New secrets

Ashan came out of the mansion and started walking to the garden. Solomon followed him without a clue.

"Neigh."

Ashan turned back and saw Noah running toward him through the fruit garden. But upon seeing Solomon, Noah stopped. Feeling Solomon's powerful mana, Noah began to struggle restlessly.

(Don't worry, Noah. He is a friend. Come here. Trust me…) Ashan communicated with Noah using his animal telepathic ability.

Despite this, Noah avoided the direct path to Ashan, instead approaching in a circular path, all the while casting uneasy glances at Solomon.

"Childish boy. You still don't trust me, huh?" Ashan said while rubbing Noah's neck.

Noah shook his head and nuzzled against Ashan's shoulder before looking pointedly at Solomon.

"Ashan, is this an alpha horse?" Solomon asked, his expression filled with surprise.

"Hmm... yes, he is. I found him years ago when he was caught and brought here to be tamed."

"But how did you tame him? These horses are very rare and extremely hard to tame. Only a few, including Dragoria's king, have succeeded."

Noah neighed at Ashan, raising his head with pride after hearing Solomon's words.

"Hah, really, you think you're so great. But your behavior is childish. What a shame—you're embarrassing both yourself and me."

Noah started hitting Ashan with his nose.

"Why? It's the truth," Ashan said, trying to calm Noah down.

"Ashan, can you communicate with this horse?" Solomon asked, raising his eyebrows.

Ashan turned to him and nodded. "Yes, I have the ability to talk with animals. It's like telepathy and they seem strangely attracted to me. But Noah can also understand human language very well."

"How come?"

"The answer is a bit complex," Ashan said, resuming his walk. "But if you're interested, I can explain."

"Sure, why not?" Solomon said.

"Hmm… then let me ask you a question. In mana telepathy, what do we use as the base material to communicate?"

"Obviously, it's our thoughts," Solomon replied.

"Yes, and those thoughts are simple things produced in our brains to help us live. But there's more to it. There's another layer—complex, sharp, and almost imperceptible—called mind waves."

"Mind waves?"

"Yes, that's what I call them. Mind waves aren't exclusive to humans. Animals, trees, and even non-living things like rocks, water, and soil have them. These waves differ for each being and don't have a specific task, but they're vital to maintaining nature's balance."

"Can you explain more about it?"

"Yes, and there's a simple way to understand them. Do you know how animals have sharp senses that humans don't?"

"Yes, I've read about that. Some animals can sense natural disasters like cyclones beforehand, and some can feel the presence of death nearby."

"Exactly. That's a basic form of mind waves. I've learned to use and control them. It took years to master."

"But how does it benefit you? Is it related to taming this horse?"

"No, not really. Noah isn't actually tamed. He became my friend. When he came here, he was injured and afraid, so I promised to protect him. That's how we grew close," Ashan explained while rubbing Noah's neck.

"But I did use mind waves differently. I used them to enhance Noah's intelligence and memory capacity."

"Really? Is that even possible?"

"Yes. Animals have lower intelligence compared to humans, which makes communication challenging. They rely on signals and sounds, so their understanding is limited. But Noah was already intelligent compared to other horses. I used mind waves to further enhance his intelligence and memory, making it easier for him to learn human language."

"That must have taken a long time."

"Yes, it took a while for him to understand the language. But the mind wave treatment itself was quick because animals respond to it faster than humans."

"So, you've used this on someone else before?"

"Yes, I used it on myself."

"On yourself? Why?"

"As you know, I was born with memories and intelligence from my past life. I used mind waves to strengthen my body to handle it. I also used it to refine my aura circle."

Solomon smiled and closed his eyes. "To think there are powers and abilities I've never even imagined. I've never been so continuously surprised."

Ashan looked at Solomon with a calm smile. "This world is truly full of surprises and secrets, Solomon. Don't feel discouraged about what you don't know. If you like, I can teach you about it later. For now, let's focus on the task at hand."

Ashan stopped at a towering pine tree. After examining it for a moment, he stepped beneath its branches and pointed at the soil beneath him.

[Patavi: creation]

The soil beneath him began to rise, forming a pillar that lifted him to the middle of the tree trunk. Placing his hand on the bark, a green-and-yellow, liquid-like energy began to ooze out.

"This much should be enough for now," Ashan said as the pillar gently lowered him back to the ground and disappeared without a trace.

Solomon observed the liquid energy. "Tree mana? Why did you extract it from that pine tree?"

Ashan divided the mana in two, handing one part to Solomon.

"Watch closely, Solomon. You'll need to do this too."

Ashan held the tree mana in his right hand, lifting his left above it. The mana began to morph, forming a sphere. Within the sphere, tiny bubbles started rotating and gathering into a solid core at the center.

"What is this?"

"It's something I discovered in my previous life but never revealed. Now, use mana telepathy to communicate with me."

Solomon closed his eyes without saying a word and then opened them again.

(Can you hear me, Ashan?)

Ashan nodded. (Yes. Now, inject a small amount of your own mana into the core of this object.)

Solomon touched the sphere Ashan had made with his finger, carefully injecting his mana into it. Ashan did the same.

(Now try again, Solomon. Can you hear me?)

Solomon's eyes widened in astonishment. (It's incredible. I can hear you so clearly—it feels real.)

(That's the effect of this core. Let's stop telepathy now.)

They both nodded, ending the telepathic link.

"Unbelievable," Solomon said, holding the sphere in his hand. "To think there's a way to improve mana telepathy like this. Why didn't you reveal this back then?"

Ashan handed the sphere to Solomon. "In my previous life, I discovered and developed countless things, but I only revealed those that wouldn't disrupt the balance of the world—like healing spells or medical techniques. I feared that releasing something like this might break the harmony of the world."

"I see your point. It's a wise decision. May I try making another sphere with the remaining mana?"

"Of course. Go ahead."

Solomon followed Ashan's instructions, successfully forming a sphere on his first attempt.

"Solomon, do you have a mana-storing item with you?"

"I do. I always carry five with me," Solomon said, retrieving a small crystal cube from his robe and handing it to Ashan.

Ashan inspected the cube briefly. "Good. Listen carefully, Solomon. I'm going to inject my mana into this cube. You'll need to gather tree mana and store it in the other cubes. The trees you choose don't have to be just pine trees—any with a strong root system will do. However, be careful not to extract all the mana from a tree; it will die if you do."

Solomon nodded, paying close attention.

"When you start your journey, create these spheres, inject our mana into them, and keep them with you. Every mile or so, bury one of these spheres in the soil, preferably near a tree. That way, the sphere can maintain itself by absorbing mana from the environment."

"It sounds tedious, but I'll do as you say."

Ashan gave Solomon a satisfied nod. "Good. Then your problems are solved. Now, allow me to leave. You can carry on with your work."

"Yes. Rest well"

To be continued…