The next day was the same. Training started the moment I woke up and ended only when the bowl was safely in my hands. The skill I used was difficult to replicate, and Poppy said she was not versed in that field of magic to help.
"I am an elf." Her words rang in my mind as I sat under the shower, the open wounds stinging from the water's touch. "I cannot help you with understanding magic that I myself cannot use."
Those words were spoken of pity as she slammed me countless times into the ground. It took several one-sided beatings and a starving stomach to muster up the power to use my skill.
It was not anything special. Nothing grand. Nothing flashy. Just a simple false version of myself that would disappear with a touch. While it was weak, it was believable. It moved and behaved based on the orders I gave it.
Poppy was sure that she could not be outsmarted by a petty party trick, but the lifelike illusion fooled even her hypersensitive elf ears. She grew annoyed and switched up her tactics to keep me at bay. That was the moment I claimed checkmate against her. That was all I needed to lightly punch her in the stomach and snatch the bowl. Her emotions overpowered her ability to keep pressure on me.
Like yesterday, she rushed me out of the room. I could see an irritable expression on her face as the door slammed in my face.
"Magic, huh?" I spoke out loud, dipping myself in the baths. I rested my head on the edge and looked at the green speck drifting down from the water columns. It landed on the tip of my chin and performed its duty.
Warmth filled my body, restoring me from fatigue. Yet I felt drained mentally.
The black markings on my body—God Stamps, they burned with every use of magic. Each time, a part of me feels drained whenever I muster the power to create my illusion. The skill was valuable despite that drawback, but the issue came from figuring out how to use it on demand, not just because I was seconds away from a second meeting with death.
"Ooo, look who we have here." A familiar voice said in a mocking tone. Without even looking, I could feel my blood boil. Small waves rippled towards me. Next to me was Korne, standing tall with nothing but a small towel to cover himself with.
His body was surprisingly toned, given his rounded size. The God Stamps around his neck and ears circulated in a pattern that resembled vines growing around a large, branching tree. Faint scars covered his chest, each looking like a gash caused by blades.
"What do you want?" I purposely failed to mask my annoyance as I looked at the man, who lowered himself right next to me.
With all the room in this bath, he chose the spot right next to me. I clicked my tongue while he simply smiled. Unfortunately, escaping was not an option, as when I stood up, he grabbed my wrist firmly and yanked me into the water.
After the water had settled, I looked at him and spoke. "Sorry, but not interested."
"Too bad. I am paying your bill for living here." He glared at me, still keeping that damn smile.
"Yeah, with strings attached."
He was slimy, but even I knew that I could not keep biting the hand that fed me. I shifted away from him while keeping my guard up. I could never be too sure of this guy. He drugged me once, so there was no telling what else he could do, all the while keeping that ominous grin.
"I heard from Poppy. You are starting to learn to use demon magic." His gaze locked onto the markings on my body. "I was really thinking those markings were just an illusion crafted by your… let's say patron for simplicity. But I digress. I heard you lack control over the usage of said magic."
"Yeah, duh." I blurted out by accident, but since the words came out, I might as well continue. "First time I've heard of it and used it. So yeah, I lack control because I don't know much about it. Even a smug asshole like you should know that everything takes time to master."
"That's some rich barking from a dog who can't even bite against Poppy in a fight without holding back."
"She's a woman."
"She is a thief trained to kill swiftly and painlessly. Oops, I did not mean to reveal that." So he says, but his grin tells another story. "Poppy cannot use much magic without getting exhausted, as you see; her God Stamps are hardly visible."
"So what does that have to do with me?"
"It means that you are weaker than the weakest magic user in the elven world," Korne said with a mocking laugh that followed.
"If that's all, I'm leaving—"
"Sit." With an imposing voice, Korne glared at me. There was no opening that I could use against this guy.
"What was the purpose of exposing Poppy's secret like that, anyway? Isn't she a valuable servant of yours? Or is that just a lie, just like everything else about you?"
"Who knows, I'm just an old man sowing the seeds to help a youthful dream come true."
