Touch of Fate

Chapter 245: Personal Space

"We don't have the time to do a full lesson, but I'll try to cover the basics at the very least. However, that won't help unless you unlock the skill. For that, you'll need to understand the underlying principle of space as it pertains to magic. That will be the biggest hurdle. Even for seasoned professionals, its a difficult to grasp." Emmanuel was explaining in the dry tones of a veteran professor. Although he'd protested initially about using their precious free time to teach a class, he seemed to be getting into it now.

"Since you've come this far already, I'm assuming you have some understanding of how mana is a virtually omnipresent force in this world, right? Something that exists at all times and all places at a relatively constant level?"

Mike nodded.

"Good, and have you also heard about the Mana Flow Theory?"

This time he shook his head.

Emmanuel frowned. "That should have been covered in your classes. I'll have to review the course syllabus when I have a chance. Anyway the Mana Flow Theory postulates that, rather than a constant force, mana actually flows through the world in a cycle. Much like how water evaporates, is turned into rain clouds, before coming back to the surface in the form of precipitation, mana circulates through the realm while flowing through all that exists."

[Seems a bit like electron movement when he describes it that way, albeit with a much more flexible transmission path. Could mana actually be some kind of particle or photon-like energy source? That would explain a few things I've been noticing.]

"I know this theory might seem a bit concerning to a mage, who depends on mana for a variety of reasons, but I can assure you there is nothing to be worried about. Even if the theory is true, which hasn't been fully determined yet, the amount of mana present in the system is so great that it would be practically impossible for it to exhausted in any one location."

"Interesting," Mike replied, "but what does this have to do with Space Magic?"

"I was getting to that. In order to unlock Space Magic, one must first gain an innate understanding of Space as a concept. Now, you might think of it as an absence, essentially any place where something isn't. That would be a gross misunderstanding, and is, in truth, much closer to the element of Void which I won't go into detail about here. On a conceptual level, Space is more like the framework that reality exists on. It supports the various forms of matter and energy that this world is composed of, and is usually a constant, unchangeable thing. However, certain forces can interact with it, mana being one of them."

He paused for a moment, to make sure that Mike was still following. When his student didn't appear to have any questions, he continued. "Normally, unlocking Space Magic would require extensive practical exercises where you slowly learn to first sense, and then to bend space with mana. However, thanks to your unusually large mana reserves, we can use Mana Flow Theory as a shortcut. After a great deal of research, I developed a sensing technique based on the theory. With it, you can gain a rudimentary understanding of the 'space' in your surroundings, which "

[So mana is always present? Then why do people have mana reserves at all? Shouldn't I just be able to pull it from the air if I need it? That just doesn't make any...Wait, so all I need to unlock Space Magic is a comprehensive understanding of my surroundings? Is it really that easy?]

Mike quickly activated Aerosense while feeding mana into his Willpower for the additional information processing. He became acutely aware of the relation between himself and everything else in the area, but didn't notice anything else. Was there some other requirement he needed to fulfill?

By this point, Emmanuel was still in the middle of explaining the manner in which mana traveled through matter, based on the theory, and Mike had to hold up his hand to get the teacher's attention.

"You have a question?"

"Yes. Assuming one has an understanding of the space around him, what would be the next step in using Space Magic?"

Emmanuel frowned again. "You're getting a little ahead of yourself, but I suppose I only promised a quick overview rather than a in-depth explanation of theory. Alright, typically the first thing a Space Mage learns how to do is displacement. That means altering the structure of space enough to cause an object to move. Its the simplest, most brute-force way of practicing Space Magic, but its relatively straightforward."

"Alright, so what would I need to do?" Mike asked while focusing on a nearby rock. He tried to sense the underlying framework his teacher was talking about, but didn't have any luck.

"Typically, you just need to concentrating on willing the object in question to move, using your mana as the motive force. The key is to ensure that you are using pure mana, which can be rather challenging once outside of your body, and then to only apply gentle pressure until sufficient force is achieved. If you did it properly while keeping the relative spatial relationship with the object in mind, it will allow your mana to interact with the object's Space."

Mike summoned his mana and allowed it to flow from his hand in a snaking line. It was difficult to maintain its form, and he had to concentrate harder the farther it got from him. It almost seemed like some force was intentionally trying to dissipate his mana.

[Perhaps there is some truth to that theory.]

He gently pressed his mana against the rock while willing the object to move. At first, it felt impossible, like trying to push a boulder with a garden hose, but as he gradually increased the pressure, he began to feel something give way. Finally, after a few moments, he detected a sudden change, and before he knew it, the rock had shifted roughly a meter to his left.

As soon as he confirmed it, Mike released his hold on his mana and sagged in exhaustion. Although the process hadn't taken much in terms of actual energy, it had required so much of his concentration that he felt his brain was on the verge of overloading. Nevertheless, he had a sense of accomplishment.

Looking at his [Status] he couldn't help but smile at the new entry.

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- Basic Space Magic (Tier 3, Rank 1) -

One of the most advanced forms of Elemental Magic. Space Magic allows the user to manipulate the very fabric of reality to produce a number of effects. Characterized by its versatility, it is well known for its use in teleportation, extra-dimensional storage, and spatial distortions. Higher levels of skill increasing mana efficiency and accuracy of space manipulations.

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[Alright! The first step towards a whole new line of cool things I can do!]

Mike looked up at his teacher, and felt his smile falter slightly. Emmanuel was staring down at the rock with an intense expression on his face. It almost looked like he was frightened by what he saw. After a few moments of silence, the old mage finally broke the silence. "Did...did you just unlock it?"

"Um...yes?" Mike replied, feeling a little uneasy.

