Fay woke up after what felt like a few hours. His body felt somewhat refreshed, even if still a little spent. However, he had managed to replenish his aether reserves much faster than before.
The problem was figuring out what he had done wrong. He had absorbed the particles, seen them enter his body—yet they had still made him feel sick.
He needed to find a solution. If he could feed on the mana around him, there had to be a way to stay fit for battle far longer. That became his new goal.
He looked around for his teacher, who had previously been above the tree, relaxing. Instead, he spotted him now seated on a large boulder, its edges a bit rougher than he remembered.
"Are you okay… teacher?"
Elaruîn looked just as calm as before, though his hair was slightly disheveled, and his outfit was stained with what appeared to be black blood.
[Perfect. Just had to deal with some pests. You'll need to do the same soon. Now that you're back to full health, let's work on your mana control—otherwise, you'll collapse again.]
Fay stood up and straightened himself.
"I'm ready, then. I feel better than ever, so let's do this."
It was the first time Elaruîn had personally stepped in to help him. Fay braced himself.
"Good. Now extend your legs and place your hands together. We'll start by getting your balance right. Just like any fighting stance, proper posture is important—even for aether. You need to learn to draw power from the ground. For that, it must circulate around you."
Elaruîn adjusted his form until Fay was positioned correctly.
"Good. Let's begin. Since your electric creature's power is more visible, we'll use that one. Your rod will act as the conductor. Bring out your creature—and let's get to it."
Fay hurriedly called out Jolt and began following the instructions. The small lizard appeared warily, glancing around as if sensing something in the forest.
[It has better senses than the other two. Always keep it present in dangerous situations. Some monsters possess traits like this—never assume they're all the same. Study them carefully before relying on them.]
Fay had thought he understood his creatures, but now, with that pointed out, he wasn't so sure. He began reevaluating their abilities and behaviors, but there was no time to dwell on it.
[Now that you've worked on your form, let's focus on how to maintain it—even during combat. To do that, you'll need to copy your creature's skill. Just as it drains aether from you, you must concentrate on that link and borrow its ability. You did it perfectly with the jellyfish, Somniella, so this shouldn't be much harder.]
Fay started to close his eyes, but was stopped.
"Is there something else?"
[Yes. Unlike the passive ability you copied before, this one is offensive. Don't be afraid of it. Think of it as your own, or you'll trigger a repulsion effect.]
Fay gulped, then closed his eyes. He had done this once—he could do it again.
At least, he hoped so.
[Good. You're channeling the aether correctly. Move to the next step…]
Fay began to picture the electricity flowing around Jolt. Unlike his other two creatures, whose abilities had been simple to copy, this one felt dangerous, like grabbing a live wire.
He remembered how electricity behaved back when the shelter's generators still worked, and how deadly it could be when handled carelessly.
But it would be fine. He told himself that. He had to believe it.
He slowly extended his wand toward his creature. Soon, lightning began to arc around the jewel at the tip. It didn't travel further. Instead, it circled the gem, clinging to it as if magnetized.
[Almost there. Now, channel it toward your hands. This time, keep it there—don't try to bring it into your core. This is just energy you gave to the creature and are now taking back. It was yours to begin with, so don't fear it.]
Fay followed the instructions, guiding the energy from the jewel to his hands, focusing on the two piercings embedded in his palms, and ensuring it remained there.
He opened his eyes. He didn't feel the heat or danger of the electricity—it simply rotated around his hands, just as it did with Jolt when he entered his wheel mode.
"I think I got it, sir… I just need to concentrate to keep it… there."
Fay winced a few times. He felt some strain on his core as it worked to keep the energy steady, but it wasn't draining his aether—it was just maintaining control.
[Good. Now, use it to attack that dead tree over there. You should be able to break it in half with that much power, but I don't want someone who just brute-forces his way through everything. Shape it into a whip. Extend the form of the lightning and strike. Keep it stable—don't let the energy disperse. That will be the hard part.]
Fay nodded and focused on his hands. He imagined gripping the electric energy, as if it were solid, and directed the flow toward the tree. The lightning whip cracked and thundered as it struck. The dead trunk exploded, sending splinters flying in all directions.
The electrical arcs spinning around his left hand vanished. He could no longer sense or reclaim the aether—at least, that's how it felt.
[I did warn you. I guess the energy was too much. Try again, but use only one hand this time. Do the same, but don't let it disperse. Without that weapon, you're just a human. It will be your only chance to kill the wyrmling you'll face.]
Fay cracked the whip again.
This time, he concentrated harder, determined to keep the energy from slipping away.
Only the tip of the whip disappeared—a small portion, lost in a way he still couldn't fully understand just yet.
[Perfect. Just make sure you keep it together. The more you let escape, the less you'll have left to fight. Close your eyes. Visualize the energy as you did before—you'll find what you're doing wrong.]