Flight Training

Three more days of after-class training had passed before the ambiance in the halls had completely changed.

The students had long since been structured and disciplined, I was sure; save for their sole outburst after I made my intentions known to them. Now, however, there was an undeniable air of respect that they openly displayed to each other. Even the weaker bookworms were shown respect by the more attractive or popular or powerful students. A display of respect; I noticed, that was starkly similar to the way their attitudes had changed towards my vassals after the challenge I'd imposed on them.

The change was particularly notable whenever Toril was present. He already had a reputation of being the strongest in the class from years ago and maintained that title today. His falling into the groove of leading the masses seemed to form a deep connection between himself and the rest of the class that perfectly synergized with his clout.

The result was that in less than a week, Toril O'Connell went from being seen as a rival to envy; to being viewed as a mentor to seek guidance from. Though that wasn't to say that my other vassals weren't much the same.

Unlike the days following my arrival, most of the 6th Years' domain was eerily empty. Leaving an invasive feeling of loneliness to wash over me as I drifted through the floors. Instead, nearly the entire class was located on the 53rd floor. Spending their lunchtime by sparring against one another, running the O-course, or attempting to jump the gun and mimic the few instances of elemental fusion they'd been shown to date.

"I see the training has gone well." I grinned at Toril and the others as I appeared from the shade near our dining area and settled into a seat across from them.

"Very." Toril proudly nodded. "They are to continue their training in combat and elemental practice until the weakest person is up to standard. Then, we'll move on to fusion."

"An outstanding plan." I nodded, then evenly distributed my attention to the rest of them. "My Grandfather plans to take us to Odissi; I presume tomorrow, to acquire some arms and… armor." I sighed. "Now, I'm certain it's already the case, but be aware that I'll put my all into acquiring the best equipment as possible for the lot of you. I'll buy them myself if I have to."

"Surely, Your Grace. That isn't necessary." Jaimess humbly shook his head. "We have more than enough to-"

"But it is." I retorted, forcing him back in his seat. "Being knowledgeable and physically capable is only half the battle. In the same way that a smith can't forge a weapon without an anvil and hammer, you all need proper tools for your jobs."

Jonet placed her hand on the table in front of Jaimess before regally leaning towards me, smiling as she shushed him. "We understand, Your Grace."

"Good." I reclined back into my seat. " Now tell me, are you all using the same weapons as before?"

"I now use a shield." Came Toril's quick reply.

"As do I," Jaimess added.

"I've started to use needles." Jonet cheekily explained, capturing the undivided attention of the three of us. "I'm told His Majesty, your Father, also uses needles?"

"Really?" I tilted my head in surprised confusion. "I'm only founding out just now."

'Interesting.' I internally nodded. 'It seems there's still much I don't know about my dear old Dad.'

"Very well." I rose from my seat and assumed the Wraith Form, breaking my way into the wordless conversation that'd broken out during my silence. "If they aren't given to you all as a result of your status, I'll purchase your gear myself. I'm going to confirm everything with my Grandfather. I'll return after to share my findings."

After making a small detour to my room for a meal, I made the short trip to my Grandfather's office and found him sitting behind his desk; either meditating or sleeping.

Or perhaps he was dead. More dead than he already was, at least.

It was hard to tell, at the time.

So, I stood there for more than a few moments. Awkwardly staring at him, the vast landscape beyond the window and at the many subspaces that made up the expansive office around me until he sort of shocked himself awake, hastily straightened himself up in his seat and regally clasped his arms atop the desk before disgruntledly asking. "Amun, what is it?"

"I have a few questions I wanted to ask."

"Why am I not surprised." He grumbled and waved for me to sit across from him. "Ask away."

With a small bow, I paced forward and settled into the plush chair facing his desk, and leaned forward to intently study his reactions as I asked. "What can you tell me about forced expansion?"

His face instantly dropped in sheer bemusement. "Forced what?"

'You're not fooling anyone, old man.' I sighed before giving my explanation. "I've repeatedly seen and heard mentions of a way to increase the capacity of an individual's mana well through external means. I have a theory on how it is done. I refer to it as, Forced Expansion." I leaned a bit closer afterward, eyed him a bit more suspiciously as I awaited his response.

In truth, I wanted to ask him from the start. But my skeptical mind couldn't ignore the possibility of him lying to me.

Or worse.

"Ask your mother." He flatly waved his bear paw of a hand before dismissively turning his gaze aside.

"W- what?" I stammered.

"Your mother is an elf, Amun." He bluntly blinked. "She has knowledge of things that will never be told to the likes of us humans. But you Amun, have elven blood within you. You are only half-human. I'm sure you can understand the rest."

"I can." I nodded with clear dissatisfaction. Then pressed on. "Besides that, I'm curious about the wares soled at our destination. There are a few things that I wish to buy."

"Like what?" He slowly squinted in much the same way that I had at him.

"Enchantments, items, and weapons for both myself and my vassals." I amiably shrugged. "A few potions. And mana wells, if I can find any."

"Hah!" He slammed his massive paw onto the desk, nearly muffling his maniacal cackle. "Good luck finding a mana well that'll suit you."

I raised my brow at him and remained silent, prompting him to explain.

Thankfully he did. But only after a long, long period of silence."To use… 'forced expansion,'" Grandpa Lich eventually said with a sigh of disgust. "Requires you to first be in possession of a particular potion, and then for you to possess a mana well greater than your own. Only a well from an elf, high demon, or divine creature will do you any good, Amun."

