Master Of None

”When mother said that she heard a loud crack and then found a lot of the training ground behind the mansion damaged, especially the garden, I didn’t know what I was getting in to. I just got home and all.” Gil was the one who first found the mess.

He had returned back to Genesis with Alma who was seemingly more tired from manipulating the jungle canyon plants than what anyone had expected. Especially with the fact that she had been doing it constantly and was doing so after she had been working with the spirit trees.

Walker realized he had to begin checking up on everyone with more care since it seemed they were working themselves well beyond their limits. Vacations would be necessary. Not just for his family, but for everyone within the city who might be pushing themselves beyond the limit.

Yes there were worries that there could be ancient threats out there approaching at any time, yet that could not be the sole driving force. If that was what kept them focused at all times, then that was that. The end all be all.

They should work for their passion and drive as people. Not for fear or worry. The stress would pile up and never end of that was the case.

”I thought you were joking when you said that Midnight and Onyx made a hole in the back wall. Those rune formations should handle most of what we can all do when training as long as we are not getting too violent. It does raise an important issue though.”

Basic training was easy from the group. They could go through the motions, test small bits of magic, and even use new weapons. The skills they used had to be done with care, but in training that was easier since the focus was not on using the skill to its fullest, but instead understanding the skill or whatever one was training to the best degree.

However, what of when they had to test their limits? Test the strength that they all possessed beyond the average person of Genesis. There could be the same case made for several of those within the alliance as well.

Scylla, the royal dragons, most vampire mages, the echidna, and so many more could not at all use their greatest strengths when training. All because they would cause destruction which would cost a fortune to repair. That was putting aside the risks for damage that everyone would undergo due to their actions in training.

The party was a whole other reconsideration since if they went all out they would be able to do much more damage. Even when considering the physical nature of Su, she could cause a lot of damage. The average building within Genesis was not at all strong enough to handle a shield bash from her.

Even using the magic tower was more or less impossible now. There were too many mages there training who needed more peace than the chaos of a magic sparring match. The arena couldn’t be used since there were matches there and it was also not strong enough to resist people like Walker.

This was a limit of the building capacity Genesis had right now. Something that was surely driving the dwarven craftsmen insane.

”We should find a better place to train. I might be able to work on it with the space mana I can use now. We also have the start of space runes, right? Why not put me in to even more work while everyone else takes a rest?”

Gil felt like Walker was joking but he seemed too smug for that. As soon as Walker had mentioned to Gil he somewhat figured out space mana he’d noticed that Walker was smiling and acting a bit more superior lately.

Then again, considering the fact that he had struggled so much with space as a concept for mana in the first place, it might just be normal. While Walker makes progress often, it’s never in a larger leap like discovering how to use an entirely new section of mana like this.

Even the mixed manas to make unique forms of mana were not as grand as space is. It’s equal to life and death mana however those two were not necessarily something Walker focused on greatly.

He had no desire to continue pushing life mana ahead to grow or alter anyone. They deserve the opportunity to life life as they see fit. That is the same with Death mana, who was he to study mana and used to to literally bring death? It wasn’t even a consideration.

Space on the other hand? Well, that was just perfect for study.

”Brother, it was not intentional. Sister and I were practicing using condensed manas in our bodies and she mixed manas to make lightning breath. It failed in the way she wanted but she can use lightning arc from her mouth and now thunder scales to make everything around her connected in lightning. It was successful.”

The sudden interjection of Onyx made Gil laugh. He felt that he was trying to stop himself and Midnight from getting in to too much trouble.

”I felt the manas in the air. And I think I know what inspired her. But she worked so hard she passed out, I’ll have to have a few words with her and you about making sure you are both resting properly too.” His glare made Onyx look down. He hadn’t been resting much either.

”That doesn’t mean I can’t make a safer place to train. What will you do if you want to train at your full size? Go out in to the wilderness and come back later asking people to clean up the destroyed land?”

”Walker is right, I can’t use all the arrows I have made. I learned to make clashing arrows where manas react and cause extreme damage. I’ve not used them since they are failures. I can’t control them and Walker is stuck breaking them down safely. What if I could train with them instead?”

Since Gil was supporting the idea immediately, Onyx had nothing to say. Instead, he just nodded before Walker looked behind them. ”And you heard that, right? So get over here and show me the thunder scale skill for five seconds. Then I will help you make sure you don’t burn up all of your mana using it once.”

While he wanted to give them a word or two of reprimand, Walker couldn’t resist seeing Midnight use her new skill.

Just feeling how she drew in the mana, he felt that she had learned more unconsciously from their connection to one another. Clearly his new knowledge about lightning and his time near a naturally formed lightning rune, it was being ingrained within him. Because of this, knowledge was innately passed through his bind to Midnight when she started trying her own mixing of manas.

All things coming together there was a lot of missed opportunity in the ways that Midnight pulled in mana. She was mixing it inside her and not through her body but just in one spot. This causes clashing instead of balance.

With his hand on her back, he calmed them and altered the flow to show her a better way. This caused her to be able to focus more on the scales and the lightning she created flowing through them instead of the entirety of her body.

The area around them also was full of lore lighting before Walker caught in to the reason why Midnight lost mana so quickly.

”You are letting your mana dissipate while you only focus on this skill. Basically, you need more focus in multi tasking so you can manage your mana better. We will start training that.” Midnight released the skill and looked at Gil with a wide smirk.

”So we are shooting arrows at them while they gather and condense manas while you try to punch them?” He laughed a bit as he grabbed one of his bows from his back. He could use a short bow here for this, it would be a little fun.

Both Midnight and Onyx reared back trying to make space, but they were too slow, Walker was already moving. Even worse, Gil had perfect aim and dulled arrows were already moving toward them. Not enough to hurt them but enough to make them know they messed up.

”Hey, you need to be gathering manas and mixing them. onyx you should be better at balancing your manas like this and Midnight, you haven’t even started mixing mana yet, what’s wrong?” The pressure he added along with a bit of laughter made both Onyx and Midnight realize Walker and Gil were teasing them.

Before long the training had become a strange game of tag involving mana and dodging.

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