Beast Will

|Alistair|

My heart was pounding with worry as I descended in the elevator to where Tess and Grandpa were. There were complications with her assimilation, and I was needed there immediately.

The mysterious orb that Arthur gave me was weighing me down, even though it was safely tucked away in my spatial ring. I couldn't quite grasp what was special about it, except for its high concentration of mana.

I approached the training room that had been assigned to me, and as I walked, my feet felt heavy. I didn't know how I would react if Tess was injured.

Placing my palms on the surface of the door, I pushed it open. But as soon as it swung open, I felt an unfamiliar and sinister aura surge forward, attempting to trap me. The dark fog felt like thousands of thorny vines coiling around my arms and legs.

"WHO'S TH... ALISTAIR?" Grandpa Virion's husky voice boomed amidst the dark wave emanating from a particular focal point.

"It's me, Gramps! What's going on?" I yelled over the sound of crashing waves.

"Come over here, I need your help!" Grandpa Virion said. Confused and worried, I made my way towards him, using his hazy figure as a guide.

I willed my mana to shield me as I pushed forward against what felt like a reinforced wall. Finally, I saw Tess lying in front of Grandpa Virion, the source of the dark aura.

"What in the... Tess?!" I exclaimed as I approached, my concern growing.

The pain from my dimension ring was becoming unbearable, and I gritted my teeth as I approached Grandpa Virion and Tess. Virion looked worse for wear, his face pale and sweat-drenched as he struggled to contain the oppressive aura emanating from Tess.

As I got closer, I could see that Tess was completely ensnared in a thorny vine-like growth, and the dark aura made it difficult to see what was happening to her.

"How long has she been like this?" I asked, my concern growing with each passing moment.

"I think it's been a day or so since she returned from the dungeon," Virion replied wearily. "But time moves differently in there, so it's hard to say for sure."

I took a closer look at Tess and was shocked by what I saw. It was as if the beast will was trying to take over her body. This was completely different from what had happened with Arthur and Sylvia's dragon will.

"How is this possible?" I asked, my mind racing with possibilities. "I've never heard of anything like this happening before."

Virion shook his head. "Neither have I, but the beast will seems to be too strong for her. I fear that the Earthern Shell you fought is taking over Tess."

I felt a knot form in my stomach at the thought of Tess being taken over by the beast will. We needed to find a way to save her before it was too late.

As I approached the cocoon, a sudden attack caught me off guard. A twisted vine spear shot towards my heart, narrowly missing me. My heart raced as I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

It was almost comical, Grandpa Virion's hands were on the cocoon, but as soon as I got near it, a flurry of spear-like vines automatically locked onto me for the kill. I deftly dodged the discharging vines while slowly closing in on the cocoon.

Tess's attacks were becoming more creative and lethal; the next wave of tendrils were laced with sharp thorns. It was evident that the beast will was dead set on trying to kill only me. The burning sensation from my ring was making it even more difficult to dodge the attacks.

In frustration, I drew my sword, but as I did, a small shining orb shot out of the ring. It was the same orb that Arthur had given me! I instinctively reached out to catch it, and as I did, the clear orb, about the size of a marble, sparkled with an array of colors and bolted towards the cocoon.

As soon as the orb entered Tess' stomach and vanished into her mana core, her sickly appearance faded away. Not only did her skin regain its flawless complexion, but her hair also returned to its original gunmetal silver color, which radiated brightly. However, the change in her physical appearance was only the beginning.

As soon as the orb disappeared, a unique aura, different from any mana present in the atmosphere, enveloped her body in an almost mystical way. It was a scorching flame composed of brilliant emerald gems and millions of green, leaf-shaped embers, which expanded rapidly, turning the once-black vines into a serene jade green. Despite the mesmerizing aura coming closer to us, I didn't feel any fear.

