Limitless Potential

"Damien, listen closely now," Van's voice was urgent and hushed. "I need you to discreetly assign someone to safeguard that young girl. She mustn't be aware of their presence. Instruct them to only intervene when her life is in imminent danger."

Damien, his initial surprise fading, raised a concern, "But won't her guardian be furious if she comes to harm?"

Van reassured him with a knowing smile, "You needn't worry about that. This was a special request from that esteemed senior."

"Understood, Father," Damien replied with deep respect.

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Meanwhile, Zac sat perched on the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed on the vivid memories playing in his mind. Bella's incredible strength had left him genuinely awestruck. Her flawless combat skills were a sight to behold. Yet, when he witnessed, Bella being forced to kneel under intense pressure, a surge of anger coursed through him.

His heart skipped a beat when he observed Damien suddenly relieving the pressure without warning. It left him with an unsettling feeling, a nagging suspicion he couldn't quite put into words. As he watched Damien's changing demeanor towards Bella and her eventual departure with her sisters, with Clarisse supporting her, Zac remained deep in thought.

The silence stretched until Bella, residing in his Soul Sea, finally broke it, her voice filled with concern, "Zac, what's on your mind? Why the silence? Is it because I revealed myself? I'm truly sorry if that troubled you. I promise it won't happen again."

Zac looked at her with a serious expression and replied, "Bella, I'm not upset with you. If anything, I'm grateful for your courage. It's me I'm disappointed in. I'm angry at my own weakness. I was too feeble, and that's why you had to reveal yourself. I couldn't even prevail against someone on the same level."

"Zac, if I were here in person, I'd have given you a good slap," Bella chastised with a hint of exasperation.

She continued, her tone firm but caring, "Think about it, how long have you been cultivating? You were up against one of the top powerhouses in this world, even if he restrained himself to your level, his body is multiple tiers stronger than yours. You can't expect to bridge that gap in just a few days of cultivation. Plus, you pushed him to use Blood Manipulation, a power closely linked to the principles of Rules."

Zac tried to defend himself, saying, "But you managed to restrain him at the same level."

Bella sighed and explained, "Zac, our powers work differently. My abilities give me an advantage in the early stages. Necromancers tend to be weaker at the outset."

Zac furrowed his brow, deep in thought. After a moment of contemplation, he looked up with a determined expression. "Bella, regardless of the reasons, the fact remains that I am weak. I need to find ways to grow stronger."

"And here's another thing," Zac's curiosity got the better of him, "Where did you learn those abilities? It didn't look like your first time using them."

Bella responded with a confident smile, "Well, even though I've never used these abilities in real-life combat, I've been running simulations in my mind. My body happens to be exceptionally attuned to the elements, which made using these abilities in reality much easier."

Her pride wasn't directed at herself, but rather at her master who had bestowed her with the Myriad Elements Body. Bella understood that there were numerous individuals with unique physiques, whether inherited naturally or obtained through special opportunities. It was only when she engaged in battle that she fully grasped the immense potential her own physique held. If there were ever a list of exceptional physiques in the entire universe, she was certain her Myriad Elements Body would rank among the very top.

"What's the deal with giving names to different attacks?" Zac interjected, interrupting her train of thought.

Bella, with a casual shrug, responded, "Oh, that? I just do it for the sake of convenience."

Zac gave her a quizzical look, clearly not grasping her intent. Seeing his puzzled expression and questions in his eyes, Bella let out a sigh and decided to clarify. "Let me explain it to you. To understand why I name the attacks, you first need to understand how elemental attacks typically work."

She organized her thoughts and began, "Elemental attacks depend on various factors. Firstly, there's elemental affinity. Different people have affinities for different elements. Some are even attuned to multiple elements. According to the information in the scripture, my body was designed to harness all kinds of elements. Secondly, there's the energy source, and it's easier to demonstrate."

As Bella finished explaining, an animated image of Bella appeared in Zac's mind. "Take a look at this figure," she said. "When we provide energy, it generates fire." The animated Bella in the image held a small fireball in her hand, about the size of a tennis ball.

"As we supply more energy," Bella continued, "the fire grows larger." The fireball in the animated hand of Bella expanded, ultimately reaching the size of a sphere twice her own size.

