Encyclopedia # 2

The elements are divided into three major categories. Basol: the more common elements one can gain. Medor: these elements are much more uncommon. Hedro: Rare elements that don’t appear for hundreds of years. However, strength and power isn’t one-hundred percent defined by what one gain. The Hedro elements may give a user the capability to do unusual things or be useful in battles, but in the end, it’s the intelligence and power that rules everything out.

Basol: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Shadow, Ice

Medor: Darkness, Light, Sound, Metal, Plant/Wood

Hedro: Space, Time, Void, Life, Death

The main difference between an aura user and a mage are the energy a person is born with. Mages are born with mana, while aura users are with auras. Mages are considered to be the artillery or shield of an army, aura users are the tanks, assassins, assaulters, or a special Bowman. Both have their own strength and differences but without one another, an army wouldn’t be able to function properly or be widdled with flaws.

At the age of eight until twelve, children would begin to awaken their elements. However, certain research has proven that ones with stronger souls (people who mature faster/smarter/intelligent) have a higher chance to gain an element as soon as they reach of age. But it doesn’t mean that they’re more powerful necessarily nor will they get rare or uncommon elements.

Mages are usually able to use spells in long range with massive area damage. This, however, depends on the element. Even if they’re only able to summon two terrifying howitzer-level attacks at rank ten, it doesn’t mean they are invaluable. Some high rankers can create clouds to rain over their enemies, others can produce fog in the battlefield. One must never forget that other than their ultimate attacks, there is still their massive amount of lower tiered spells, great for barrages or for a killing opportunity. It is included that mages also provides protection from enemy mages. As mages rank up, their mana pool increase as does their ability to conjure stronger or lower tiered spells. Not only that, but the strength of their element becomes more powerful. For example, a rank 10 mage's fire element becomes hotter and last longer than those of rank 9 and below. Their body, however, is decently increased. A rank ten human would have one-half strength more than a regular human.

Aura users are close range, with a maximum of area effect of ten meters if they, themselves, were to use aura spells. They use their auras to empower their attacks or affect their surrounding in some sort of boundary or force. Aura users provide protection for their fellow soldiers, and if one is intelligent, lead soldiers into battle. They’re great for flanking or overpowering a section of the battlefield. However, even if one’s strength is empowered by an aura, it doesn’t mean that they’re physique is permanently enhanced, as they will still have the former strength of their race. For example, if you’re a human at rank ten, you’ll have an explosive power of one-quarter of a howitzer (unless utilizes all power into two or three attacks) for a limited time, depending on the aura pool size and usage of power. Afterwards, the rank ten aura user will return to their former physique. Also, each advancement doesn’t make the body marginally stronger, but rather the more aura once gets, the stronger the attacks one can make and the longer the aurified-self lasts. Though a rank ten human would have double and a half of the strength of an average human. It is important for a soldier of any rank to think of when they’ll use their empowered aura-self in a fight or battle.

On the other hand, people with no elements are either civilians or, if they can conjure aura, they could be fighters. They could still train in the way or aura users, but it will be more difficult and less potential.

One thing that is for a fact is that if one is surrounded by a horde of soldiers, no matter how high ranked one is, the highest outcome is death.

In a large courtyard, a battle was ensuing. The courtyard’s ground was littered with holes as smoke was escaping. There were other parts of the area covered with freezing, blue ice, while small earth pillars were erected and smashed to pieces and fragments. Four figures were within the vicinity which was me, my mother, Felisa, her attendant and Vena, my attendant. I stood at the side, watching the battle prance around in the yard.

I’m now at the age of four, and it’s been two years since I had the talk with my mother about my future plans. But in those years, the only thing I was able to do was to read books or do a special exercise method that improved the body. At the moment, my strength was similar to that of an eight-year-old child as I passed the second stage. It was a boring life, other than watching my mother fight with her apprentices. Though I continued to watch, and even after two years, I’m still amazed by magic.

Vena was a genius wind and fire mage, capable of performing numerous spells at once, while her large mana source sustained them. Not only did the fire and wind provided amazing firepower, but she is able to use her elements to escape, boosting her body like a rocket. But her problem was controlling magical rockets as she is only able to travel a linear direction. On the other hand, my mother’s attendant, Thelsa, controlled ice and earth aura, launching devastating spear strikes now and then. She had two spears, one about one meter and the other a half of that size. Her spear techniques were graceful but struck with ferocity. A beautiful and elegant duo, but the main source of the problem was that they’re facing my mother, the general, hailed as a thousand-year-old genius. No matter how many times Vena and Thelsa coordinated, my mother was always on the upper hand. She did this while tutoring the two.

