Chapter 268: CHAPTER 268
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CHAPTER 268
297 AC
POV THIRD PERSON
During the week that Dacey and Adrew took to reach them, Aermir dedicated his time to imparting the basics of elemental magic to Rickon. The young Stark proved a quick learner, mastering level 1 spells in a short span.
Because his talent was only limited to fire elements, it led to varying mana consumption for the same level spell of different elements. Rickon demonstrated a connection to the nature element, albeit with a mana expenditure twice that of his fire spells. The Earth Element Spell followed, requiring three times the mana compared to a fire-based incantation.
Water, however, posed a significant challenge. Rickon struggled to harness the fluid element, with the cost of casting a water ball spell soaring to ten times the mana required for a fireball. Rickon was able to cast every spell Aermir could cast as a level 1 druid, but the only major difference was the mana consumption.
Rickon was even able to cast the buff spells volhen gryves (the aspect of bear),volhen keli (the aspect of cat), and volhen taur (the aspect of ox), but because his talent in nature element was worse, his buffs were weaker than what Aermir could cast at that level, to be exact they had half the power and twice the cost.
...
Dacey and Adrew disembarked the boat and looked around. Adrew said,
"How are we going to find our lord? Do you think they are still on that volcano?"
Dacey slapped his chest with the back of her hand and said,
"We don't have to find him; he will find us."
She pointed at the black dog with a raven on top of its head. They approached the beast, and Dacey said,
"Berus, where is Master? Lead the way."
Berus led them into a forest right next to the volcano, and after walking for half a day, they started to hear the sounds of explosions.
...
The air was thick with anticipation as Dacey and Adrew watched from the sidelines, eager to witness the potential of the young Stark. Their hearts were beating like drums, ready to burst out of their chest. Rickon, that little kid had done it; he was a real druid now.
Rickon, a wildfire druid with an affinity for the fire element, stood poised, a flicker of flames dancing in his hands. Aermir conjured his oakshield spell, creating a protective barrier around himself that looked like bark. The forest resonated with the hum of elemental energy.
As the first sparks flew from Rickon's outstretched hands, it became apparent to Dacey and Andrew that Rickon's fire spells, though potent, lacked the finesse and power that they were accustomed from Aermir's fire spells. Aermir deflected the flames from where he stood without any effort. His expression was stern,
"You're too direct, Rickon. You should always be on the move, embrace creativity, do not rely on brute force,"
Aermir admonished, his voice carrying a note of guidance. "The elements respond to subtlety and ingenuity. Channel your flames with finesse, not recklessness. You should never be reckless and emotional. Pull on your rage, but you need to be able to reign it in, or it will become your undoing. Again!"
Undeterred, Rickon adjusted his approach. This time, he tried to weave the flames around Aermir, attempting to create sparks in front of his face to limit his sight. The fire licked the air as he dashed back to keep their distance, but Aermir closed the distance like a rolling boulder. Aermir, nodding in approval, acknowledged the improvement. "Good, but you can do better. Use the environment and blend in some nature spells for control. They might cost more mana but can cause your enemy to stumble and create an opening."
Once more, they clashed. Tongues of flames flew in the air, and this time, once in a while, Rickon used a nature spell to try tripping Aermir using the tall grasses on the ground, but Aermir was still able to close their distance without much effort.
The nature spells needed two times more mana, and they were half as good, so Rickon only used them for buffs and restrictions. After their training ended, Dacey and Adrew ran up to them, and they kneeled,
"My lord, please teach us."
Aermir and Rickon started teaching Dacey and Adrew how to create a mana heart, but first, they needed to teach them how to feel mana and learn what kind of mana affinities they have. From teaching Dacey and Adrew how to control mana, Aermir realized they were like Rickon.
They could only control one elemental mana and had massive disadvantages over other elements. Dacey had talent with Nature mana, and Adrew had talent with earth mana. So Rickon and Adrew went towards a rocky and mountainous area while Aermir and Dacey stayed in the forest.
...
Aermir began by teaching Dacey the art of sensing nature mana. Amidst the trees, he urged her to close her eyes and focus on the subtle energies that permeated the air as he pulled them close to her skin. After a day of work, Dacey, with a natural affinity for nature mana, soon found herself attuned to the gentle vibrations of the forest.
Meanwhile, Rickon took Adrew to rocky, mountainous terrain. Surrounded by rugged landscapes, Adrew learned to feel the resonance of earth mana beneath his feet, but it took him three days to sense earth mana.
With the initial attunement complete, Aermir and Rickon guided Dacey and Adrew to collect their first iota of mana into their hearts. The process was delicate. Nature mana responded to Dacey's touch, and earth mana yielded willingly to Adrew's control.
Once the initial mana was collected, Aermir and Rickon stepped back, allowing Dacey and Adrew to absorb the elemental energies into their own beings. The transition from guidance to self-reliance marked a crucial stage in their druidic journey.
...
After three days, Dacey opened her eyes; she was able to drink water, but eating needed too much focus; if she tried to eat or sleep, the quality of her mana heart would be lowered, so she was starving and exhausted. After eating and some rest, it was time to test her power.
Something different had happened to her; she was able to get a constant buff when she was inside a forest. It was really small, but she was a tiny bit more agile while inside a forest; Aermir thought it had something to do with her skin-changer magic.
Since nature magic didn't have any offensive spell at level 1, Dacey could only cast buff spells for herself. Her buff spell was weaker than Aermir's gem buffs, but Dacey was fascinated by her own buff. Her eyes glowed with happiness, and she hugged Aermir without realizing it.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone