Way of Mana

When morning hit, Mako was starving.

"Food," he groaned. Blinking his eyes open as he looked at the shouldering remains of the campfire. It had been a long first day in his favorite video game, and with all the craziness he'd forgotten to eat. So now that he wasn't being chased by a monster, another monster, an angry elf, and her angrier mother, his stomach was demanding food.

And sadly, he'd already sacrificed the chocolates he'd been saving for such an occasion.

"Should've saved one." Mako sighed as he glanced at Zero, still sleeping atop his cloud, before turning to the opposite side of camp. He saw Octavia snoring with her back against a tree, her back barely taking up the space of a single piece of bark, and April, the silver wolf, was sleeping soundly next to her.

The only one that was awake was Nessa, and the fish she was currently grilling over the fire made his mouth water.

"You woke earlier than I expected." She said, and Mako had to shut his mouth. He tore his eyes away from the fish at the end of one of Nessa's swords, a curved blade reminiscent of a machete with a gold hilt, the other hilt was silver, and said, "Old habit."

"You're used to waking at dawn?"

"I did it for a couple years." Mako said, the smell of the fish teasing his nose. He looked around, partly to search for string he could use for a fishing line, and shrugged, "I just got used to it I guess."

"That's not a bad thing." Nessa said, expertly flipping her blade once the fish's underbelly was cooked. She snorted, "I've been trying to get my daughter to abandon her snoring for years, but that's a habit more ingrained than yours apparently."

"Makes sense."

"Are you implying my daughter is loud?"

"I was implying she's obnoxious, but loud works," Mako said, half-joking and half-testing the waters to see if he could joke around with Nessa.

He wasn't going to forget about yesterday. There's a reason he slept on Zero's side of the campfire, but awkwardly dancing around people, he would be traveling with for the foreseeable future sounded way worse than getting devoured by wolves.

Okay, that was an exaggeration, but still, he wanted to avoid dealing with a social nightmare.

Thankfully, Nessa caught on quickly.

"I suppose Octavia can get a little pushy when she wants something." She laughed, "But I think you're being a little harsh, Mako Grier."

"She shot me."

"Technically, she never fired that arrow, so she stabbed you."

"That's not much better." Mako frowned, watching as Nessa chuckled lightly and directed his attention towards the surrounding forests. He turned and saw her golden wolf returning with another fish in its mouth, softly depositing it at Mako's feet.

"Then consider this a peace offering." Nessa said, and Mako accepted before he could think otherwise. Snatching the fish from the ground and scratching the wolf that brought it to him, he reached for a nearby stick he could use for a spike.

"No need." Nessa stopped him, snapping her fingers as she brought her hand to her golden wolf and took a handful of fur, flicking it lightly as they melted together and a gold branch came into being.

"Here." She said, tossing the branch his way.

"Thanks." Mako said in silent wonder as he caught the gold branch. It was heavy, pure metal, but he could still hold it well enough. Spearing his fish on the end of it, he let hid meal grill over the fire, no longer having to worry about splinters or the like.

"If you could make a fishing pole," he asked once his fish had started grilling. "I could fish for my food in the future. I'd just need string and some bait."

"You know how to fish but can't start a fire?"

"I lived by the beach okay, not the woods." Mako huffed, ignoring Nessa's curious look as he glanced at her wolf, "Where did he find 'em anyways? Is there a river somewhere nearby or something."

"There is."

"Great. Then next time-"

"It's only 5 miles south if I recall."

"Never mind." Mako sighed, and Nessa laughed. Shaking her head lightly, Mako watched as she spoke with an expression similar to nostalgia. "It's been a while since I conversed with a human. I missed it. I forgot how contradictory your race could be."

"Part of our charm."

"I have to agree." Nessa smiled, before removing her grilled fish from the fire and putting it down. Her eyes turning to Mako with a more serious glint.

"But contradictions aren't always painless. And sadly our conversations won't always be light hearted in nature." She said, ignoring his hesitation as she changed the conversation completely.

"You didn't seem surprised by my display." She said, "Should I assume that means you already know a thing or two about magic and how it works."

"Magic? Yeah I know a little." Mako shrugged, not wanting to say he was an expert because he didn't know if game logic would apply to real life. Plus he didn't even have it yet, so he was a little confused on why they were talking about it now.

"Does it matter? Isn't that a little far away?" Mako asked, "I don't even have my mana core active."

"But eventually you will." Nessa said seriously, "Opening your mana core inevitably leads to magic, as such I find it important that you understand what exactly it is I'm gifting you the key to."

"Seems a little formal."

"Magic is a formal practice. It is a give and take." Nessa shrugged, "And whether you end up with a candle's worth of mana or a bonfire, the truth is that once you have it, you can never un-have it. You can never go back to being a regular human ever again. Therefore I want to make sure you understand the full extent of what magic is before I grant you it."

"I... I never thought of it like that." Mako scratched his cheek, "Don't people just learn it for fun?"

"Maybe some humans do." Nessa snorted, "But for us, it is an important part of our culture. We have ceremonies for when our children unlock their mana cores and celebrate when they cast their first spells. And should an elf discover their ability..."

Mako watched carefully as Nessa's face turned downcast for a brief second.

"Well, there is no celebration," She whispered bitterly, "But the sentiment is still there."

Mako blinked as Nessa's wolves walked to her hands, rubbing their fur beneath her touch. She smiled, "We celebrate magic in its entirety, the same way we celebrate these forests that seem to have an endless abundance of it. They're our gift from Tovë."

"Is there really that much mana here?" He asked, questioning the foreign name, probably elvish, before she nodded.

"There is." Nessa confirmed, "You might not notice it because your core isn't active, but the quantity of mana in this forest is higher than you'd expect. For a human, it might be as simple as noticing richer soil or cleaner air, but for an elf, the difference between this and a human kingdom is night and day."

"Is that why you all hid here." He asked before he could think about it, "Shit. I didn't mean-"

"It's fine. You aren't wrong." Nessa said, tilting her head towards the giant trees, "After the devastation of the Invasion, elves needed a place that was good for us. A place where humans were scarce. And a place where our race could recover and rest."

"So you chose this place." Mako murmured, "Because of the extra mana."

"And it is where we originally made our homes." Nessa said with hint of joy gracing her lips, "Not to say elves didn't live elsewhere before the invasion, North Valerie was once home to many, but originally the first elves established roots in Kyra. This forest is our homeland, all we did is return to it."

"And now you won't leave." Mako said, unable to keep the disappointment from his voice. He got it, from the game lore, that the elves had been hit hard by the first invasion. Same as the dwarves. And he could peace together from Nessa and her daughter's words that maybe humans were just as involved in that decision as the demons were.

"You believe we are cowards?" Nessa asked, before shaking her head, "I suppose humans could look at it that way, but I see it differently."

Unfortunately, Mako also knew that in ten years elves wouldn't fight the demons. That would be up to Zero and the future teachers of Blight Academy.

"Us Elves fought hard against the demons. I watched the orcs pass and the dwarves crumble, and even then we still fought. Elves are not cowards."

Mako listened, respectfully, to Nessa's speech. And he knew that she meant every word. She believed in her people's willingness to fight, but he also knew that in 30 years, when the sins reigned terror upon the world and reduced the seven human kingdoms to three, they wouldn't leave their forest.

"Our queen did not tell us to return to Kyra because she was scared. But because she was betrayed. We sacrificed many to fight the demons, and for that we were hunted. Our children stolen as exotic trophies. Our queen has never forgiven the slavers your kind seems to mass produce, and neither have I."

In however many hours Mako played as Neo, in every play through, not once did he see a single elf or dwarf, regardless of how talked of they were.

"But my people are not cowards. And I know, if the demons return she will gladly fight them. To protect the world from their greed and hunger."

So it was a little disappointing.

"My people will defend Kyra." She said proudly. And Mako almost believed her words. The way she believed in her queen and her people.

"And when the time comes," She promised. "We will gladly step forward to defend Elaria as well."

It was a shame that in truth, the elves would probably never leave this forest.

