Magic.
A lost skill or ability forgotten by the advancements of technology.
Such a rare thing that bypassing the laws of physics known by man kind.
If fire burns using oxygen in the air present, magic can summon fire as is using mana.
And with spirits, the magic becomes enhanced even more.
"So you're saying magic exists that even I can use it?"
Helena asked now sitting on the floor still only wearing the white lab coat while Alecia laid on the floor with her head on Helena's lap.
"Yes. I can teach you how to feel them but I can't teach you skills as I naturally gain mine so teaching you how to acquire is impossible."
Helena nods at me as she picked up the square object on her side and started tapping on it.
"Basically, mana exists in the air. Not sure how you describe it but it feels like breathing. If you focus long enough, release all stress on your body and feel the flow of the air around you, you can faintly feel something different."
Helena closed her eyes and started relaxing.
I can feel her deep quiet and focus.
However, I fear she won't feel it.
So I tried something.
(Let my mana flow to her body to rile up her inner wells...)
I focused as well and let my bountiful mana enter her from my head to her lap then it started sucking up the mana to her stomach.
(There. the mana started swirling inside her.)
As I judge the mana now inside her, she opened her eyes.
"That's weird... I can feel something swirling in my womb. Pretty sure I cleaned myself already..."
She muttered caressing her belly.
"Clean?"
I looked at her curiously.
"Oh... I had sex earlier so I removed the cum."
She replied.
"Oh... uh... then it's..."
I stuttered.
By no means I am virgin.
I slept with my two party members at one point and even started doing it every night with either of them till the end of our life so I am simply surprised that her mother, or the creator of her body is not a virgin despite her young looking figure.
"Oh... by the way, is this magic?"
She asked as she held her hand up and I notice mana starts pouring out of her hand.
It is invisible to the naked eye but thatnks to my 'eyes' I can see red and blue color spreading out from her hand.
"Yes. Congrats, you can use fire and water apparently."
I gave her a smile noticing her reaction shifted to amazement.
"So, how do I use magic?"
I stopped for a while before answering.
"There are two kinds of magic, Active and Passive ones.
Active ones are those who you activate on command while passive ones are always activated.
For example, my favorite one 'wind slash' is an active magic that let's me create a blade made of wind and sent it flying to cut anything in it's path. While my passive magic 'Gale's dress' automatically blocks projectiles that are about to hit me.
The main difference is that Active magic only consumes mana upon activation.
While passive ones consumes mana everytime the effect is activated.
The mana usage looks the same but the saving difference is that active magic spends mana wether you succeed or failed in it's usage. While Passive only consume when the effect activated successfully."
Helena nod as she rapidly taps on the object at her hand seemingly writing everything I said.
"So to activate a magic, I can only explain base on how I did it. For wind slash, I let the mana flow to my hand. Once it is enough, I simply imagine it's shape before waving my hand in the air based on how I want it to fly forward. Meanwhile, casting Gale's dress is different. The moment I learned how to cover my entire body with mana, it automatically became a skill. And since then, it's already activated. Not sure how to explain it properly."
After she finished tapping on her item, she sighed before giving my hair a gentle caressing and smiled.
"Thanks for the valuable information. I think I understand it properly. Now I need to simulate it for better accuracy and test it myself. For now, let's test your combat experience if you can match the current weapons in this era. or atleast what humans have."
I stood up and nod at her as she did as well before I follow her out of the office.
She reached another room and I follow her in.
There is a large room with glass walls in all sides.
The floor is white like a marble but shiny like glass. That's all I can think of which is similar to the rooms in the inner chamber of the church where they kept the saint figures and other scriptures.
She grabbed a helmet like item with transparent cover in the face and made me wear it.
"What's this?"
I asked after I finish wearing it.
"That's the ARCTS device or Augmented Reality Combat Training Simulation Device which we use to train inside this room."
She answered before going to a desk like protrusion in the wall.
She started tapping on it before the helmet I am wearing started displaying words I somehow understand.
"Choose the difficulty. 7 is the lowest 1 is the hardest."
Without hesitation, I picked 1. After all,
"As a former hero chosen by the goddess, this is to be expected."
Helena nods at me before a countdown appears in my helmet.
"After the countdown, the background will change and enemies will appear. Feel free to defeat them all. Also just imagine your weapon and don't expect your magic to work since they are not real. Just test your prowess for now without magic."
I nod at her when the countdown hit 0
The area changed into a lush forest.
"Wow... it's as if I am back to the elves hometown."
I murmured before I heard a movement at my 8' clock.
With a precise movement, I slid right behind the large tree observing the shuffling of the grass.
I immediately imagine my favorite sword. Although it did appear, only it's shape and durability remained without magic enchants.
The moment it's head appears, I had a good stare.
"Full body armor and even a weird looking crossbow."
I sighed before focusing deeply.
I felt I can see everything when I closed my eyes.
Helena said they are not real.
So why can I detect their heartbeat, their breathing, the way the grass sways from left to right? The taste of air?
(Alright. Time to see how far I fell from not fighting for a long time.)
I dashed to the enemy quickly.
The enemy noticed me and 2 more leapt out the opposite sides of me.
I kicked a stone from where I landed it hit the enemy infront of me right in the face.
It started firing in the air but missed as I hit it's face.
The other two started firing as well.
Luckily, I positioned myself behind the one I hit in the face before slashing my sword at it's neck.
Unfortunately, it's hard.
(tsk.)
I failed to decapitate the target and leapt back to the cover of the thick grass.
(I understand it's thickness. Next time I will CUT it.)
I said before running around them.
The three simply stood there aiming their weapons wherever they hear a sound.
(Good.)
I grab a rock as I run around and throw it at the back of the one holding a longer crossbow like weapon, before I leap in the tree.
The noise of my running stopped so they thought I appeared behind them so they all turned around and started firing at the direction where I threw the stone.
without hesitation, I leapt and slashed from the air down to the ground cutting the one closest to me in half and without waiting, I stab the other in the chest then cut diagonally making it's body fall to the ground.
The one with the longest weapon turned around but I am already gone as I am now standing behind him before I slash through it's neck finally decapitating it cleanly.
"phew..."
I sighed before the simulation stopped returning to the bright spacious room again and Helena clapping.
"As expected of a hero..."
She claps while going to me.
"I would have died earlier if that is real. I failed to estimate the armor's strength. It's tougher than the dragon's tail."
I murmured remembering my failed slash at the neck.
"But you adjusted to it's strength and cut it anyways. I need to consult this to him or he might start panicking again."
"Him?"
I asked curiously taking off the helmet and giving it to her.
"The leader of Maximillian Future. George Maximillian. The most paranoid man in the world."
Helena sighed before tapping at her board and suddenly surprising me by pulling something from the pocket of her coat and fired at my face.
Luckily my 'Gale's dress' effect activated dissipating the bright light Helena's weapon fired.
"Wow... Even a photon gun can't penetrate it huh."
My eyes blinked a few times.
(Damn... that shot blew 1/10th of my mana reserves ...)
"Umm... what was that?"
I asked Helena curiously.
"This? oh it's my self defense weapon photon gun mk3 which is modified for faster speed shooting but can only shoot 5 times before reloading again. Oh, by reloading, I mean changing cartridge which is high powered cell."
Helena explained the item although I understand almost next to nothing.
"That shot took a lot of my mana just to block it..."
I stare at Helena as tiny thread of sweat flow from my cheeks.
"Really?"
Helena surprised as well as we stare at each other don't know what to say.