Supreme Magus

Chapter 3434 Three Steps (Part 1)

"The right question is: what has Lith taught me so far?' Aran started to review his brother's lessons since the camping trip near the Hot Pot.

Aran mulled over the methods to handle the elements of destruction, balance, and creation and the differences between them. As he did, he conjured the elements one by one in his mind, searching for the familiar feeling of elemental energy on his skin rather than a precise physical manifestation.

It took him a while to succeed but aside from a slight burning sensation in his abdomen, nothing happened.

Yes! This is a great start!'Aran felt confident despite the fact that he had been at it for hours and had yet to achieve something.

He had just gotten used to conjuring all six elements in his mind when something slimy slithered on his face. It was wet, rough, and sticky, like a brush covered in tar.

The surprise snapped Aran out of focus, making him emit a high-pitched scream and fall against the wall-curtain of Salaark's office while flailing his arm and legs.

"Wow, that's embarrassing. He recognized Onyx's voice while his eyes were still getting used to the light after being closed for so long. "It's lunchtime. Do you want to eat with me or do you want to do another cockroach dance first?"

"That wasn't a dance!" Aran touched his cheek recognizing the familiar traces of Onyx's saliva after a lick. "I was in deep meditation and you scared me."

"I noticed." The huge Utgard threw herself on her back and mimicked Aran's trashing while mimicking his scream with air magic over and over.

"I don't sound like that!" He blushed in embarrassment.

"You sure do, sweetie." Salaark giggled.

"Grandma? You are still here?" Aran blushed harder.

"This is my office. Where else should I be?"

"Who's bullying a little girl?" The Phoenixes of the honor guard looked around the office after being alarmed by Onyx's repeated screams.

"No one." Salaark laughed hard, holding her belly for air. "The children are just playing."

Onyx turned her snout to Aran and stared at him with her big feline eyes before emitting his scream for the last time.

"This isn't funny, Onyx!" Aran said.

"Then why am I still laughing?" Salaark replied.

The guards shrugged and left while Aran was still glaring at the Utgard and the Guardian.

"I'm still waiting for an answer." Onyx rolled back on her feet. "Lunch?"

"Fine!" Aran replied before his gurgling stomach made a fool out of him again. "But you are going to pay for that."

"Really?" Onyx grabbed him with her forelegs and started licking his face.

"Stop it." Aran laughed. "It tickles. Also, I'm really hungry."

"Like you should," Salaark Warped everyone to the dining room with a snap of her fingers. "You cast chore magic spells for hours. One consumes little energy but so many are bound to leave you drained. I'm afraid you are in for an aftershock.

"You should rest this afternoon."

"Okay, Grandma." Aran nodded and ate with the rest of his family.

"Where have you been all morning? You skipped all classes." Leria asked.

"I'm working on a secret project." The more Aran ate, the hungrier he felt. "As for the lessons, Onyx followed them and brought me my homework. If there's something I don't understand I'll ask her."

"Or you can ask me." Leria said.

"No can do." Aran shook his head. "It would ruin my secret project."

Those words piqued Leria's curiosity but she decided not to pry.

'Knowing him, it must be a hard-light toy or a chore spell that looks like a high tier one." She inwardly shrugged.

In the afternoon, Aran began to feel tired and achy. He felt like he had pins and needles all over his body and panted as if he were running instead of sitting on his chair. "These are signs of mana abuse." Onyx checked on him with Invigoration. "You have to rest."

"Once we are done with the homework," Aran panted.

Soon his head started to pulse and his vision blurred, forcing him to take a nap. Onyx waked him up only a couple of hours before dinner, just for the time he would need to finish his assignments.

With a rested mind and body, Aran covered the content of the day's lessons quickly, leaving him even time to spare. He discussed magic with Onyx and then they rushed to the dining hall at the first ring of the dinner gong.

Aran gobbled his food and fell asleep right after.

"No movie? No playing? No snack before bed?" Leria asked in shock.

Aran replied with a soft snoring as he clenched Onyx's fur and tried to use her forelegs as a blanket.

The next morning Aran took position in the same spot of Salaark's office and she Hushed him.

It took him a minute to conjure the six elements again and feel the warmth in his abdomen again, but even after several minutes, nothing happened.

'Okay, this is a good first step but that's it.' He thought. Next is the mana flow.'

No matter how much he tried, the elements remained fixed in the position he conjured them. Aran tried everything that came to his mind, no matter how silly, yet nothing

worked.

"Snack time." Salaark roused him gently.

"Already?" Aran was flabbergasted.

He ate everything in a rush and resumed his practice.

Fine, if you don't want to move, I'll make you!' He conjured and dispelled the elements in quick succession, making the mana move before connecting it with the world energy

again.

It was no mana flow, just a moving spell. The only difference between a chore magic spell and Aran's technique was that he was conjuring the elements with his mind and inside his body instead of outside.

'My mana is the water and I'm the river.' Aran recalled Lith's teachings. 'I don't need to push it. I just need to carry it.

At first, the exercise seemed pointless. After a while, however, Aran felt the burning sensation in his abdomen increase.

'Second step! I've found the second step! Let's see how far it can go.' He kept the spells moving and soon he was rewarded for it.

A small, distant blue light appeared in the pitch-black darkness surrounding him. The sight gave Aran a jolt of excitement while Onyx's lick one of terror.

"Why do you do that?" He fell and flailed like the previous day but at least he managed

not to scream.

"Because I tried calling and shaking you but it didn't work." Onyx replied. "Just like

yesterday."

"Really?" Aran looked at the Utgard with suspicion before moving his gaze to Salaark

with hope.

"Really." She confirmed.

"Yes! Gods, yes!" Aran clenched his fists in triumph as his stomach gurgled in uprising.

The rest of the day passed like the previous. Lunch, nap, homework, dinner, and then

bed.

"He hasn't been playing for two days straight." Raaz tormented his chin. "Do I have to

worry?"

"No." Salaark shook her head. "He isn't doing anything dangerous and is having a lot of

fun."

"If you say so." Raaz shrugged.

He had no idea what she was talking about but he trusted the Guardian.