Murai tried instruction segnts from his and Pillage's soul mories. There were many ways to implent and touch magic, so countless variants were under specific or normal circumstances. Getting or growing familiarity was done with comprehensive exercises or even spells. In Heavenly Shaping's starting sequences, one of the better ones was a spell called Nova.
For the ti being, it had nothing but basic purity because experinting with his three Affinities wasn't suitable.
Murai sat down, ignoring the ride, or the surroundings. Lisa was flying aside, curiously looking at him. Then, mana moved and he began to sway his magic like always. His core was rather calm, but when he proceeded with his Conjuring, sothing snapped and mana flowed like a much quicker stream. What he essentially felt was comparable to an engine swap.
Mana flew from his core, moving under or from his feathers, going down, or escaping his hoodie. He clutched everything in his mind, compressing and embracing it. Smaller and smaller, in a blink, mana compressed and released, shuddering Murai's feathers and face. An explosive push of force pushed the air and mana around, shaking the part of the road, wincing leaves, and so trees.
It happened right above Bagus, who frowned and winced his head behind. “Oy, no playing on my back,” he shouted, angling his neck to look at Murai and Lisa behind him.
Murai laughed, so Lisa had to apologize to him instead.
“Arranging a spell before it fully forms and sending it out like a stream through the heavens,” Lisa whispered. “That is the form that Pillage was known for and many mages desire to master such magic across many skies. So variants are under many races and cultures, yet implenting such rules is like becoming one with primordial energies. What does that make you, Murai Hisagi? This Nova you created was... difficult, wasn't it?”
“What am I? A beast with so... knock for odd mana. In fact, Heavenly Shaping is all about that,” Murai expressed without contempt. “Unfortunately, the force, delay, and timing are difficult. Every spell will use different fortes, so I've decided to do one thing alone: Focus on one thing at a ti, which cos down to simplicity first. I also considered swordsmanship and completely omitted any Path. Don't need one of those, while the one is keen and wonderous.”
“Swordsmanship? You an... swordsduckship? Oh, that doesn't sound great at all. Perhaps you should reconsider it and.... wait, you refused the swordsmanship promotion back then, didn't you? What changed your mind?”
“You an that question in the Golden Room about so dubious swordsmanship adhering to my species or suitable choice? I refused it simply because my head and circumstances were greater than that, and I didn't want to listen to a single word for sothing this close to my soul. Perhaps it could've solved sothing, sure, but finding limits in that ti... I've realized my choices and decisions hadn't been the most clever. You touched upon it a minute ago. I had suspicions, choices, and no regrets. Are you mad, hm?”
This ti, Murai gazed into her eyes, but no staring contest went ahead. Lisa was far too busy thinking for herself to give him this privilege.
“Mad, huh? I am a lot of things but not that.”
“Than you have no qualms to give? How shocking. Too much stuff sounds like a nuisance, so I was thinking of sothing precise. Singular.”
“Good. Good for you. Good idea,” she nodded twice. “Work hard for , will you?” She patted his hood and adjusted its parts after realizing that so of his experintal pure Nova ssed up his beloved hoodie. His brief touch upon Nova was many tis stronger than she had expected, considering she guessed it was his first experint outside of that Manual.
She witnessed how Murai tried really hard and felt challenged because of it. That was far more than good; it was ecstatic for her because he should feel the impulse and challenges ahead. He was very proud, she knew. Perhaps more than herself, or her words, which might force him to try his best if she allowed herself between them.
Lisa recognized his pure Nova as a Force Spell, functioning as a powerful push of mana that could cause less destruction. It was good at pushing and making sudden shifts in fights, allowing sudden moves. It could almost beco sothing much better thanks to his private learning. He could put it through so tests and make Sharpness Nova, Fla Nova, or Fla Nova because of his Heavenly Shaping and Affinities.
In a similar vein could be described his self-found spells, albeit the situation with them was a bit more difficult. So far, he was busy and paid little attention to them. Fla Shot, Mana Spear-Dagger-Arrow, and Sharpblade were his sole spells. Their efficiency and usefulness were still up to his Shaping, while their level was relatively small.
But that could change any day by now. His Affinity could touch most spells, although sothing like Fla Shot worked with his Fla alone.
