Chapter 17

"Rest for 30 minutes we will resume our study in Arcanery." Melfroy spoke with satisfaction as he rub a handkerchief on his palm that just slap Turpis in the buttocks.

Feeling the sting, Turpis wasted no time and immediately assumed a prone position, lying face down. He welcomed the brief respite, his body and mind yearning for a moment of relaxation. As he lay there, he couldn't help but reflect on the intense training session he had just experienced.

As he rested, Turpis allowed his thoughts to wander. The cave's surroundings provided a quiet and serene atmosphere, allowing him to contemplate the path he had embarked upon.

He ready his body and soul as the next lesson are the most painful, fascinating, bizarre, and the most important, Arcane.

Arcane is the study of mana and soul, and according to Melfroy to begin his journey in the path of Arcanery he had to know first the basic, Mana and Soul.

Mana, based on Turpis interpretation, is ubiquitous seeming to be present, everywhere at the same time. It indicates that mana is widespread, prevalent, or universal in its existence or occurrence.

Mana have different properties, some book even suggest that it contained all the properties except void properties. However, this also makes mana a dangerous power as it also contained a chaos property.

Once a chaos property invades the spiritual landscape, it will begin to devour everything within the landscape, causing a corruption within.

The spiritual landscape acts as a container for mana properties that are desirable, and Melfroy suspects that the spiritual landscape is where your consciousness reside.

The soul on the otherhand, acts as a barrier of the container, that is why all intelligent beings that wants to grow stronger must make their soul resilient, afterall the more you climb in every mystic path the greater the space within the spirit landscape, meaning the greater the pressure that the soul must endure against the surrounding mana.

The mana, in its quest for equilibrium, seeks to balance and harmonize all elements within the world. Thus, the soul must withstand this force to prevent corruption.

As absorbing mana endlessly will lead to corruption, this is where the special organs come in. The special organ acts as a converter or a filter, and in every mystic path there is different organ, for example in the path of Arcanery it is the orb called Globus, whereas in Orcs a type of earring called castre.

Turpis had asked Melfroy that if he fights again with an orcs does aiming in their earrings make them lose power, and if the organ will get severed will they lose power forever?.

And according to melfroy, "Yes and no, if you aim in their ear and somehow manage to severe it, they will temporarily lost the ability to absorb mana. However, they would still be able to cast a magical abilities as usually their is a pool of mana reserve within their spiritual landscape and the word 'special' in special organ isn't just a decoration, any special organ will only grow back within seconds in other parts of the body."

Special organ is always bizarre and it is hard to really understood what they are, for example in the path of Arcane the special organ is Globus. In general Globus is made up of just a lump of pure mana, a mana without property. However not all Globus are the same as it contains a little part of the owners uniqueness. Globus also differ from other special organ as it didn't grow in the body, instead it is place within the spiritual landscape, and will be put outside only if fighting.

In any field of mystic path, there is a always a ladder like hierarchy, and Arcanery isn't excluded from this system, to truly begin the journey in Arcanery, there is a stage you need to by pass first, sort of like a prerequisites.

1st stage - Scholar

2nd stage - Apprentice

3rd stage - Neophyte

The three stage are called 'elementary stages', this is the important part as anyone who will venture in the path of Arcane mastery must understand the theory of Mana and Soul.

In the first stage, the study is all about mana and it's property which Turpis just passed, this is easy for him as during his college years he used to absorb a lot of information.

In second stage is where the scholar will find a master who will teach him how to manipulates the scholar's soul, specifically how to use a "Soul thread".

In the realm of arcanery, to access and utilize their special organ, arcanist must bring it forth from the depths of their spiritual realm. Once manifested, it will only hover in the air, and without a connection to its owner it will gradually dissipate into the surrounding atmosphere.

This is where the significance of the soul thread comes into play. Acting as a conduit, the soul thread functions like a pipe connected to a water pump, drawing in and absorbing the mana that permeates the environment.

Without this essential connection, the utilization of the special organ Globus, and the mastery of arcanery would remain out of reach forever, beyond the grasp of those seeking to delve into the depths of mystic path Arcane.

Turpis's knowledge of the third stage was limited to the formation of orbs and the exploration of one's inner self. He yearned to learn more deeper into this realm to prepare himself. With an insatiable curiosity, Turpis mustered the courage to inquire further from Melfroy about the third stage. However, his eagerness was met with a sharp slap across his butt.

Turpis silently resolved to focus on honing his own abilities and embracing the journey of self-discovery that lay ahead, trusting that with each step, the secrets of the elusive third stage would gradually unfold before him.