Not while the demon king was alive at least.

"Sounds like a boring wait." Mako said a tad bitterly, before shaking his head. It's not like he could complain, he was still debating what he wanted to do anyways. Once he left his forest. With his knowledge of what was to come. The options seemed to be fight and die or hide and live a normal life.

And Mako would be lying if he said the second didn't look appealing.

Compared to that desire, the elves hiding in a forest while the world burns doesn't seem that bad.

"Sometimes it is a little boring, but we make do." Nessa shrugged, "But we've strayed off topic. How much do you know about magic and mana?"

"I know a little." Mako said, not wanting to claim he had hour of practice reading dialogue that usually brushed over the specifics. "Beginner knowledge."

"Tell me what you know."

"Why?"

"So I can get a baseline." She waved her hand dismissively, "And fill in the gaps of your knowledge to the best of my abilities. It is procedure."

"You're taking this really seriously, huh?"

"I gave you my word." She said plainly, "Make no mistake Mako Grier, I am not treating this as a favor. I am treating this as a duty. I will be teaching you how to activate your mana core, and preparing you to use magic should we part ways before the process is complete. I am here as your teacher, Mako."

"I thought you were here as a guide."

"I can multitask." She shrugged, "And more than that I have no intentions of slacking on our deal. Teaching you to activate your mana core and hanging you out to dry wouldn't be fair."

Mako blinked as her wolf lay in her lap, and she spoke softly.

"Magic is a gift." Her eyes flickered to her daughter before returning to her lap. Her wolf nuzzling against her stomach. She smiled.

"I would be ashamed of myself if I taught it granted it to someone haphazardly." She said, and suddenly Mako didn't like this sea anymore. It didn't feel fair. He didn't know what he was going to do when he got magic. He didn't know what he was going to do with his future. He just wanted magic because it was cool. Because it was a fantasy world and he wanted some.

If he learned it just to go off and hide in Drachma...

That just didn't feel fair anymore.

"What if I waste it?" He asked lowly, unable to meet Nessa's curious gaze as he glanced to the side. "What if I waste the magic you teach me. What if I don't use it for anything important afterwards. What if I just wanted to learn it because I'm bored and what if..."

Mako's fist trembled, and he hid it under his sleeve.

"What if I quit." He whispered, hating that he had to voice the possibility but feeling she should know. That it wasn't impossible for him to quit.

He'd done it before.

She should know it was possible he'd do it again.

"You ask much better questions when you're full." She said amusedly, painting his cheeks pink as she laughed and shook her head. "As for answers..."

Mako bit his cheek, looking down at his food as he waited for her to speak.

"I don't have all of them." She admitted, "But I don't believe not using a tool is a waste. As long as the tool is developed properly, and well crafted, where and how you use it should be up to you. There is nothing wrong with choosing not to use the magic I gift you."

There isn't?" Mako asked, glancing up, "So even if I end up as a merchant or a farmer. You wouldn't care that you wasted your time teaching me."

"I told you. I don't see it as a waste." She shrugged, "And just because I'm a warrior doesn't mean you have to be as well. I'm not teaching you to be my apprentice, I'm teaching you to use magic."

Mako blinked as she flicked her hand, retrieving the fish kabob he'd finished during their conversation and tossing the bones to her wolf.

"Magic has many different uses. Choosing one over another doesn't necessarily mean it's wasted."

Meanwhile she separated the golden stick into fur and patted it back onto Autumn.

"Even if you decide never to use your magic after leaving this forest, as long as you learned it properly, my time will not have been wasted." Nessa said, "The only failed student is one that takes their lessons for granted. As long as you respect me enough to devote yourself to my teachings, regardless of whether you end up using it later on in life. Then I will hold no grudges."

Mako felt relief way on his shoulders. A 'thank you' on the top of his tongue before he felt a shiver crawl down his spine. He looked over and saw her motherly smile twist into something sinister.

"As for your questions," she said, "I would say that no, I do not believe you will waste my time. And no, I am not worried about you quitting, because the only thing worse than a failure of a student is a liar."

Mako gulped as he heard her wolf rumble.

