Capítulo 32: Phoenix Beast Will
Upload schedule update: I'm going on a trip July 8-11, so I might not be able to get any chapters those days, but I'll try to stock pile some before I go. If I don't I apologize and I'll be back to posting normally that Monday after. Thanks to everyone that has been supporting the story! We are number 9 on the monthly power rankings and I must admit I never thought I would get a FF up there, especially not from a novel like TBATE that's not as popular as other stories that get FFs made about them.
I will post this upload schedule update again on the day before my trip, just in case anyone forgets. Please keep enjoying.
Thanks for reading.
-SocioPhobia
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[4 months later]
{Somewhere near the center of the Beast Glades}
Mana swirled around my body and the ambient mana in the air became visible to me, purple motes of energy also mixed with the normal mana. Aether Mana. I had tried multiple times to harness it in my a acquire phase but I just couldn't figure it out, even in my integrate phase it eluded me.
Apparently the abilities i 'acquired' in my acquire phase was the Phoenixes supreme ability to see mana in the air, while I could sense it before now i I could see it as if they were leaves in the wind. With this came an increase in efficiency of my mana usage, as well as new glowing green flame. I had my suspicions on what it was and I was proven correct as I was currently healing a mana beast I had just injured by covering it in these flames.
I now had healing flames and the heal rate was astonishing, the deep gash on the beasts leg knitted back together almost immediately. This was just acquire phase though.
While I hadn't completely mastered integrate phase yet, I had all the same abilities of acquire and more. I could now increase the heat of my flames to a point that they couldn't be seen by normal eyes. To me it was a deep purple, but according to Tuk he could only see the heat haze around it. With a hotter fire also came the knowledge of a fire that could freeze. It looked eerily similar to my bright blue flames but more transparent and icy.
My hair also regained the black that ended in a flaming red that seemed to flow like real fire. My pupils turned gold inside my blue irises. I tested my integrate phase against some strong mana beasts and learned that at a certain level of power a transparent pair of wings wings extend from my back and cocoon around me. So far no attacks have burst through this defense, but it only works in integrate phase.
According to the memories of Verrun, some Phoenix wyrms a cousin of the regular Phoenixes, had powerful sound illusion magic that other Asuras Phoenixes learned. So I wouldn't get a boost there until I figure out something myself or absorbed one of their wills. It seems that Phoenix Asuras have superior techniques, rather than just overwhelming power. It's also made known to me through their memories that only people close to the royal family learn all of the possible abilities and origins of the Asuran Phoenixes.
This might seem elitist, but the Asuran Phoenix clans were not power hungry in the way the other races are. They had great respect for their elders and their royalty as they treated them fairly. They were all content to gain their own insights and pass it on to their children and so on.
I still don't know all of what this beast will entails and I imagine I won't until I awaken my Asuran blood inside me, or absorb the will of someone that was royalty. Surely my father wouldn't have passed without placing his will inside something for me to absorb. Either way my beast will is fully assimilated and now I can only wait and gain more experience for my understanding of the abilities I now possess to show themselves.
I was currently purifying my mana core, and whether it was my newfound understanding of mana or the dense mana filled forest it felt much smoother and faster. I decided to activate my acquire phase to look at the mana I was bringing into my body. It looked almost like a vacuum as the mana swirls around me before entering my body. I could also feel the speed of purifying increase so switched to integrate phase. When I did I found inefficiencies in the way was absorbing and adjusted my method accordingly.
The progress noticeably increased as bright white cracks were forming on my core at a rapid pace. I had completely focused on my purifying that I hadn't realized I began cycling in more and more mana until it looked like a twister of mana had appeared around me. All of the various mana specks flowed to as of of their own will rather than by my command. Even when I lessened my pull I could feel the mana race towards like they had a mind of their own and I was where they needed to be.
*crack*
Cracking noise sounded within my core and when I looked inside I saw deep trench like crevasses appearing on my core. As the mana flowed faster and faster with me no longer pulling I could only sit there as the bright silver gave way with one more final crack to a Bright white and untainted by impurities mana core. An explosion reminiscent of my forming but multiplied many time occurred, leveling trees sending rocks and grass flying outwards away from me in a diameter of 100 feet with me at the epicenter.
