“That’s better. You are starting to get the hang of this. Much better than yesterday,” Arlene said as the woman observed Scarlett conjuring water and fire into a variety of elemental shapes at the center of a forest clearing.

Each shape balanced an object on top, such as twigs, stones, and other small woodland items. Although ‘balanced’ might be too generous a word, as the objects were, at best, gently slowed in their descent towards the ground. The fires were gradually having their pebbles and stones sink through them, while the water shapes required constant reinforcement and adjustment to keep their slightly heavier objects completely afloat.

Nonetheless, Scarlett was impressed she could do even this much.

She had spent the majority of the last two days here in Freymeadow practicing her magic, focusing primarily on refining the technique Arlene had taught her to make her flames more ‘substantial’. Out of curiosity, she had tried applying it to her hydrokinesis as well, but unfortunately, it wasn’t as effective in that context. So, she’d reverted to simply increasing the pressure and density of her water to achieve a similar effect.

That said, Arlene had provided some helpful insights in that area, despite it falling outside her expertise. This made Scarlett feel like she was making progress on that front as well.

After maintaining her magic under Arlene’s watchful eye for a while longer, Scarlett finally released it, taking a breath and wiping the sweat from her brow.

The older woman studied her. “Without that bardic friend of yours here to revitalize you, it might be wise that we stop here for now.”

Scarlett glanced to the side.

[Mana: 1673/11892]

She had used the [Tablet of Sovegrephor (Legendary)] to upgrade her necklace this morning.

[Depraved Solitude’s Choker (Unique — Legendary)]{This necklace hungers for power and appears to draw in the mana around it, waiting to be unleashed. Enhanced by powers of old, it now craves even the smallest of trickles. 1132/9750}

The increase in mana was welcome, yet it also felt sort of unfamiliar — like having suddenly grown longer legs but lacking the muscles and stamina to properly use them. This meant she felt even more drained when she did deplete her mana, a state she was running dangerously close to at the moment.

It was easy to be fooled by how much mana was still left, but most of what remained wasn’t her own. Instead, it belonged to the artifact. And since she’d already had it recharged once by Arlene after they’d arrived at this clearing, pushing beyond this point would likely leave her collapsed in the dirt within minutes.

Usually, that was when Scarlett relied on Rosa to lend her the energy to move around with her magic, but since they had also spent most of the morning experimenting with Rosa’s new charm, the bard was back in the village, resting. Right now, Rosa was probably about as tired as Scarlett would be if she continued any further.

But this was something she had taken into account. There was a reason Scarlett had suggested to Arlene that they conduct their training in the forest for the afternoon.

“I will manage for the time being,” she said. “I have made preparations for this situation.”

She removed the [Depraved Solitude’s Choker] and reached into the [Pouch of Holding] at her waist, producing a crystal ball containing a swirling rainbow of colors beneath an orange nebula of tiny stars.

[Ittar’s Genesis].

Within, she could sense the energy that seemed ready to burst forth.

[Mana: 20541/22289]

Arlene glanced at the artifact momentarily, then at Scarlett. “That does not seem like something you should have in your possession.”

“I imagine there are many that would share your sentiment. Nevertheless, it is mine for now.” Scarlett tested the weight of the sacred relic, lifting and lowering it. “With this, I believe I can continue for some time.”

Arlene appeared to consider her for a prolonged moment, then simply shrugged and returned her attention to the center of the clearing. “I won’t stand in your way. A word of warning, though. You should be careful where and whom you show that to.”

“I am well aware.”

Summoning another set of elemental shapes, Scarlett resumed her previous exercises under the woman’s guidance. It was far easier to focus on her magic when she could rely solely on the mana contained within [Ittar’s Genesis] instead of tiring herself out by draining what little remained of her own reserves.

Eventually, after twenty or so minutes of training, Scarlett dismissed her magic once again to catch her breath. As she reached for a flask of water to drink, Arlene spoke from beside her.

