2, Month Fall-Quatre, Year Elizabeth 402

06:30, Claude Mansion

 

“…Water-ice twin head dragon physique?”

“Yes… and don’t forget the supreme grade…”

Unique physique.

While some were bad to have, most were not. It granted the owner varying benefits depend on which physique they had. Some granted the owner a physical trait. Some granted owners more affinity toward a particular element. And last, the final and most powerful type, those that had both benefits.

Because of how powerful they were, the top mage rank in the kingdom usually got dominated by those with a unique physique.

For example, the number one mage in the Sorcera kingdom, Altea the timeless witch. She was rumored to have a normal grade timeless body. While she looked like a young girl, she was actually over 900 years old already. Not only that, but she also had some affinity with time magic, making her one of the most feared mage in the kingdom.

Unique physique was a thing that all the mage sought after, but could not obtain.

There was no known method to obtain it later in life. The only way was to born with it.

Grade of the physique is the only thing that can be improved throughout life. For example, if one was born with a unique physique with poor grade—while difficult to do so—they could still rank it up to normal grade or further beyond.

Supreme grade was the second most powerful grade unique physique could be. So, the physique that sage Khun told Alice that she had should be very powerful, even if it did not have a very good benefit.

The evidence of that could be seen by the shocking reaction that all the followers of sage Khun had expressed.

[Roboto_1291: ???]

[Mizao: ???]

[Animeboyforlife641: lol what?]

[EmperorOfYellowKingdom: What a domineering name indeed]

“...”

Alice felt like sage Khun’s expression darkened significantly after those texts appeared in the chatbox. She quickly shook her head and got that idea out of her mind. As his expression was hidden under the hood, how could she possibly see it?

Sage Khun then confirmed that it was indeed her imagination by continuing the explanation like it was nothing.

“This physique is one of the most powerful physiques one can have. It grants the owner exceptionally powerful body, great agility, and extraordinary flexibility.”

“...!”

“It also grants the owner of the physique an innate affinity to water element, making the learning rate of spell in that element faster by almost triple of that normal person.” said the sage, his face cool.

“That’s really strong!” Alice exclaimed.

The triple learning rate seemed small, but it was deceptive. With such learning rate, this would mean that this person would always have three times more spells than the opponent. Three times the spell, three times the hidden move, three times the defensive measure. With that much advantage, how could one possibly lose?

“With such power, it is very simple for the person with this unique physique to win against even the opponent one level above their own. They could even battle those with two levels ahead and fight on equal ground as long as there is a water source nearby!”

Skip-level fighting?

That was the power that only the protagonist in a novel that Alice had read had.

Listening to such power of her unique physique made Alice excited. She could not help but imagine herself fighting in a blood-boiling battle. Her hand tightened into a fist.

“Not only that, their body negated almost all the water pressure, allowing them to dive deep underwater. They also grant with automatic regeneration when they are in the water, so long as their heart is still intact, no wound would ever be fatal for them.”

“So powerful! Is there anything else, great sage?” Alice asked, her eye filled with hope.

“Anything else?” sage Khun pondered, his expression unfathomable. He closed his eyes for around ten seconds before he continued.

“This physique also grants the ability to telepathically communicate with any marine species. Making the user able to talk with fish… Ahem! ...to easily tame any magic beast resides in the water.”

“So strong…” Alice mumbled. Then, as if she thought of something, she suddenly spoke up again. “But what about ice element? Is there any benefit from the ice element?”

“...Ice?”

“Isn’t the name of physique water-ice twin head dragon physique? Is there any benefit from the ice element, great sage?”

“…”

This time, sage Khun did not reply instantly like before. He went silent for about thirty seconds or so, as if pondering about something before he sighed mysteriously.

“The ice is indeed in the name of this physique, but anything other than increase ice affinity could not be utilized yet. It could only be unlocked after you refine your physique more. So before that, I would not tell you yet.”

Alice was slightly disappointed, but she quickly calmed down. After all, these benefits were already powerful enough. She then quickly asked the question that was on her mind. The most important question she ever had in her life.

“But why did this physique prevent me from making a breakthrough, great sage?”

While unique physiques were not an obscure subject, it was certainly not the subject that was indiscriminately taught to everyone. Those who knew about them were mostly academic researchers, professors in magic university, the ruler of the kingdom, or those who pursued the magic path. As Alice was—technically—the ruling class of the kingdom and also a mage apprentice, she had read a bit about the subject. Despite that, she hadn’t heard about this physique name nor a situation like this before.

“Normally, this physique should not prevent the owner to make a breakthrough, or even interfere with their cultivation.” sage Khun replied while shaking his head slightly. “Quite the opposite, it had aided you in magic cultivation this whole time. You were at the top of the class before, isn’t it?”

“Yes… But… Then, why?” Alice wondered.

“If I am not wrong before you tried to make a breakthrough, you had cultivated near water source some time, right?”

