Chapter 30 - Elemental Infusion

Aspect of Vitality?" Edward furrowed his brow as he asked, confused.

"Every element has certain aspects to it. For example, fire can destroy," Kaith explained, opening his hands and conjuring a small ball of fire. "But fire is also essential to life, so it can also nurture…"

Edward gazed at the ball of fire as he slowly pondered Kaith's words. "Hmm...I kinda get it, I guess…" As someone from a more technologically advanced world, Edward had an easier time grasping some concepts. "So, Sun Bathing Weed's vitality aspect comes from the process where plants absorb sunlight?"

Kaith was surprised at how easily Edward had picked up on the concept of Sun Bathing Weed's vitality aspect, given that it was a new and foreign concept to him. "It seems that your mind isn't that bad…"

"This is just a small part of the entire system, which I'm just starting to grasp," Edward replied modestly as he continued to ponder the elemental aspects. "But, is the vitality of the Sun Bathing Weed related to the Fire element or the Light Element?" The more Edward learned about the plant, the more confused he became.

Edward gave Kaith a nod and returned to his task, pondering what he had just learned. He had always wondered why Sun Bathing Weed was highly sought after for Fire element pets, and he now had his answer.

But what weighed most on Edward's mind were his suspicions about his family's background. He found it strange that his farm was filled with Sun Bathing Weeds, especially after learning from Leo that only a few families knew its cultivation method. Now that he knew it could also treat his condition, he was even more certain that his parents had planted the plants there.

Before long, Edward finished his tasks and began preparing for the next step. He neatly organized the three medicinal ingredients in a row and checked the temperature of the water in the bathtub. "So, what's next?" He was eager to continue working, as he felt that it would be hard to find another opportunity that allowed him to learn so much in so little time.

"Finally done?" Kaith stopped meditating and jolted up. "We can now finally start." He took a deep breath before turning to Leo. "Summon your Firebrand Steed."

Leo smiled as he waved his hands, opening a large vortex next to him. "Fiery, it's finally time." Flames spewed out of the vortex as the majestic horse galloped out, its fiery mane and tail blazing behind it.

Edward smirked as he saw the grandiose entrance of the pet, and couldn't help but compare it to Whitey's usual entrance. "I guess I should train Whitey to have a more dramatic entrance."

"What are you looking at? Come and help me!" Kaith, on the other hand, was already hard at work, preparing one of the medicinal pastes. "We have to smear this on the Firebrand Steed first."

Edward nodded and approached Kaith, who had already begun to smear the paste all over the upper body of the Firebrand Steed, and without any hesitation, he grabbed some of the paste and joined Kaith.

Edward felt the heat of the Firebrand Steed's fiery mane scorching his hands. "Ouch!" He instantly pulled his hands back and looked at Kaith, whose hands were enveloped in a scarlet shimmer.

"Just endure it…" Kaith let out a sneer as he saw Edward's face. "You don't have enough spiritual energy to resist the heat."

"Sigh… Do I really have to do it?" Edward looked defeated as he gazed at the raging fire on the horse's body.

"Didn't you want to help?" Kaith sneered once again and continued to smear the horse. "Besides, this doesn't hurt much."

Seeing that he had no other choice, Edward was about to try applying the paste once again. Yet, he suddenly had an idea and quickly grabbed a small bucket of water, which he used to dip his hands in.

With his hands now covered in water, Edward tried to touch the horse once again, and this time he was able to touch the horse comfortably.

"I guess this works too." Kaith gave Edward a nod and watched as the boy began to slowly smear the paste. "Your mind isn't too bad, brat." Initially, Kaith thought that Edward was only a lucky boy, yet with each passing moment he spent with him, the more impressed he became with the boy.

Edward's quick thinking and rational mind were characteristics that Kaith appreciated. However, the thing that impressed Kaith the most was the boy's discipline and eagerness to learn. No matter what Kaith ordered, Edward always rushed to finish them.

Edward was completely oblivious to Kaith observing him and was focused entirely on the Firebrand Steed, which seemed to enjoy the process. "He seems to like it… What's the effect of this Nature's Bloom?"

"Of course, he would like it. This plant can help revitalize the muscles and skin of beast-type monsters." Kaith slowly patted the Firebrand Steed as Edward continued to smear. "If you have a beast-type pet, you should look to buy some of them. Their effects are truly great."

