Master Of None

The depths of knowledge which Walker had gained from the time in the endless night forest was barely a drop in the bucket. The knowledge they had from their records of ancient times was invaluable to them. Specifically, the numerous records they had within the mental connection for monsters, herbs, and other ancient aspects of the world.

The manas from what he had learned about back then were not as harmonious due to the developments of the world. There would be storms in certain areas that would last for months at a time. This would in turn give birth to monsters that couldn’t exist within the world as it was not or even in the future.

The constant changes because of the ancient monsters were even greater. They could change entire landscapes which would then change the weather and abilities that everyone had to survive.

The ancient monsters with larger sizes couldn’t exist in the same ways as they had once lived right now. The manas needed to sustain them were impossible while their destructive abilities would not be tolerated by the united races of the world right now.

So much was also the cause for how these monsters had existed and how some of the known herbs the witches had seen but wouldn’t be able to see in today’s world could be shared too. Some of the awakened witches had begun to record these things in to books so that they could be shared. This was in trade for the knowledge that had been gathered in the many archives of races and the library of Genesis.

It had recently been expanded since there has proven to be an exceptional growth in the libraries crafting sections. The many changes to the knowledge they had and how techniques were being refined had led to many research related journals being published and recorded there.

While some knowledge was duplicated, that was all factored in and condensed. It didn’t mean that the various techniques and research papers were not important. All of it could lead to new discoveries later in the world’s growth.

The various witches that had walked with him had shared a greater deal of information as well. Specifically about how they were raised and saved from their certain positions. Only a few had actually been born from the other witch born race within the endless night forest. This was due to the dangers of ancient times.

Compared to the other races of ancient times, the age where the witch born lived was considered one of war and strife. This was when the immortal chasing race, vampires, and angels had been in their own territories combating the ancient monsters and the immortal chasing race had gone even more brutally to war with the vampire race.

The witch born race had already more or less united their covens to the best of their abilities while isolating and protecting themselves. This had caused them to be in a position where they did not have in depth information about the other races of the time until they suddenly felt the world change and the manas begin to rapidly deplete.

This too had been important. Those who were reborn as witch born had come from various small tribes or some of the races that had begun to collapse in that time. The witch born couldn’t remain in the same form they could without the mana continuing to be abundant. So as the grand witches facilitated protective measures many who would leave the endless night forest had already entered in to a slumber to save their lives.

As old as they could live, it was based on manas. So the witch born without greater affinity or ability to infuse their natural manas in to their bodies would live fairly short lives. While the grand witches were easily a few hundred years old each with their strength having reached much higher in understanding their unique affinities for manas.

This aside, it meant that those who had gone in to slumber basically shut their bodies down and relied on the connection to their minds. Even that was just those who were strong enough to do so. Meaning that those without the innate abilities to absorb the manas needed or those who went through the ritual to be reborn as witch born were slumbering in darkness for years on end as the world yet again isolated them and shrank.

This perspective was a lot to contemplate. Walker had been doing this as he received an important message on the communication crystals about what gil and Alma had found.

The first moment he had listened to it all he was confused. He didn’t think that he would hear things like this at all.

”Su-”

”I heard it as well. They found a natural elemental rune that had three affinities and makes up lightning. Just go. I have a feeling it would be worse if you are not there.” Su didn’t hold her voice quietly, hse spoke clearly so that the others would hear it. She saw that they had all quieted down anyway to listen in on what had stopped walker from showing off some magic.

”Did you say lightning?” The grand witch of decay stopped Walker before he could announce a single thing. Her eyes were a little more focused than what they had been before.

”We had a coven of thunder once upon a time. They were consumed by the crystal mountain serpent and never made it to the endless night forest. I could share some information I recall with you.” The grand witch of decay was offering this as a way to assist and also to show her stance on their newly founded allaines. Especially since Walker had more than proven himself by showing them the ways he could mix manas and adjust them.

He was not hiding the strength and abilities he had. Not because he was trying to intimidate them but because he clearly saw the potential the witch born had and the fact that he was now understanding them as well.

His work changed her perspective and also was being seen by the other grand witches. While the distance was now much further from the endless night forest, she could still connect mentally with the others and recall what she had once learned as a race about the coven of thunder that no longer existed.

Since Walker had been swept in to their mental world before, she could easily connect him again. While this was actually very tough for her to do and for any witch born to do, Walker was unique and actually could connect to them very easily. It caused less mana draw and mental strain. Proving that as a member of the origin race he was now entirely unique compared to what others would ever expect of him.

Regardless, he found the sudden flow of thoughts and knowledge about the coven of thunder extreme. It weighed on his mind like he had just been asked to carry a mountain. While some were impossible because of what he was compared to what a witch born was. He knew very well that he could understanding lightning better. He’s also been suddenly given bits of their history and the number of witches who had been members of the thunder coven.

”Eighteen lightning witch born in the last hundred years of your endless night forest before entirely falling in to slumber…” he mumbled in shock. The number and rarity of witch born who could influence manas like natural lightning was so small that it would spell a rough path for anyone who gained skills and classes related to lightning let alone an affinity for it.

”We can not do that again for another year at least. That was costly to the others.” the grand witch of decay seemed tired as well since she had acted as the anchor for that skill and information. However, Walker was sure the mana cost and mental price was much higher. This went leaps and bounds ahead of what he expected.

Especially seeing as he now understood more about naturally occurring elemental runes in the world. Specifically advanced ones like the lightning rune which the ancient witches had recorded and left knowledge for if they had ever been explored before. It was why the thunder coven was not in the endless night forest. The tall mountains had been struck by lightning and were a perfect place to study such mana.

”Thank you. This will help me handle the situations there and allow me to better help everyone who has the affinities or path of lightning to follow in the future. I might even be able to learn and teach them later.” He was very grateful for this before he left them to keep traveling. They had the best of the best guarding and escorting them.

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