Instead of answering, sage Khun began to question Alice instead. But as she trusted sage Khun completely now, while still puzzled, she began to recall her routine she used to follow. And indeed, while it was never a serious session, when she was relaxing in a bath, sometimes she did some mana gathering unconsciously.

“I did indeed cultivate when I was taking a bath sometimes. But it was a casual gathering of magic power. Nothing serious, great sage.”

“But you haven’t done that anymore.”

“I… Yes… I didn’t have time to take a relaxing bath recently...” Alice whispered softly, but the tablet was exceptionally good at picking up words and somehow captured them for her. Her word show as the line of text after she finished talking, so she sent it and continued.

“So, the reason my cultivation was faster than my peer, in the beginning, was because…?”

“Indeed, that was the case.” sage Khun confirmed her suspicion, but he did not look too impressed. “And you stopped doing that was precisely the reason why you failed to breakthrough.”

“...!”

“The main drawback of your physique is that while your affinity of magic and ice increase greatly, the other affinity will be slightly reduced.” sage Khun shook his head slightly. “Generally, this will not pose a problem to the owner in their day-to-day activities, but the breakthrough is one of the few exceptions of that.”

“Why is that the case?” Alice asked softly.

“Breakthrough required a lot of magic power.”

Alice could not help but nodded at the answer.

This answer seemed plain, but it was deceptively complex. She recalled one of the books she had read. While the concept of condensation of magic circle seemed like it did not require magic power and just used the mana that had gathered, it was—in fact—not. In the process of forming the node, establishing a connection, and stabilizing the magic circle, all of them involved a lot of magic power usage.

“Let us start your analyze your story from the start again. In the beginning, your cultivation was very fast, correct?”

“Yes, sage.”

“It was also true that at that time, you sometimes cultivate in the water, right?”

“Yes.”

“But before you began the breakthrough process, you stopped.”

“Y...Yes...”

“And then your breakthrough failed every time.”

“...!?” Alice gasped, her emotion was in turmoil. She began to realize where sage Khun was going with his reasoning.

“The overall essence in a normal environment is indeed enough for any mage apprentice to make a breakthrough because this level doesn’t require a lot of magic power.” He continued. “But you are different, as a person with unique physique, the... the...the supreme grade water-ice twin head dragon physique…”

Sage Khun’s voice significantly became soft at the name part.

For a moment, Alice felt like the sage was embarrassed to say her unique physique’s name out loud. But that could not be more ridiculous, so she quickly shook her head to get that thought out of her mind.

“Your body demands more water and ice elements but less in the others which a normal environment couldn’t provide. With how little water and ice elements are in normal environment, it would be more shocking instead if you succeed.” sage Khun explained, shaking his head softly. “Not only that, with each failure, the water, and ice element reserved in your body gradually depleted little by little. That was why the pain was increasing every time you failed.”

“…!” Alice unconsciously gulped. She could not help but agreed with everything he said.

“And you cultivating there—right now—is the reason why the pain this time did not increase like before. It was because of that pond. It was supplying you with water elements you desperately need!”

“That’s...!” Alicia exclaimed, then she looked behind her back reflexively.

The pond was there, still as it ever had been.

So that’s why.

All the confusion in her mind had dispersed, replaced by understanding. Everything sage Khun said starting to come into place as if the god had already arranged everything.

No. Maybe he is the god himself.

“So I only have to do a breakthrough around the water, right, great sage?”

Sage Khun did not reply but smiled slightly instead. He did not confirm or reject her, but Alice knew she was probably correct.

“I understand now, great sage. Please wait for me. I will begin another breakthrough attempt now.” Alice replied to his non-verbal response.

She then put the tablet down softly on the stone, liked it was the most precious object she ever held.

After making sure that it would not fall down, she slowly made her way toward the pond while tiring to calm down all the excitement in her mind. It was a failure, though. The feeling in her mind was simply too chaotic right now.

She subconsciously looked in front of her, hoping to find a way to relax. Only then did she noticed the breathtaking scene in front of her.

It is beautiful.

The sunlight of the dawn that shone down, reflecting along the water surface, made the pond appeared in golden luster. The still water in the pond along with some birds chirping in the background created a uniquely serene atmosphere, one that could easily calm anyone’s mind. Only then did the girl finally able to relax.

Alice could not help but liked this place already. Even if she failed to make a breakthrough now, she would definitely come back here again sometime to cultivate in the future.

When Alice reached the edge of the water, she crouched down and slowly slip her feet out of the boots. If she went back home with her boots soaked wet, she would probably get scolded after all. The girl then took off the white sock that she wore, rolled it, and put it inside the boots to prevent it from getting blown away.

The water in the pond was crystal clear so that one could see the bottom with naked eyes. Alice cautiously dipped one of her porcelain white feet into the pond after making sure that it was safe to do so. The water should be rather cold, but—strangely—it did not feel uncomfortable at all. She felt as if her foot was in a relaxing foot bath. Alice smiled slightly and then put the other foot in too.

This time, I will definitely succeed.

She thought to herself while she was walking toward the center of the pond.