"Far from it," Gryphon admitted, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "Usually, the water locks onto a single affinity—maybe a few, in rare cases. But this..." He gestured at the shimmering lump in Azel's hands. "This is something else entirely. Either you're attuned to multiple forms of magic, or your mana is so... unstable that it can't settle on one."

"What does that mean for me," Asked Azel, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice. "I'm naturally talented in every attribute?"

Gryphon snorted, his smug grin returning with full force. "Don't get ahead of yourself, corpse. If anything, it means you're a mess. If your soul can't settle on an affinity, then no matter what you practice, you'll go from talented to inept. Learning magic will be incredibly slow, but not impossible."

"But I can learn to control every element there is... right?" Said Azel, not concerned in the slightest. After all, he had all the time in the world.

"Ever base element, maybe." Responded Gryphon, "Lost attributes like the kind wielded by Rio, your enemy, aren't something that one can just be born with an affinity for."

Azel's excitement faltered slightly, replaced by curiosity and a lingering unease. He stared at the shimmering water in his hands, its pulsating colours now calming to a subtle, rhythmic glow. "Lost attributes," he repeated. "Like Rio's. What exactly makes them so special?"

Gryphon stroked his beard, his expression turning thoughtful. "Lost attributes are rare, ancient forms of magic. They're not tied to the natural elements—fire, water, earth, air, and so on. Instead, they stem from unique and often volatile sources: concepts like time, void, or even the manipulation of reality itself."

Azel thought for a moment before concluding, "...So they're dangerous, got it. And you're saying I can't learn them?"

"Not exactly," Gryphon replied, his tone cautious. "Lost attributes aren't something you're born with an affinity for; they're inherited, granted, or stolen through extraordinary means. Rio wields one lost attribute because of her lineage and another from an artifact. Unless you have a similarly powerful connection—or happen to stumble across some ancient relic—you're out of luck."

"So," he said finally, his voice quiet but resolute, "what's next?"

Gryphon's grin widened. "Now? Now, we see what you're capable of."