A Pyromaniac's Ascent

"High level? Is that why it filled all of my mana instantly?" Finn asked.

"Exactly. But for someone at my level, one high-level potion wouldn't even come close to filling my mana pool. Mages have it worse because their Wisdom is their primary attribute," Yukha replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "But higher Wisdom also means faster mana regeneration, just like how Constitution works for health recovery. Plus, there are always items and equipment to help boost mana regeneration."

"If that was a high-level potion, though, wasn't it expensive?" Finn asked.

"Don't worry about it," Yukha said with a small wave of his hand. "I've amassed plenty of Valor Points over the years. A few high-level mana potions are hardly a dent in my reserves."

Finn frowned, guilt flickering across his face. "Still, I feel bad about using your points. I wouldn't be able to afford anything close to that right now with the little I have."

"Then consider it a loan," Yukha said with a knowing smile. "When you're strong enough to take down multiple corrupted elementals a day, earning Valor Points will be easy for you. Paying me back will be the least of your concerns. Deal?"

Finn hesitated, then nodded. "Deal."

A thought struck him, and he added with a wry smile, "But what if I die before I can pay you back?"

"Impossible," Yukha replied without missing a beat. His gaze was firm, his voice unwavering. "Because I won't let that happen."

The sheer conviction in Yukha's words caught Finn off guard, silencing him for a moment. "That's… reassuring," he finally said, smiling genuinely.

Turning his attention back to his status box, Finn noticed something unusual. His Fire Affinity had increased by a point. He scanned the rest of his stats to be sure and found more changes.

Elemental Affinities:

Stone - 30

Water - 30

Fire - 56

Wind - 30

Free Points - 0

His attributes had shifted as well. Both Perception and Wisdom had gone up by a point.

Attributes:

Constitution - 5

Strength - 5

Perception - 9

Wisdom - 13

Free Points - 0

Blinking, Finn realized his total mana had risen to 52 from 50, confirming the Wisdom boost. He shared his discovery with Yukha, expecting surprise, but Yukha merely nodded.

"That makes sense," Yukha said. "Remember what I told you? The system quantifies your physical and elemental growth into numbers so you can track it. When you summoned and manipulated fire until you drained your mana, your body naturally adapted and grew stronger. The system reflects that improvement."

"So… whenever I get free points to assign at level-ups, those come from the system. But when my stats improve like this, it's purely my own effort?"

"Exactly," Yukha said.

Finn's mind raced with possibilities. "So if I train my body, like exercising, would that increase my Strength? What about Constitution?"

Yukha nodded. "Strength, yes. Physical exertion will improve it naturally—I've seen it happen firsthand. And you should. Mages or not, a little muscle never hurts." He paused, his gaze flickering over Finn's thin frame. "Frankly, you could use it."

Finn winced. "What about Constitution?"

"That's harder. Constitution improves through repeated damage and healing. But I wouldn't recommend it. You're too fragile right now. A single corrupted elemental could kill you in just a few hits. For now, focus on increasing your Wisdom, Perception, and maybe a bit of Strength."

"Alright. How do we go about that?"

"We'll start once we're in the Tower," Yukha said. "You need combat experience as much as stat growth. During rest periods, we'll train your Strength with light exercises—nothing too taxing. During fights, you'll use your Fire abilities to take down corrupted elementals, which will help build both Wisdom and Perception. That way, we train your stats and your instincts at the same time."

"Sounds like a plan," Finn said, feeling a spark of determination.

"So, do we head to the Tower now? Are you done preparing?"

"Not quite," Yukha replied. "Before we go, I need to know how proficient you are with your other elements. Have you ever used them before?"

Finn shook his head. "Nope. Fire is the only one I've practiced with."

"Not ideal," Yukha murmured. "But the Gods did grant you points in the other elements. Maybe that'll help."

"Let us see then. Try controlling Stone first," Yukha suggested.

He crouched down and peeled away the grass beneath them, revealing a patch of brown soil.

"Try lifting this soil—move it around like you did with the fire earlier."

So soil counts as Stone? Calling it Earth would've been way easier, but I guess that's only called that from my planet, I just need to get used to it.

Finn focused on the patch of soil, expecting to feel the same connection he had when controlling fire. A second passed. Nothing happened.

Weird.

He stepped closer, narrowing his focus and trying harder. Finally, he felt something—a faint, murky connection, as if an invisible fog was blocking his way. It reminded him of the disconnection he'd felt with fire back on Earth, before the connection had "clicked."

After a moment, small, scattered bits of soil lifted from the ground, not clumped but loose and unsteady. He tried to control them, but they scattered in random directions, ignoring his intent like a character disobeying a broken controller.

Finn sighed and gave up, letting the bits of soil fall. They were carried away by the breeze moments later.

When he glanced at his mana, his jaw dropped. Nearly half of it was gone—far more than he'd spent controlling fire.

An effect of lower affinity, maybe?

"Well, that was pathetic," Finn said, half-laughing. "It felt like the soil didn't like me."

Yukha raised an eyebrow. "Harsh, but... I'll lean toward agreeing."

"Even with just 30 Affinity for Stone, you should've been able to form a fist-sized clump and move it. Something's not right."

