Chapter 16: time to know more!
I threw the towel on the bed and headed to the closet to change into something else. I put on a white shirt and black jeans, then grabbed a bracelet that was lying on a nearby table and slipped it onto my wrist. I figured it would be a good idea to head out and gather some information. Maybe the library would be a good place to start.
With my hair still slightly damp, I made my way to the main room. It was empty, the television was turned off, and the console was neatly organized with its controllers in their proper places. James seems like a pretty tidy person.
Feeling hungry, I decided to head to the kitchen for something to eat. As I entered, I saw Jess drinking water from a glass. I ignored her and opened the refrigerator, only to find it empty. Great.
"There's nothing to eat..." I muttered with a hint of annoyance in my voice.
"Yeah, Alex went out to get some groceries, but he also had some business to take care of," Jess replied, taking a sip from her glass.
"Where did he go?" I asked, curious.
Jess simply shrugged and sighed. "Anyway, I'm bored..."
"Do you want to go out and do something?" I suggested with a smile.
"You're paying," she said, looking at me. "I'm too lazy to spend my money."
I sighed. "Fine, fine. Let's go."
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Jess and I were enjoying some hot dogs, and after finishing my third one, I commented, "That was delicious."
"Meh, it was alright," Jess replied casually, wiping her lips.
"Hey, how did Arthur recruit you, anyway?" I asked, curious about her story.
"You want to hear it?" Jess asked.
"Sure, I don't have much else going on," I said, adjusting the black cap she had lent me to cover my hair. Maybe dying it black for a while wouldn't be a bad idea either—those bastards at the lab might be looking for someone with my hair color.
"I was born in Lunaria, but my family was poor. My parents worked their asses off just so we wouldn't starve to death. I thought we were a decent family, but they sold me when I was twelve," Jess said as we walked down the street. She seemed surprisingly calm about it. "I had to fight to survive, sometimes going hungry. That bitch Candy only saw me as a toy."
"One day, Arthur helped me. He made a bet with Candy and won, and he took me out of that hellhole. He told me to join his team, so I did. He helped me, so I owe him," Jess continued, her voice a little angrier now, but she quickly calmed down. "It's not some super emotional story or anything."
"Okay..." I murmured, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Hey, Jess, do you know a lot about magic?" I asked, scratching my neck.
"More or less. I know a few tricks," she replied, looking at me.
"Could you teach me how to use magic better?" I asked casually.
"You really don't know how to use it? And how did you beat those two guys who used aura, then?" Jess asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Let's just say it was... something different," I said quietly, not wanting to reveal my use of demonic energy. Some might mistake it for something else, but calling it demonic energy seemed like a bad idea.
Jess sighed. "Fine, I'll show you later."
"Okay, ma'am!" I smiled.
"Well, what now?" Jess asked, stretching her arms above her head.
"I was thinking of heading to the library to do some research. Want to come with?" I suggested.
"Might as well. Reading won't kill me," Jess said, following me.
I used my bracelet to locate a nearby library, and after a half-hour walk, we arrived. The sign above the entrance read "Luna Library."
"Oh, how original," I commented with a slight smile.
"Let's just go in," Jess said, heading inside.
The library was quite large, with rows upon rows of shelves and a staircase leading to a second floor. There were several tables, and people were quietly reading.
"So, do you want to look up information about the country, the city, or the world itself first?" Jess asked, looking around with interest.
"I think I'll start with the country and the city," I replied, following her.
As we walked, I spotted a cat lying on the ground and couldn't resist petting it. I crouched down and reached out my hand, and the cat opened its eyes, piercing and intense, but I ignored it and began stroking its head. The cat purred and nuzzled my hand.
"Good kitty," I said with a smile.
"He's a cute little kitten, isn't he?" a voice startled me, and I turned to see a woman with hair as dark as the night sky. Her brown eyes sparkled with warmth, and she wore a blue shirt and slightly tight blue pants. She cradled the cat in her arms, petting it gently, and introduced herself, "This is Nancy, a little stray I found on the street."
