Chương 9: Success and Failure

At this moment Prinz is concentrating his mind; in an attempt to control the overflowing Manna energy that belongs to the imperial Elf. His two eyes glow with silvery-golden colour in the beginning. Until a trace of green adulteration, light reveals around them. The physical body of the Imperial Elf manifests around it with white-green light; however as time passes by the light faints.

Unfortunately, Prinz fails on the first try.

It is not long after the white-green light appears, his concentration fades away. Under this predicament, he drains plenty of his stamina. Just a sheer concentration to control the Manna is proven to be too difficult. Prinz stops at once, not wanting to overexert himself.

"Urgh, I used too much time at this. A lot of my stamina washed out at concentrating. It's just hard to forcefully control the Manna energy. Also because the energy comes from within the imperial Elf the difficulty steps up. I must rest and think of something else to ease the current flow of energy. That's it, I need to make preparation, and perhaps practice a little?"

Prinz believes that by relying on his current self to control the Mana energy once again would be unwise. His lack of experience would make his attempt fails. Does not matter how long and how much times Prinz tries, when he fails to master the basic, to avidly gain control of the Imperial Elf's Manna is as hard as swimming below a frozen sea.

Prinz feels severe fatigue would overwhelm him at once if he does not rest, at least. He takes this opportunity for a small break.

He grabs a hold of his rucksack and takes a small number of plants for him to eat. At the same time, his right-hand reaches out to a small wooden- flask. He opens up one end and brings the flask near his lips. Tiny amounts of liquid come out for him to sip. He feels reinvigorated.

From the outside, the rucksack appears to be made from unknown leather-like materials. It is substantially expanded in size; just somewhat a-half of Prinz's height.

After he finishes, Prinz immediately closes his eyes. He sits on the flat surface in a meditative position while trying to focus. Soon, he arrives deep into his consciousness. By looking through his memories from before, he visualizes the flow of energy that he once felt. Only relying on his experience, Prinz goes through the process.

The first time he felt the flow of Manna energy was during the time he nurtured energy from the surroundings to protect his mind. The second time just happened earlier when he attempts to control energy flow inside the Imperial Elf. Both of these experiences have consolidated and he is looking for contradictory details that would help him. Every detail is expected to find the cause of his faulty attempt previously.

Time passes by swiftly but Prinz is still in his meditative position. His two folded legs are shaking in agony. Yet, inside his mind, he is still simulating the process. On the contrary, the simulation is with the solutions that he would possibly attempt:

"I found one particular detail. When the energy that I attempt to control is not intended for something the process fails. Then, when I was simply trying to force control of the energy residing within the Elf becomes my first mistake. Secondly, I was not using 'Nurturing Growth' ability; when in fact it was due to this ability that I able to protect my mind."

Now that he is conscious of the mistake, Prinz plans his way to overcome it. This time, he would use his ability for the second time.

"I'm ready to try again," Prinz exclaimed in confidence.

Prinz walks close to the body of Imperial Elf and gently touches its forehead. He starts to focus and promptly begins his attempt. This time he invokes his 'Nurturing Growth' ability while aiming to control the Manna energy. All the energy is accumulated from within the physical body. His effort takes significant patience.

Nothing happens to take place as he tries to invoke the ability.

"I need more time. I sense its presence when invoking my ability. Currently, I'm not in my actual physical body, thus I don't feel alike with it."

With time, Prinz's patience comes to fruition as now his whole body is covered with faint silvery-golden colour. It almost the same conditions on his first. He senses the flowing Manna from his body is channelling into the Imperial Elf. The energy is pouring at snail's pace; nonetheless, it is a successful attempt. Prinz feels a faint sense of warmth is coursing to and fro his body.

"It is a success! Trying not to use my ability is the precise answer to my failure. Now, it's time to channel Manna into the Imperial Elf and practically control its energy."

He intensifies the entire process and gradually channels the energy from his hand. Before long, his own Manna partially makes their way into the Imperial Elf.