"Maybe it's because it's my first time?" Finn offered weakly.

"Perhaps. But even for a first attempt, that was... underwhelming." Yukha didn't sugarcoat his words.

He raised his hand, palm open. "Let's move on. Try controlling Wind this time. Focus on the air around you, then pick a single spot. Gather the wind there and condense it. Once you've grasped it, send it to my palm. If done right, you should be able to give me a small cut at this distance."

"Alright, I'll try." Finn stretched his arm out, hoping for better results this time.

He focused on the space above his palm. The wind brushed against his skin, cool and damp from the sweat pooling there. He concentrated, and this time the connection came faster—perhaps because he could physically feel the element.

Small thread-like strands of air danced across his palm. He tried to condense them, drawing them closer together to form something solid, something sharp. But once again, that invisible fog crept in, muddying the connection.

Gritting his teeth, he forced his way through it. Slowly, the strands drew closer. He had no idea what shape they'd taken, but he hoped it was enough.

He launched the gathered wind toward Yukha, mimicking a throwing motion for good measure.

A few awkward seconds passed. Yukha tilted his head. "Was that strange motion you trying to control the wind toward me?"

Finn groaned. "You don't have to embarrass me even more than I've already done myself."

"My apologies. I didn't mean to," Yukha said earnestly. "But... I felt nothing. Not even a tickle. Perhaps the skin on my palm has grown too thick?"

There was no sarcasm in his tone, but Finn still winced. He doesn't mean it badly, but it still hurts.

Why was this so difficult? With fire, everything had felt so smooth, so natural. He didn't even have to move; his hands had stayed in his pockets as he controlled that basketball-sized flame with ease. But Stone and Wind... they felt distant.

Yukha, sensing his frustration, smiled faintly. "Let us try one more element—Water," he said, his voice tinged with expectation.

Water. Yukha's element. I really hope I don't disappoint him this time.

Yukha raised his arm, and a flask appeared out of thin air, materializing in his massive hand. Was the flask small, or were his hands just that big?

"Did that come from your Inventory?" Finn asked.

"Yes. I'm surprised you already know. Have you used yours yet?" Yukha replied.

"Not yet—just a lucky guess," Finn said, shrugging.

Another item materialized in Yukha's other hand. This time, it was a battered bowl, its surface marred with scratches. Yukha crouched, set the bowl on the ground, and poured water into it from the flask until it was half-full. Finn could guess where this was going, but one question still nagged him.

"Why bother with water from another source? Can't you just summon it for me since you're a natural?"

Yukha shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. You cannot control elements summoned by someone else. Elemental manipulation only works with your own power or with natural elements already present around you."

Finn nodded slowly, the explanation sinking in.

"Now," Yukha said, gesturing to the bowl, "try scooping up the water with your mind. Form it into any shape you want—a sphere is easiest. Water is softer than stone and more visible than wind. It's not as light as fire, but you may find it easier to control than the others."

"Alright," Finn said, exhaling deeply.

"Take this first," Yukha added.

"Take what?" Finn asked, frowning.

Before Yukha answered, a box popped up in Finn's vision:

ACCEPT ITEM FROM YUKHA?

Mana Potion [High] x1

You can even do that? Finn thought, amazed. He mentally agreed, and the box vanished, replaced by another:

ITEM RECEIVED.

As the notification closed, Finn glanced at his inventory. The small square labeled Inventory now had a small red '1' in the corner. Curious, he opened it.

Rows of empty slots appeared, except for three at the top left. The first contained a red stone—the teleportation stone Halgon had given them for the first realm of the tower. The second held a blue stone, the failsafe that would send them home at the cost of losing everything. The third was the mana potion Yukha had just handed over.

"You don't need to take the potion out to use it," Yukha explained, interrupting Finn's inspection. "Just think about consuming it, and it will activate. That's especially useful in battle. The only downside is you miss out on the refreshing taste."

"That's definitely a drawback," Finn said.

Following Yukha's instructions, he mentally consumed the potion. Warmth surged through him as his depleted mana reserves filled to the brim. He felt reinvigorated, but his nerves still tingled with anticipation.

Alright, third time's the charm. Let's do this.

Turning his focus to the bowl, Finn honed in on the still surface of the water. Almost immediately, the liquid began to ripple, then bubble as if boiling. Droplets started to rise, hovering in midair, but he couldn't get them to clump together. Instead, they scattered in all directions, ignoring his attempts to guide them.

Finn's frustration mounted as he tried again and again to control the water, but the droplets refused to obey, zigzagging away from his mental commands.

"Well, it seems like water hates me too," Finn muttered, releasing his focus. The water dropped back into the bowl with a soft plop, settling once more.

"Don't say that, Finn," Yukha said. "The elements do not hate, especially not water. It has aided me countless times in the past. Perhaps you simply need more practice than most."

Yukha's optimism was infectious, and it eased some of Finn's tension. Still, despite his repeated failures, he didn't feel defeated.

So what if I'm bad at water, wind, and stone?

Sure, his connection to the other elements might be weak, but fire? Fire was his strength. Fire didn't need coaxing or convincing—it roared to life with just a thought.

That's right. Fire and I get along just fine.

Finn's lips curled into a determined smile. I love fire, and fire loves me back.