"My vassals are a different story." I splayed palm outwards as I countered his solid point. "Toril, Jaimess, and Jonet have Ice Wells in the Twelfth, Eleventh and Seventh grades respectively. The vassals I'll be choosing from here are bound to be far weaker than them. As you yourself said." I paused. "We need to be as prepared and capable as possible if we're going to fight in Ulai. We need every advantage we can get our hands on. Even if that comes with risks."

"Mmm." He grunted as he stroked his beard in contemplation. "Weapons and items are an easy matter." He eventually sighed. "External wells are another matter entirely, I'm afraid- Not that they're out of stock." He quickly assured me with raised palms. "Only, they're low in supply and high in demand. I'm afraid they simply can't be given to you. And they fetch for a high price.

"I have no issues with paying for the wells myself if that's what you're implying."

"Very well then, Boy." Grandpa Lich sneered. "If you accept the risks and conditions, we shall take a slight detour after our arrival in Odissi. We're to depart come sunrise."

"Thank you." I politely bowed before turning to leave. Then, turned to glance back at his massive frame sitting comfortably behind his equally large desk. "What…What were you doing before I came in?"

"Visiting and communing." He cryptically replied. "And how do you know the sizes and densities of your vassals' wells?"

"I'm a half-elf," I replied in turn, then descended to the lower floors.

***

"We're a go for tomorrow." I declared to my vassals after settling in my physical form on the 53rd floor. "We'll be leaving at sunrise. So make sure to get some rest tonight."

Following their nods, I turned to the crowd of expectant students and summoned their doppelgangers. A far less taxing endeavor than it was before, due to their umbral clones persisting in their two-dimensional forms.

In accordance with the words I just threw at my Grandfather, I returned to my annex on the guest floor for some solo training in the front yard rather than sit and watch the students work for hours on end. And to start, I decided to take the first step down the path of mana spell development with a basic infusion spell; and began focusing on the ambient energy permeating the very fabric of reality.

Once fully attuned with it, I began willing the energy towards myself. Drawing it to coat my body in the form of the second skin that I'd imagined.

The result of a few minutes of mental effort was a sort of warm or loving embrace that surrounded the entirety of my being. Or rather, a gentle embrace around my skin. A gentle, volatile embrace that felt like I'd taken asylum within the hand of a giant that could crush me between the folds of its finger with but a sneeze.

Successful as I was, however, the energy that surrounded me was an inconsistent and ugly mass of what appeared to be a field of plasma that'd taken a liking to my body. It was a crude result that drove me to spend as much time as needed to refine the technique until a dense sliver of mana coated my body in its entirety.

Then, and only then, would I test it. Preferably against my Grandfather.

With constant practice, however, came increasing waves of mental exhaustion that forced me to take far more meal breaks and rest periods than I otherwise would.

A few hours and rounds of practice later, I found myself standing on the terrace of the home I'd been allotted, peering over the ledge at a thick potato patch below. My landing zone, in the event of my failure.

After reaffirming my intentions in my mind, I leapt from the terrace while gathering as much air I could underneath me. The sudden change in velocity and orientation was like a shockwave to my inner ear, forcing the sickening feeling of vertigo to come over me just as the potato patch appeared to magnify.

Then, I began flailing. Panicking. Fighting to right myself and fire twin torches from my feet before I made a mess of the garden.

The rate of my fall surely slowed but hardly came close to halting entirely. And so, I ditched elemental manipulation entirely and oriented myself feet first, and allowed the enchantments in my clothes to grant me seamless entry into my Shadow Pocket.

Like I'd leapt off a cliff, I dove into the umbral realm and came to a floating rest next to the burrow of solid shade, where I saw Roger wading out from his hold to give me an expectant look. Though frustrated, I gave him a small smile before swimming through the darkness and stepping back into reality to display a bit of insanity until sundown.

With the passing of yet another night of martial combat against my forefather, we once again gathered in his office for a bit of practice in recovery magic and my continued necromantic lessons.

"We'll take it easy tonight." He returned to his feet to the floor with a sigh. "I shall teach you a single, simple spell tonight. Though, it's far better to show you."

With no further explanation, he kicked off the table and slammed his open palm into my unguarded sternum, sending me rocketing backward across the office.

The world spun in that instance, yet the pain was distant; if not nonexistent. Presumably at first, due to the sudden shock to my body.

Squinting through the tumbling landscape, however, I saw my Grandfather's massive figure in the distance. Kneeling. Holding… me, in his embrace. Guiding my body to a gentle rest on the ground as if I'd died on the spot.

'The fuck?' I immediately peered down to my body; if it could've even been called such a thing.

Like the souls trapped in the Under, my 'body' was but a near-transparent silhouette of my visage that freely floated around and in between the wide variety of furniture set within the office.

"Astral Projection," I said to both name the spell in my grimoire and affirm its nature with my Grandfather.

"Aye." He quickly nodded. "While your body remains vulnerable, your spirit can move freely through space. Naturally, only those who can see spirits can see you in that form. And while its range is unlimited, it is wise to not go too far. Else, it'll be difficult to find your way home." He grimly warned, then cast me out with a dismissive wave. "Remember this feeling, Amun. And get some rest. "We have a long journey tomorrow."

With but a nod and naught a word, I returned my soul to my body and descended through the floor with not a single intention to rest or meditate for at least a few hours.

And so, I allowed myself to unravel- to relax in the comforting embrace of the quiet night and lose myself in practicing my Mana Skin and flight techniques until the mental exhaustion became too much for me to bear. At which time, I descended through the lower floors to spend the remainder of the night in one of my most favorite establishments.