Eldrian''s nonchnt attitude caused Ilmadia to take even more emotional damage, but it also riled up her spirit to fight.


    She wasn''t a battle junky like Judith, but she had finally found the path Eldrian was on—a path she wanted to walk alongside Eldrian. She had touched upon true magic, not just memorization and calling out of words for the system to perform magic.


    To actually connect with mana, to envision a spell and have your imagination turn to reality. She had seen finally sensed the true essence of magic.


    It was such a wonderful thing. She did not want to lose it, neither did she wish to fall even further behind Eldrian. His advice had allowed her to touch upon this foreign, mythical realm. Now, she wanted to prove that she was going to do her best to catch up to him.


    Her only concern was Miracle, but she wasn''t in their home country and the others were nearby. If she suddenly disappeared, everyone would know why. Add the noise they had made on the forums, Ilmadia doubted Miracle would risk it. At least, not until she was at the level Eldrian was at when he vanished.


    Judith, of course, had noints in showing Eldrian her taunt skill. In fact, she felt riled up. She wanted to prove to Eldrian just how strong they, she, were. Smirking as she saw Eldrian moving to just a few meters from her, she formed her n.


    "Chievasmos!" Judith shouted, a mana wave spreading out with her at the epicenter.


    She also rushed Eldrian in a surprise attack, but was blown away by a simple wind wave. When she recovered and tried to rush Eldrian again, he tripped her by applying force to one of her legs with ether.


    He then proceeded to bind her to the ground after noticing she still wanted to charge him. Envisioning vines sprouting from the dirt and preventing her from moving, he let his mana flow subconsciously as he focused on the lingering effects of Judith''s taunt.


    ''Mmm, seems to be a nature type spell — no, this is a skill. I see, Judith might not know the trigger, but it is to direct your anger... or at least discontent... a feeling of anger or simr -at the enemy. Seems she subconsciously strengthened the spell... but why?''


    Eldrian, of course, was totally clueless about all the emotional damage he had thrown at the group. Judith was, of course, experiencing the worst now. Unable to even move and not even able toy a finger of Eldrian with a surprise attack out of the blue.


    She was blown away with such ease that she didn''t want to ept it. She tried to remove the memory from her mind, but the vines binding her to the ground were a painful reminder of what had happened just seconds before.


    ''The shout activates the yer''s system and negated the trigger requirement, but I can clearly feel the lingering anger, no I guess this feels more like discontent or dissatisfaction... It is simr enough to anger. It is lingering in the air, almost like it is something that exists... no, well, I guess that is what auras are.''


    ''Is it a derivative of aura maniption, then? Or is it simply an emotional maniption via magic? Something like spirit magic? But confirmed and confined to standard static casting methods...''


    ''Nature element... I see, so nature is more broad than just life and nts. Of course, emotions are part of life. So that shouldn''t be a surprise, but I never considered it. I thought nature equaled nt or healing. How narrow a viewpoint and how stupid....''


    ''There is also some light and water mixed in, probably to form an illusion. But that didn''t take proper form. Quite theplex skill, impressive.''


    Coming to this point, Eldrian paused. Considering his auras, and especially that special ability (Aura Leak) he had gained after returning to ANW and saving Kynigo, he believed his copying it from this understanding would be too much.


    ''But to amplify another''s spells or skills. There are spells like that, buffs... But since I only want this skill to be amplified...'' Eldrian pondered for a bit more and after a moment he picked up a random stick and started engraving some runes onto it.


    Ilmadia, like Eldrian -but still stuck to the normal methods-, had been constantly using and switching between Mana Examination (which Eldrian had shared with the guild) and Magic Inspection.


    When Eldrian started adding runes to a random stick, the shock to her heart was truly great.


    ''Is he seriously making a magic item from a stick he found on the ground?'' She hoped she was wrong. She didn''t think her heart could take it.


    She could see Eldrian''s control, and especially how he forced mana into the stick as if it was normal to stuff more water into an already full ss of water. And somehow, the ss kept on epting more and more. Ever full and ever epting.


    Altering the very makeup of the stick to suit his needs. Sadly, she was right. He was making a magic item from a random stick. Actually, what he did was even more impossible than she could imagine.


    Eldrian enchanted the stick to a degree that it could no longer be called a normal stick. What Eldrian did, it didn''t conform tomon sense. The sight made Ilmadia''s brain hurt, and her heart race.


    She wanted to chase after this. She could see in Eldrian''s focus and sheer overwhelming willpower (mageia)—the true essence of magic.


    To force his will to be reality.


    That was the true essence of magic.


    The sight exhrated her and made her dream of one day being capable of doing the same.


    As she watched, she lost all interest in returning to Pediades to help with the evacuation of those captured by the orcs. It was terrible; it was sad. But she did not wish to fall even further behind Eldrian.


    She needed to have him guide her. She needed to understand just why he could use magic so effortlessly. What was the difference? Why was he special? These questions rang through her head as she stared at the true image of magic.


    "Here, this should increase the range to around a hundred meters. Before activating the skill, think of what you hate in the target. Undead, so think like their repulsiveness, putrid odor, or something like that. Pour that emotion into your shout and it should work."


    "No way, as simple as that?!" Judith took the stick with trembling hands, exhausted from her fight with the vines.


    The little clothes that she wore were in a state of disaster. Luckily, the vines were covering the important parts. Eldrian had even altered them to form leaves to make sure no one saw anything improper. His apology for being so forceful.


    ''However, that is an interesting point. What I did wasn''t enhance the growth of nts... it was more like I summoned or created the nts from nothing, or rather with mana. And once I stopped the flow of mana, it withered and turned to nothing...''


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.