I tilted my head at his cryptic message. Trying to ask him what he meant by that would be as effective as teaching a fish to walk. I let out a sigh, and he cleared his throat.
"Ahem, Judas, do you know the basics of magic? Has your patron taught you anything related to the sort?"
"You seem to know all about me, so answer your own question." It was a waste of time to explain the obvious to him. But the look in his eyes, along with his ears lowering, made me think otherwise.
"My question was more or less related to your strange armor." He said, a frown forming on his lips. "Seriously, you are the most impolite person I've ever had the displeasure of meeting." He turned his head and shrugged his shoulders as he muttered, "What does Poppy see in you?" under his breath.
That was rich coming from the man who basically is keeping me here against my will. But that aside, what does my armor have to do with anything?
"My armor is made from human tech, something more advanced than what you guys can handle. What does it have to do with magic?" I said, drawing his focus back onto me.
"Advanced tech, yes. That I cannot deny. But the part that is so troublesome is that you can use magic. And before you say something stupid out of that mouth, let me finish." I rolled my eyes but allowed him to continue. "Surely you have noticed that whenever you threw your weapon, it spun with an unnatural force behind it, allowing it to always hit its mark and return to you."
He was right. Our power armor was designed to enhance the power and capabilities of our weapons. While used without the armor, they behaved as a standard weapon would. We never questioned it as it was our key to saving humanity, but now.
"What are you trying to imply? I thought magic required mana that was taken in through the God Stamps?" I recalled what Velantra had once told me.
"So she did teach you something." A smug smile lined his face once again as his ears flicked upwards. So much for a poker face. "But yes, but there is an exception—Fossilization."
He paused, staring at me intensely.
"Which is…?" I said, unsure of what he was expecting from me.
"A taboo."
That was it? All that build up for that?
"Judging by your expression, you haven't the slightest clue as to what secrets your armor holds." His grin widened, and he narrowed his eyes with great interest. "Pressing you on the topic is nothing more than a waste of time. So let us correct this dragon path and return to talking about you and magic."
You were the one who made this about the armor yourself. I bit back those words and responded with something simple. "Okay, what about it?"
Korne leaned back. I could tell this was gonna be a long conversation based on how comfortable he was making himself. "Magic in this world is drawn forth from three different mediums: prayers, chants, and chantless spells."
"O spirits of the great tree, send my words towards your master. Grant thee a servant of yours." A small green speck drifted from the ceiling and flew towards the other green speck that was already in the baths.
"Prayers," Korne spoke, "they are the ultimate usage of magic in this world. They required no mana to use, but only those selected by the deities could use them after offering their bodies and souls to serve them. A prayer has the power to create devastating damage or to bless those with potent God Stamps, AKA the nobles of each race. However, just because a person was blessed doesn't mean that they are all-powerful. Prayers of limited daily usage and their effectiveness are based on the whim of a deity. The more favor they have toward you, the stronger your prayers."
"Twist," Korne spoke a single word, and a funnel of wind spun around in the center of the bath, drawing up water like a waterspout. He snapped his fingers, and the water fell back into the bath.
"Chants are the more…ordinary type of magic. They can only be brought out through the complex phasing of whatever you are trying to cast. My example was less complicated, but that was to show you that magic can be cast using shortened versions of a spell. However, shortening a spell will change its effectiveness based on the words chosen. Anyone could cast magic with chants. From simple chores to complex spells of destruction. But longer spells require more mana, so try not to chant a spell if you don't have enough stored."
Korne reached out his hand towards my vest that was in a basket near the entrance. A faint green glow illuminated the steam of the baths, and a large root shot out. It stopped within inches of my face.
"Chantless magic. As you saw, no words. Just the thoughts in my mind. Nobles and those well-versed use it. Even the wild beasts of the world can use it. Chantless spells can be used purposefully or subconsciously. Because of that, they are complicated to learn as the slightest distraction will ruin the spell. Even though they are difficult to master, the payoff is intense as battles around magic are based on speed." A twisted look, that of a killer, painted on his face as he spoke in a dark tone, "Chantless casters win nine times out of ten against a mage bound to chants. A weak spell can be enough to send you knocking on death's door."
