Chapter 98 First Stage [ 3 ]

-Asher Frostblade's point of view.

He looked around; then, for some reason, Asher felt his mana in a way that he could use it much better.

As if he had perfect control over his mana.

However, it felt stronger, darker, and more destructive, but other than that, Asher didn't feel his mana increase.

That means his mana had a damage increase, kind of like in a game where you increase the damage.

He reached out and his mana came out.

A sphere appeared; however, Asher kept his gaze fixed on the sphere.

For a moment, he thought of a spear, and then suddenly....

Huum.

The sphere changed completely to a spear.

His eyes widened; he finally got the mana to take shape without using a spell. However, shaping mana does not mean that only certain things can be shaped.

In that instant, the spear changed into different shapes.

The shapeshifting feature with mana is much better than a crafting skill; while a skill only allows you to craft weapons and consumes mana, the story is completely different when it comes to shapeshifting mana itself.

You can make it have any shape depending on what you think. Asher then thought of a sharp blade similar to the blade of swords; however, this one had a different structure.

With curves and more relevant details that extended the length of the mana blade.

"Hehe."

He laughed.

This was a great discovery for him.

The first human to give mass and shape to mana.

It is simply something that no one will accomplish in the future.

Asher then looked at the sharp blade, flying and spinning in the air, as his fingers moved making the mana blade follow his movements.

He then paused and sighed.

"I have mastered the skills and now I master this new skill."

Asher thought for a moment.

What name would he give this ability?

One that changes shape, one that has mass mana.

However, he couldn't find a good name.

"For the time being I'll call it 'Mana Shift'."

He didn't like the idea that much, but it was the only name he could come up with; after all, it was the skill and not its name that was important.

"Congratulations, you unlocked the first stage of darkness magic."

"..."

Asher raised his head and looked at Encrid standing right in front of him.

First stage.

Asher was unaware of the stages of affinities; his confusion was normal.

"That's right, you don't know what it is."

Asher shook his head.

He didn't have a clue what the stage Encrid was referring to was, but it seemed to be something important.

Soon, Encrid's voice returned and Asher then got up from the floor and looked at Encrid.

The next words Asher heard....

"The stages of affinities are something that are considered to be a new power of affinity. First stage, every mage has unique stages; this also happens with the second stage, however, the third stage is different..."

Encrid paused.

Three stages of each affinity; Asher understood.

Basically it would be like unlocking a new skill in a game. While the first and second stages are somewhat similar, the third stage is unique and different for each mage and affinity.

However, Asher then wondered.

"What difference does the third stage make?"

However, that question was answered.

"The third stage, in the case of elemental mages and mages of unique affinities, is something known as a 'new realm,' a power far beyond all limits. Some gain powers far beyond anything imagined, while others it is different."

"So what is the third stage of darkness magic?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know; I never got to that stage. The second stage I received was the increase of infinite mana and limitless abilities."

"..."

"Infinite mana and limitless skills? Is that even real?"

But Asher, looking at Encrid, knew immediately that he wasn't lying.

If he is Encrid, of course he would believe him. However, infinite mana was something he had never imagined.

What would a mage with infinite mana be like? He could use all his abilities at the same time to their maximum power.

Unlimited abilities refer to being able to use much more power of the same abilities. For example, if a skill has a maximum level of 10, then limitless skills would simply have no level 10 limit and their power would increase infinitely.

But this also left one more question.

If the second stage Encrid obtained, the stages are different depending on the mage, however, the third stage is unique. What powers does it grant?

What is the third stage?

The first stage is something very simple to obtain, the second stage is really difficult to obtain; however, the third stage is impossible to obtain.

So, if Encrid's second stage was infinite mana and limitless abilities, what would the third stage be?

"My third stage, likewise I wonder."

As if he had read Asher's mind, he replied.

"Then you don't know the third stage."

"No."

But Asher understood; the second stage Encrid obtained granted him immense power, so what would the third stage be?

Knowledge about everything about the magic of darkness.

Power in all aspects infinitely.

What does the third stage grant? A question that Encrid asked himself all his life.

Now this question is also in Asher.

The third stage really is something that had never been passed from, a question to which there is no answer unless the third stage is achieved.

However, how does one achieve it?

"The stages have requirements. First stage, understand the mana; second stage, make it your own completely."

Encrid explained.

"However, the requirements are different for each mage; that also applies to you. Also, the power you gain is different."

"So, my first stage..."

Asher thought.

His first stage he had just unlocked; however, for the moment, the only change he felt was that his mana was darker, more destructive, and for some reason, he could definitely control his mana, like giving him the command to do whatever he wanted just by thinking about it.

He didn't get an increase in power, but he did get ultimate control of his mana.

Now it was as if the mana was one with himself.

Perfect control.

Asher then looked at Encrid.

Honestly, Asher was not thinking correctly about the stages of darkness magic.

However, he understood everything; he now felt as if he himself was the mana.

