Novaris. Septer. 905. AGC.

  Nodel. First Quarter ??. Days 9 & 10.

  The plan was to continue training until they had to permanently return to the city due to Arelion's condition. However, until then, they planned to continue training as everyone focused on the various things they wanted to improve. Of course, even after two more days of training, there was no sudden epiphany for everyone as they came to understand exactly what they wanted their techniques to do. Heck, they didn't even manage to properly implement their enhancements.

  Rose and the twins had spent months training and learning about the various basics they were now using. These basics were, of course, the easiest parts of learning magic, and though it did help them advance into other aspects, what they were trying to do now would still take some time. Granted, even then, and considering the sheer ability of the people in question, it wouldn't take them as long as the average person.

  This was also the case for Tesilim, who found himself oddly in tune with the way of magic. The elf had come a long way in a short time. Not only was this due to his two teachers, who had plenty of experience and knowledge in their respective fields, but also due to Tesilim’s drive, imagination, and general intelligence to grasp the topics at hand. After all, one didn't survive the apocalypse without having a decent amount of skill, intelligence, and survival instincts.

  Now, even though they didn't manage to do everything they wanted, that didn't mean no progress was made. The trio had come closer to understanding the way specific enhancements worked. This also extended to sub-enhancements that they would find useful when traversing the wild. Tesilim already knew one of these enhancements, as he had learned it a while back when he had spent time as a goat. It was the Wall-climbing Enhancement that could be rather useful while in combat in precarious terrain. The enhancement would eventually become useless once they could fly or float without issue, but even then, it was useful in a multitude of specific situations, like when attempting to stick to the back of a giant golem or overcoming obstacles where flying would leave them too exposed.

  Another aspect in which the three members of the party found progress was their techniques. They could read about techniques and imagine them all they wanted, but nothing could compare to the progress made in combat. Combat allowed someone to practically see if what they had in mind would work. This would then allow them to change how they view their technique, adjust it, and see if it would fit them.

  This was very important to Rose, who found that how she viewed some of her techniques was not for her. Though the redhead had been a prankster in her earlier days, that did not directly translate into her form of combat. In the end, Rose was a stubborn person who enjoyed taking a challenge head-on. It was one of the reasons why she was able to fit so well in the ranks of her fellow warriors. It was also the reason why her first image of a restraining technique had failed.

  Like Jasmine and even Arelion, or with other restraining spells and techniques that she had seen, Rose attempted to make one of her own, which involved chains or vines trapping her target. However, that had quickly felt wrong to her, and she had not been able to continue progressing with that image. The issue came from her warrior-like mind.

  “I see the issue with that idea, and I think you need to think of other possible ways a warrior would immobilize their target,” Lili had told her.

  “I don’t understand. I have seen warriors use chains to trap their targets; it is an effective method,” Rose told the elf, with slight annoyance and frustration coming through unbiddenly.

  “Yes, I know, but they aren’t you. You need to think about something that you are familiar with. Here, let's try this; I want you to clear your mind, and when I ask a question, answer without thinking,” Lili told her calmly, not bothered by Rose’s words or tone. Then, when Rose nodded, indicating she was ready, the elf continued.

  “Okay, now imagine that you are fighting a large monster. For example, think back to the tharnik. In this scenario, it has managed to throw you aside and is now hurling itself at Jasmine, who lies unconscious on the ground. Of course, you want to stop it, but you know you won’t make it in time. So, with that in mind, what would be your first reaction to try and stop it be?”

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  “I would yell, and try to change its target to me,” Rose told her quickly.

  “Okay, but you already used your taunt technique on it, and it has shrugged it off, what then?”

  “Uh, uh, I would throw something at it, make it hurt so it gets distracted.”

  “That’s good. What would you throw?”

  “A rock!”

  “Alright, you throw a rock, but it only makes it stumble, so it keeps running unbothered by your taunt or attack.”

  “Ummm,”

  “Come now, no thinking, what would you do next? Do you throw a bigger rock?”

  “Uh, no, I would throw my sword or shield!” Rose answered like that was a great idea.

  “So, you would throw your only weapon and a good defensive item?” Lili said questioningly, giving the redhead a chance to change her answer.

