Forty minutes later, Elias opened his eyes. He sat up immediately, looking around. What greeted his sight was Helena standing just above him, an ice bucket in hand, just about to tip it over his head. They stared at each other in awkward silence, but before Elias could say anything, Helena threw the bucket aside and turned around.
"Took you long enough," she said as she walked towards her bag, took out a chocolate bar, and tossed it to him.
Elias caught it as he stood up. He wondered if it was some kind of bribe, but he ate it anyway. He still felt a bit shaky.
After eating, he felt slightly better, though he knew he hadn't fully recovered. Ignoring that, he walked towards the axe. Slowly gripping it, he took a deep breath, trying to recall the sensation he felt before. It came to him easier than expected.
He could now clearly feel the spark glowing faintly in his heart, almost as if he had unlocked the doors blocking access to it. With ease, he commanded the mana to flow from his spark to the axe. The runes lit up slightly, and he lifted the axe, placing it on his shoulder as he walked towards Helena.
"Task complete."
Helena stared at him for a moment before clapping her hands. "Well done, Elias. You actually surprised me, so congratulations. But don't overdo it—drop the axe. The last thing you want is to overstrain your spark. It doesn't have much mana, and you're not even fully recovered."
Elias nodded and dropped the axe.
Helena gestured for him to sit, and he did. "From what I was told, you know nothing about cultivation or how mana works. I'm not going to spend hours explaining elementary concepts, so I'll keep it simple."
"Mana is a type of energy that exists throughout the entire galaxy. It can't be created or destroyed, but it can be absorbed and used to nurture the spark to the next stage. That is cultivation."
She stretched out her hand, and stones of different shapes formed, swirling around it.
"Mana can exist in many forms—not just elements. That part isn't fully understood yet. Having affinities gives you access to specific forms of mana, making it impossible to use others. However, there are people like you with more than one affinity. The current record holder is the heritage holder of Abundance, who possesses four."
Elias was shocked. When he had watched the others fight, Gravon hadn't used any element. He wondered if it was something different.
Helena continued, "Finally, remember mana overload and mana exhaustion. You must never absorb more mana than your spark can handle—especially since yours is located in your heart. Too much mana could cause it to explode. And don't deplete your mana completely either. Aside from passing out, continuous depletion can lead to disastrous consequences."
"That's all for today. You've already exhausted your mana, so I'll let you off easy. Tomorrow will be much harder, so get some rest. And before I forget—a gift."
She removed a black ring adorned with runes.
"This is a spatial ring. You should know how rare it is. Inside, there's a mana core. You'll use it to reach the Ember stage by tomorrow. It's not difficult—I believe you can figure it out. You'll need more mana for tomorrow, so this is your only option. To bond with the ring, send a bit of your mana into it. The runes will register you as the owner."
Elias could barely process everything she said. Before he could grasp one thing, she dropped another.
The ring aside, reaching the Ember stage in a day—how was that even possible?
"I really appreciate the gifts, but what you're asking is impossible. It took my sister weeks to reach that stage, and you want it done by tomorrow."
Helena picked up her bag. "You don't have a choice. If you want to continue your training, get it done. If I were you, I'd make the most of the time you have left."
She left him alone in the arena.
Elias sighed. "I don't like her at all."