'My elemental affinity, I wonder what it is?'
Resting to the side, Ren held the rank 3 crystal tightly, absorbing all he could. Since it was rank 3 mana, it was extremely difficult to refine, requiring meticulous control; he had to balance his absorption, as taking too much would make him lose control of the mana, while absorbing too little would waste time that Aria was desperately making.
Aria had been fighting for a couple of minutes, running around and shooting rocks to stall it while also firing [Wind Blade] occasionally, but Ren knew very well she was reaching her limit.
'Making a core in a minute? How crazy! It took me a year last time.'
In his past life, he had spent a whole year forming a core, and he drank multiple elixirs during that time.
Checking on his core, he was pleasantly surprised by what he found. Ocean blue mana that glowed with light and dark tones, this mana formed a sphere that was his core.
'70% I don't have time! Should I risk it?'
70% was already absurd, like Aria, he had been forming the core since he woke up. Since they both had high ranks in their last lives, their speed was about the same, yet Ren's face couldn't help but frown.
'Since she gave me the crystal, it went up 20 percent. I've been taking as much as I could from the crystal, but I need to take more. Even if I have to force it!'
Due to his experience, he could balance the right amount of mana to take from the crystal. If he were too greedy and absorbed the whole thing, it would be a disaster; the refined mana was too strong for a rank 0 to handle, and would try to exit the body, returning to nature or back to the crystal.
'Since my body can't handle rank 3 mana exiting, my organs would rupture, and I would bleed out in excruciating pain!'
The macabre thought chilled his mind. Failure meant death. Yet success meant he would advance his core creation; still, thoughts of failure flowed through his mind.
'If I die, what will happen to Aria?'
Gazing at her figure, desperately casting spells, Ren knew that she was reaching her limit; they couldn't run. Aria wasn't as fit as he was, and they both were exhausted from casting spells or running, slight regret crossed his mind.
'Maybe we shouldn't have killed it?'
If they hadn't attacked the furred monster, its kin probably wouldn't have chased them, but Ren shook his head, the regret fading in tandem.
'No, that thinking is wrong; we can't predict the future. Plus, at the end of core creation, you need a slight push to break through to rank 1.'
If they avoided monsters and waited till the next day, they may have gotten their cores to 99%, but never 100%, as that required an external push to break through.
So Ren smiled and, without hesitation, absorbed a massive amount of mana from the crystal. The flood of mana came, shaking his body, causing his exhaustion to worsen, and a coughing fit of blood to stain the forest grass.
He surrounded the foreign mana with his own, attempting to crush it, but it only held for a moment as the mana broke through his own, pushing his mana out and wasting it. Ren merely smiled, pouring more of his mana around it, pushing it towards the center of his body.
The struggle between foreign mana and his own continued. Ren's mana was nearly depleted, yet he persisted, pulling the mana deeper and deeper into his body until a sphere appeared.
'Now get in!'
Scraping the last reserves of his mana, the foreign mana was pushed into the unfinished core, and in an instant, cracks started to appear as the mana fought back. Ren desperately condensed the sphere to hold in the mana and assimilate it.
The cracks continued to widen all across the sphere, nearly shattering it before it stopped. Soon, the ocean blue mana core churned inside him as it expanded, fixing the cracks and increasing in size, shining brightly.
'I-It's done! That was worth it!'
Ren felt the familiar euphoria of ascension, his mana jumping in both density and control. In addition, he felt his body become lighter and more robust as mana saturated his body. Ren's mouth curved in excitement as he once more ascended to the 1st rank. Without hesitation, he started casting magic.
[Wind Discharge]
A small breeze was felt by Ren; he then uncast the spell.
'Unefficient! Not that one.'
Ren continued trying,
[Earth Discharge]
Touching the ground, a small mound shot up. Ren shook his head.
'Not that one either.'
Both Wind and Earth were the most mana efficient of the basic elements. Although Ren could use them, if he wanted to fight the monster, he needed to use the element with which he had the greatest affinity.
[Water Discharge]
An orb of water appeared at his fingertips before falling and wetting his hand.
'This one has a bit..'
Water was one of the elements he used a lot in his last life. Although the water was larger than the others, he couldn't fully say he had an affinity, but because he used it the most, such a result occurred.
