Chapter 131: Elemental Combinations
"In reality, you already know and saw the combination of Elements. Snow is a perfect example. I had to combine Water and Wind Element in order to create snow, or ice. This is nothing new, but we were experimenting with this for many years, and some interesting stuff was discovered", Suly explained.
"Depending on the proportions of Elements used, we can receive different effects. For instance, the Woody's Course that you made. The same pillars, slides and whatnot, could be achieved if you combined the three Elements together. Literally, you'd be able to make solid walls with one Formation. The same applies to that Formation you saw at Sedon's Grand Stage", she added.
"I understand that, but how did you manage to pull that off? I mean, the Formation showed us a real sky, located just outside. How can a Formation do that?", I asked. "Have you seen the four metal pillars extending upwards on the grand stage?", she asked instead. "To be honest, I think there was something, but I didn't pay much attention to that. I simply assumed it was part of the design", I replied.
"Well, it's not just some design. These four pillars contain special Formations. They create a mirror effect, which is then passed on to the floors below. The sky you see on the second and third floors is real. Moreover, if you stayed there for long enough, you'd witness how the time of the day changes. At night, you can see the stars", she explained.
"Let me be frank, Suly. I want to know exactly how you did it. In other words, how do I make such Formations?", I asked. "Hehe, you'll learn about that during the project. There's loads to explain, and it is considered to be high intermediate or advanced knowledge. Combination of two Elements is considered intermediate, while more than two is considered as advanced knowledge. We have to use these concepts in order to create that fast travel Formation", she said.
"Then, what can you show me now?", I asked. "How about the ice Formations? They're not that difficult, and you should be able to grasp them well", she proposed. I was fine with anything at that stage, therefore Suly drew the Runes we'd need, as well as their arrangements.
The method looked simple in theory. The basic, or even intermediate Formations used Runes that consisted of one Element only. An example would be earth spikes. All the Runes were of the Earth Element, hence creating the spikes when arranged in a specific Formation. In order to combine two Elements, two different sets of Runes had to be used. To create ice, I had to use both Wind and Water Runes in one Formation.
Suly displayed that to me on a piece of paper, but then showed me the real deal with the use of her energy. "Not that difficult to understand, right? Basically, you exchange some of the Wind Element Runes for Water Element Runes. Of course which ones you change matters. That's why creating something brand new takes so much time. There are loads of combinations possible in each Formation. Getting the right balance isn't easy. The one I just showed you is simple, compared to what we deal with on a daily basis. Anyway, why don't you give it a go?", she said.
I tried using my energy to draw the Runes, but my control wasn't good enough for that yet. The Runes would form to some extent, but not perfectly. Making Formation with my energy alone, was impossible at that stage. After that failed attempt, I simply used the brush. The premise was simple with Suly's example. I already know the Formation she drew, all I had to do was change a few Runes. Using her example, I drew the Formation and activated it. My Formation activated without any issues, while a small ice pillar rose from the floor.
"See, it's not that difficult. Since you know the Runes already, even more difficult ones shouldn't pose much of a challenge to you. That doesn't mean you became an expert just after one try. You'll need to learn about all the combinations, and ways to select, replace and substitute specific Runes. Here, this will introduce you to some of those Formations. These are my notes, albeit organised properly. Read them when you're free, they'll explain some other aspects of such Formations... Anyway, how about you tell me about your journey?", she said.
I took the notes, and agreed to tell her about my adventure. While recounting some of the events to her, Dawn finally returned from her practice. "Hey, I heard you are studying under Nex now. How's it going along?", Suly asked. "Not bad, master Nex is actually really skilled with his bow. He's teaching me one of his skills, since I know all the stances and whatnot", she replied full of excitement. "Huh? What sort of skill?", I asked curiously.
"Hmm, how to explain it… Maybe like this. I have to imagine myself as the arrow leaving the bow. Usually you'd think that arrows can't really change directions, but your father's technique can achieve that to some extent. That is why I have to imagine myself as the arrow, and try to shoot it in a specific manner", she explained.
"Moreover, he's teaching me how to better predict the wind, and how to hone my senses better… Oh, actually you have that mask, right? Can you borrow it? I need to train my hearing and eyes", she added. "Sure, I don't mind. Let me get it for you", I replied. Once Dawn got the senses sealing mask, she seemed ecstatic about her future training. "What about you guys?", Dawn asked.
"Hehe, we'll be working on that Formation from tomorrow. Other than that, I'd wish to visit that Endrosian Empire. From what Anna told me, this seems to be an interesting place", Suly replied. "Who knows, maybe we can go one day or another. Although visiting cities or towns might be a bit tricky. I'm not sure how people would react to Shades and Lizards. Let me tell you, there are good people living there, but there are loads of bad people too", I said.
"Yea, but we can't leave the barrier, remember? How could we go under such circumstances?", Dawn asked. "Actually, you can leave. There are two ways for you to achieve that. Either ask Hatmandor for permission, or ask my father", I replied with a smile. "True, I sometimes forget who he really is. That's not such a bad idea, actually. I'm up for it, but first we have to finish business here", Suly said.
Dawn seemed interested too. All my friends got interested in the Endrosian Empire after they heard my adventure. Fortunately, my father was someone who could make that possible, and he wouldn't decline his lovely daughter.
"Alright, thanks for sharing your journey with me. Leran, I'm going to talk with others. Do you want to stay and play with little Dante, or are you coming with me?", Suly asked. "I'll stay with sister Anna and Dante", he replied and bid her farewell. "Hehe, you got some exercise Curly. Come over here and have a rest. Leran, you seem tired as well. Take Dante with you and rest upstairs. I'll call you over for some dinner", I said then turned towards Dawn. "You must be hungry too, eh?". "Yea, I was hoping you'd make something. Your food is much better than mine", she replied.
Some Shades learned how to cook and make good food, but a lot of them simply didn't care. They were raised to eat anything edible. A kind of tradition, reminding them of hard times in the past. Moreover, Shades weren't fussy eaters that way. That aspect of survival wouldn't be an issue to them.
After our dinner, I asked Dawn to mind Leran and Dante. My plan was to focus on energy control, and perhaps get myself a bit more familiar with the combinations of Elements. The notes Suly left for me included basic Formations, and the combinations of different Elements in said Formations. She told me about the ice already, but only showed me one of the Formations her notes contained.
Instead of moving on to the next combination, I decided to try the other ice Formations and get used to them. Drawing these Formations wasn't an issue for me. I knew these Runes perfectly well, it was only the arrangement that changed. With low difficulty Formations, changing a few Runes wasn't an issue. The complexity would rise a lot, once intermediate or even advanced Formations came into play.
'I wonder what sort of effects and combinations have they found out already. That sky display in the Grand Stage should be rather new, but I'm sure there's loads more stuff to be discovered. Hehe, makes me glad that I returned', I thought. The real lessons would begin the following day. I couldn't wait to witness all these new and amazing Formations being used.
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DarkRay
DarkRay I'm not going to write excuses, just look at my other messages from before. I'll try to upload a few more chapters before the week ends, so as to equalize the deficit :D
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