Nova was unexplored for Murai and his Heavenly Shaping, and it was a rather nice exercise. Putting mana into the world before playing with it, exploding it in so parts, it was up to a mage to handle it with burdens, flow, aftereffects, or self-inflicted injuries. No one wanted to burst oneself or push mana into a terrible state, so it put a lot of sensitivity to what was essential.
Thankfully, Murai had good tools under his disposition: his hoodie, flesh, and feathers. He had no physical burdens thanks to them, but calling his internals calm right now was far from the truth. Lisa saw his hidden stress and pride, so she didn't tease him, so that might be a considerable growth on her part.
In Lisa's eyes, she noted how Murai had done his work. Mana moved from him like a small blast, to begin with, wanting to go away right away thanks to the wilderness. Then he clutched it without exploding it, compressing it while Conjuring, so that ant he was Shaping as well. The idea to do both wasn't very common, but it wasn't extrely rare either. Many mages thought of lowering so gaps and increasing efficiency in all kinds of manners. Catalysts or various equipnt and artifacts were created out of them, but the body and minds were much more endless.
In so skies, many were perfecting the natural disposition between mana, soul, flesh, and magic. These were all different, so making them fuse and beco closer was extrely difficult.
What Murai had done wasn't normal, but when he did his touches nurous tis, Nova still exploded quickly and efficiently. It was kind of weak as it wasn't filled with much mana or density.
For a training exercise, it was enough to give her validation that she had made a great decision and that soone good read between the lines.
“Wanna hear sothing else that is no less important?” Murai asked, feeling good about himself.
Lisa winced herself from her reveries. “Again? What?”
“ntion of so expertise go far. You said your wonder and stated your truths, so I will add mine. I thought about what to focus on and so tricks and ideas ca up with my mories. Twin Blades. Unofficially speaking, that is, it is an idea that focuses on everything I have right now. Originating from so distant swordsmanship and Paths, Heavenly Shaping, Sharpness, and my head, I will pursue it from now on.”
“Twin Blades?” Lisa wondered, thinking that his focus on previous Mana Blades was decent, but not too crazy. He was dominating their lack of power with his ridiculous ntal Shapling, which created a large disparity between his actual level and power level. “Do you want to carry swords as a duck? Perhaps you should think of so Path first before going that far, but... swordsduckship is dreadful. It would do well for anyone good. This world does...well, it usually does plenty of good things for anyone who chooses so Path, so perhaps you should think twice rather than once. Why not go further?”
Stolen story; please report.
“Path?” Murai frowned and shook his head. “I have no plans for one since these Twin Blades carry nothing close. It is more like an observation from so Paths and this life. It is like borrowing so ideas while hoping they will click together. Swords and mana blades work in a wide range of influence and Sharpness, and I have my feathers, wings, and body to consider. Like before, I an.”
Lisa accepted such logic with silence, hoping he would get powerful more quickly. She was guessing that the worst parts were yet to start for him, so as long as his mood and mind were sharp, she didn't plan to put him under her words.
“Sounds good,” she said. “Want to show it off as well? That Nova gave a small picture of what you could do. Can't travel with you there, to the Manual, so what else you can do? Wanna show so Arrows instead? I am all eyes!” She nodded once and appeared far too lofty and mysterious for no reason whatsoever.
Murai blinked and yed her body made of sona as if she was trying to make a point or a joke.
“Nah. I will not give you further privilege...”
This Nova was already enough to give him many shortcomings and restarts.
Lisa was happy that he wouldn't go far. It ant he wasn't stupid.
“I will think about what to do myself. You focus on this Gate.” Murai turned his head, focusing ahead.
“How generous,” Lisa reckoned and flew away.
The group continued with their journey into the Hellscape's Sectors, which included being cautious and thoughtful about the surroundings or nasty hidden dangers. So could co from within, or even outside. Itrosh was very good, as her scouting and speed were exceptional. She discovered many issues ahead of ti, letting the group go around them, or she or David would solve them in so other way.
David's sources included rumors over a new Anatidae, but also their overall team. Their Helper status was slowly being discovered, dragging the future down like their possibilities. It might be possible for many powerful Devils to make moves now because Ultium was nobody weak. Strangely, David proclaid it would be no issue, and Lisa doubted it was simple. He didn't prove it enough because they hadn't t soone shocking so far.