However, before it could reach us, the aura suddenly shrank back and dissipated. As Tess fell unconscious, I quickly took out the coat I had used during my adventuring days and wrapped it around her bare body. The dark aura that filled the training room disappeared, and Tess was safe.

"Mmm...not now, Alistair. Too soon," Tess muttered in her sleep, revealing a coquettish smile that made me blush.

Grandpa Virion rushed over with worry etched on his face, calling out Tess's name. I assured him that she was fine and only sleeping. I set her down, and as all my strength left me, I fell onto my butt.

Grandpa Virion inspected Tess meticulously and let out a sigh of relief. "She's okay," he said, slumping down next to me. For a brief moment, we sat there blankly staring at the other end of the training grounds, too exhausted to think.

"..."

"Did you get a good eyeful?" Grandpa Virion suddenly asked with a wide smirk, making me turn bright red.

"You aren't funny!" I grumbled in annoyance, feeling embarrassed.

The air grew tense as I asked the question that had been weighing on my mind.

"Gramps, what can you tell me about the Six Lances?"

A sharp intake of breath from Virion was the only response I received for a few moments. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and serious.

"The Six Lances are the most powerful mages in the world, Alistair. Each one possesses a white mana core, which is the highest level attainable. They are the guardians of the each royal family and by extension the continent of Dicathen, tasked with protecting it from any threat that may arise."

I leaned forward, listening intently. "But how strong are they, really?"

Virion chuckled wryly. "Let me put it this way. I'm a mid-silver core mage, and it would take around ten of me to keep one mid-white core mage at bay. And that's being optimistic."

I felt my jaw drop. "Ten of you? That's insane."

"Indeed," he nodded. "And Cynthia, as a high-silver core mage, would need around six or seven of herself to keep one mid-white core at bay. That's the kind of power we're dealing with here."

I took a moment to let that sink in. "So, if I were to fight a Lance...?"

Virion's expression turned serious. "If you were to fight a Lance, Alistair, you would need to be at the top of your game. However, with your aether abilities, you could defeat any one of them other than Varay."

My heart raced with excitement and fear at the prospect of facing off against such powerful opponents. But I knew that if I wanted to protect the people I cared about and become the best mage I could be, I would need to face these challenges head-on.

"Okay, Gramps," I said, determination in my voice. "I'm ready to take on the challenge."

Tess's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Mmmm... what's going on? Why am I sleeping on the ground?"

I immediately sprang to my feet at the sound of her voice. "Tessia!" I exclaimed, rushing over to her.

"G-Grandpa? Where am... AL!!!!" Tessia cried out as she stumbled to her feet and threw herself into my arms.

I held her tightly, relieved to see that she was alright. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grandpa's arms stretched wide open, expecting a hug from his granddaughter that he never got.

But I didn't have the luxury to laugh. As Tess clung to me, her naked body flushed against mine, my mind was filled with the disturbing information father had told me before. I tried to speak, but words refused to form in my throat.

"Ahhem, Tess," Grandpa coughed into his hand, breaking the awkward silence. "You should get... dressed first."

Tess looked down, and as she slowly came to the realization that her body was just barely covered, she let out a horrified scream that shook the room. Grandpa Virion was knocked back without the time to react. I quickly cancelled out the mana as I was able to react in time.

Tess lay curled up on the ground, surrounded by a frenzied storm of translucent green vines that seemed to be an extension of her bright green aura. Grandpa Virion stood gaping, marveling at the sheer magnitude of the mana formation emanating from her.

"This can't be possible," he muttered in disbelief.

I could feel the unease creeping up within me, knowing that something was definitely off.

"Tess, please try to calm down," I urged, cupping my hands around my mouth to make my voice carry over the chaotic vines.

Her response was instantaneous.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Go away! I can't believe you didn't tell me I was n-naked!" Tess's scream was filled with embarrassment and anger, causing the translucent tendrils to whip around even more fiercely.

"Yelling at a girl to calm down never works," Grandpa Virion said, shaking his head.