He let the root wither and die. "That Judas is the foundation of magic in this world. Though…I am somewhat curious." He sat forward and pointed towards my head with his index finger. "You managed to cast a chantless spell, not once but several times. How is that?"
"I don't know," I said honestly. "It just came to me. Whenever Poppy was about to kill me, I felt the urge to do something, and then the illusions just appeared."
"I see." He groaned a little as if lost in thought. "Chantless spells can have conditions. Hence, the subconscious part. You are a demon, or rather, posing as one. Demons control both fire and space magic. Fire, self-explanatory, but space magic is a special element. Space magic allows for the bending of space, allowing for the creation of illusions, long-distance traveling, and material storage."
Korne lifted his finger into the air, and both of the green specks drifted towards it. One eclipsed the other, blocking it from my sight.
"During your training with Poppy, you thought of a situation where you wished you were in one place over the other, to avoid getting your ass beaten." He raised another finger on his other hand. "You thought hard, letting the thrill of death grip at your soul. A strange pain filled your chest." The green speck that was hidden from view drifted towards his other finger. "Like that, there were two of you. But unlike this spirit, the other you was an illusion. A simple touch could dispel it. It was created because you wished that you were there, landing a blow against her."
Korne nodded towards me as if signaling me to do something. A smug look lined his lips, and he lay back with an arrogant look in his eyes. If he was trying to piss me off, it was working.
His taunting gaze, his drugging me—I have several reasons as to why I want to slug him in the face. But if I tried to move, he would simply attack me without much of a word. He had already proven that chantless magic was something to be feared.
I bit my bottom lip in frustration. Not being able to do anything felt like being stabbed repeatedly in the heart with a dagger made from my uselessness. I wanted to punch him. I wanted to remove that cursed grin from his face.
The water that fell from the ceiling slowed to a crawl. My chest burned. Another me—an illusion—surged forward as time resumed. It cocked back its arm and threw a right hook at Korne. As expected, the illusion passed straight through him.
Korne didn't flinch. His grin only sharpened, too sharp to be anything but unsettling.
"Well, aren't you a fast learner? Chantless spells take even the well-versed mages time to master, yet you managed it from a single lecture alone. Bravo!" He clapped his hands together, feigning amusement with his unsettling expression. "However, as wise as you might think you are for learning how to use it, illusion magic is useless in the hands of an amateur. You are better off sticking to the chants to better yourself."
"Okay, then, have you got any spells for me to chant?" I said, feeling a little weak. My head felt a little light, preventing me from snapping back at him for the obnoxious belittling of something he wanted me to do.
"Oh, ho ho!" Something about the look he was giving me felt wrong. It's as if I'm playing right into his hands. What was his aim? "Space magic can warp space to your will."
He stood up from the bath with deliberate arrogance. Unbothered by his own lack of modesty, he moved his hips back and forth, letting it sway around. I averted my gaze, disgusted by the sight. I wish I had not been exposed to such a disturbing display. So, I imagined a large hole, a hole that would tear through his body straight through to the other side.
Pain flared in my chest. Harder than before. It felt like my insides were being ripped, stabbed, and burned. It hurt so much I forgot how to breathe. My head felt even lighter than before, and my body felt cold despite being in a warm bath. My vision spun and lagged, taking forever to fix onto Korne, who looked at me with genuine surprise for the first time.
"Well, lookie here, this lad might just be able to pull it off."
There was an enormous gaping hole in his body. It was as if something had bored straight through to the other side. But it was short-lived as the air around his body wavered and the illusion disappeared.
My eyes felt heavy; I could no longer look at Korne. Had I been in the bath for too long?
I sank deep into the water, the bath swallowing me whole. Water filled my mouth, and as my eyes closed, I heard a muffled voice call through the water. "Let this be a lesson, hero. Mana deficiency is an insidious killer. Throw away your pride, fight within your boundaries."
Everything faded to black.