Into the Unknown World

Chapter 12. Battle with Elemental Drakes | Part II

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"Good job!"

"Hey, what was that earlier? What do you mean by my mana reserve is depleting when I try to increase the amount of the spell?" I asked her after defeating the water drake. She then hovers in front of me while pulling me away from the water drake's carcass.

"Yes, about that. Although your mana reserve is unlimited you can only use 10% right?" flying near to the big stem while she is still pulling me away from the corpse, she added, "when you spend more of your mana, the allowed mana will rapidly decrease due to the consumption bringing the reserve flow to its critical level and when it happens there will be a need to free another wave of original magic to disintegrate for you to use which will also a huge drawback for your body." she paused and then she faced the direction of the elemental drakes.

"That is why we need to acquire the artefact?" I asked her.

"Exactly! The only two things that can contain the Origin Magic is a World Tree or an Artefact created by the Supreme God himself," she answered with a worried look.

"Uh, why did he create such unstable magic, to begin with?" I asked her again.

"Who knows," she replied with her shoulders moving up and down. "Are you ready for your next duel, master?" she added.

"Do I even have a choice?" I scoffed and replied with a dispassionate tone.

It's not really exhausting my energy unlike before but the fact that I am now facing a moving opponent is somewhat similar to the feeling of spending my origin magic.

"The second match will likely commence when you step up and face the stone drake" she glided above my head and again she appraised the two elemental drakes.

I slowly walked to the charred pavement where the water drake was slain because of the fire magic that I launched toward it. I saw that it was buried using the earth magic of the stone drake, it dug up a deep hole and moved it in there before we faced each other. Honouring your comrade by burying or burning the corpse of the deceased should be a ritual of respect for intelligent beings such as humans. I know that ritual because my town shows the same ritual and as I can see, they somewhat practice such an act.

"Uh, can we not fight? I merely want to check the stones that I inserted to that huge artefact behind you." Walking past the green lushes of moss under my feet, I tried communicating on this being that showed respect to its comrade. It is half the truth, of course. I really need the artefact since the sprout of the world tree died and the power that it yields is now residing underneath my skin, uses me as its substitute and is growing inside me.

I haven't heard any response from the huge stone drake which indicates that it wants to fight instead too. Seriously, we don't need to fight. The drake that was also slowly walking towards me stopped and bowed its head like it's kissing the stone and started yawning. No. I feel the fluctuation of mana around me and the pebbles and stones are gathering on its feet and begin moving faster towards me. It became more agile and I stepped aside evading its aggressive and forceful thrust of the top of its large head but then I felt a hard object slamming at the side of my body forcing me to vomit blood. Crap! It was a large boulder connected to its tail. So, that was it huh. I started running to avoid its attack but it is using the earth magic towards me. I ran and ran while it chased me. Damn! You got me there. You manipulated the stones and earth beneath you to help you offset your heavy body and increase your agility. Damn clever!

"Sprigg, a little help is needed here." I scornfully shouted while I was still evading all the headbutts and tail attacks.

"Data analysis completed. The stone drake is vulnerable to water magic. Imitate the water barrier. Feel the water around you and trap it inside." she answered using the same transmission.

"Sprigg, I only know the basic. Are you serious?" I refuted. There's no way I will learn my opponent's magic that fast.

"Hurry!" she insisted.

How can I start accumulating mana while running? I haven't learned that. I tried gathering the mana inside me even if I am being chased with this beast. This is really a damned life. If only I was never hard headed and pushed my luck to its limit. I shouldn't have been here fighting to any monsters that can possibly eat me whole. I sighed heavily, closed my eyes and thought of the beautiful river near our village where I used to take a bath along with Morning Dew and the others, playing. I remembered how the cool water touches my body and the smell of musty, earthy odours when exposed with water on the riverside. I wished to go back to that time. I want to experience the same feeling of being soaked in the cold and clean water enjoying the splashes at the back of my body when my playmates jumped on it.

I opened my eyes and imitated the same feeling and focused it on my hand. At first, it felt like a cold and humid breeze forming around my hand like it's sweating profusely then it formed a small sphere of water with tiny waves of bubbles inside. I worked on it while I was still running through the green meadows avoiding physical attacks by the gliding stone drake leaving traces of unearthed roots and stones. I also tried running towards the artefact but it stops and changes directions forcing me to look for another way.

Shaping the water element is different from the fire. Although, it moves as if it's alive due to mana manipulation but the feeling is different. The last time I tried it, I only had small blobs of water floating right above my palm, unlike the fire that wraps my whole fists. The moment I gathered enough water magic I launched it to the moving stone drake that follows me everywhere. I kept on attacking the beast but it evaded the instant I fired the water magic to its direction.

"Sprigg, what's next?" I asked her after a long while since the large stone drake is still not getting any damage with the water magic that I am using.

"Do you know that you can manipulate the water itself, right?" not taking any interest in my question, she answered me with another question.

"Right." I agreed to the idea.

I already know that in every element or thing, there is mana occupying inside. Any magic wielders can easily manipulate, replenish and use it again. That is also the reason why Sprigg calls it the basic magic incantation. I am peeking at her mind for additional information on how to do it properly. I stopped at the fallen lodge near the wet grounds as I saw the stone drake approaching. I extended my arms as I gathered all the mana inside me and the nearby water to form a gigantic water sphere. This time, all the water droplets are moving upwards forming in each of my hands. The stone drake twitched but didn't seem to stop.

You are very brave huh! But I am drowning you with water now! I launched the two enormous water spheres to the beast imprisoning it. The rocks and pebbles are starting to disintegrate from its feet and the clean water magic that I am using is now muddy and dirty. The stones and pebbles are gathering inside forming its own barrier in the centre of the water sphere that I am enclosing the beast.

"Very clever!" Sprigg descended and tapped my shoulder, "remove all the air inside and let it drench with nothing to breath instead", she added.

How cruel! Sometimes, I do feel like my companion is not an infant at all.

I slowly removed all the air inside the sphere while maintaining the water magic since it also needs the air to form it. Removing it is really hard if I want to maintain the water magic because it will turn into a gaseous state and expands in volume and if ignited, it turns into the fire instead. This information is circulating in my mind like it is mine, however, this is all Sprigg's. Seriously, how knowledgeable are you? You appraising everything is very convenient and commendable. Then I removed all the air components from the stone barrier inside the sphere and reinforced the intensity of water magic if the stone drake decides to break free. I maintained it and after half an hour I can't feel any life inside the water anymore. I have successfully slain the stone drake. Now come the fire drake and its raging blaze.

When the fire drake stood up, I gripped my fist and prepared for the worst. I seem to perceive the resentment that this beast is displaying on its unstable mana fluctuation. Every confrontation earned me the ability to sense how these beasts are manipulating the mana skillfully. I don't know if it's because of its fallen allies or because I keep emerging as a victor against those beasts that I challenged. Well, that makes it the same thing. I think it is boiling on its outrage for one reason, that's me being alive after all the battles.

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