Still in my integrate phase I could the mana no longer rushing towards me, however the Aether mana now did in its place. As it flowed into me I looked in at my core as the purple of the Aether took up one side and the white took the other. When both sides where equal I felt my blood begin to boil how it didn't when I got Verrun's beast will.
My heart began to pump faster sending the flaming blood to every point on my body as I writhed on the ground. I felt my bones grow denser, but not any heavier. My skin became tougher, but still soft and supple to the touch. My hair now went from black to red to gold at the tips and my irises were circled by vibrant red ring, going to blue then gold as you went to the center of my eye.
I felt my mana channels expand and then constrict agonizingly before they were reformed to accommodate both mana and Aether. My muscles screamed at me all the way to my cells and I could feel the impurities that even my white mana core missed be expelled from my body. The white part of my core flowed brighter and brighter as the impurities were ejected. My purple side became a deeper and darker purple with a galaxy like effect taking place inside the Aether.
I was reduced to shivering and shuddering from the pain of the awakening that I dropped my integrate phase but saw I could still see mana and Aether. My body began rapidly healing itself from the trauma and I dragged my self to the pond I had been meditating beside. I drank deeply and found that the water tasted richer than it had before.
Disregarding that I got to my hands and knees looking into the water. My blue eyes now had a faint bit of gold that could only be seen from up close. Thankfully my hair didn't change as well. I could feel the power coursing through my body and if what I was understanding was correct I had awakened my Asuran bloodline.
Ever since I could feel slight tugs into various directions and they gave off the same feeling as the sword I found Xaxses in. My mouth dropped as I realized it, I could feel the other Phoenix wills, or the Phoenix Asuras themselves. I wasn't sure. Looking around I noticed something new in my sight as well, everything had a faint green aura around it. The auras seemed to wave as I looked at fallen trees and saw bit of black began to creep ever so slightly into the green.
The green felt warm and full of life and the black seemed to represent death and destruction. I walked to the closest fallen tree and held my hand to it and I could see the green aura fighting off the black corruption of death. Raising the tree was easy and as I placed it on the stump my hand naturally drew itself to the jagged cracks and they began to mend. The corruption was completely repelled and the green was vibrant and flowing again.
I felt a faint thankful feeling coming from the aura, and i felt the hopefulness of the other trees. Willing my wind mana and adding Aether to it as if I had always done it my winds picked up and returned trees to their positions and the Aether in the wind began repairing the tree. My thoughts absentmindedly trailed to the grass, and the wind and Aether complied and split into thousands if not tens of thousands as they replaced each blade of grass back to their right full place.
The place that had been reduced to a seemingly war torn area was now back to the lush and vibrant locale that it was before. It also seemed that the trees grew stronger as well as the grass. I felt a harmony settle into my chest, before a massive wave of exhaustion took over me and I collapsed. The grass seemed to cushion my fall but I think that was just my imagination as I blacked out.
My dreams were filled with more memories of Verrun and Xaxses. Days of them serving side by side as guards of the royal family, and that's when I got to see my first glimpse of my birth father. He had the vibrant red hair that seems to flow like flames that I get in my integrate phase. His pupils were gold like mine but his irises were a bright red. He had a gentle but serious face, and a well build body. I'm not sure if it's just Xaxses or Verrun's feelings or what I'm feeling but he gave off a soothing but commanding presence. I could only assume it was their feelings as I couldn't see a green aura around him like I could the plants.
I saw the way he lead, and interacted with the guards. I got to see him and my mother look at each other lovingly as he felt her swelling belly. Then my point of view changed and I was being jostled around as I was cushioned against a warm body. Looking around as much as I could I realized I was in my baby body before I woke up outside the orphanage. I could feel my birth mothers heart beat quicken as she ran, the desperation in her breathing.
"Keep running my Lady!" I heard the familiar voice of Xaxses as my mother checked over her shoulder before renewing her pace only to be met by a Vritra. Then the vision played out like the one I saw from Xaxses' eyes except now I was in my body. My mother kneeling on the ground as Xaxses fought off the Vritra assassins. As we saw Agora decapitate Xaxses an explosion happened and clouded my vision, the next moment I felt a similar sensation to the gates of Xyrus and my vision went black.