There was something peculiar about this woman; I couldn't sense her presence, and my instincts told me she was dangerous.
"Hey, are you coming to read or what?" Jess's voice snapped me back to reality, and I turned to see her looking at me with confusion. "Yeah, yeah, I just saw a cat," I replied, shaking my head. I glanced back at the spot where the woman had been standing, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Huh?!" I exclaimed, searching the area. "Did I just imagine that?"
"Dante, are you high or something?" Jess asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I'm serious! There was a woman here with a cat. I'm not on drugs or anything," I insisted, feeling a bit frustrated.
Jess gave me a skeptical look and sighed. "Well, are we going to read or are you just going to stand there?"
Shaking my head, I followed Jess through the library, still wondering if I had just encountered a ghost or something. We made our way to a shelf labeled "History," and Jess scanned the books, commenting, "If you want good information, these would be a great place to start."
She began pulling out several books—about seven in total—and carried them over to a table. She sat down, and I took a seat across from her, grabbing a book titled "Lunaria and Its History." It was a straightforward title, and I opened it, diving into the rich history of the country. Jess also started reading one of the books she had chosen.
We spent a good deal of time immersed in our reading, and the story of Lunaria was indeed fascinating. The country was a thousand years old and had endured numerous wars and challenging times. It had been invaded by several kingdoms in the past, but everything changed with the arrival of the first hero—a young girl named Nasha Goldheart.
"Ah, now it makes sense," I murmured with a smile. So, Nasha was from the Goldheart family, one of the most powerful families in the country, and likely the world. Ruby had mentioned Nasha, and now I understood the significance. Nasha was said to have been blessed by Mana itself, granting her the first-ever sighting of an unknown element—the element of light.
Nasha was the first hero, and her legacy inspired others to rise up and fight. The typical tale of a demon king threatening the world unfolded, and it was said that the world itself blessed Nasha to stand against this evil. The wars were relentless, and the death toll climbed into the millions. Chaos reigned, but Nasha ultimately defeated the demon king, though she perished in the final battle. Even the strongest hero couldn't defeat the demon king and survive.
The book went on to describe the rebuilding of Lunaria after the wars, and centuries later, it brought us to the present day.
Closing the book, I let out a small sigh and picked up another, eager to learn more. Time flew by as I delved into the history of this world, and before I knew it, night had fallen. "I think it's time to head back; it's getting late," I said, stretching my arms above my head.
Jess, startled by the time, quickly gathered her things. "Right, let's go." We returned the books to their places and left the library, though I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me as we exited. A ghost, perhaps?
As we strolled through the streets of Lunaria under the starry sky, Jess paused, captivated by the stars above. "Ohh, do you like the stars, lady?" I teased, and she blushed slightly—a new expression for her.
"I've just always liked them, okay?" she retorted, her cheeks still pink.
"Sure, sure," I smiled, and we continued our walk through the peaceful streets of Lunaria. The night had a warm glow, and people seemed to be out with their families, creating a calming atmosphere.
"Oh, right, you said you'd teach me magic, right?" I asked, turning to Jess with a smile.
After a pleasant walk, we arrived home. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, yawning a little. "All right, come on, I'll show you," Jess said, leading the way to her room. I followed, curious to see what her room looked like.
Jess's room had a bookshelf filled with books, a table with a computer and keyboard, a bed with white sheets, and a wardrobe. Next to the bookshelf was another shelf, this one filled with comics.
I walked over to the comic shelf and remarked, "Oh, I thought you were a boring girl, but this is interesting."
"Hey, don't touch my precious comics with your dirty hands! They're expensive, you know?" Jess snapped, clearly protective of her collection.
I teased her a bit, running my finger along one of the comics, and she glared at me. "Do you want to lose your hand?"
I quickly moved my hand away and said, "Okay, okay..."
Glancing around the room, I commented, "To be honest, I expected your room to be darker."
"You thought I was a goth or something?" Jess asked, sounding annoyed.
I met her gaze and replied, "Yup."
