-Chapter 12- New Name, New Me

Tessia Crestless/Eralith P.O.V.

The empty void, all that I can see within this space is darkness, it moves around and drips like tar. The mana in this mana core feels powerful, but at times it can be terrifying. Ever since I began absorbing this mana core Uncle Zanshu gave me I had gone up a few stages, I am currently on the light red stage. Today will be the day I break into the dark orange stage and surprise my Uncle Zanshu with my progress.

I was surprised by how much mana is in this beast core, I couldn't even imagine what kind of beast dropped this, but in a way, the beast core feels artificial. Like it was made this way, the mana in the core acts foreign and behaves incorrectly at times. If I were to guess I would probably say this core is above S rank.

It's been a few weeks since Kai left the estate back to Xyrus, from what I hear he is going to be attending Xyrus academy for a few years. I will train as hard as I can until we meet again so I can make him regret ever messing with me.

Putting my focus back onto absorbing the mana in the beast core I keep purifying my mana core, and soon enough. I break into the Dark Orange stage mana core, I can feel my connection to mana rise, I begin to use my plant magic and it is way easier to manipulate and summon.

I go back to the Beast core and use a bit more to purify my mana core but suddenly I feel no more mana within it, it begins to crumble into dust in my hands.

I ran to find my uncle to tell him how I reached the Dark Orange stage.

"You've progressed faster than I expected." He says.

"Will I be able to start the special training you mentioned?" I want to train and grow stronger fast.

He pauses for a second with a slight look of worry on his face but he regains his composure. "Your mana core is ready for the training, but I want to see your skill with plant magic before we begin your training."

We head out to the training area, He stands opposing me and stands in await of my attacks. I wave my wand and make vines come out of the ground, I have them all attack him. They all form a shape similar to a lance all flying towards him at high speeds.

He swiftly dodges each vine and cuts up a few, I have the vines regrown to replace the ones lost. I chant a spell and summon a tornado using wind mana, spiraling towards him at violent speeds tearing up the dirt nearby. His hand is then coated with fire like a claw and he simply swipes his hand and dispels the tornado.

'Oh wow.' I had never seen my Uncle ever use magic or ever try to fight. Even though I am only a Dark Orange stage taking down a tornado like that is something I could only imagine at least a Light Yellow stage to be able to do stuff like that.

Since I simply want to impress Zanshu, I will use my strongest plant magic spell. I begin casting a spell, suddenly thousands of vines sprout out of the ground and begin to form one big vine guardian, It stands fifteen feet tall, (If needed picture a Susanoo or the flame guardian spell Lucas used as an example) It swings its arm of vines that then stretch out like a whip covering the entire training platform.

'I wouldn't have gotten this far without that beast core, I have no idea what it did to my mana but I have been able to manipulate my affinities with less effort.' Using the Vine Guardian I cover the entire training field with vines. I make the vines tighten and trap Uncle Zanshu's legs within the vines and have the vine guardian prepare a final attack.

As the large whip-like arm of the vine guardian approaches Zanshu, he simply raises both arms slightly and says "I forfeit. You have proven yourself for the special training."

I quickly released the spell upon hearing that he forfeited. 'Had I won?'

"Follow me, I will bring you to the place where you will begin your training." He says while walking back towards the manor.

I follow him and he soon brings me to a bookshelf, he places his hand on the side of it and inserts mana into it. Suddenly the bookshelf opens up to reveal a secret passageway. Amazed I simply followed with no words.

"What I'm about to tell you may come as a surprise but I need you to trust me." He says. "Promise me."

"I promise." I couldn't tell what could be so secret. He needed me to trust him, could he have some kind of endangered species locked up down here?

"I am not from here, or rather I am not a Dicathen," he says.

I am shocked by what I hear. I blurted out, "Then where did you come from?"

"I come from a faraway land, one that is cruel to the weak. A place where even the weakest mage still outclasses many of Dicathens mages. I have come to spread the message of the lords and sovereigns. To fight for the revenge they wish so dearly. Revenge implanted from the hate and hypocrisy thrusted upon my lands leaders."

