NOVEL NEXT 65 – Thunder General vs. High Elf of Light
Chapter 65 - Thunder General vs. High Elf of Light
Chloe Evenhart:
Our time with the professor was coming to an end, and she had given us a final test. Since we were already advanced in using elemental mana, she tasked us with creating something new with our element. I managed to make snow instead of just freezing water. Now, I could shoot snow, and I enjoyed making snowballs to play with. The professor praised me for accomplishing something so difficult for my age.
When it was Nathan's turn, he said he wanted to fight the professor. She was surprised, and he explained that he would show her what he had created through battle.
Adrihna Akonium:
"Do you remember the rules?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.
"Yes! Only magic until my mana is exhausted," Nathan responded with determination.
"Exactly."
We were in a warehouse that the Evenhart family had cleared out and was adapting for some unknown purpose. Nathan stood in front of me, while Chloe and Kinue watched intently from a distance. Nathan had asked to fight using his element, and I had agreed. He had been disappearing for some time to train alone, and I allowed him to practice at his own pace, in isolation, because what I needed to teach had already been learned. Now, it was up to them to take what they had learned and develop their own spells until the day they entered the academy.
Since Nathan discovered he was predominantly a Transmitter, he had begun training alone for much of the day, whenever he could, in this warehouse. His magic was dangerous and couldn't be practiced near other people. Fortunately, the family had emptied the warehouse for a construction project, which allowed my apprentice to focus on practicing his element without distractions.
"Are you ready? This will be your first time fighting against a mage using only magic. You won't be using your sword, even though I know you're skilled with it. You'll only be using spells," I instructed.
Nathan nodded and stepped back to put some distance between us.
I glanced at the two girls to ensure they were far enough away.
"I don't need a sword," Nathan said, taking a stance and signaling that he was ready.
"Good! From now on, you'll be fighting against a mage with a Star Gem of the Light Element," I announced with a slight smile.
"Star Gem? Isn't that at a genius level?" Chloe asked, surprised.
Even Kinue seemed nervous.
I hadn't told them the level of my gem. I am one of the finest mages in the elven kingdom.
"Just to be clear, I won't be using golem summoning or destructive spells. I'll only match your level and evaluate your mana control during the fight with my eyes. However, you're free to go all out," I explained.
Nathan gave a firm nod.
"A warrior for a thousand deaths..." he muttered quietly, focusing.
"Begin!" I shouted.
Nathan dashed forward, blue sparks crackling across his body.
He's fast! He's using his element to enhance his physical attributes, and he's faster than usual. Is this what the thunder element does in a Transmitter mage?
"He's fast!" Chloe exclaimed, impressed.
"Very fast!" Kinue added, equally surprised.
Nathan kept running and leaped into the air.
I kept one hand behind my back and raised the other, staying alert.
In the air, he shot a lightning bolt from his hand toward me.
Dangerous, if it hits.
I raised my hand, and a translucent yellow wall blocked the attack.
Nathan landed on the ground and rolled, firing several more lightning bolts in rapid succession.
There are so many! He's trying to overwhelm me with these attacks.
I transformed the wall into a reinforced shield and began moving it, deflecting the bolts coming my way. Nathan ran closer, and I prepared to strike him with the shield. He noticed my intention and suddenly stopped.
What is he going to do?
‘BOOM!’
Kinue:
Nathan ran forward and clapped his hands, and a massive thunderous boom reverberated through the place, making everything shake. I had to cover my ears, which became sensitive to the deafening noise. The yellow energy barrier I had created shattered instantly.
"That was the impact of the air causing the thunderclap," he explained as he kept running.
Professor Adrihna smiled as he quickly approached.
Another barrier appeared, but Nathan broke it with a punch, his hands glowing electric blue from the accumulated energy. He dodged as the professor fired several balls of light at him.
Nathan raised both hands, creating a wall that looked like a large blue energy net, blocking all the light balls and causing them to explode.
"Excellent defense," the professor praised, smiling in approval.
Nathan grinned back and then, with a simple flick of his finger, shot a bolt of energy. Professor Adrihna dodged the bolt, but suddenly it exploded in a flash, and everything went white.
"That's the power of lightning's clarity!" he shouted from somewhere, his voice echoing through the warehouse.
When my vision cleared, I saw the two exchanging blows; the professor dodged with agility, creating small energy shields as she moved away. Nathan kept his palm flat, and blue sparks formed a blade around his hand, which he used to break the energy shields.
The two continued exchanging attacks; the professor created energy shields, and Nathan shattered them one by one. Suddenly, he backed off, and an enormous amount of sparks surged through his body.
"I call this Thunder Mantle!" he announced, running at high speed as he dodged several yellow energy beams that the professor fired.
Nathan abruptly stopped, clapped his hands, and the thunder mantle shot out from his body, taking the form of an electric tiger that leaped toward the professor. She quickly formed a barrier, but the tiger's force broke through the protection.
