Al-Maari & Elemental Magical Manipulation

Upon waking up, Phaistos felt somewhat at ease. He began to understand that the light element had a certain potential for physical and mental healing. However, he sensed that it would still take several more days of meditation to fully heal his mind.

This new understanding of his element assured him a greater chance of successfully breaking through next time. He decided to wait until his mind was fully repaired before attempting it. Thus, he decided to focus on his water element for now. After all, he had a feeling that something bad might happen if he became complacent in his work.

After getting ready, he went downstairs to meet his friends. He immediately noticed that Zara was not yet there. As he inquired about her situation, the others responded that she hadn't answered when they knocked on her door.

Miki said, "In my opinion, she's meditating. We should let her be, she'll join us later. If she doesn't show up for class, we'll inform the teacher about the situation."

Kibi chimed in, "That must be it. I hope the teachers are tolerant of absences. We've never had this situation in class, so we can't know what will happen."

The others nodded with a certain apprehension in their eyes. They hoped everything would be fine for their friend. They decided to head to the cafeteria to have a quick breakfast before class.

As they were having breakfast quietly, they saw Zara running towards them, holding a ball of fur in her arms. As she approached their table, it was clear she was exhausted, with bags under her eyes.

Phaistos stood up and approached her. "Zara, are you okay? You look exhausted."

Zara nodded, smiling weakly. "Yes, I'm sorry for being late. I spent the night taking care of this little horned rabbit. I only returned to the dorm a few hours ago after finally managing to bond with it. I must have slept for one or two hours at most, but I'm relieved to have finally completed the hall mission. Additionally, the bond allowed me to break through in my strength. I've reached the intermediate foundation for my water element."

Freya seemed very interested in the little ball of fur and said, "How did it help you elevate your understanding of water? How did you decide to name it?"

Zara replied, "I'll answer in a second, I'll first get some food for both of us." After a short while, she returned with two trays of food. She placed the tray of food for her rabbit on the ground, as she wasn't comfortable with it eating on the table. Sensing the food, the rabbit seemed to wake up and quickly started eating from the tray.

"My understanding of the water element improved because it has an affinity for that element. Since we share a common affinity, we influenced each other, and it also had some improvements in its magical power. Moreover, it also has an affinity for the lightning element, which could allow me to have higher combat strength when it starts being able to attack with it. For now, the spells it knows won't make a big difference, but later it could easily help me survive calamities," Zara answered the first question. "As for its name, I decided to base it on the language of my country. In my country, 'ma'a' means 'water,' so I decided to name it Al-Maari to honor that."

Zara's other friends observed Al-Maari with fascination, admiring both its rarity and potential. Phaistos felt happy for his friend and hoped that this new ally could assist them in their future adventures. Together, they finished their breakfast, exchanging ideas and plans for the day ahead.

Miki asked, "And how does it progress? Does it meditate like us?"

"According to the knowledge I received in class, spiritual creatures often don't know how to increase their power through cultivation. That's why the majority of species have developed bodies over time that allow them to absorb magical power contained in the air as well as in plants, minerals, or animals. Apparently, their conversion rate of magical power contained in the air is very low, so it's better for them to find resources to improve," Zara continued her explanation, projecting her data and Al-Maari's.

[Zara Ibn Malik]

[Rank 1: Initiate]

[Magic Power: 19]

[Combat Power: 12]

[Nature middle stage - 10%]

[Water middle stage - 0%]

[Spiritual Origin: B-]

[Magical Control: D+]

[Lineage: ???]

[Talent: ???]

[Bind: Al-Maari]

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[Al-Maari]

[Race: Horned Rabbit]

[Magic Power: 12]

[Combat Power: 8]

[Primary Element: Water - initial stage - 0%]

[Secondary Element: Lightning - initial stage - 0%]

[Rank: Arcane I]

[Lineage: None]

[Talent: None]

[Special Abilities:]

Aquatic Purification: Al-Maari can purify the water around him, making it clear and drinkable.

Domain of Serenity: Creates an area around him where the tranquility of water soothes the mind and body, aiding in meditation and recovery.

Aqueous Projection: Can create and manipulate small quantities of water for minor attacks or defenses.

Lightning Spark: Generates an electric spark to shock enemies or overload magical objects.

"You can see that there isn't a significant difference aside from the names of the ranks. The ranks are much broader and more disparate than those of humans. Two creatures of Arcane I rank can have vastly different powers, as different as day and night. There are five classifications within the ranks of magical creatures:

[Arcane I: Novice creatures with basic elemental affinities. Their level ranges from Apprentice Grade 1 to 9 for human magicians.]

[Arcane II: Intermediate creatures with more developed elemental affinities and advanced special abilities. These creatures have already entered the realm of magicians. Their combat power spans from the weakest to the strongest of magicians.]

[Arcane III: Expert creatures mastering multiple elements and possessing unique and powerful abilities. These creatures have entered the first or second stage of grand mages.]

[Arcane IV: Legendary creatures with perfect mastery of their elements and mystical skills of another level. These creatures are equivalent to third-stage grand mages.]

[Arcane V: Mythical creatures, often unique in their kind, with multiple elemental affinities and abilities capable of influencing the world around them. These creatures are equivalent to supreme magicians.]"

Phaistos reacted, "Even though this information is important, it doesn't seem precise enough. It feels like it is intentionally vague to prevent ordinary students from learning great secrets."

Zara replied directly, "That's the feeling we all had when we heard this knowledge. The worst part is that the instructor didn't seem to hide it when one of us dared to ask the question."

As the five resigned themselves to not being able to obtain all the information from the academy, they headed to their classroom. They didn't know why, but this class was held in a different room from the one they had been using since the beginning of the week.

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As the five friends made their way to their new classroom, they felt a mix of curiosity and apprehension. This room was located in an older wing of the academy, where the walls were adorned with portraits of legendary mages and frescoes depicting epic battles.

Upon entering the room, they were greeted by a new teacher, Master Elara. She was a wise-looking woman with silver hair and piercing eyes that seemed to uncover each student's secrets. Her imposing aura inspired respect and admiration.

"Welcome, students," began Master Elara in a soft yet authoritative voice. "Today, we will explore advanced elemental manipulation. You have already acquired solid foundations, but now it is time to push your limits and discover new possibilities."

She motioned for the students to sit, and Zara sat next to Phaistos, still holding Al-Maari on her lap. The horned rabbit seemed intrigued by the room's atmosphere and observed every movement attentively.

Master Elara started with a demonstration of her power. She raised her hands and created spheres of water and lightning, making them dance around her with incredible grace. "Harmony between elements is essential. By combining water and lightning, you can create spells of unparalleled power. It's a magical theory often overlooked by magicians from lower worlds, as they are not used to fully utilizing all their capabilities."

In her last statement, there was a hint of disdain towards magicians from lower worlds. Nonetheless, the students didn't pay much attention. After a "week" at the academy, they had already experienced not being particularly welcomed by everyone.

Nevertheless, the students were still amazed by the demonstration, and Phaistos felt a new wave of understanding wash over him. He turned to Zara and murmured, "It seems that your bond with Al-Maari could be even more valuable than we thought."

Zara nodded with a smile. "Yes, I feel like there's still a lot to learn from him."

Master Elara then had the students practice in pairs, encouraging each to explore the combination of their respective elements. She explained that the academy would clearly emphasize teamwork in the coming years. Learning this type of magical combination would allow them to learn how to enter into communion with their comrades. Phaistos and Zara began working together, trying to synchronize their powers of light and nature.