Again, the physical body of the Imperial Elf glows in bright white-green light; but this time the light is no longer faint in colour. At the same time, a spherical-shaped object takes a form. The object is concentrating the entire Manna energy that resides inside the Imperial Elf. After a lengthy period, the sphere moves to his hand and flows into.

The green energy sphere covered luminous white integrates with Prinz's Manna.

"I feel a sudden cold on my hand. But then, the foreign coldness instantly disappeared." He murmurs inside.

Unknown to Prinz, the entire Imperial Elf's Manna energy has left its former residing place. It now has integrated into him. Because his eyes are closed, he could not catch a glimpse of the process.

Soon after, the entire thing concludes. Prinz no longer covered with overflowing Manna energy. In the aftermath of the process, he does not feel any physical difference, yet a small growth has obviously occurred.

He is no longer skin-and-bone; as a layer of muscles manifest underneath the skins.

"I feel my strength recovers. Most importantly, I look better and this body is now filled with vigour."

The positive outcome brings him to a realization. Prinz understands that he has discovered a method to restore his bodily conditions. Although the process provides a small change, at very least he is no longer oblivious.

"This finding is unintended, though it resolves one of my concerns."

Prinz shifts his head down and his eyes reach the small pouch:

"Now, it is time to utilize the same concept to this thing."

Prinz resolves himself. He wants to try; taking out an object from the inside pouch. However, he decides to not do it now. His stamina exhaustion is taking a toll on him.

"During this journey, I suppose I can only do the process once more. The food and liquid inside the backpack need to be reserved for my return journey." Prinz calmly reminds himself.

As he is now lying on the ground, he rests.

A thought arrives at him:

"The process of controlling Manna energy can be done if I use my ability."

Soon after, Prinz prepares himself for the next journey. Before that, he satiates his hunger and quenches his thirst. It time to embark to another place, then returns.

The Imperial Elf physical body has become emancipated when it loses all its Manna energy. Prinz brings forth the body with him:

"When I touch the Imperial Elf and place it inside the pouch, I have the intention to bring the body inside it. Then it happens. Does this pouch work that way, by relying on the user intention?"

----

Someplace near the World Tree.

The furthest areas from the tree trunk surroundings have changed for the worse when all sorts of green vegetation are noticeably declined. Most of these plants have flourished and before collected by Prinz for his regular consumption. But now, nothing is growing anymore.

At this point, the tree trunk has also deteriorated in form. The trunk's outer bark is peeling off increasingly and the tree sap where the source of liquid originated has only left a little to lesser in amount. It is only enough to last for some time. From the moment this happens, Prinz realizes that he is in a situation where he needs to migrate into another location soon.

Now, plenty of white areas have slowly converted to greyish colour. It appears as if the soils are deteriorating form their loss of nutrients. Perhaps the natural condition of those areas is regressing to its former infertile state.

Tap, shhh.. Tap, shhh...

Recurring footsteps are heard from a distant. From far, a covered silhouette is seen with a long walking-stick; slowly approaching the World Tree direction. The silhouette gradually reveals the person as Prinz as it approaches near. He returns after an extended journey.

His dim eyes look lifeless. He physically bent forward from exhaustion while walking. Due to a prolonged journey that takes a longer conclusive period and at the cost of sparse provisions, Prinz turns this way. Nevertheless, the moment he steps into the shelter he takes with him a fist-sized stone and a few sharp woods. They are all used for digging a hole. Prinz is preparing to build a small burial place for the Imperial Elf.

Slipped on his back is a broken spade that is made from foreign metal. The tool shines in black lustre. Originally there is a dark-blue gem embedded at one end. For some reason, the gem is shattered in half. At the time he found the spade, the gem is covered with sharp edges from all corners. Having the gem is unsafe; therefore he knocks it out effortlessly.

Without haste, Prinz begins to make a somewhat sizable space that fits the Imperial Elf body. The depth, however, must reach his height – at least. Therefore, no extreme condition can make the body to resurface. It took some time, but Prinz manages to complete it.

"Alright, it's done! Next, I need to rest and eat something."

