TBATE: PRIMORDIAL ASCENSION

Chapter 45: Diviner

ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:

I blinked groggily, my eyes adjusting to the dim light of the small room. The air felt cool, and I noticed faint glows of light orbs hanging from thin threads, casting soft shadows on the rough stone walls. As I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the fog of sleep, I realized I was in a place I didn't recognize—a rather large and spacious hut.

I shifted slightly on what could only be described as a makeshift bed, and the moment I did, I noticed an old elf sitting beside me. Her silver hair glistened faintly in the low light, and she was sipping on something that smelled like a pungent herb tonic. Rinia. I didn't need to ask to know it was her.

I tried to get up but felt a weight on my chest. Looking down, I realized it was Sylvie, curled up in a comfortable position, sleeping atop me.

Across from me, on another bed, lay Jasmine, bandages wrapped around parts of her body, similar to mine. Her bond, Mistral curled protectively beside her. Mistral's glowing eyes were fixed on me, watching quietly as Jasmine rested against her soft belly like a pillow. A few steps away, on a couch, Virion snoozed in a sitting position.

My eyes narrowed in confusion, taking in the unfamiliar room. This wasn't what I expected, but I trusted Rinia enough to know that if she wanted to harm us, she would have done so already. Mistral sat quietly beside Jasmine, which helped me relax a bit.

Before I could gather my thoughts further, Rinia spoke without even glancing up from her tea. "Good to see you again, Arthur."

"Maybe I could say the same," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck, "but I don't seem to be in great shape."

"True," Rinia agreed. "If I were you, I would avoid using mana for a few days. Your mana veins have some toxic residue that I couldn't fully detoxify."

Nodding my head, I leaned back against the wall, picking Sylvie gently in my arms, waiting for Rinia to continue.

After a moment, she did. "Despite everything, you're quite composed, Arthur," she said, almost like she expected it. I stayed silent, knowing she would get to the point soon enough.

"Now, where do I begin?" Rinia sighed, her eyes drifting up as if searching for the right words.

"How about starting with why and how I'm here?" I suggested, trying to get some clarity about her intentions. It was obvious she had contacted Virion to bring us to her.

"As perceptive as always," she said, a small smile playing on her lips. "You're here because I asked Virion to bring you, as you've probably guessed." I nodded, having figured as much. "As for why—well, I have something to tell you. And a warning."

"A warning?" I asked, my tone colder than I intended.

"Calm down, Arthur," Rinia said, her voice soft but firm. "I don't mean any harm."

She paused, her expression growing more serious, and I could sense the weight of her next words. "You know I'm a Diviner," she began. "It's a rare magic, one that comes at a steep cost."

I frowned, unsure of where she was going with this. "Diviners don't use mana cores like most mages. Our powers mostly come in erratic bursts where, quite often, blurred images and clips of the future simply flash through my mind; sometimes they'd be useful, but most of the time, they were too vague and minute to make anything out of. These little flashes of the future don't expend any mana at all, actually."

"..." I stayed silent, an eerie feeling creeping up on me.

"If you were to sense my mana core, I actually have quite a normal mana core, capable of harnessing and refining the mana particles in the atmosphere, which is why I'm quite adept at water attribute magic myself," Rinia exclaimed mockingly.