Chapter 29 : Nature Elements and A Scary Professor

Nature elements, just like mana, have existed ever since the integration of the system. They are also known as the elemental energies that enable mana to use different elements such as Ignis (fire), Aqua (water), Anemos (wind), Terra (earth), Glacies (ice), and Fulmen (lightning).

"There are rankers who are able to manipulate two elements at the same time, some are able to manipulate three while there are only a few who could manipulate four elements at the same time." Professor Maria explained.

"We call them Deviants, these rankers are beings blessed by the heavens itself, they are also called Heaven's favorite."

The students couldn't help but feel puzzled as to why these rankers were called Heaven's favorite, a skinny lean boy decided to raise her hands and asked professor Maria.

"Professor, why are they called Heaven's favorite? Is it really a big deal for rankers who are able to manipulate two or more elements?"

The student continued, "And wouldn't rankers manipulating multiple elements require a lot more training than the average ranker? I assume so?"

Professor Maria glanced at the student before smiling kindly at him, causing his thin face to turn scarlet red as he thought to himself that 'If only she wasn't 32, I might just chase after her.'

"You're right that manipulating multiple elements requires more time to train compared to a normal ranker, however the difference lies in the Arts ceiling."

"Arts ceiling? Is it a painting on top of the ceiling?" the skinny student commended with an awkward smile, causing a good laugh from the class.

Professor Maria chuckled before she asked the skinny student back, "What do you first think off when I talk about magic?"

"Mana?" the skinny student replied briefly.

"Apart from mana, what else comes to mind when you think about magic?" she asked.

The skinny student fell into a dilemma right after the professor asked him again. He felt a bit unsure of himself as he replied, "I'm not quite sure, Professor. Could you give me a hint?"

The professor nodded and posed another question instead, "When you cast a magic spell, what do you see?"

The student thought for a moment before replying, "Some unreadable ancient symbols that look to be forming some sort of painting."

The professor smiled before nodding her head with approval, "Yes, those are called inscriptions" as she said those words, she opened one of her palms before revealing an ancient symbol floating above it.

"To wield magic, you need to know how to chant these inscriptions correctly," she continued. "Only then can magic be wielded."

"Arts ceiling referred to the limit of spells that a ranker could comprehend or acquire." she explained before closing her palms completely as the symbol disappeared in thin air.

The students were completely captivated by Professor Maria's explanation, yet they remained puzzled by the concept of an Arts ceiling.

They couldn't fathom why there would be a limit to the number of spells a ranker could comprehend or acquire, and this left them with an insatiable curiosity.

After explaining the concept of the Arts ceiling, Professor Maria elaborated on its significance. "The reason for this is because each ranker possesses a unique level of mana aptitude. The higher a ranker's aptitude, the greater their control and mastery over a specific manipulation, and the more spells they can comprehend or acquire."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "What this means is that even rankers who share the same elemental manipulation can have vastly different abilities depending on their mana aptitude level. In fact, the difference between winning and losing in a battle between two rankers can often come down to their level of mana aptitude."

The skinny student's face suddenly lit up with understanding, as though a realization had just dawned on him. "Wait... so does this mean that the Arts ceiling is actually the limit on the level of aptitude one can achieve?"

Professor Maria nodded in acknowledgement before responding, "Yes, that's correct. And the reason why Deviants are known as Heaven's favorite is because they possess an exceptionally high level of aptitude for magic."

"In addition, Deviants have a unique mage class that they can specialize in once they break through each rank. Not only are they incredibly rare, but they are able to merge the multiple elements into a single unique element due to their innate abilities."

Professor Maria thought for a moment before she decided to demonstrate it in front of the class, she closed her eyes and reached out her finger, her movements smooth and practiced as though she were a professional artist with years of experience.

As she drew in the air, thin lines of mana trailed behind her finger, forming intricate patterns and symbols that glowed with an otherworldly light. The drawing was brief, but the effect was stunning, a circle of ancient symbols appeared in the air, and suddenly it glowed with a bright light.

The students gasped in amazement as a small hand-sized rock slowly emerged from the circle, floating in thin air as though weightless. It was a mesmerizing display of magic, and one that left the students in awe of Professor Maria's skill.

As the rock floated in the air, Professor Maria continued to draw another circle. Thin threads of mana trailed behind her fingers, weaving together to form intricate patterns as the symbols glowed with an ethereal light.

Water droplets appeared around the rock, floating in the air as though defying gravity. The droplets sparkled with a brilliant shine, reflecting the light of the mana circles.

Professor Maria's movements became more complex as she continued to draw, the mana threads surrounding the rock and water with increasing intensity. The water droplets slowly began to merge with the rock, their essence synthesizing with the stone to form a green magic orb.

The students watched in awe as the magic orb floated in the air, pulsing with a vibrant energy that filled the room. It was a breathtaking display of magic, and one that left them all speechless.

"This green magic orb is the plant element in simple terms, but we mages call it the Fyto element. It's a combination of the terra and aqua elements," she explains as green vines emerged from the orb, their tendrils reaching out to grab a nearby piece of chalk from the blackboard. the vines began to write down the notes

She paused for a moment, glancing at the whole class with an all-knowing smile before continuing, "This Fyto magic is called Hundred Seal Vines. It's a spell meant for warping enemies with vines before sealing them completely"

As the explanation ended, a deadpan silence fell over the class. No one dared to speak, for they knew that although she appeared kind and approachable, behind her mask lay a powerful ranker that even demons feared to fight with.

The students who had previously harbored a small crush on her now shuddered at the thought of being buried by vines.

***

"...."

As Professor Maria finished her demonstration, Lo was left speechless not because of Professor Maria's display of prowess but because a certain message popped up on his screen.

[ System Update : 99% ]

Lo was taken aback by the message. He had no idea that the system was updating, and the sudden appearance of the message only left him speechless.

Lo sat there in stunned silence, as he engrossed in his thoughts trying to process what is the cause of the sudden update. But his thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of Professor Maria's voice as she spoke to the class.

"While we're at it, why don't we take a look at your mana aptitude and the nature element you guys possess?" she suggested.

Excitement buzzed through the classroom as the students thought of the prospect of discovering their mana aptitude and their own desired element. All the students, including Lo, eagerly anticipated the chance to learn more about their magical abilities.

He knew that students like Leo, Lena, Aya, Eleanor, Mary and other students that came from great clans, would likely already know their own elements and aptitudes. In contrast, Lo and the majority of the other students who didn't come from renowned clans were unsure of what their own aptitudes would be. their magical potential remained a mystery, leaving them eager to discover their own aptitude.

Lo's attention was briefly distracted by the message on his screen, reminding him of the impending system update. Despite his curiosity about the new features and improvements it might bring, he knew he had to focus on the task at hand.

With a deep breath, He swiped the screen up before turning his attention back to Professor Maria, ready to discover his own element and mana aptitude.