Hearing what he is saying is hard to believe, another place separate from Dicathen? One that wants revenge? What for?

He continues, "If you are wondering what this has to do with you. I wish to help free you from the shackles this continent has placed on you and raise you to be someone that can stand as a figure against the cruel despicable people who have done such atrocious things to my people."

"Your people, they have harmed you. They took you away from your parents and forced what would be lifelong of solitude and sadness. But I took you in as a new hope." He turns to me after we have been walking for a long time.

Finally, he says, "I wish to raise you to be someone that can help those who can't save themselves and fight for a good cause. If you say no I will end your training here and send you off somewhere to live a happy life, where you can be free until war breaks out and the land is sieged. Or you can join me and the others for our cause, and I will help you achieve greatness and become a new hope."

Looking at him he has a face of seriousness, but kindness dwells within his eyes. I can tell he isn't lying to me, after being raised by him since I was five I learned how he acted. "I trust you, I will help bring this continent to its end," I say before he smiles at me sincerely and begins walking me towards a back room.

He opens the door and there inside is a chair and an assortment of items and shelves. He has me sit down in a comfortable position and begin to explain. "That beast core I gave you was meant to adjust your mana core and prepare you for something greater. It was created in a lab using a mana core of a fallen comrade, a sovereign to be in fact. Who died in the attack of the Indraths long ago. You won't understand what I'm saying just yet but eventually, you will."

He goes to a shelf and picks up a small chest, he places it on a desk and opens it. Inside is what looks to be a small glass bottle and what looks to be a black horn. He takes them both and first hands me the glass bottle. "Drink this, it is an elixir meant to allow the full effects of what will happen next to apply."

I do so while drinking the elixir. He then hands me the horn and tells me to absorb the mana contents, I begin doing so, trying to grasp at the mana within is difficult and when I did have it, it wouldn't go where I wanted through my mana veins. But I can feel the effects of the elixir taking place and the mana just flows into my body and flows into my muscles and my skin, traveling all around as if it were inspecting me, and finally entering my mana core and replacing the mana I already stored as if it were taking refuge.

Hours pass while I continue absorbing the horns mana, I soon reach the end however and I feel different. I can't exactly explain what's so different but I just feel it. I get up out of the chair and Zanshu hands me two glass vials.

"Drink one now, and the other when you feel great pains from your mana core."

I do so and drink one, I feel fine and begin to walk around. I feel great, my entire body is lighter than before. I begin to jump in place as if it feels like I'm floating. I then feel weak and my muscles begin to go numb and I fall to the floor, I soon fall unconscious.

Waking up in my bed I realized what had occurred wasn't a dream. I lifted my hand to see I was slightly pale from being sick. A few strands of hair fall in front of my face and I realize my hair color was slightly different. I rush over to my mirror and look at myself.

My hair was a pear river gray (#D9DDDC), with charcoal black highlights. Not only that but my eyes were a scarlet red color matching that of Zanshus, and my skin, it was pale and smooth like a doll. I looked nothing like how I previously did. 'What happened, was it caused by the special training?'

I run out of my room to look for Uncle Zanshu, I find him meditating In the living room and I get his attention, "Oh little one, you're awake." he says calmly.

"Yeah, I'm awake, what the hell caused this?" I point to my change in features.

"Ah that, I had assumed something like that would happen, It is simply just your body changing to suit the changes made to more reflect the original owner of the mana you absorbed. Don't worry you won't be mutating and gaining special powers from it like super healing, It's simply to allow your body to be more accustomed to their form of magic."

"What?" I am confused.

"I won't be able to properly explain it to you at this point, I suggest you simply go rest and wait till the time comes for you to need that second vial of elixir. We won't be able to start your training until then," he says.

"Fine, but I'm not happy about this change." I begin to storm off.

"Relax, you look beautiful. You almost look like she did back when she was alive." He says before I shut my room door.

'Who was she? Was it the person who originally owned this mana? Sigh.' I'm not really in the mindset to be thinking about these things. I go lay back down on my bed.

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