Three Mana Forms and the Mystical Ley Line!
Current Date: Year 24,991 | 10th Month Glacis | Day 23
A new day dawned, golden sunlight spilling across the quiet neighborhood like liquid fire from the sky. The sky stretched wide, clear, boundless, and blue while a gentle morning breeze whispered through the backyard of Jack's house.
WHOOSH…
Leaves rustled. The scent of dew hung in the air. Birds chirped merrily atop trees, unaware that yesterday had new change happens for the Wilson family.
A memory still fresh in the wind.
James had awakened his Beast Space, confirmed Ironfang's survival, and even broken through to 2nd Star Peak Stage Ascendant.
It was more than progress, it was rebirth him and his tamed beast. A new beginning.
----
In the backyard, beneath the shade of a broad tree, Emma sat cross-legged, utterly still.
Her eyes closed. Her breathing is calm. But her heart?
Turbulent.
Around her, faint trails of elemental energy shimmered and shifted Fire, Water, Wind, Earth the four forces she was affinity with. They circled her around her.
But despite her focus…
Despite her connection to all four elements…
Something inside refused to flow.
TCH.
Frustration boiled silently within her.
Jack had already ascended to 3rd Star Early Stage. James had just broken through yesterday.
And yet she…She was still stuck at 2nd Star Early Stage Ascendant.
'Why…?' she thought bitterly. 'Why am I the only one falling behind?'
She gritted her teeth, tightening her fingers into fists atop her knees.
Suddenly
A voice, smooth and teasing, sliced through the quiet like a blade. "Now what is this? Madam meditating at early sunrise? When James, Jack, and little Sofia are still sleeping?"
"It's not your daily routine it it."
THUD.
Emma's eyes snapped open. Her body flinched slightly.
She turned and shot a sharp glare behind her only to find Ava standing there, arms folded and an infuriatingly smug grin on her face.
Her eyes said it all 'What the hell are you doing here?'
Ava smirked, raising an eyebrow like a fox that had caught its prey. "Let me guess… you're frustrated because everyone else broke through and you didn't. You're scared of falling behind, right?"
Emma's eye twitched. Her cheeks flushed crimson part rage, part embarrassment.
She didn't say a word.
She didn't need to.
Because Ava's words hit exactly where it hurt.
Before Emma could even think of a response, Ava leaned in slightly, her tone softening just a touch.
"It's okay. I get it. And honestly… I might have a solution for your problem."
Emma's brows rose slightly.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Her voice came out quiet, almost vulnerable. "You… do? Then please tell me. I don't want to be left behind. I don't want to become a burden to them."
Just then
TAP… TAP…
Soft footsteps echoed from the house.
Two figures emerged from the open door, walking slowly into the backyard.
It was James and Jack.
They had heard everything.
But neither interrupted.
They simply approached with calm eyes and full hearts.
Jack gave Ava a small nod. He already sensed that she had something important to say.
James stepped closer, his gaze warm, gentle.
"Honey…" His voice was quiet, yet firm.
"You are not a burden. Don't ever think that way. We don't care who's ahead or behind. You have four-element affinity, Emma. Your path may be slower now but one day, it'll move faster than ours. That alone is incredible."
He smiled softly. "Your progress will come at your pace. So don't punish yourself. We breakthrough fast because we got opportunities and you don't."
"Yeah, Mom!" Jack added, grinning. "You're already amazing. You just don't see it."
Emma lowered her gaze, her fists trembling in her lap.
And then she whispered "…I just don't want what happened during the Beast Tide to repeat." Her voice cracked. Her heart, for a moment, laid bare.
"I was powerless. I almost lost you both. I still see it in my dreams sometimes…" She clenched her fists tighter. "…It still hurts. That helplessness. That fear. That… guilt."
A pause.
Then
"Even if it's just a little I want to become stronger. I want to help."
THUMP.
Those words struck deep.
James stepped forward and gently took her hand.
Jack stood beside her, his eyes filled with warmth and pride.
And Ava?
She looked at Emma not with pity, but with respect.
Because this....This burning will to stand alongside those you love…
Was the heart of a true Ascendant.
