Master Of None

Walker was finding himself excited. There was something about how Gil couldn’t tell what this distant elemental plane was that seemed to latch on to him and take up a lot of his focus. A small whisper of an idea that it might be something he is looking for kept telling him he should push to examine it closer. Push himself to learn more right this second.

There was a little more that he and the others didn’t realize. That the mana radiated from a far off elemental plane that Gil could barely feel was resonating with all of them slightly. Just enough that they all felt an interest. Just enough that they were all able to feel what was out there and that they did not know it in the same way as the basic elemental manas.

Pursuing that, Walker allowed for the space mana he could feel around them to be their propulsion toward the new elemental plane. He felt that space mana was so much easier to use here. Most likely because it was condensed enough to allow for the elemental planes to all sit and develop here. Whoever or whatever had first created this had done so with extreme skill.

This level of skill was not something that Walker could comprehend properly. Simply because he didn’t know what he would need to do to develop to this height of knowledge in space mana as a whole. He might need years or he might just need a unique situation. Regardless, he was taking advantage of that mana to move faster. To travel more.

As they did near it though, everyone noticed a small ball of stone floating around them. It was not normal and Walker tried to get an all around appraisal from them right away. ”The all around appraisal just says granite rock formed by pressure.”

He was stumpered. There were a bunch of round, marble like granite that a kid could use as a toy floating here. It should all be isolated within an earth elemental plane. That would make the most sense.

”Walker, what does it look like if an elemental plane breaks apart?”

His questioning face slowly looked at Remey as she pointed out toward a denser cluster of these round granite rocks. Some were leather but it was still clear that they had all been stuck together at one point.

”I would assume that we would see the parts of it, the denser parts of the mana spread out and eventually fall in to other elemental planes causing them to slowly lose their affinity for earth and become another affinity over mana years of development.” This was what happened at times and now Walker and the others understood how elemental planes had materials that were once part of another. It was another way for unique materials to form other than just by being within a border.

”Shouldn’t we stay focused on that weird elemental plane?” Su tried to change the focus back to what they had been doing before but now the party was somewhat divided.

They wanted to know about both. The broken elemental apnea and what might cause it to break and the mystery elemental plane that they did not understand but felt they should see and know. That they felt was familiar.

”It broke because of that.” Onyx opened his eyes and made them all look at something beyond the rocks. Something that could easily be confused for more rocks of different sizes but clearly was actually a body. A monster that could definitely not survive the damage on its body and the fact that whatever it had done put it under immense pressure.

’Remains of a gravity eater

This monster is one that crawls through the in between. Places where there are only fledgling elemental planes. While not inherently dangerous to most, it is extremely dangerous toward anything earth affinity due to the fact that it needs denser earth mana to force the development of gravity mana.

The unique bonds of space and earth allow for gravity mana to be present within and around many places. Most prominently in developing cores of earth elemental planes. Therefore, the gravity eater will attempt to consume such places entirely. However, this gravity eater was unable to absorb all the mana all at once in its speed causing it to collapse and the gravity mana to run rampant.

The body and after math is valuable to earth mages and space mages. They can use the remains as materials to build unique magical focuses…’

What was left of the monster seemed as if it was stretched too thin. Like rubber that had been expanded and then had holes cut out of it before being crumpled up slightly. The dark smooth body and sharper looking black teeth were barely discernible. The larger amount of earth stuck through and inside it also made it harder to understand what it was overall.

”I want nothing to do with those monsters.” Alice was mirroring the thoughts of everyone right now. Every single one of them could sense and feel the threat that came with what this monster had in life compared to what it had now. Even worse, they could tell that anything with the ability to literally consume the core of a small elemental plane at the risk of destroying itself was much more powerful than them.

”I… I am going to store it away so we can use the condensed granite and its body for materials. I know it’s dangerous but it’s a material we would never find within the world that could help everyone.” Walker knew very well that the others might push against him if he didn’t have a good reason for grabbing and bringing the body and stones with them. However, he could also sense the mana within were still unique.

He might have the opportunity to understand another aspect of space and how when it mixed properly with extremely dense earth mana it could create gravity mana. That knowledge alone would push him further in his own development while he could and would provide the body as materials for any space or unique earth mages who learned certain skills or had certain needs. Let alone if they were able to get a gravity mage within Genesis at some point.

”It’s fine, but if we see one of those things you are making sure we are as far away as possible from it. And we are going home.” The way that Remey was looking at Walker it was not an ask, a question, or an idea. This was a fact and that was how it would be.

”I can make sure of that. I don’t want to fight one of them either. I doubt we would have a safe and happy time at all.” He didn’t have any reason to disagree though, Walker knew very well that a living one of these monsters, well, it would be a blessing to survive let alone be able to actually fight it.

Turning their focus back the slight green and gold glimmer in the distance, the party brushed off their shivers and paid attention to what else they could learn. This unknown elemental plane was not resonating with any of their affinities. Instead, it felt more like it was just dense mana resonating with them as a whole. Something that Walker was beginning to feel was a familiar sense for them. For him specifically since he had focused on it at one point.

”Life mana. That’s life mana.” The sheer excitement as everyone heard and realized this only came because they knew this was one place that Walker was specifically looking for. Life mana elemental planes might not be common but they were technically everywhere. Without life mana no race, plant, or monster could exist. T would just be a pure elemental plane with just basic materials and nothing to call as life at all.

But an elemental plane that was only life mana? Now that was a mystery to all of them. What could be inside? What would even have the chance to grow there? Could anything grow there without the addition of other manas? There was a lot left to be guessed at and learned from it.

”But should you wander in to a garden that is not yours? Should you go looking at something that is not for your species? Tell me little travelers moving through space, should I allow you near what I was asked to safeguard?” The rumble of manas and intense pressure fell on all of them.

They could understand the words, but they did not even have the ability to respond. Even Walker found himself stuck in place. He was not suddenly held still as the rest of the party was, but the slight movement he could do to turn himself to search for the source was nothing at all in comparison to being able to actually move.

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