She held my stare for a few seconds before rolling her eyes. "Do you want to learn magic or just keep talking nonsense?"
"Okay, okay, I'll be quiet now. Teach me, master," I said, sitting on the bed as Jess pulled a chair over and sat in front of me.
"All right, first things first," Jess began, crossing her legs. "Have you at least looked up Mana and all that stuff online?"
"More or less," I replied, looking at her expectantly.
Jess sighed. "Okay, I'll start with the basics. Mana is the energy that permeates everything—the air, the atmosphere, the entire world. Every living being has Mana in their body, even those without a talent for it. In a way, Mana is the essence of life itself."
I nodded, absorbing the information, and Jess continued, "Now, let's talk about elements. You probably know some of this already, but the most basic elements are earth, fire, water, and wind. However, there are also rarer elements that are considered sub-elements, like magma, lightning, and wood. These are derived from the basic elements. Then, there are unknown elements, which are no longer so unknown. These are elements that don't have a logical explanation in the world, like time, space, and light."
I looked at her curiously and asked, "Hey Jess, what's your element?"
She turned the question back on me, "What's yours?"
In response, I raised my hand, and a ball of fire appeared above my palm, floating there. Jess's eyes widened as she took in the sight. "Fire... a basic element, but you really are weird, you know that?"
"Why?" I asked.
She fixed me with a blank stare. "You have an energy similar to aura—that red aura or whatever. Do you have both aura and Mana?"
"Maybe...?" I shrugged, unsure myself.
Jess covered her face with her hand. "You really are an idiot..."
Lowering her hand, Jess demonstrated her own power by causing the air in the room to stir. I watched, intrigued, as she compressed the air in her palm, causing it to cease its movement. "Do you want me to continue explaining, or not? Idiot student," she teased.
"Teacher, stop bullying me and keep explaining!" I sighed, playing along with her jest.
"Okay, okay, keep listening, student," she relented with a smile.
"Yes, teacher," I replied, grinning.
"Mages are divided into ranks, from F to SSS," Jess continued, scratching her head. "The lowest rank, F, is the level of a normal human with average strength. From rank E onwards, you start seeing superhuman abilities and strengths. Though I doubt anyone has reached the SSS rank in centuries, the rank still exists. These ranks apply to both Mana and aura users, though aura users tend to be more melee-focused. Mana users can also be powerful in close combat if they train for it, but it's a bit more complicated for them."
Nodding along, I asked, "Hey Jess, I have a question. What's an imbalance?"
"Oh, an imbalance," Jess began, "refers to when a person can't balance their power well and can't utilize it effectively. It's more common among aura users, who often need to cause massive destruction in fights with multiple enemies. For example, if they want to destroy a building but can only cause minimal damage, their power is unbalanced. That's why aura users have a more intense learning curve compared to mages."
"Hey, Jess, how about a sparring match?" I suggested with a smile.
"No way, I'm obviously going to lose. I'm only rank B," Jess replied casually.
"Hmmm..." I mumbled, considering her response. "Okay, well, it's getting late anyway. Thanks for teaching me, teacher."
I got up from the bed and bid Jess goodbye, heading out the door. "See you tomorrow," I called out. "Bye," Jess replied from behind me.
As I left her room, I yawned, and my gaze fell on Austin and Alex, who were staring at me with surprised expressions. "Hey, he just left Jess's room, didn't he...?" Austin said, his eyes wide. Alex nodded, "Yeah, that's weird..."
Confused, I asked, "What's going on?"
Austin turned to me and asked, "What did you give her? Jess doesn't let anyone into her room."
"Oh, nothing...?" I replied, equally confused. Shaking my head, I started to walk towards my room, but halfway there, Arthur approached me. "Oh, Dante, I've been looking for you. Can we talk?"
"What do you want to talk about?" I asked, confused by his statement.
Arthur smiled and replied, "About the future, I think..."
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N/A
Well, here's another episode!
I didn't upload episodes because I was sick. I hope you enjoyed it.
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