"And you have already agreed to learn mana activation from me, no?" She asked, and Mako nodded like his life depended on it. "Yes! I did- I will! Promise!"

"Great, then," she clapped, her calm smile returning as Mako's heart started beating again.

"That's been settled." She said, "Now, hurry and tell me everything you know of mana and magic. Don't leave out a single detail."

"Huh- oh, uh, sure." Mako gulped, letting out a shaky breath as he s watched his neck and his nerves calmed down a little, "Well, I know mana is found in everything. It's found in the air and the water. And when people are born, they too are gifted a set amount of mana, hidden in their bodies when they're too young to activate it safely."

"And how do they normally activate it for humans?"

"Meditation and practice." Mako scratched his cheek, "Books help too I've heard."

"And what happens when they do activate it?"

"Well, the mana lying dormant in their bodies is free to turn into magic." Mako tilted his head, "And if they use too much of it they might pass out, but it'll eventually recover to its normal levels. I've read it being described as getting a new set of lungs."

"That is an apt comparison," Nessa nodded, "But it is more fitting to say you'll be discovering a set of lungs you've always had but never used. The mana inside you is and always has been a part of you, you're just finally realizing it. It should feel natural."

"Can you sense how much mama I have right now?"

"No, it's dormant so even I can't sense it. But I can take a guess." She smiled, "It's decent for human standards. You won't be lacking in terms of quantity. I'm unsure of quality however."

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course." She nodded, "Quantity will determine how much magic you could use. How many attacks you could fire off before fainting. Quality is how powerful those attacks will be. One is somewhat hereditary, some herbs and repeatedly practicing magic till your container is exhausted, may increase it slightly, but for the most part the quantity of your mana core will be determined as you mature."

"And the other?"

"Quality you can change." She said, moving her fingers across the ground as metal leaflets floated above her fingers. "You'll see it as you grow. As you learn and develop as both a magic use and a person. If quantity is the strength of your body, the natural gifts you were born with, then quality is the strength of your mind, the potential you learn to create."

"And abilities?"

"Those are the strength of the soul." She said, looking at him closely, "I doubt you will be foolish enough to test it, but once you've unlocked your mana core and learned your magic clast, don't go searching for your ability. If there is one aspect of magic you truly can't change, it is the ability you are born with, and how you go about unlocking it. Even we elves don't fully understand how they work."

"I thought they unlocked when your life is in danger?"

"That is the leading theory." Nessa said, "But if that was the case why don't all regular soldiers have abilities? Why doesn't every mercenary?"

"Isn't it because you need your mana core active?"

"I'll tell you right now, more dangerous people in the world have mana than you'd think." Nessa shook her head, "And as for your question, I can verify that it is possible for an ability unlocks before one activates their magic core. So your theory falls flat."

"Wait what," Mako blinked, unable to bring anything up as Nessa stared at him flatly. He wanted to say it was impossible. Even in the game he'd never heard of someone's ability activating first. Whenever Neo or any other characters learned an ability, it was always mana, magic, then ability. Like clockwork for those who had it. The teachers even confirmed it.

Abilities were seen as the final step, the last weapon to unlock in your arsenal. An ace up your sleeve in some cases, a trump card in others. Or maybe even a spare tool in your pocket, useless or useful didn't matter. It was random and consistent.

But Nessa's face told no lie, and she shot down his preconceived notions at face value.

"You may believe to be impossible, to be frank for most my lifetime I did as well, but I've seen it." She said, "Dragging the mana out of a person's dormant core, forcing it to activate, in order for their ability to be used in certain scenarios. It had only happened once in my lifetime but it has happened."

"And afterwards the person could use mana?" Mako asked. "And magic?"

"Just mana," Nessa shook her head, "You'll learn this quick if you ever unlock it, but abilities themselves don't require magic, just mana, and even then that is only when they first activate. Afterwards, unless the ability directly states otherwise, it will be inscribed in your body. Like getting a new bone or muscle, it'll be just as much a part of you as your mana core is."

"So I'll be able to use it whenever?" Mako confirmed.

