บท 9: Camping trip(2)

Today, we unexpectedly get to go on a trip. Ever since I arrived here, there weren't any opportunities to go outside which made me feel slightly trapped. However, this time it seems to be a planned event as there's another person accompanying us. He's the yellow hair man from before, his name is Hans.

Nasha has warned us repeatedly about the dangers of the slum but the trip out was rather smooth sailing. However most of it was thanks to Nasha and Hans intimidating everyone on the road. After that, we reach a big forest. The trees were quite tall and the leaves look rather weird, being big and wide. It creates an unique scenery and the children loved it.

I joined Gero and Hubris in a tree climbing competition. Gero is a kid with the justice trait, having a natural blonde hair with murky yellow eyes. He's one year younger than me and he's the weirdest kid out of all the children. He's quite and doesn't speak much but his face is very expressive. I could easily tell what mood he's in just from his eyes alone.

It might be embarrassing to say this, but I enjoyed climbing tree much more than I had expected. It's something I has always wanted to do as a kid and the chance was here so I might as well do it. It was hard and I almost fell off a few times but thanks to Nasha watching over us, I felt safer. By the way, I scored second.

After a while, Hans who has left us on the road returned. He and Nasha had a big fight. From their conversation, they seemed to be talking about a past event, an event that brought disastrous consequences to the country.

It was an interesting conversation for sure as I could now confirm my theory about Nasha. She definitely had some important position in the past, messed up in someway and now ended up here.

The fight ended as quick as it begins and the kids were get restless. It's the perfect opportunity for me.

Pretending to be angry, I asked Tok to let me follow Hans as Nasha doesn't seem to be alright at the moment. Although he hesitated, he was also angry at Hans, thus my request was granted not long after. Chasing after Hans, I make sure to approach him after getting out of everyone line of sight.

"Sir, can you teach me magic!"

Hans looked surprised at my request as he look at me oddly.

"... Can you summon your soul weapon?"

"What's that?"

"Can you activate your trait blessing?"

"Huh?"

"Can you compress magic particles together?"

"...I haven't tried it yet."

Hans look at me with tired eyes, he was obviously not pleased.

"Look kid, if you can't do that then there's nothing I can help with. Nasha must have teaches you all and her teaching is rather complete so you don't need to worry."

I was still not convinced. A person like him who hold a high position must have access to a variety of documents. Some of those surely has to be ways to learn, right? Not knowing how to explain it, I look at him with my best pleading eyes. Hans was troubled, to say the least.

"Fine. I know a basic lesson that Nasha most likely won't teach until later. She hates this technique though so don't show it to her." Hans said picking up a nearby branch.

"This technique is called 'coating'"

Yellow particles could be seen around the branch in his hand. They quickly converge at the tip of the branch, giving off a yellow glow. Hans point the stick forward at a tree nearby, the glow on it was getting even brighter.

Boom!

With an explosion, a yellow beam shot out from the stick, leaving a dent on the tree.

"Coating use the same principle as compressing magic particles, except we give it a magic form instead of a physical form."

I was rather confused. I didn't understand half the word he was saying. Hans also noticed my confusion and tried to explain it more easily for me.

"Have you feel the connection of your soul and magic?"

"Mhmm."

"You know that when creating a physical form from magic, you need to cut that connection?"

"I do."

"To create magic form, we still compress the magic particles together but we keep the connection, continuously sustaining it through our magic power. You're following me?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now because the magic power is being compress, and without a physical form, it'll manifest your trait. Each trait has different characteristics. For example, the justice trait can more easily sustain magic power for a while even when leaving the body."

I was glad to have asked Hans for a lesson. Now I have a better understanding about how to use magic power. Unaware of how grateful I felt, Hans continued with his explanation.

"Without a physical form, it needs a medium so it's usually used to coat weapons or your own body, hence the name."

The explanation got me rather excited, coating myself with magic power, doesn't it sound awesome. Perhaps I got too excited as I accidentally blurted out a stupid question.

"Can I try it out?"

It was stupid as I can't even make a physical form yet, much less a magical one. However Hans answer was different from my expectations.

"Sure. I'll teach you how."

I look at him with questioning eyes. Hans understood my worries and reassured me.

"Don't worry, this technique is actually much easier than making a physical form, at least a large one. You just need to lead the magic particles to a part of your body and keep it there. And I'll be watching over you anyway so wouldn't it be a waste to not try it out?"

Indeed it would be a waste. Convinced, I start compressing magic power following his guidance.

Remembering the sensation of the soul, magic particles started appearing around me. 'Grabbing' all of their connection to the soul, I redirected them to my palm. Soon a ball of red light formed in my palm. I could instinctively felt that if I do nothing, the ball will become a physical form.

Since it not what I'm aiming for, I strengthen the connection of it with my soul, and start dissolving it into my palm. After 3 minutes of concentrating, slowly dissolving the ball of magic power into my palm, I was done.

My fist glowed brightly, I could feel great power inside me. The sensation was strengthened by it's connection to my soul and I feel like I'm able to destroy anything.

"Now be careful, since your control is still not good, you might use too much force and hurt yourself in..."

Hans was saying something however I couldn't pay attention to it. My attention was now fully focus on my fist. I want to use it. I want to let it all out. Ignoring Hans, I walked to the tree next to me. Hans also realized something was wrong, he moved forward to stop me.

"HEY!"

However he was too late, I punched the tree with all my strength.

BOOM!

An explosion much more powerful than when Hans demonstrated me. Soon, a sharp pain assaulted me.

"ARGHH!" I cried out in pain.

"Shit!" I could hear Hans voice in the smoke.

Summoning 2 light balls, they circled around each other pushing the smoke out. After the smoke was gone, my figure was revealed.

There were bruises on my body but the most damaged was my right arm. It was broken, completely broken. My fist was bend in an unusual shape and bones could be seen protruding out. Perhaps there was some broken bones too, I didn't know. All I could think about right now is the pain. Luckily or unluckily, I didn't passed out.

I could see Hans wrapping my arm with something. The thing wrapped around my arms start emitting green light and my consciousness soon waver away.

Hans look at the kid fainted in his arm with a complicated expression. Looking up to the spot he once was, Hans could see a stump of a tree. It's body has already crashed on the ground.

"Times are changing, and now you appeared. Perhaps this is fate..."