'That means I don't have affinities or I have an affinity for…'
[Fire Discharge]
Ren, without hesitation, casts the last spell, his expression changing to one of jubilation,
…
Back in the present, the monster threw a hook with its remaining arm, and Ren pushed his exhausted body to the side. His legs were tired, but his arms weren't as bad, allowing him to cut off its injured arm in an instant.
'It's still so fast!'
However, after such a move, the monster was on complete guard, not letting Ren any closer, using its higher ranked Aura to its advantage.
Moving with maximum efficiency, he dodged the attacks by mere centimeters, his body now able to withstand the wind pressure created by the furred monster.
'It can use Aura as well! I can't break through this, but it can only use it on its arms! I still see a chance!'
Aura was used by rank 2. Ren was rank 1, so he couldn't use it yet, but that wouldn't stop him. With a step forward, he started his advance towards the monster.
The monster swung down with immense strength, and Ren slashed at the side of the Aura covered arm, parrying it to the ground, but causing cracks to appear on his sword. He moved to the side of the monster's severed arm, using the weak side to his advantage, he slashed towards the face, blinding the monster's right eye.
Ren continued to dodge, applying more and more injuries to the monster; nevertheless, he knew his limit was fast approaching, and he needed a chance to deal a decisive blow. Little did he know that chance would come sooner than he expected.
"Ren!"
Aria's voice cut through the battlefield, causing Ren's eyes to widen at the call of his name. Glancing at her for a moment, an understanding was formed upon eye contact, his sword parried one more time, chipping it beyond repair, only the tip was sharp.
Ren then took a stance, planting his feet on the ground, leaving him open, getting ready to put his all into a single strike. It was insane to leave himself open, yet he trusted Aria would come through.
'I'll use… that move.'
The monster didn't give up, launching a final attack towards Ren.
Blood sprayed, but not Ren's; it was from its right leg, hit by a [Wind Blade], which caused the fist to veer to the side, missing Ren!
[Fire Discharge]
The mana was converted into fire element, as a sword technique formed in his mind. This technique required him to be completely still and focused.
'Helian Faith Simple Sword style 1st form'
[Piercing Light]
The fire element gathered at the very tip of Ren's blade as he thrust it forward at a speed so fast the monster couldn't react. The blade pierced the monster's head in the blink of an eye.
Its movements stilled before its arm turned limp, and when Ren pulled out the sword, it fell face first on the ground dead.
"Hah.. Hah"
His breathing was heavy, his vision blurry, he felt like dropping at the very movement, but his mind wouldn't let him.
Looking around, his gaze landed on Aria, walking towards her, he noticed that she was wobbling and that blood was pouring from her nose. She only stood because she was leaning on her staff.
Ren's ocean blue eyes and Aria's golden eyes stared at each other,
"Aria"
She tilted her head before giving him a light chuckle,
"Huhu, what is it, Ren?"
He shook his head before asking a question
"We never called each other by our names, huh?"
Aria's eyes lit up, realizing the same before nodding,
"That's right! Ren.. Ren! Ren?"
"Pft.. What is it?"
"Hehe, It feels nice to say."
The two moved using each other as support, moving towards a tree, sitting side by side against it.
"Do you think we'll be attacked here?"
Ren wondered, asking Aria,
"That monster came in, so it seems other creatures can as well. But…"
"But?"
"It's not like we can do anything."
They were too tired and injured to fight; their mana reserves were emptied, and their minds and bodies were exhausted.
"Ren.. I feel tired."
Aria's golden eyes were dull with fatigue. Ren smiled, tapping his shoulder,
"Then lean on my shoulder."
Aria's dull eyes lit up as she grinned, nodding without hesitation,
"Then don't mind if I do!"
Aria's weight pressed against Ren's shoulder as moments passed. Ren's body shivered, causing Aria to look up curiously. She noticed Ren's pale skin seemed cold, causing her to reach out to hold his hand.
"Aria?"
"You're cold, right? My hand is warm."
Aria's hand clasps Ren's, transferring an unfamiliar warmth to his fingertips. He smiles, thanking her.
"Ah.. thanks."
"Hehe, to think a fire mage would be cold."
Ren laughed with her, finding the situation odd as well, as the two drifted into sleep sitting under the night stars.