"Maybe" Nessa shrugged, "It's not impossible, but it depends. Hard conditions aren't unheard of. Like mana or magic. But everyone's different. I'd say every ability requires some kind of condition, no matter how arbitrary, but I can't say for certain."

"No, that... that checks out." Mako nodded, thinking back to the sins. They each had abilities, two to be exact. One they were born with. And one the demon king gifted them. He remembered them having conditions, Gluttony's being the most apparent. The more he starved himself the more powerful he got. A direct requirement and reward type ability.

In comparison, abilities like Zero's where it was just a simple 'you can hear the wind's voice,' seemed to be less common. Although Lilah had an ability as simple as 'your every seventh attack will not miss,' so there was that side of the coin.

Actually, having to wait till her seventh attack might be considered a condition. A requirement. To wait and keep track of the attacks you've used so far so you don't waste it.

He wasn't sure anymore honestly. He'd think on it later, but it might've just been Zero that didn't have a requirement for his ability. Him and...

Well shit, just him actually.

Overpowered bastard.

"So abilities are random bullshit is what you're telling me." Mako huffed, getting a laugh out of his new teacher as she shook her head, "I've never heard it described at such, but yes. That could be accurate. People get one ability when they're born, and should it ever surface, whether it be under emotional stress or life threatening circumstances, it never changes. Your ability is intrinsically tied to who your are, from the day your born till the day you day. Hence why I consider it a facet of the soul, over mind or body."

"Sounds complicated."

"Oh I never said it wasn't." Nessa chuckled, "But luckily abilities are also the least important thing to teach you about, as they are usually a do or don't kind of subject. And if you ever do discover it, you'll be able to see any conditions easy enough."

"I will?" Mako asked, tilting head. In the game he just had the character description he could check, but he wasn't sure how that translated here.

"How?" He scratched his head, "Do I got to go to like a church or something to see what it does?"

"No, nothing as time consuming as that." She shook her head, glancing slightly above eye level with a slight smirk, "It's hard to explain with words. You'll understand when you unlock your mana, so for now let's move on. What do you know about magic?"

"Basic stuff." Mako said, "I know that everyone gets one element, but the type can be different depending on what someone decides to do with it and can learn. There are also tiers and attributes that people can have sometimes. It's a little confusing honestly."

Humanity's Mistakes had a weird magic system. It was basic in some aspects and weird in others. If he had to make an estimate, its concept lied somewhere between the tv show Avatar, basic fantasy magic, and paladin none sense, but the whole system ended up a messy rendition of rock paper scissors.

It took him forever to memorize how that shit worked in game, if he had to learn a new version of it he might've cried.

Thankfully, his teacher's rendition of it was similar to his own.

"You are correct that it is messy theory, but learning it inside and out will do you well." She said, taking out a metal pen that she used to carve diagrams into the dirt. Creating four boxes connected in a cross section, she started with the most basic concept, elements. There were the basic four.

"Fire, Water, Earth, and Air." She said, and Mako had to bite back a chuckle because she did it in the voice. The iconic voice. Fuck, he missed TV.

If this works didn't have any his first mission would be to invent it asap. Or at least find a substitute. His phone could only do so much.

"Pay attention." Nessa said as her wolf nipped at his side and he yelped. Returning his attention to the frowning elf. "Is my lesson boring you?"

"No ma'am!" He nodded quickly, gulping as she huffed and turned back to her diagram, "Humans and your minuscule attention spans."

Ouch, rude.

"Now back to where I was." She said as he watched her continue developing her diagram, adding a stone for earth, flame for fire, water drop for water, and curling wind lines for air. "90% of the population are born with one of these 4 elements. What you get could be considered hereditary, as a child will more often than not inherit one of their parent's elements, but exceptions aren't unheard of. So most just chalk it up to individual affinity and leave it at that."

Mako nodded, this stuff was standard. Everyone got one element and were left to their own devices. In the game he'd seen an earth mage make golems and another create a stone shield that shot stalagmites. Then there was one that made to so they could phase themselves through the ground. In the end what people could do with their element depended on their own abilities and imagination.