However, that could change in a heartbeat. It could co without warning, guided as a sudden or personal opportunity of so Hunters or personal unhinged stakes.
Any Anatidae could fetch sky-high prices in most Hells alone, let alone in the Surface or the Sky. Lisa was worried about it because Murai was kind of weak and their team was strong. So powerful fools could steal him under their grasp, so Murai always stayed close to Bagus, while Ultium was on the standby.
Bagus was too busy carrying Murai on his back, so he had no ti to shine. Murai was the sa; he hadn't had a single fight since entering this Gate. Either way, foes wouldn't be difficult. They would be impossible, so that was enough reason to put his mind sowhere else; onto his training. His Helpers were experienced killers, so he let them do their job.
The dangers were slowly creeping upward, hiding in the shadows or close to ceilings or walls. Jungles could be the sa, if not worse. Discovering that a high-level company started to protect their target was soon evident. News always moved along this Gate quickly when greed was in the picture. It might go outside of the Network too, since living beings had their own heads, eyes, scoutes, or ears. It will change many decisions for many of them since the Lost Brothers made their move.
Everything was tense, lingering on for the Hunt to start.
But their group was powerful and didn't need any Hunt. Lisa was more confident than usual, so she moved forward without care, thinking that their path wasn't quick or slow. Frankly, they didn't have to wait for anything. For all that was right, Mindarch and Levandis can take their ti so she could escape this shithole quicker.
Murai was glad he gave Lisa so slack. A bunch of Helper was a strong expansion to what he could do, and so elevated or changed Gate was secondary. After all, what would it be like without them, or how this Gate would even make sense? What was he supposed to do? Struggle to look for his portal alone with his little feet and Lisa?
He was no longer alone, hopeful to deal with every issue. That was no longer possible, for this Gate was much wilder than the previous ones. It turned out to be a bit... how did he want to say it? Empty? Dull.
Everything made his experience and mind filled with the past Gates weird. He was so hyped to carry his essence hunting toward this Gate, yet a change ca and he couldn't do much about it.
Perhaps he didn't like it, or hate it. He didn't want to acknowledge that Lisa's ideas were correct and that he should be patient and deal with everything on top of Bagus's back.
It was ti for his head to expect to train and travel to seek so experints in other forms and leave potential troubles for others. It was opposite to most of his past days.
Nothing significant ever ca across him other than Lisa's curious eyes, Itrosh's laughable demands, and Bagus's remarks if his feathers weren't too uncomfortable. David and Ultium hardly talked to him. The journey was long enough, and traveling through the jungle and forests alike was slow.
Aerial travel was also a possibility since Bagus could fly, but he couldn't carry everyone, and it might not even be a good idea. Thus, the groundwork was put forth and Murai found a nice spot on him. He sotis kept his tiny legs on his back, sitting between his wings, or being on top of his head for better views.
Murai discovered that his feathers were less fuffy than his own; they held unnatural stiffness and sturdiness instead. At least he no longer had to walk, so he didn't complain. His hoodie and feathers were soft enough.
Surprisingly, Bagus cheered and gladly allowed Murai to keep his approach on top of his head or back. He also insisted on carrying him in his beak, pinching his hood or feathers, but Murai refused that idea, even though Bagus seed dejected and very sad over it for so reason. It was terrible news. Carrying Anatidae in a beak was akin to a token of good luck for Griffins, or so it was said. In any way, Bagus was alone; he never grew up with any other Griffin or any families or tribes, so he had a less adherent culture of this significant Divine Beast species.
Murai took his ride for granted because it wasn't a bad idea. Itrosh beca a bit angry over it, as he refused her every advance, but it was great to have a "mount", for once.
In this matter, the journey went on for many more hours, and the number of fights hadn't increased or lowered. Lisa wasn't bound to any walking speed, nor she was hindered by her physicality. She often flew quickly and her stamina was quite deep, if not unfathomable because she hardly went back into Murai's soul space.