"Tess, it's me, your grandfather! Open your eyes," he shouted.

"Huh?"

Tess opened one eye and finally saw what was happening.

"What's going on? What is all of this?" she cried, looking to us for answers.

"Your emotions are making your mana flow go out of control," I explained gently.

Grandpa Virion nodded in agreement, adding, "Try to calm yourself down, Tess."

Realization dawned on her, and Tess closed her eyes and began meditating. Slowly but surely, the translucent green vines began to dissipate, fading out of sight.

As soon as they vanished, Grandpa Virion and I rushed to where Tess lay curled up on the ground.

"Gramps, check her mana core, quickly!" I urged, feeling a sense of dread creeping up on me.

"I was just about to do that, Al," Virion replied, rolling up his sleeves and channeling mana into his palms.

Tess, still flustered and out of breath, interrupted us. "Wait! Al, turn around!"

Confused, I turned around as requested, giving her some privacy. I could hear Tess's heavy breathing and Virion's quiet muttering as he examined her mana core.

"It can't be... what in the world?" Virion's voice trembled, his shock palpable.

"What is it, Gramps? What stage is her core at? Is it light yellow? Don't tell me... she's at initial silver like me?" I asked, my heart racing.

"Half a step away from High Silver. She's almost broken through into the High Silver stage," Virion replied, his voice filled with disbelief.

"What?" I whipped my head back around, causing Tess to wrap the robe even more tightly around herself.

Ignoring her protests and my own embarrassment, I placed my hand on her abdomen over the robe, trying to sense her mana core directly.

To my surprise, I couldn't even grasp the extent of her mana core. She was at a higher level than I was.

Both Virion and I fell back onto our backsides in shock.

"She reached the Light Yellow stage not too long ago. That means she skipped through the first two stages of silver and went straight into High Silver?" I murmured, still trying to come to terms with the reality of the situation.

Tess's incredible mana potential was staggering, and the news was hard to swallow. Virion's question about what had caused this sudden surge only added to my growing unease.

"What the hell did you give her, brat?" Virion asked, his disbelief evident. "I've never heard of a beast will tempering a mana core. Or did it perhaps have anything to do with that orb you threw at her?"

My mind raced. Had I done something wrong? "Grandpa, what did you mean by 'half a step away'? What orb?" Tess echoed, puzzled by our conversation.

"I-I thought it was just some kind of elixir..." I stammered, feeling a sense of guilt creeping up on me.

But Grandpa Virion's next words stunned me. "Alistair, if there ever was such an elixir that could do what that orb did just now, wars would break loose in hopes to win it. How did you get your hands on whatever orb that was anyway?"

"Ha ha ha haha... I got it from Arthur, Gramps," I replied, trying to keep my tone light despite the growing sense of unease.

Virion gawked at me incredulously. "I don't exactly know myself. Arthur gave me that orb recently and told me to hold it for him.." I let out another small laugh, masking my growing sense of dread.

Tess's sudden surge in mana potential left everyone in shock. As she focused on her mana core, we all held our breath, waiting for her to reveal her new level.

"My mana core is mid silver now..." Tess's voice trembled with disbelief as she spoke. "And it already has so many cracks on it."

Grandpa Virion's jaw dropped. "H-Honey... you're actually a peak mid silver core mage now," he said, barely above a whisper.

Tess's eyes rolled back as she fainted, and I quickly caught her, using my wind magic to soften her fall.

"It's no surprise, really," Virion chuckled. "Breaking through more than two stages at once can be quite exhausting. And the realization of what she's achieved was the tipping point."

I nodded, still in shock, as Virion picked up Tess. "I'm taking her back to Elenoir through the gate. She needs some rest, and I'm sure my son and daughter-in-law are still worried. Imagine their reaction when they find out Princess Tessia is now a silver core mage at the age of 13."

"I'll come with you," I said, following Virion out of the training room.