What might work for one might be too difficult for another. There was no set route. The most basic skills of an earth made, stone throwing, could be learned by almost anyone, but phasing through the ground was only ever mastered by one person.

In basic terms: there were levels to this shit. So most magic classes were teaching people basic magic tricks and skills, then having them develop their own abilities separately. Make themselves who they wanted to be. That was the motto of Blight.

And it seemed his teacher was a fan of it.

"It goes without saying that you will most likely end up in one of these four categories." She said, "So when you do don't be blinded by what others have already accomplished. Don't chase other people's achievements and mistake them for your own. Take what you think is useful, and discard the rest. Do whatever you can to turn your element into something that suits you. Understand?"

"I do." Mako nodded, because he did get it. He got the Blight Motto, and even if he wasn't sure where he was gonna end up, he was certain he could find something cool to do with his element. He had a different world of ideas to explore. Fire fists, a dragons breath like, a flaming summon.

He was really rooting for fire if it wasn't obvious.

But still...

If he happened to get a second tier magic he wouldn't complain.

"So what if I get a different magic from those four." He asked, prompting Nessa to change the subject as she drew a much larger circle around the four element boxes she originally drew.

"Then you would get second tier magic." She said, drawing small floating bubbles, one with ice, another with plants, one with lightning.

And one with metal.

"These elements are magic that can be derived from a combination of two or more of the four elements. I drew the most common four, Ice, Plant, Lightning, and Metal, but there are others. I've seen Sand and a long time ago I witnessed Magma, but the point is that any magic you get that isn't the original four will be second tier magic. Some sort of combination of the existing four elements. For example."

She drew a two lines from the circle with metal, connecting one line to the symbol for earth, and the other towards the symbol with fire.

"My magic is metal. It's second tier. And at its core, metal comes when earth is left deep under ground, under pressure, and heated up then cooled. Making it a combination of earth and fire at its core."

She then did the same thing with a few of the others. Lightning connected to fire and air. Storms created thunder. Plant life was earth and water. Nutrients from soil and water to stay alive. Ice was water and air, since the freezing air temperatures cooled water to ice more often than not.

Mako knew all that already. He knew that someone born with second tier magic couldn't use first tier magic, and vice versa. He knew that it technically didn't make a difference in strength, since Zero got to where he was with only tier one magic.

Mako knew a lot about second tier magic. A lot of the stronger characters in the game utilized it.

What he didn't know was how someone from this world, an Elarian Elf specifically, would see it as more than just a classification system.

And more as an evolving one.

"That being said second tier elements being thought of as a mix of only two elements isn't doing it justice." She said, drawing another line from her metal symbol to the water symbol, "You could theoretically consider metal a mix of water, earth and fire, since its most often water that cools down heated up stone ore so it can become metal."

"So it can be more than two?"

"It can be all four if one thinks enough." She said, turning to the plant symbol and connecting it to all four elements.

"Why would this be all four?" She asked, watching as Mako was given his first lesson in magic theory. He blinked, looking at the plant before scratching his head, "Well, uh... earth for soil. Water cuz they need it. Fire," he glanced at the sunrise in the distance, "Because they need sunlight, and air..."

Fuck air was a tricky one actually. Did plants need air? They didn't technically breathe oxygen, it was carbon monoxide. Or dioxide. He didn't really remember. It had been a while.

"Because they need to breathe." He ended up saying, flushing a little as Nessa laughed softly. Nodding her head pleasantly as she pointed to the symbol, she composed herself, "That answer..."

Make braced himself.

"Might be right. Might not." Nessa shrugged, "I'm not sure."

"What?" Mako asked, watching as she chuckled and started making lines in all the other tiers. "I don't know. I may be a good magic user but I'm a warrior before a scholar. I don't know the intricacies of what plants need to survive, however I do know that there is always a possibility for things to connect."

Mako watched, slightly awed as she drew lines between all the second tier magic and the original four, even connecting a few of the second tiers together.