Edward jotted down Kaith's words in his mind and continued to work. It didn't take much longer for him to cover the upper body of the Firebrand Steed, and he was finally able to rest for a few minutes, as Kaith said that the paste needed some time to have an effect.

After his hard-earned break, Edward was quickly made to return to work by Kaith, who now asked him to wash the first paste off and apply the second one.

The second paste was made with a fire-type plant, and just like the first one, Edward had to smear it all over the Firebrand Steed's body. Kaith also explained that this step was one of the most crucial, as the plant used to make the second paste would help with the refinement of the Firebrand Steed's Spiritual Energy.

While Edward was hard at work, Kaith and Leo lazed around, chatting and snacking on some fruits.

"Are you taking too much advantage of him?" Leo let out a sigh as he gazed at Edward with a mixture of pity and admiration.

"Oh, for God's sake..." Kaith bit down on one of the fruits. "He's a grown man, and besides, look at his face! Don't tell me that you can't see that he's enjoying it?"

Leo could only grin; Edward truly seemed interested in the work he was doing. However, if he compared how much Kaith made him work compared to his other assistants, one could only think that Kaith had a vendetta against the boy. "Do you seriously have to be so harsh with him?" Leo shook his head; it seemed that there was no other way to convince Kaith.

"I think you misunderstood me a bit." Kaith laughed as he finished chewing the fruit and jolted up. "It's not because I don't like him that I'm making him work so much, but because he's talented."

"Talented?" Leo looked at Edward with curious eyes. "It hasn't even been a day, yet, you can already tell?"

"We trainers are different from you all combat masters..." Kaith looked at Leo and shook his head; he didn't expect the man to understand. "We don't need to be natural-born fighters or top-notch cultivators... All we need is a good brain and a passion for studying monsters."

"So do you think Edward has all that?" Leo continued to look at Edward, who was about to finish coating the Firebrand Steed's back.

"He's got the same eyes as me when I was young..." Kaith's voice trailed off as he reminisced about his youth. "I think he's got what it takes, at least if he doesn't lose the glow in his eyes." Kaith had a resolute face as he watched Edward finish the task and approached him with slow steps.

Edward was patting the Firebrand Steed when he noticed Kaith walking closer. "Any more tasks?" He felt tired, yet he still needed to prove himself to Kaith.

"Your new task is to watch me," Kaith's face was serious and with a wave of his arms, great spiritual energy spurted out. "Pay close attention as this may be useful to you." As soon as he finished, Kaith grabbed one of the stalks of Sun Bathing Weed and swiftly pulled out its energy, forming a small globe of slightly red energy.

Edward watched in awe as the small red globe above Kaith's hands started to rotate rapidly, causing the energy in the globe to slowly converge at the center, making the globe slightly smaller.

"Just pure energy... This is what we need." Kaith took a deep breath before poking the middle of the Firebrand Steed's head with his finger. "We classify spiritual plants and herbs with elemental characteristics, but in truth, they are composed of every element, with some of them being more abundant than others."

Edward thought back to the myriad of lights he had seen when extracting the moisture from the herbs and gave Kaith a nod.

"This combination of energies has varying qualities, so it's indispensable to refine it." Kaith's left hand swiftly moved, forming seals at a lightning-fast speed. "Not only could the undesirable energies be harmful to the monsters, but it would also make it hard for the monsters to absorb it."

Edward memorized every single word that Kaith spoke, paying attention even to his slightest movements. As Kaith continued to manipulate the red globe of energy, Edward couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the man's skill and knowledge. He had never seen anything like it before, and he couldn't wait to learn more from Kaith.

Suddenly, Kaith turned to Edward, holding out the globe of energy for him to see. "Now, watch closely. This is how we refine the energy of the Sun Bathing Weed." With a flick of his wrist, the energy of the red globe suddenly started to flow from Kaith's finger, which was pressed against the Firebrand Steed's head.

Edward watched in amazement as the energy was absorbed by the monster, causing it to glow with a bright red light.

"This is what we call elemental infusion," Kaith explained. "It enhances the monster's abilities and makes them stronger. But it's not just about sending energy at them. The energy must be refined and infused properly, or it could have the opposite effect."

Edward nodded once again. He didn't understand the process completely, but he decided not to ask anything for now, afraid that any words spoken could break Kaith's concentration.

The infusion process lasted roughly twenty-five minutes, and after finishing it, Kaith wiped the sweat off his brow and asked Edward to use the last medicinal paste in the bathtub and give the Firebrand Steed a good bath.