“You’re a quick learner.”

Scarlett paused, slowly turning to look at the woman, who stood with both hands on her waist. Compliments from Arlene, especially concerning her magical proficiency, were rare.

“Don’t give me that look.” The woman walked over and sat on a nearby tree stump, disregarding the moss and dirt on it. “It’s the truth. You are absorbing my teachings with surprising speed. Like a sponge.”

Scarlett simply stared at her, not entirely sure how to respond. On one hand, it felt natural for her efforts to be praised, but at the same time, hearing it from Arlene like this felt strange.

“…I am merely following your directions,” she eventually replied.

“And you’re doing so with impressive competence. It’s clear you have a natural talent for pyrokinesis, and to a lesser extent, hydrokinesis. But what you’re demonstrating goes beyond that. I doubt most others would have made similar progress in your position.”

That…

Scarlett wasn’t sure how true that was. She felt like the woman had to be exaggerating. Most of the time, all she had to do was shape her magic according to Arlene’s instructions and remember the associated feeling from her mana. It was like learning a new sport, with an experienced coach showing the proper technique and form, allowing Scarlett to improve without actively thinking about the how. It was far from a science on her end. If the game had had the archetype, she might have compared it with being a sorcerer in contrast to Arlene’s wizard, but even that analogy could be giving her more credit than she deserved.

“I can tell you don’t believe me,” Arlene said. “Let me ask you a question. Do you know why most mages never progress beyond the basics of pyrokinesis in favor of spells, and why they almost never even touch true pyrokinesis?”

“I believe we have already had a conversation similar to this.” Scarlett observed the woman for a moment. “…But if I were to humor you, I am aware that true pyrokinesis is supposed to be a challenging skill to learn. Mages who do so often focus on it only as far as it is necessary, as some of its principles aid in the development and casting of higher-tier spells. Additionally, as you yourself have pointed out, relying on pyrokinesis is less efficient than using spells.”

“That last one is the biggest factor, but the difficulty cannot be overstated. Given that, why do you think that you find it comparatively easy?”

Scarlett pressed her lips together. The answer to that clearly lay in her access to the system, but that wasn’t really something she wanted to bring up with this version of Arlene. The notion made her uneasy.

“Beyond having a natural aptitude, I cannot provide an explanation,” she replied.

“You do, yes. That, and you possess a strong sense of will and of how the world should be,” the woman said.

“…Truly?”

Arlene nodded. “Yes. Even if an ordinary mage manages the basics of pyrokinesis, it’s exceedingly rare for them to master its ‘purer’ variant. That is, in part, because true pyrokinesis requires a deeper connection with the essence of the element itself, rather than the mere manipulation of fire. As with all the primal forces in this world, tapping into them demands a resolute will and a distinct perception of the world, accurate or not. Skill is a significant factor as well, but that is what you are currently honing. What matters most is that you already know what you want and have a clear vision of how you perceive the world.” The woman pointed at her. “This is the paradigm that shapes your interaction with the primal forces, and it’s what grants you the impressive control you have been displaying since we first met. How you wield that control may be far less impressive, but that is what we’re here to refine.”

Scarlett frowned. Her ‘will’ could be considered strong, in a sense, but wasn’t that simply a result of the original’s personality and traits merging with hers? It was yet another effect of the system. Furthermore, she wasn’t even sure how she ‘viewed’ the world, so she had no idea how that would relate to her magic.

“Don’t overthink it too much,” Arlene said, letting out a short sigh. “People tend to do that when I try to explain certain concepts to them. I was never as good at this as my old master. Simply know that establishing such a strong connection with an element as you have usually necessitates extensive training and preparation, both of the mind and the body. Your will can be seen as the anchor that binds you to the element, while your perception of the world is the rudder. It doesn’t necessarily have to be ‘correctly shaped’, but if you have a strong image of the world that you desire, it helps in making your magic shape it accordingly.”