"That is the beauty of magic. When I was a girl the idea of lightning being a fifth element was common, since it was so vastly different from anything else. But times have changed, and people have learned. There is always a possibility for new connections. And as long as there is a possibility, as a magic user, it is your duty to at least ponder it. Because the more you understand your magic the better you'll be."

Mako picked his jaw off the floor as Nessa stood up, her wolves following her as the fading snores of her daughter and Zero's morning groans indicated the end of their early morning conversation.

"We can pick up our magic theory tomorrow." She said, "But until then I'll be giving you your first assignment."

"About magic activation?" He asked hopefully. He had been scared at the start to their conversation. But since she was fine with his current maybe plan of using his magic as a merchant in Drachma, and hadn't killed him, he was ready to learn.

Imagine his disappointment.

"Not quite." She said, ignoring his pout as she said, "When I unlock your mana core, I need your body to be in good shape so your organs don't explode-"

"Sorry what?"

"So from now until I think you can handle it, physical training will be top priority." She said, and Mako sweated a little. He didn't like that look. Nothing good ever came from that look.

"You can start by picking up some fresh water for breakfast."

She looked too damn amused.

...

Late at night, after Mako had finished running 10 miles, okay more like jogging but it was the thought that counts, he lie under a tree. Watching the stars above through the branches, he heard Octavia somewhere near the campfire, having agreed to split the night watch with her mother. Mako offered to share the duty, before immediately regretting it.

She could still hear her laughing under her breath.

Last time I try to help, Mako thought bitterly, ignoring the fact that taking watch probably wasn't something he could even go at the moment. If a monster showed up he sure as shit wasn't fighting it. The most he could do was scream or hope the wind woke Zero up in time to kill it.

Yeah, in hindsight, not his brightest moment.

But whatever, he was trying to be nice, and it was working. With Nessa at least. His new teacher was strict, but she was knowledgeable and friendly. Even if she refused to teach him how to activate his mana core until his physical ability, and he was quoting here, 'outpaced a dilapidated lamb.'

Harsh words, but not as harsh as her daughter's. She said he had about as much muscle on him as a 'lazy mole rat'. Although he'd argue that was better than being obscenely fat but whatever. The point is he hadn't my worked out in over a year. And while his metabolism stopped him from getting overweight, he still had no muscle. Absolutely none.

If I'm gonna be wandering with Zero, I might as well get back into shape. He thought, because it was just true. He didn't mind working out, well he wasn't gonna like it but he used to workout all the time. He used to have abs, fun times, so he knew he could do it again if he tried. He didn't mind the challenge.

It also sounded a lot better than his organs maybe exploding, or trying to rescind his deal and Nessa maybe making his organs explode.

So yeah, working out in a giant forest for the foreseeable future. He'd deal with it.

She said it'll take a few months to leave this place. He remembered, having discussed it with her and Zero earlier. They convinced Zero to skip his trip to an elven village, with Nessa's argument that they'd be executed on sight doing well for convince him that it would be too troublesome.

So now the general plan was for the elves to guide him and Zero out of the forest, while avoiding any villages that might want to kill them for trespassing. Mako thought it would be harder to convince Zero to leave, since he'd been living here for years, but it was easier than he expected. Zero hadn't been to a big city before, so he was looking forward to it.

Make had a feeling the chance of chocolate being sold outside the forest was a good motivator too, but that was irrelevant. Point was they were going to be leaving the forest eventually, and in the meantime Makio had to find something to do.

Not just in the forest, but outside of it.

Where should we go? Mako frowned, because he didn't know. Nessa said she'd take them to Rioje, a human town nearest to the forest's eastern edge, but after that it was up to them as to where to go. Zero wanted to get chocolate, so maybe they could stop by one of the bigger towns or trading ports near the coast, but after that he was still debating.

What was he supposed to do for the next 10 years?

What was he supposed to do for the next 30?

He really... he really didn't have an answer.

Ha.... Mom would've killed me if I said that out loud. He chuckled bitterly, the cold of the night hitting him particularly hard as he looked up at the sky. He didn't want to think about how his parents reacted to... well whatever happened to him. Or his sisters. They were both younger and they just... just...