In an instance, Thelsa was suddenly launched by a kick and lunged with the help of a tendril of darkness. She eventually collided with an escaping Vena, and both fell over on the ground, their body feeling the aching pain. But they stood up once more, wanting to try one more battle tactic. Vena nodded at Thelsa, both ready to enact their final assault. In front, about fifty meters, my mother stood motionless waiting for the continuation of the action. She controlled the elements of shadow and darkness, a fearful duo that strengthened each other. Even more marvellous was the fact she is a dual mage and aura user, born with both energies. Considering she was a rank ten, on the verge of rank eleven, my mother restricted her movement of forward, left and right, with no retreating backwards. She also lowered her strength to that of a rank five.

Thelsa then lunged forward with full speed as soon as Vena had chanted her wind spell. However, both needed to be quick for both were running low in energy. In the earlier engagement, Thelsa conjured some stone pillars, big enough for an aura user. She utilized these stones as barricades against each attack my mother made, creating dust and small fragments drift everywhere. Also, Thelsa’s previous missed attacks struck the ground, as did Vena’s volleys of fireballs and arrows, creating more ground and dust fragments. This was part of their plan, and when Vena launched her rank two wind spell and it made a gust that encompassed the surrounding, and at the same time, weakening the power. It had no ability to damage any humans, but its purpose was to create a sand cover from the numerous fragments on the ground.

With the sand cover, Thelsa sneakily went for my mother’s right flank, using ice on the ground to quickly skate across. As for Vena, she launched herself forward through the sand cover, utilizing her rocket spell provided by both of her elements. She then summoned five fire arrows boosted by air, firing in an angle at my mother’s left flank Vena then pulled out her sword, aiming straight for my mother’s stomach. On the other hand, as soon as Thelsa reached the outside of the sand cover, she created a small ledge which used to bank off and then launched herself at my mother, spearheading straight for the neck. As she did, she formed ice and earth auras on her spears to increase the lethality.

My mother just stood there smiling, waiting for their attack to come near her. As soon as the attacks were one meter away, in a blink of an eye, she neutralized all the attacks. Shadow tendrils, empowered by the darkness element, rendered the fire arrows useless in one swoop, while she conjured a darkness clone, parrying the incoming Vena. The darkness clone utilized its shadow sword and used the kinetic energy of Vena’s sword and pushing it aside, nearly touching the hems of my mother’s clothing. The clone then reached out its hands, grabbing on to Vena’s neck. On the other hand, my mother parried Thelsa’s attack with her battle axes. She smashed one of her axe on the side of the long spear’s tip, forcing the direction downwards, along with her body. Thelsa then blocked an incoming gravity supported axe attack from above with both her spears. But she couldn’t block the incoming side sweep of the second axe, so she was forced to abandoned her spears and sidestepped to her right.

“You have lost, both of you did. Although your tactics were interesting, it would only work for at most against a rank five, an inexperienced one at that. And it’ll depend on their elements and if they’re alone, too. Not bad.”

She then dissolved her darkness clone, letting Vena fall down on the ground, heaving for air. Afterwards, she kicked the two spears back towards Thelsa who then said, “General, please teach us!”

“Well both of your spells were good for your age and utilized unique battle strategies against a powerful opponent, but you guys are way too rigid in individual attacking plans. Thelsa, you could’ve thrown your long spear at me forcing me to block and be occupied, while using your ice to skate and agilely attack with you short spear. Vena, you could've combined your fire arrows to make some small explosion that’ll distort my clone shadow tendrils. However, in the end, it is up to you, whether you can find the errors. That’ll be it for today.”

Seeing my mother walking towards me, I asked, “Mother, can I see a blacksmith and alchemist workshop? Of course, my reasoning is to analyze the technological status of this world.”

My mother sighed, probably due to my pestering in the past few days. She didn’t want me to enter these workshops because they’re very dangerous and hazardous for a small child like me. And another thing was that it was unusual for royalty to enter them for if a new invention was made, it would be sent to the palace for a showcase. But my mother relented this time, “Fine, I’ll bring you there, but you must stay with me at all times. I have a friend there who will guide us around, so don’t touch anything! Thelsa, Vena, clean this area up! My son and I are going to check out the workshops.”

Five minutes later…

There we were. My mother and I stood in front of a large, squarish building. The roof was built with a metallic bronze colour while four chimneys were erected, puffing out blackish smoke. At the front was a large, greyish metal door with various symbols etched on the surface. There seemed to be a few windows letting light into the building, but I couldn’t see anything inside. Above the door was a large, golden emblem that depicted a potion bottle and a squarish hammer. Loud sounds of banging and bubbling could be heard from within. This is it, my curiosity was reaching its peak.