Chapter 444: Quest completion

This training hell continued for two more days, and on the third Eldrian finally came to a realization that allowed him to cast even while pressured to the point that even finishing a thought was hard. 

Seeing Zamia's fist coming for his chest, Eldrian didn't fight his fall nor try to twist his body to dodge. Instead, he thought of a single thing. Using wind to push himself away. 

He didn't visualize how, he didn't even control his mana. He just had this idea, and he wanted it to happen. And it did. 

Hearing his wish, his mana acted. Forming a ball of wind at his side. Sending him rolling on the dirt. In no regard was this graceful, he was covered in grass burns and had even broken his arm from the force of his landing.

Yet, it had worked. 

He had dodged her attack (granted he had hurt himself more than her attack would have), and he had managed to cast a spell despite the pressure she placed him under.

"Good job," Zamia said, already by his side and treating his injuries. She hadn't expected he would hurt himself so much. Heck, she hadn't thought he would aim his spell at himself. 

"Haha, thanks..." Eldrian said between pants, realizing that he had used over a hundred mana to shoot himself away. Far too much, and also the reason why his ribs were also broken. Which he had only realized once they reset themselves thanks to Zamia's healing. 

Eldrian tried to settle his mind and fight through the pain, which; while moderated by the system, covered his entire body.

[Title Gained: One with mana]

[The player has learned to not just control his mana, but have it be a part of him. Like moving a limb doesn't even require a complete thought, just the will to do so. So you have come to learn to control mana.]

[One with mana is a unique title that tracks your progress in mastering magic. Current progress is undefined (0-1%), as the player has only come to unlock it during intense pressure.]

[Once the player has managed to fully become one with mana, they will be able to truly use dynamic magic.]

[Rewarded 2 levels]

Eldrian read and reread this system message while trying to recover from the intense fight. No amount of recovery magic could rid his fatigue. 

"That is it for today," Zamia said after giving Eldrian a few minutes to recover from the epiphany she was sure he had gained.

"Al-already?" Eldrian asked, slurring the word as he tried to get up into a sitting position. Failing as his arm buckled under his upper body's weight. 

"Yes, the past few days have been hard on you. But I needed you to prove that you can still reason and act when completely outclassed. You did well, now rest."

Eldrian didn't need to be told this a third time, without delay he logged out of the game.

Unfortunately, his body in the real world was not in a much better state. Eldrian didn't struggle out of the comfortable seat of the cabin, instead, he just closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. 

...

He woke a few hours later with Constantin and Gengxin in his room. The latter was busy confirming that he was still fine while the other was just pacing. 

"Why-why are you here?" Eldrian asked, fighting the grogginess of sleep to focus. 

"You made a new breakthrough, didn't you?" Gengxin replied, pulling up the moment where Eldrian had managed to cast a spell on his tablet and handing it to Eldrian.

"This is similar to when you always over immerse. Only... It seems your mind was far more active than the cases back then. So, I needed to come and confirm you are alright."

"I-I see... I am." Eldrian said, handing back the tablet. Having no clue what the graphs meant. 

"And you?" Eldrian asked, turning to the pacing Constantin. 

"I came to ask what this discovery was."

'Right, I think Ziraili is hiding my new titles from them... Or maybe not. Not sure what she meant back then.' Eldrian thought, deciding to share what he knew regardless, it wasn't much in any case. 

"It wasn't so much discovery than something finally... Clicking. If I ask you how you move your arm, what would your reply be? That you just move it, right?"

Constantin nodded, it wasn't something that required one to even think. 

"Well, I managed to... For a split second, do the same with my mana."

Naturally, the two in the room had no idea how significant this was. To them, it felt like that was what Eldrian had always been doing. His spells could move with ease, like an extended limb. While now he could even change their form at will. They failed to see the significance and Eldrian wasn't going to explain. 

"Is that all?" Eldrian asked as he clambered out of the cabin, stretching his stiff back and his stomach growled with vervor. 

"Ah yes." Gengxin said, "It has been some time since something significant happened so we wanted to make sure you are alright."

"Thanks..." Eldrian smiled as he left to get something to eat. 

...

Eldrian logged back in after getting in some much-needed exercise and meditation with his real body. To not have his mind forget that it was his body. 

"Ah, your back." Zamia quickly changed back into her elven form. "All rested?"

Eldrian nodded with apprehension, afraid that the training would start right again.

"We aren't going to train anymore. You have already managed to accomplish all that I have asked of you. I am now going to give you two options."

Eldrian nodded again, this time serious. Unsure what the options were going to be. At the same time, he also received a notification that he had succeeded with the quest. 

[Quest completed: An Alicorn's Guidance]

[Optional aim achieved. The player has managed to cast a true dynamic spell, though the player has not managed to master it. This is enough.]

[Quest reward: 3 levels + 5 from optional half completion]

'Oh wow, that is a lot of levels...' Eldrian thought while also listening to Zamia's options. 

"The first is that you stay here a while longer, during which I will teach you how to make use of mana crystals, and even Mov Crystals."

"Option two is that you bond with Ceph now and then go on your way."

Eldrian wasn't sure why they had to be exclusive, but he was tempted to rush out to the frontlines. He had, however, long since realized that he needed to improve as much as he could. Things were still calm at Kynigo, but Herglem was on the verge of destruction. 

Most civilians had been evacuated and were being escorted by most of the army. While a select few had stayed behind to destroy anything valuable and also activate the forbidden spell of the city once the orcs started moving in. With the hopes to claim as many of their lives as possible. 

Eldrian knew that he couldn't do anything if he rushed there, nor could he do much if he rushed to Kynigo. The Higher Undead were still something he knew he couldn't face, not alone. And for now, there was no need to rush into danger against them. 

{AN: Come join the discord to participate in the conversation... Or just lurk}

:)

{Discord: DAM4jsa}