"I should find a way to go home." he whispered to the stars, wondering if they listened. If that Third Wonder thing sent him here it had a recharge time of 10000 years and might be some light novel bs. A relic or spell or ability or something too stupid to make it to the game, so he'd need a different way. Something less stupid.

Or more stupid, if he actually just died in his old world and got tossed into this one. But he was choosing not to think about that option. The manual said he was alive when he transferred so he was alive. He just needed a way home.

Which sadly, probably meant searching for relics. Artifacts in game that defied human understanding. He knew some from game obviously, but considering this was a fleshed out world, there had to be thousands he still didn't know about. One of them was bound to get him home. He just had to find it. Which meant going into dungeons.

And sadly, he sure as hell wasn't stepping into one of those anytime soon.

"If I can earn some money I could hire some people to help me. Search the boss rooms for me." He yawned, mumbling tiredly to himself, "Or bribe Zero with a snickers."

It was getting late, and he wanted to sleep. But before he could his thoughts drifted towards the magic he might possibly end up with. Whether it be the element, the tier; or the attribute. He just hoped he could learn it. If he was stuck in this world for the foreseeable future, without anyone, he wanted to have some magic at least. It could be cool.

And second tier magic, or an attribute, would be even cooler than regular tier one magic.

10% isn't terrible odds, he thought wistfully. Second tier magic was rare, sure, but not impossible to get. If it was a dice roll he didn't hate his odds.

But an attribute on the other hand.

Yeah he wasn't going to hold his breath on that one.

If getting second tier magic is ten percent, an attribute is less than one, he recalled a passage from the game. One of the professor's first lessons on magic theory, was the explanation of attributes and their downright scarcity among the population.

To start with, there were only two attributes one could get. Darkness or light. And compared to those with regular magic. The difference was stark.

Because the Dark Attribute was much more volatile and powerful than its regular counterparts.

In the game, those with the darkness attribute was portrayed as de buff effects or permanent curses. Magic that is turned dark and tainted black. Getting hit by magic with the darkness attribute in the game was akin to risking your character's stats or progress as a whole.

Needless to say, it was only ever wielded by a few of the strongest enemies in the game. Only three of the sins had it. That's truly how rare it was.

And the light attribute was somehow even rarer.

Whether it be a crystal clear flame that mended the soul. Or shining water that mended lethal injuries. Light attribute was seen as a miracle, and negated the effects any dark attribute magic might cast. Finding someone with the light attribute was a rarity, even more so than darkness.

So those few who wielded the light attribute were often revered in their kingdoms. Not just as tools but as treasured individuals that even the royal family would trust at a moments notice.

When asked, the professor said it's because light attributes only ever showed themselves in those pure of heart. While the darkness attribute only showed themselves to those of pure evil and hatred.

It was a theory that most of the professors at the academy had agreed on, but it was more of a precedent thing than anything else.

All the light attribute users. The handful that showed up on the game's story and history of Elaria as a whole, were known as good people. The Saint of Trost. The princess of Ogyga. The Hope of Mali.

They were all considered the purest souls humanity offer.

And with the few that had the darkness attribute. Abraham the Staving. Ballika the Vengeful. Griot the Patient. With those wicked souls being responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, maybe millions. The sins that tried to hang humanity out to dry.

Well it wasn't hard to connect the dots.

And while Mako wasn't certain if it was a true theory, despite the track record, he didn't think it was a terrible theory. It was probably right.

Because one of the things he knew, that even Nessa didn't is that attributes actually weren't the rarest facet of magic. There was actually another.

Tier three magic: Dark Magic & Light Magic.

The third tier, with only two elements, was the rarest facet of magic. And Mako knew this because he played as one of two to ever unlock it.

Neo Dauntless, a human so pure of heart he sympathized with the human made monsters that slaughtered thousands, he became the first human, no, first person to ever wield magic of pure light. It's why Mako believed the lure of heart thing, because it tracked. Neo was the most pure of heart and look. Wielder of light magic, hero of all.

Neo was the second person in the world to ever utilize tier three magic…

It just sucked that the demon king was the first.