"Brat! 5 minutes!" Melfroy barked, swiftly preparing a platform suitable for sitting. "Coming, old man!" Turpis retorted, his voice filled with playful banter. Throughout Melfroy's lectures, Turpis had learned that Elves typically enjoyed significantly longer lifespans than humans. The average lifespan of an Elf ranged between 200 and 300 years, and if an Elf happened to be an arcanist, their longevity would be further extended.

This newfound knowledge prompted Turpis to inquire about Melfroy's age, to which the old man shamelessly responded, "18 years old." Although, Melfroy appeared to be younger, Turpis, with his keen deduction skills, had surmised that his teacher's age was much older than a mere two-digit number.

Turpis promptly stood up and made his way towards a corner of the cave where a cluster of glowing mushrooms could be located. They sprouted in abundance, forming an intriguing sight. Nestled beside the mushrooms, a small puddle of water originating from the delicate stalactites hanging above. Each drop glistened like a precious gem, reflecting the ambient light in the cave.

Turpis wasted no time, determined to quench his thirst, and briskly made his way towards the crystal-like water. As he reached the water's edge, he caught a glance of his own reflection.

Staring back at him was the uneven face of a man in his middle age with a dark eye, and marked by a ruggedness that spoke of a life filled with challenges, a skin that has a lot of blister and lump, a slight deformity nose and a big circle burn mark on his left cheek.

As Turpis fixated his gaze on the burn mark etched upon his left cheek, his eyes lost focus like reminiscing something unpleasant and he could feel his burnmark itching.

"Oy, oy, little princess admiring your beauty again?" Melfroy's annoying voice echoed in the cave which awakened Turpis.

After taking a tentative sip from the crystal-clear puddle of water, Turpis felt a faint surge of refreshment wash over his parched throat. Rejuvenated by the meager offering, he hastened his steps toward Melfroy, who stood gesturing for him to take a seat.

As Turpis cautiously settled himself onto the makeshift seat, a sharp pang of discomfort shot through his buttocks, radiating waves of lingering pain. Grappling with the throbbing ache, he sought solace in the rhythm of his breath, drawing slow and deliberate inhalations to steady his racing heart.

With each controlled exhalation, Turpis willed his body to release the tension that gripped his muscles, allowing a newfound sense of calm to wash over him. Despite the persistent ache, he refused to let it consume his focus. Instead, he directed his attention toward the teachings that awaited him.

"Close your eyes," Melfroy instructed, his voice a soothing cadence that resonated through the cave. Turpis complied, shutting his eyes tightly as if to block out the external world.

"Try to feel every inch of your body," Melfroy continued, his words carrying a gentle weight. Turpis nodded in acknowledgment, his mind opening to the possibilities that lay within.

In the quietude of the cave, Turpis allowed his thoughts to settle, focusing inward. He contemplated the essence of his soul, seeking to forge a deeper connection with his innermost being. With each passing moment, he felt the weight of his physical form begin to diminish, as if his consciousness was expanding beyond the boundaries of his body.

As he delved deeper into his introspection, Turpis sensed a subtle shift within himself. His muscles, once tense and rigid, gradually eased their grip, as if releasing their hold on the worries and stresses that burdened him. A newfound serenity washed over him, infusing his being with a sense of calm.

With each measured breath, Turpis's respiration found a steady rhythm, mirroring the tranquility that permeated his being. He surrendered himself to the moment, allowing the symphony of his thoughts to fade into the background.

Melfroy nodded in satisfaction, his gaze fixed on his left hand. Slowly, his fingers curled into a claw-like shape, and a faint shimmer enveloped the tips. At the tip of Melfroy's extended finger, a mesmerizing blend of ethereal mana and soul essence began to manifest.

In a seamless motion, Melfroy's hand darted forward, delicately grazing Turpis' back with the gentlest touch, precisely targeting the space between his two shoulder blades. Then, with a deft flick of his wrist, Melfroy spun his hand in a precise 90-degree rotation.

*Boom*

A thunderous boom reverberated through the depths of the cave, causing Turpis' eyes to widen in sheer agony. His body convulsed under the assault of intense pain, as if forces unseen were mercilessly tearing at his very core.

Melfroy focused his gaze, attentively studying the unfolding scene within Turpis. It was as though an imprisoned entity yearned to break free, but was restrained by an unyielding grip from within. Yet, in a fleeting instant, Melfroy caught a glimpse of that entity, momentarily satisfying him as the result is fruitful. However, Turpis immediately passed out from exhaustion as this is not the coventional way of teaching how to utilize the soul.