-----
Suddenly
CLAP!
A sharp sound cut through the air as Ava clapped her hands once, drawing everyone's attention.
Her expression turned confident eyes sparkling with that mischievous glint only she could pull off.
"Alright then!" she declared, stepping forward like a commander rallying her troops. "I will tell you solution for your situation of how to Breakthrough fast Ascendants Bottleneck … I'll explain. What I'm about to reveal might shock you but it's exactly what you need to overcome your bottleneck."
Emma, James, and Jack leaned in instinctively.
Ava smiled.
"I briefly mentioned this back when I first met your family the second time about how Ascendants can break through to the next Star Stage. Let me break it down clearly now."
She held up three fingers.
"There are three primary methods to break through as an Ascendant."
"First… is Meditation."
WHOOSH…
A gentle breeze blew past them as she spoke.
"Everyone knows this one. Meditation draws mana from the air and refines it into your core & heart. But it requires time, focus, elemental balance and most importantly, mental peace. Not always easy."
She raised her second finger.
"Second… is Heavenly and Earthly Treasures."
A soft flash of golden light shimmered around her fingertips, creating images of glowing herbs, shimmering fruits, and ancient orbs.
"Mana stones. Spirit herbs. Magical fruits. Ancient items. They can offer immense power… but they're rare, expensive, and not always suitable for every stage. I have a few myself, but you'll need to reach High Ascendant before your body can safely absorb them, So that can't do."
Then, she raised her third finger.
"And finally… the third method."
Her voice dropped into a more serious tone.
"Ley Lines."
THUD.
The word dropped like a stone into their minds.
Everyone blinked.
"Ley… what?" Emma echoed in confusion.
James and Jack exchanged puzzled glances.
Ava smirked. She could see the question marks dancing in their eyes.
So she elaborated.
"Listen closely. Mana exists in three forms: Solid, Gas, and Liquid."
"Solid mana is what you call Mana Stones. You've all seen or used those."
"Gas form is the ambient mana in the atmosphere. That's the kind you absorb during meditation." She paused.
Then her voice lowered. "And the rarest, purest form Liquid Mana is found only in Ley Lines."
Emma's eyes widened instantly.
Even James looked stunned.
Jack's eyes narrowed. Something clicked in his memory.
The Beast Space… that moment when he awakened it using the Ancient Beast Taming Technique… it was unforgettable. In that instant, a small lake of liquid elemental mana formed within the hidden realm of beasts.....
"Ley Lines," Ava continued, "are places in the world where mana has gathered so densely, so richly, that it condenses into a liquid state."
"Pure elemental mana. No resistance. No impurities. Just raw, liquid power."
She raised her palm and an illusion of a shimmering blue pond formed above it.
When Jack saw it, his suspicions were confirmed it was exactly as Ava had shown him in the illusion. But his own Beast Space's Elemental Mana Lake was far more majestic. Unlike the ordinary one, his lake contained all 11 elemental manas, swirling in harmony within the depths of his secret realm.
"These sites usually appear where great magical disturbances occurred like fallen dungeons, ancient trial grounds, or sealed secret realms."
"When mana stays dormant and undisturbed for decades or centuries it settles. Pools. Becomes lakes or ponds of pure elemental essence."
WHOOSH…
An ethereal wind blew past them as if the world itself responded to her words.
"Absorbing Liquid Mana synchronizes your body, mind, and soul instantly," Ava said with quiet reverence. "It lets you break through with almost no effort. It's... a perfect solution."
Jack, James, and Emma stared at her, stunned into silence.
It was beyond anything they had imagined.
"Ley Lines…" James whispered under his breath.
"Do they really exist?" Emma asked, eyes filled with desperate hope. "Can we… find one?"
Ava smirked, the corners of her lips rising like a secret waiting to be told.
She leaned in slightly and whispered in a playful, mysterious tone.
"That… is the good part."
She stepped back and crossed her arms.
"Because I happen to know the location of one."
THUMP.
The atmosphere shifted.
All three of them turned toward her, eyes wide with disbelief and longing.
The wind fell silent with her words.
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To Be Continued…!!