Chapter 38: Magic Ring

Upon regaining consciousness, Ryan didn't feel any different in terms of suddenly gaining great power. He hadn't noticed anything on his hands, so he assumed that maybe touching the floating ring only allowed him to leave the Underground Structure, but wasn't actually the reward of Odus's Trial.

However, upon recalling its existence, it suddenly became visible, appearing on the very same left hand that had the Qidius Curse Mark ingrained in it.

The ring, materialising out of thin air, unleashed a blindingly bright light and emitted a wave of mana that startled the beast he was sitting on, as well as Elora, who was exiting her cabin to join them.

Jumping up reflexively, Fluffy flung Ryan off his back, launching him into the air.

Channelling mana around his body, Ryan sought to use Mana Reinforcement, the essence of Combat Magic, so that he didn't get hurt upon landing. However, all the mana he flowed into his body and attempted to wield was sucked into the ring on his hand.

It was to the point that he had created a vortex of sorts that funnelled in waves of mana.

The vortex twisted with a ferocious intensity, its core a swirling maelstrom of vibrant, shimmering mana. The winds it generated howled like a raging tempest, tearing at the ground and pulling debris into its orbit. The ground began to shake, and the tempestuous winds aggressively swirled around the baffled youth, suspending him in the air before he could fall back down.

Watching in awe, confusion, and worry, Elora was unsure what to do, and the amount of mana rivalled what Ryan had accidentally channelled during his first attempt at using mana. It could even be greater and showed no sign of slowing down, which frightened her.

The only difference was, it didn't seem to be stored in Ryan's body, but in the ring on his left hand, which, upon materialising, unleashed a powerful yet mesmerising aura. It appeared to be made of some sort of emerald, with its green colour matching Ryan's eyes. Meanwhile, the green hue it gave off merely highlighted how much of an incredible and mysterious item it was, as Elora backed away with Fluffy, waiting to see what would happen next.

There was simply no way to help or stop what was occurring, and it weirdly didn't seem to be something bad. If that mana were to somehow suddenly be released, it would be a disaster, causing a devastating explosion that could wipe out most, if not the entire forest.

However, that didn't seem to be what was likely to happen, with Ryan, who was at the centre of it all, allowing the ring to siphon as much mana as it needed.

'What's going on?' the baffled youth couldn't help but ask himself.

Unexpectedly, Ryan was calm as he floated in the air in the centre of what could only be described as a small tornado. It was as if nothing could faze him anymore, but also partly because he instinctively didn't sense any danger from what was occurring.

'So this ring needs some mana, but what can it actually do? And why does it need this much?!'

However, before he could glean any of his answers, he suddenly lost consciousness. But it was more than just losing his consciousness; it felt as if his very essence had been drawn into the ring itself.

It was hard to articulate, but the next thing he knew, he found himself standing atop a cloud in an endlessly vast open space. Instinctively, he could tell he wasn't in his physical body, and it also didn't feel like reality, but that didn't detract from how incredible it was.

Meanwhile, back in Akegria Forest, suspended in the air over Elora's cabin, Ryan suddenly stopped drawing in mana. More specifically, it seemed as though the ring on his finger had taken in as much as it needed, leaving Ryan unconscious. The torrents of wind and shaking of the ground all suddenly halted simultaneously, leaving the youth's limp body to fall to the ground.

Reacting swiftly, Elora elegantly waved her arm, and as she did, nature itself responded to her call. Lush plants burst out from the ground where Ryan was about to fall in the blink of an eye, growing large enough to dampen the impact in a split second.

Then, rushing over to him with her beast companion, Elora hurriedly checked Ryan's pulse as well as the state of mana within his body.

What she found baffled her even more than when she had first met the youth.

There was no mana at all within his being!

Meaning...

He was no longer among the living.

Although Ryan didn't have a mana core, mana would flow through him seamlessly and all living beings from plants to elves had some form of mana or energy within them, which could be considered their life force.

But Ryan now didn't.

Rushing to use healing magic on the youth and infuse mana into his body, in a desperate attempt to somehow save him, Elora felt something she hadn't experienced in years - a profound attachment to another living being, one that was protective and caring.

It was akin to how she felt with...

She couldn't even bring herself to think about him, and now she was about to lose the young mage she had taken under her wing.

"No, no, no, no, no. You can't just die like this, Ryan. Why now? Even after you've freed me from my duties that were restraining me. Didn't you aspire to reach your full potential and...?"

Elora struggled to maintain her composure, which was a rare sight for an experienced elf of her calibre. As if reacting to her emotional turmoil, the forest seemed to grumble, and it was almost as if her surroundings had darkened to reflect her inner despair.

Even Fluffy, usually composed and steadfast, whimpered as he gently nudged Ryan's lifeless body with his paw, while Elora continued frantically trying to find a way to save him.

'If only I had tried to stop him from absorbing all that mana. If only I hadn't allowed him to enter the trial in the first place. But it wasn't like I could have stopped him even if I wanted to. I vowed to be the guardian of that damned trial and had to remain impartial to those worthy of attempting it. But Ryan... He was so young and full of life.'

Elora didn't know what to think.

But as she silently attempted to come to terms with the situation, tears streaming down her face, Ryan suddenly sprang up and nonchalantly asked, "What's up?"

comment 2 comment

Vote

SEND GIFT

Load failed, please RETRY