The intense gaze shifted to him, "That's...no. Who are you? Or rather, what are you?"

[Uh-oh.]

"What do you mean?"

"Its been bothering me for a while now, but there is too much about you that doesn't add up. At first, I just assumed you were what you appeared to be, an agent of Count Graveston disguised as a student, and that you were hiding your true abilities until an appropriate moment. However, in your time at the University, it became clear that you were essentially a novice in most areas. You simply lacked the knowledge that would have been expected of a powerful mage. Hells, you were even ignorant about basic concepts that should have been common knowledge. If that was an act, it was a damn good one."

Emmanuel crossed his arms. "Then, of course came the dragon, where a small alteration to a summoning chant caused you to upend centuries of common sense about the craft. You effectively created a living, breathing creature of legend. Suddenly, even the idea of you being an agent seemed naive. Especially after all this Dragonknight business and the increasingly impossible things you've been doing up to this point. However, I was willing to overlook these inconsistencies. After all, you'd been working diligently to protect the city from all of its enemies. Who was I to look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth?"

Mike noticed his Communication Magic had to work a bit harder to translate that last bit. The metaphor inherent in the idiom must have been difficult to bring across the language barrier.

"But this," He pointed down at the rock, "is one thing I can't ignore. Do you have any idea how long it took for me to unlock my Space Magic? Or how old I was at the time?"

Mike shook his head.

"Three years. That's three years of constant effort, where I spent every day gradually improving my understanding of the way mana and space interacted until I could do something as simple as displace a rock. I finally managed to succeed a little before my fortieth birthday, and for that, I was hailed as a prodigy. After all, very few elemental mages can succeed in unlocking Space Magic, even after decades of practice. Even with the sensing method I was planning on teaching you, I had assumed it would take you months, if not years to grasp the concept, let alone unlock the skill. Yet, I just watched you do it in a matter of minutes. So, I ask again, what are you? A demon lord wearing human skin? The reincarnation of an ancient mage? Lysande's bastard son?"

For a few moments, Mike considered what to say. He discarded the idea of lying outright. He lacked the specialized knowledge necessary to craft a convincing excuse, especially when his mentor had put so much thought into the matter already. He wanted to avoid another repetition of the Ricardo incident.

Simply refusing to answer was also an option, and one that held a certain appeal. Emmanuel needed him too much to risk alienating him at this stage. If he pushed the issue, all Mike had to do was threaten to leave, and he should back down.

Yet, that didn't seem right. He was genuinely fond of the old mage, and they'd been through a lot together. Besides, by all appearances, he was going to be taking over as Headmaster of the University after the war, assuming they won anyway. Making him an enemy could prove troublesome if he didn't cut ties completely. It would be more prudent in the long run to bring him into the fold, so to speak.

[Well, a lot of people have been figuring out my title lately. One more couldn't hurt, right?]

Finally, Mike sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Alright, I'll tell you, but you need to keep this a secret. At least for now. Things might change in the future."

Emmanuel considered him for a moment, then nodded. "So long as your identity doesn't jeopardize the war effort or the safety of Almir, I swear to you that I will keep it secret until such time as you give me leave to share it."

Glancing around to make sure that no one was listening, Mike leaned over and whispered. "....I'm...the Hero."

"What? That's it?" The old mage asked incredulously.

"Eh? Isn't that enough?"

"You see, I actually considered that as a possibility initially, since accounts of previous Heroes indicated that they did have a system correction that sped up their growth. I dismissed the possibility for two reasons. One, most Heroes developed quickly, but it still took them years to achieve the kind of advancement you've had these past few weeks. Two, you nearly died while fighting that flesh monster, but I saw no indication of any kind of Limit Break being activated."

[Their are accounts of other Heroes?]

"Ah, well, it's kind of on cooldown. I had to use it against a dangerous enemy back in Wyrport, and I think I pushed it a bit too hard."

Emmanuel gave him a cool look. "On cooldown? I don't believe I've ever heard that term used in relation to a skill, and I don't recall it showing up in any of the other accounts. But then again, most of them are fairly sparse, so I suppose it could have been left out."

Hoping to distract his teacher a bit, Mike asked, "Those records you keep mentioning, where did you find them? I've been keeping an eye out for anything to do with previous Heroes, but so far it almost seems like they don't exist. The best I've discovered are some obvious fiction stories that appear to have been written for children."

"Of course you haven't been finding anything. The churches of the Five Creator Gods hold sole custody of all information pertaining to the Hero, and they are quite thorough at rooting any leaks. While its impossible to completely eliminate all mention of past Heroes from history, they managed to keep it to the realm of oral tradition and folk tales. I only know differently thanks to my role as the head of the Magic Department, which gives me jurisdiction over the Divine Magic program at the University. I have access to information that would otherwise be only available to high ranking members of the churches."

Mike frowned, "Why would they do that? Wouldn't it benefit them to publicize accounts of the gods' champion?"

"That's a long and complicated story, but I won't let it distract me from the much more pressing situation of determining your full identity." Perhaps realizing how this might have sounded, Emmanuel's expression softened a bit. "You've already trusted me with this much, can't you let me in on the rest?"

[Alright, what now?]

Mike was frantically trying to come up with something to say, when the southwestern skyline lit up in a brilliant flash of light. It faded quickly, but a wash of disturbed mana passed over the encampment soon after.

"Did you feel that?" He asked his teacher.

"I did indeed. It looks like we need to postpone this conversation for now while I get Miranda to send some of her scouts to investigate. Hopefully, that wasn't some kind of Lacotian super weapon." He replied while walking away, mind focused on other things.

[Whew. I don't know who's responsible, but thanks for the distraction.]