When I came to, I could see the haggard face of my mother look down at me.
"I'm sorry my dear Zel, but we must part for I fear I don't have much longer. That amulet was not made for people of little mana like me." She placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, knocked on the door and then she stared at the amulet again and she vanished. According to my earliest baby memories they had put a seal on my bloodline as they didn't know if my human half could withstand the Asuran blood. That's why it didn't awaken until I reached the White stage of my mana core.
I didn't remember everything about Aether from the books, but I knew that there was only one possible Aether path that I currently could use and that was Vivum. The Aether that influences existence (Life, Death, Creation as well as Destruction) It explains the aura that I can see around 'living beings' as even plants can be classified as living but not quite beings.
I didn't gain any new memories besides my baby ones with my awakening, but I'm sure I'll gain more as I come across more of these Asuran Phoenix wills.
My eyes began to open and a foggy feeling permeated my head and body. As I breathed in and out I could feel the Aether filtering the feeling out of me and I quickly cleared up. Taking a look around again everything looked, smelled, and even sounded clearer and most importantly alive. The auras on the plants around me seem to welcome my awakening, and I saw Tuk perched on a tree staring at me strangely.
"What is it?" I asked with a head tilt.
"You feel different, but the same as well as familiar. It's hard to describe. Also you're taller." I scrunch my face in confusion, but when I look down my clothes seem a little tight and I can tell I've gained a few inches.
"So I have." I continued to look at my body all over to see if there were any other transformations with my awakening. One thing I did notice is that I no longer had the scar on my cheek from when I protected Princess Kathyln. That will be fun to explain.
"Tuk, I think we should head back earlier. I want to check out the Royal treasury now since they told me to come whenever I want. For some reason I just feel myself being pulled towards it." He looks at me with a tilt of his head before nodding. I hadn't noticed before but he had another aura around his green one that was a soft blue. I wasn't quite sure what that meant, but I'm sure i will find out.
"Good lets fly back to the outside of the Beast Glades." I said as I pick up my pack off the ground.
"Er… Fly hatchling?" He once again gave me a confused look, and I could see his aura shift from soft sky blue to a grey color. I tilted my head in confusion at the change. Did blue mean normal or at rest? And did Grey signify his confusion? Shaking my head I get back to the topic at hand.
"Yes fly, I'm a Phoenix Asura after all it would be quite embarrassing if I couldn't fly." As I said that I naturally rose from the ground and his grey aura had a slight yellow to it now. I need to figure out what these auras represent. Only sentient things seem to have them that I've noticed so far, while plants don't. Will animals that aren't capable of speaking have an outer aura as well? Once again shaking the thoughts from my head I flew towards Xyrus.
I quickly generated some wind mana in front of me, so I wasn't being harassed by wind the whole time. Tuk flew along beside me and eventually his aura changed to just a bright blue. Not the soft sky blue from before but a bright blue. I could only internally at all these damn colors that he was swapping between because that meant I was going to have to learn them all.
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Author's Note
Okay another weird chapter to write honestly. I feel like some of this will confuse a lot of people, but yes he has a mana and an Aether core. The way I imagined it is how like in Naruto they have the different types of chakra they have to balance inside themselves.
I hope people like this as I didn't want him to just have a pure Aether core like Arthur. Also the Vivum will be explained more in depth soon. Like literally next chapter. I'm trying to give the Phoenix Asuras a Druid style vibe and all of them learn Vivum to varying degrees. Some can only heal things, some can only see auras, some can only destroy, or bring death. And gifted ones have control over all aspects of Vivum like Jaron.
Like I said this will be expanded upon more and more. Also yes Jaron is super OP right now, while I haven't read book 8 I imagine he could take on Arthur even after his training with the Asuras. His growth may also seem a little stagnant from now own as his power increases will mostly only come from more knowledge and deeper understandings of things.
I don't want to spoil too much more, but i felt I need to clarify that the Phoenix Asuras are the caretakers of the world and this will be explained more in depth in the future.
Last chapter of the day. Back tomorrow with at least one hopefully.
Thanks for reading.
-SocioPhobia
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