Upon starting to realize the depth of her race, everyone besides David was up to this journey long before it started. David huffed and paused from ti to ti, often opting for rest on top of Bagus's back. There was enough space for a single person. Not more.
Lisa always followed them around, or high in the sky, looking around and scouting for better directions or enemies. Making sure that Itrosh was current and serious wasn't always working, so Lisa did her own stunts, knowing that very few beings could really catch her. And if soone would... well, she didn't want to imagine that.
Her flight was great like her sight, and so chasms or vegetation won't stop her either. It wasn't because she could grow vast wings, or see through things In so ways. She could. Her physicality was closer to a ghost after all. A lot of things didn't matter to Soul Renders, whose basic race could do much more than imaginations and eyes.
So more hours later, at the closing ti of the second day at this Gate, a ssage finally arrived. David stopped the group under the shade of a vast tree. They were quite far from the source of any light and heat, but it didn't matter to them. Lisa glowed like a sparkling gem, so David took her body for sothing surprisingly small, soft, yet useful. Murai would laugh if he Read his view in a normal situation.
David pulled a tallic construct from his pocket. It was undulating thin waves of mana, guiding many wires and various materials in small arrays. It was a special runic construct for long-distance communication that worked for hundreds of miles, if not longer, as long as two constructs were connected and moving in the sa principles.
Murai was quite familiar with these kinds of things, as he was upon their creations at one point in a distant life on so planet and ti. It was ancient, hidden in his mories, but not veiled due to so remarks. The technology of Epochs was vaster and everchanging since so worlds could grow different from others, while the Epoch themselves poised as a significant course of one thing: Divides and Chaos Cycles. It was about ti, cultures, differences, and those who were beyond. The growth of the universe closely resembled that premise.
David activated this construct, which wasn't wild or complicated. It pushed out connecting waves like a sonar, connecting and finding the other construct. It was quick, effective, and usually impossible to eavesdropping. However, it was no Law. So powerful people or greater constructs could find or hear their incoming conversation, but David didn't care. The purpose of this constrict was much more simple than what they planned for.
It wasn't anything major. Such constructs beca popular across many planets long ago, thanks to many Gods who took it for their creation, spreading it far and wide. It was an inevitable course of talents and copying chanics, which pissed Murai off a little.
However, it was far too late to think much about it. It was almost fair. There were barely any limitations to intellect across so Gods or space, so so stealing or spreading conveniences happened. And these things had a rather surprising factor of science and mana inside of them. It was about shimring wavy and dust particles of mana, or were those its true Laws? Many thought and discovered what mana might be or not. It was once more about the size and nurous secrets. What one might see, one might not feel or see under a different light.
The construct let out thin waves akin to a sona, which then traveled to the second half of this construct across the regular air and space under a second. That was expected and effective. It was similar to the radio, but it worked with mana that was shaking and living in everything. Those were essentially endless, giving voice, tones, shapes, lines, and sizes to all most dinsions.
According to what Murai knew about this work, it was about mana frequencies, which was a thing closing on higher mana of different nas, different worlds altogether. Either way, this simple trace of idea assembled lighting fast communications if the sequence of relatively simple runes were the sa.
Murai wasn't their maker; he was just in their innovation, or past that felt like dreams or nightmares far distant to reclaim care from sothing like him.
Upon so back-and-forth soft tones, noises, and glitter of light, Marthosh's voice spread from the construct.
“Hello? Hello. Oh, on Hell, finally! He is here. The one Evil Lisa spoke about! Razmund!” Marthosh expressed his dread and his voice wasn't that calm. “He is terrifying as you've expected. Killing things and uncaring about the words or consequences, he already proved his words and... took the lacking Voice in craziness. He is crazy, boss! He proclaid shit in no turns the mont he ca to the city and turned many things down, or aside, or...bad. On Gods, this is terrible for . Why?! Hey, are you listening?”
David was silent.
Marthosh spoke faster than Alius, which Murai doubted was humanly possible. Murai sighted, figuring that their ti was turning to a new leaf since Razmund had finally co.
Soone took this voice differently. David slapped his forehead with both fists, hoping to escape Lisa's piercing gaze.
“Oh, this is interesting. You told about even to a little kid?” she mocked him. “What else? What is worth ntioning? Consider not surprised.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)