"Next, let's talk about control. For individuals with a single element, it's relatively straightforward; they use control to direct where they want to channel their power." With a mere thought, the animated Bella extinguished the fireball in her hand, and then flames surged from her legs. In another swift movement, the flames shifted position to envelop her fists. "They can generate attacks from different parts of their body. But for those gifted with multiple elements, it's a bit more complex. They have different particles for various elements within their bodies, so they need to control and manipulate these particles to produce the desired elemental attack."

Suddenly, the animated figure extinguished the fire attacks and conjured an ice spear above one of its hands. "Some exceptional prodigies with multiple elements can even control them simultaneously," the animated figure demonstrated, raising its other hand and conjuring a fireball while maintaining the ice spear above the other hand.

"The final factor is visualization. The shape and type of the attack you produce is all about visualization. In some worlds where magic is wielded, they employ incantations, spells, or even names to assist in visualizing the kind of power they want to manifest," Bella explained.

Zac, who had been listening attentively, couldn't hold back his question. "So, you use those names to help you visualize the attack?"

Bella shook her head gently, "No, Zac, I'm not finished yet. There are a few extraordinarily gifted individuals, quite rare to find, who possess the talent to conjure without the need for verbal casting. They can visualize and create attacks without chanting or uttering spells. This is commonly known as silent casting, and I happen to be one of them. Even among those who can silently cast and have multiple elements, there's usually a limit of two or three elements. But in my case, there are no limits when it comes to controlling elements."

After a sigh, she continued, "The number of possible attacks for me is endless. So, I developed a method to create an attack, save all the necessary properties and factors needed to generate it, and store it in my system. Then, I assigned a name to each of these saved attacks. I just have to utter the name, and the system takes care of the rest. Even if I need to adjust the power, I can tweak the properties without starting from scratch to create a new attack."

"The best part is that it's much faster than any other method, allowing me to focus entirely on the battle," Bella explained.

Zac wore a dumbfounded expression as he absorbed Bella's explanation. This method seemed to be uniquely tailored to Bella's abilities.

Hearing Bella's speech only fueled Zac's determination to grow stronger. "Bella, analyze and provide me with a list of potential ways to rapidly enhance my power. I was able to make my last breakthrough thanks to the remaining energy in my body from the newly formed bloodline. My next breakthrough will take time. So, I need other ways to improve my strength."

"On it," Bella responded, getting to work.

However, Zac's thoughts were interrupted when he heard his name being called. "Zac... Zac..." It was Clarisse. Realizing that Zac had been lost in thought for quite some time and was unresponsive, she had decided to wake him up.

"Zac, are you alright?" Clarisse inquired; her concern evident.

Zac nodded and replied, "I'm perfectly fine."

Clarisse asked, "Zac, do you want me to take you to Bella and Elise, or would you prefer to wait here for them to return?"

Before Zac could respond, the room's doors burst open as a woman in her early thirties, serving as a maid in the mystical realm, rushed in. Her entrance carried a whirlwind of energy and urgency, creating a dramatic entrance that demanded attention.

This woman boasted long, flowing blonde hair that blazed like the sun itself, cascading in untamed waves down her back. Her hair, a vibrant contrast to the subdued enchantment of the fantasy world, radiated an almost fiery brilliance.

With striking cobalt-blue eyes wide with fervent determination, her gaze mirrored the vivid skies of this magical realm, gleaming with a fierce spirit that matched the gales that occasionally swept through the fantastical landscapes. An unmistakable aura of strength and resilience enveloped her, hinting at adventures undertaken and trials faced.

Clarisse inquired, "What's going on, Carmen?" Carmen was the name of the woman who had stormed into the room. She served as Clarisse's personal maid and had been sent to accompany Elise and Bella to the library.

Carmen replied, "Young Miss Elise sent me. They've run into trouble."

"Who dares to create trouble for Elise in the castle?" Clarisse questioned with suspicion.

Carmen explained, "It's Gavin and Elder Dimitri. They had an argument, and now Elder Dimitri is preventing young Miss from leaving."

Zac, realizing the urgency of the situation, remarked, "I guess waiting here is not an option anymore," as he got up from his bed.