Lady Adrihna stepped back and pointed to the sky, causing a yellow glow to fill the area. A giant ball of light appeared above, firing several smaller energy balls that Nathan began to skillfully dodge.
"This is my little energy swarm," the professor said, smiling as more balls were fired from above.
Nathan clapped his hands and slowly opened them, creating something bluish that grew larger and larger until it formed a staff of lightning. He gripped the staff firmly.
"I'm going to test something..." he murmured, his eyes fixed on the giant ball of light.
"Is he holding lightning in his hands?" Chloe asked, surprised.
Nathan aimed the staff at the giant yellow ball and, suddenly, with incredible speed, shot forward, hitting it directly. An explosion echoed through the warehouse.
'BOOM!' A terrifying sound filled the space, followed by a blinding white light. Parts of the ceiling cracked and began to fall.
"I call this Zeus's Spear!" he shouted as the echoes of the battle continued to resonate.
Chloe squeezed my hands, trying to see through the chaos.
This is a bit too intense for a beginner's mana battle...
When the brightness finally faded, I saw Nathan holding a sword made of lightning in his hand.
Impossible! How did he manage to create a weapon with the lightning element?
He was using the sword to strike at the shields generated by the professor. Lady Adrihna spun her shield, which split into several energy swords floating in the air.
"This is the power of a Light Element Emitter and Summoner," she said as numerous yellow blades materialized in the air, surrounding Nathan in a sea of swords.
"I thought you said no destructive spells..." he remarked, observing the blades surrounding him.
"I'm making an exception," she replied with a challenging smile.
"Then I'll make one too," he responded without hesitation.
He pointed his finger upwards, and the entire place began to tremble.
"What is that!?" Chloe asked, gripping my arm tightly.
Something was happening; a powerful force was pulling us towards the center of the room.
"I don't know!" I replied, watching Nathan at the center of the chaos.
Chloe and I held onto each other as the wind's force pulled us toward the center of the warehouse.
"A tornado!?" the professor shouted, trying to stay steady amid the deafening noise.
Nathan snapped his fingers, and lightning exploded from his body, shooting upwards.
'Thud!'
What!?
A powerful crash echoed, and a blinding light filled the space. When the light finally subsided, I saw Nathan pointing his lightning spear at the professor's neck.
"I liked the trick, so I stole it for myself," he said, and suddenly, blue swords made of lightning appeared in the air.
Now, both Nathan and the professor were surrounded by blades—Nathan by perfect, straight yellow blades, while the professor was encircled by chaotic blue blades, like sparks ready to explode at any moment.
"How did he manage to hold lightning in his hand? How is he keeping the lightning suspended in the air as blades?"
"I lost..." he said before collapsing onto the ground, exhausted, as the lightning blades faded from his hand.
The professor let out a light laugh, and her energy swords disappeared.
"Well done, Nathan," she praised, with a smile of approval.
"What happened?" we rushed over to them.
"He exhausted his mana," she told me.
Nathan lay down on the ground for a moment.
"Looks like it's your first time reaching advanced exhaustion; you're going to feel nauseous and sleepy," the professor explained.
Adrihna sat down next to him.
"A mage has a limitation on their mana reserves. Just like we can't run indefinitely due to our stamina and fatigue, you can't use magic beyond a certain limit."
"I'd read about it, but I didn't think it would be this bad... my whole body feels heavy, and I feel awful," he said.
She chuckled softly.
"This is how powerful mages are killed; they wait for the mage's mana to run out, and at that moment, when they're defenseless, the enemy strikes. It takes about 3 to 5 days for your mana reserves to fully replenish, and during that time, it's recommended that you avoid using magic and let them refill completely. If you keep casting spells while your reserves are refilling, they'll deplete faster, and if you empty them again, the time to fully replenish will be longer and slower," she explained.
Nathan seemed to consider what she was saying.
"It's just like stamina and fatigue," Chloe remarked.
"Similar," the professor agreed.
"In a war, this could mean the difference between life and death," Nathan added.
The professor nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, your mana reserves will grow as you get older. Now, tell me, how did you manage to create a lightning sword?" she asked, curious.
Nathan grinned. "I based it on the concept of a Transmitter. I created a wind shield in the shape of a sword and trapped a lightning bolt inside it."
"That's insane," I blurted out.
If that lightning had escaped, it could've exploded in his hand.
The professor laughed. "I imagine the flying blades were based on the same combination of elements. You're quite clever for an 8-year-old mage."
He chuckled. "I learned it when I fought the God of Thunder."
She playfully tapped him on the head. "And here I was thinking you were mature, and you come up with jokes like that," she said, laughing.
I watched everything unfold, feeling amazed.
This is way too advanced for an 8-year-old mage...