  “No! I would, uh, I would, throw a spear! Yeah! A spear!”

  “Wait, where did the spear come from?” Lili asked, amused.

  “I summoned it!”

  “Okay, the spear appears and pierces the tharnik, but it's not enough to stop its movement for long, and it continues its charge.”

  “Shit! Okay, I summon more spears, long spears, so they get stuck in the ground, and stop its movement,” Rose answered hurriedly, like Jasmine’s life was actually in danger.

  “Well, there you go, I think you have the image for your technique,” Lili told her proudly, and watched Rose’s face as she replayed the scene.

  “Huh, I guess I do,” Rose finally said, surprised at what they had accomplished.

  Much like Rose, Arelion found that he needed some help developing his techniques. However, unlike Rose, it wasn't because his technique clashed with the type of person he was. Instead, it was because the technique itself was rather intricate. Arelion was attempting to create a gravity-based technique that would allow him to repel or attract one or multiple things.

  Usually, if such a technique were split into separate parts and treated as two techniques, it wouldn't have been as much of a problem. However, the half-elf wanted the technique to do both things. Yet the two concepts on which the technique was based were opposites, and it was hard for him to figure out how he could make them work.

  Now, this wasn't to say that Arelion wasn't smart, as he understood the basics of gravity. The issue that he found himself with was getting gravity to repel things. It was easy to understand how gravity could make things heavier and lighter, but having something float away wasn’t necessarily the same as repelling it. That said, Arelion found his thoughts on the entire thing were half-baked.

  “I am not a scientist, but I am pretty sure gravity is all about pulling stuff based on how powerful the field is and how heavy the object in question his. There isn’t really repelling, but more of attracting to another stronger gravitational spot,” Tesilim told the half-elf.

  “Alright, that sounds easy. I make myself give off a stronger gravitational force, and target a singular creature in order to pull it towards me, then create a different spot while turning off my pull to repel them.”

  “Yeah, that could work. What do you think, Alyx?” Tesilim said, turning to look at the gnome for his opinion.

  “Sounds doable if inefficient, though mainly I find it interesting that you have access to gravity magic. Is that a side effect of your condition?”

  “Yes, it is. That’s not important, however, why would it be inefficient?”

  “Well, it sounds like you would be using the same technique twice, which means you’re spending double the mana.”

  “Okay, so how would you fix it?” Arelion asked, sounding a bit annoyed.

  “Wait, can’t you just use magnet magic? You know opposites attract and all that?” Tesilim intervened, as if he were giving sage advice.

  “That would require me to use normal magic, which is much less efficient for me,” Arelion told the elf.

  “Huh, I see, well, Alyx, this is all you, bud,” Tesilim said, then walked away.

  Sighing, the gnome glared at Tesilim, ensuring he was far away before speaking, “Alright, here is the thing, and Tesilim was right about this before, but we are a bit backwards on the imagination department sometimes. We often find ourselves stuck in certain magical loops that are hard to comprehend and get out of, this one being one of those.”

  “How so?” Arelion asked, genuinely interested.

  “Well, as you put it, you normally can’t repel with gravity, so we have to think about it from a different angle,” The gnome said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but Arelion was still lost.

  “Uh, can you elaborate?”

  “Yes, and I will try to make this simple. What is the opposite of hot?” The gnome asked, switching into his full teaching mode.

  “Cold,” Arelion answered.

  “Okay, opposite of darkness?”

  “Light.”

  “Opposite of gravity?”

  “I am not sure, reverse gravity?” Arelion said, then his torch lit on, his eyes widening.

  “Seems like you got it,” Alyx told him, proud and smug at being such a good teacher.

  “But do you think it would be that easy? Wouldn’t both things cancel out?”

  “Yes, it's just that easy, it's magic, as Tesilim says, we are supposed to be able to do anything, so why not turn something that pulls into its opposite. And since it is still gravity or a concept of it, it will work with your mana. As for canceling out, well, you would have to align the technique to only work with one force at a time, at least to begin with.”

  “Huh, I guess that could work. Thanks, Alyx,” Arelion told the gnome, sincerely thankful for his help.

  “Any time.”