His first stage is basically a combination of mana with himself, a way of being able to control mana at will.

***

-Scene change.

-Encrid Frostblade's point of view.

Encrid, though he witnessed everything, still found it hard to believe what he had seen.

"It's amazing that he unlocked the first stage."

However, it won't be easy with the second stage; it will be something that might even cost him his life.

The second stage is a hard thing to get; Encrid knew that. His second stage caused him to almost lose his life.

What he felt at that moment and what he experienced was really hard to describe.

"Haa..."

Sighing, Encrid spoke.

"Have Isabella come out."

Asher did so immediately.

It had been a while since Isabella had been talking; Encrid noticed her silence.

"Mmm."

Isabella looked around.

"Where am I?"

"In the fairy world."

"I see."

Soon, however, Encrid noticed Isabella's strange behavior.

She looked as if something had hurt her, not physically or mentally, but in her feelings.

She seemed sad, overwhelmed and sentimental in her words.

"Is something wrong?"

Asher asked her.

Encrid kept silent about everything. Maybe Isabella was like this because of Asher or was it something else.

Then he looked at Isabella's reaction.

"Uh... Yes... I'm fine."

There was definitely something; Encrid was unable to understand it, but he knew something had happened to Isabella.

But something couldn't happen to her that would hurt her being inside Asher's mind.

"It's as if... he saw something he wasn't supposed to see."

Encrid thought for a moment.

However, he didn't quite understand.

Then he stepped closer and stared into her eyes.

She tried to look away, but Encrid wouldn't allow it and subtly held her head with both hands.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing..."

"You lie. You never act like this, not even when we were alive. Your behavior has never been so strange."

"..."

"Now tell me, what's wrong?"

"..."

Plack.

Isabella pulled her hands away from Encrid and, in an instant, grabbed him by the shirt.

"What happens to me is none of your business."

Then she left the room after those words.

Encrid watched her back as...

Clank.

He closed the door, leaving only Asher and Encrid in the room.

Asher simply watched everything.

What had happened just a second ago?

"She stared at me."

However, like Encrid, Asher also looked confused.

"What's wrong with you...? You never acted like that before," Encrid muttered as he clenched his fists. He looked down at the ground, as veins popped up in his head; he was angry and frustrated.

She had never been like this before, she had never even shown similar behavior. She had always been someone kind and had never cared about outside issues. Isabella had always been a very kind person.

Encrid kept his hands clenched.

Whatever was happening to Isabella, it was really frustrating. Encrid just wanted to help her.

*Haa...*

He sighed and then looked at Asher.

"We should give her some time alone."

"Yeah."

***

-Scene change.

-Isabella Roberner's point of view.

She walked down the hallway with hurried steps. She was angry, but at the same time she wasn't.

What changed her demeanor were the memories of Asher.

Asher's world, what his childhood was like, the tortures he endured for over a decade, all the days of suffering from morning to night.

Not even the most dangerous person, subjected to tortures no one could endure, none of it compared to the tortures Asher had endured in his previous life, ever since he was a child.

But something bothered Isabella.

Why did he end up inside that organization? The organization that turned him into a killer, the one that tortured him day and night for over a decade, the same organization that ruined his entire life.

Isabella simply didn't understand that, what drove him to stay and even obey the orders of that organization?

It was a worldwide organization, one that handled assassins from all over the world, the biggest and most dangerous. Not even thousands and thousands of soldiers and whole armies could take down that organization.

From the memories Isabella had seen of Asher, that organization was impossible to destroy; no one could take it down and it was getting stronger every day.

"Haa..."

Then she stopped in the middle of the hallway.

To tell the truth, she was lost and didn't know where she was walking. She looked around and she was surrounded by more hallways.

However, she didn't care and kept walking.

She was still frustrated and couldn't forget everything she had seen in those memories.

But she asked herself every moment.

How come she didn't lose her rationality? She only lost her emotions, nothing else.

It was simply the emotions that Asher had lost. His body and his intelligence had grown to be the strongest.

However, she knew Asher never wanted that. At the time he was adopted along with his friend, he had a rather joyful thought.

She believed that he would finally have a family, that he would live happily, but everything turned out to be the other way around.

That was why Isabella felt so bad.

A child who always lived like that, didn't deserve that.

But Isabella was glad that Asher had been reincarnated. However, the world where he reincarnated was also a very dangerous place, which no one would want to live in.

"Haa..."

Again he sighed.

She was still in the same state, even though it had been a few days since she saw those memories, it was still the same.

She wasn't putting up with it, but she knew more than anything that she would do everything she could to make sure Asher got the life he always wanted.

Although, of course, she didn't know exactly what kind of life Asher wanted, however, when she could, she would help him in any way she could.

Isabella kept walking, her thoughts didn't end there. Soon she came to an empty room, saw a large bed and then quickly threw herself on it, closing her eyes. She was tired of everything she had seen.....