Prinz walks to the storage area where plenty of dried plants are readily available. Feeling pine for something fresh, he heads to the nearby shrubbery and plucks the leaves right away. There are also some small fruitlets he found. Then, he extracts some liquid from the World Tree sapwood and promptly sips on it to quench his thirst.

"I feel as if my fatigue is recovering faster," Prinz assures himself.

He returns to the shelter and takes a short nap immediately after.

Slightly later, when Prinz is done and ready, he heads back to the burial. On his one left hand, he is holding the brown pouch:

"It's time to bring out the Imperial Elf's body."

He has decided beforehand to directly place the body down inside. There is no need for him to do extra tasks – to carry the body and place it down.

"Bring an object out from this pouch is as simple as intending to do it, right?"

Right now, he is trying, but nothing happens.

"Hmm, is my method wrong?"

After a few failed attempts, Prinz resort to using his ability instead:

"This is too susceptible that I must resort to my ability to use Manna energy and bring the Imperial Elf out. I need to retain my focus slightly longer this time. The primary thing is to bring the body out from. After that, I will need to place it inside the burial place. Then maybe, just maybe, if I can also use energy to directly complete all. No, I'm being a little hasty, right? I might be able to use Manna, but it's too exhausting." Prinz murmurs inside.

He is being too expectant after his successful attempt at controlling Manna.

"Alright, let's begin."

He closes his eyes and begins to focus. Not long after his mind focusses, a faint silvery-golden light manifests. Slightly presents around the light is a tinge of green energy and the light covers his body. Prinz uses concentration to control the flow of the energy inside the pouch.

At this moment, his mind is brought together into a massive unknown space inside the pouch. The location of the space is indefinite. Prinz regains his vision inside this place. He notices that he is drifting on the air. He has no idea how to move around.

"This is beyond my current comprehension. How one could create a massive space inside a small space? Look at all these huge amounts of plants and liquid inside too. Also, why would there be a land below accompanied by a murky sky above? Is this another World?"

It is a stunning discovery, as he saw the spacious interior located inside the small pouch. He has once only caught a gleam of all kinds of stuff orderly stored inside, but now every different thing that he sees are breath-taking.

"It is more than meets the eyes. I didn't know that this pouch is linking to another world. What if I physically enter inside?"

Prinz is ascertained that if he can enter this place and uncover its mysteries, he might be able to leave the barren world he resides at present.

"There is a possibility that I can leave this world!" Prinz exclaims in joy.

Prinz remembers that Loci once said this:

'One's gain is another's loss.'

"It's true that I took this pouch away from the Imperial Elf. But, it can't be helped. I need to survive. That's why I determine to repay this gratitude by properly burying the body."

Prinz hopes that by burying the body, it signifies deep his gratitude toward the Imperial Elf. At the same time, he takes the pouch away in exchange; without any liability. Hundreds of years ago, humans always perform a funeral for the dead by burying or cremating the dead body. It is a sign of paying last respect to the dead and to ensure that the body will not be eaten by wild animals.

"It's an exception though, for some cases," Prinz says indifferently.

His eyes focus on different directions, multiple times – in searching for the Imperial Elf.

"I'm looking for the body. Where is it?"

He searches attentively where the body is placed.

"Found where it is! It's time to bring the body out."

Putting all other matters behind, he signifies his primary aim and controls the Manna energy from the surroundings. All the energy gathers in one place – to the target at one specific location.

"Something is not right!"

The ground tremors while the sky cracks at once. Incidentally, all the Manna inside accumulate to that one location and all energy concentrates toward a sphere. He sees the sphere spinning rapidly and the world inside trembles. The faster the spins, the strong the energy is pulled into the sphere.

"What is happening inside this world?"

The instant all the energy inside the pouch reduced into a sphere, the object rushes towards him and Prinz losses his vision. He opens his eyes soon after to realize that he has returned.

"Urgh, my head hurts! What exactly happened just now?"

He sees that his whole surroundings are enclosed with every single thing that comes from the small pouch.

"Mother freaking nature!"