“…I was not aware that played a factor.” Scarlett could remember Arlene telling her something about the importance of one’s will before, but the woman had never gone into much depth.

“It’s not a topic that most people comprehend well.” Arlene eyed her for a moment, then looked to the side. “Regardless, you are making good progress. Even while limited to pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis, I think you’ll be able to go far with what you have at your disposal.”

“Is that so?” Scarlett glanced down at her hands and the crystal ball she was holding. “If I may ask.” She returned her gaze to the older woman. “Do you have any examples of what I might be capable of if I continue training with you?”

Arlene’s focus returned to Scarlett. She motioned through the air with her hand. Fire materialized at the clearing’s center, crafting a miniature landscape of fiery hills, intricately detailed ‘grass’ swaying in an imagined breeze, and a cluster of tiny buildings near the scene’s edge. Scarlett could not help but marvel at the precision with which Arlene used her pyrokinesis.

“If we’re simply talking control, then I would expect you to reproduce something like this one day,” the woman said. “Once you attain that level, I imagine you’ll be able to figure out plenty of interesting ideas on your own. Unlike you, however, I don’t have any experience with hydrokinesis, so I don’t know what you might be capable of there. That being said…”

Above the model landscape, more fire manifested, coalescing into an intense blazing star that twisted upon itself in complex patterns and runes, turning a deep orange that almost seemed to exude a heat on its own. Scarlett froze for a brief moment as she recognized the display.

In the next instance, fiery tendrils coiled out from the star, enshrouding the sky over the landscape and obliterating the entire scene within seconds. Then, as swiftly as it had emerged, the spectacle faded.

“You will never be able to achieve something like this,” Arlene’s voice reverberated beside her.

Scarlett fixated on the empty space for a moment longer. Even though it was an illusion—an artistic creation rendered through pyrokinesis—but she knew exactly what that had portrayed.

She turned her gaze to Arlene. “That was a primordial spell.”

The woman arched an eyebrow. “You’re right.”

Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering Arlene’s mastery of pyromancy, but Scarlett hadn’t been aware that the woman knew that particular spell.

Arlene met her gaze. “As you mentioned earlier, pyrokinesis lacks the efficiency of spellcasting. Barring that peculiar charm your friend has, pyrokinesis requires you to direct and maintain all the mana yourself, whereas spells function autonomously following their casting. This means that spells hold an inherent advantage over pyrokinesis in terms of scale. A construct as complex as a primordial spell simply isn’t possible outside of that framework. If you want to achieve a similar effect through pyrokinesis, you would need truly absurd amounts of mana and control.”

“…Then where do you think my limit will be?”

“Your limit?” Arlene shifted a strand of black-and-white hair from her eyes and leaned forward, resting her elbow on her leg. “I think you’re underestimating my teachings. I am saying that aspiring to reach that level through pyrokinesis alone is irrational, yes, but I am not saying that should stop you.” The woman locked eyes with Scarlett. “Don’t you remember what I said earlier about a strong will and perception of the world? Thoughts related to limitations shouldn’t even be on your mind.”

Scarlett regarded her, lingering in silence for several seconds as she absorbed those words.

This was another side of Arlene that she hadn’t seen before. The woman often seemed intent on ensuring Scarlett didn’t harbor any incorrect or overly ambitious assumptions about magic. Yet this marked the first instance where Arlene displayed such ambition herself. It felt as though Scarlett was seeing a lot of new facets of Arlene’s character now that the woman was finally teaching her.

“I think this is the first time I have seen you smile since you arrived,” Arlene said.

Scarlett blinked, realizing her lips had actually curved upwards slightly.

The woman rose from the stump she had been sitting on and walked past Scarlett. “I assume you still have more mana stored in that relic of yours? Then let’s get back to it. I still have a couple more lessons I want to squeeze into that head of yours before evening falls.”

Scarlett brought her mind back from the musings that had begun to drift through it, recentering herself and turning to follow Arlene. She could think about other matters later. Right now, there was more training to be done.