Traverse The Fog

Ch79: Applying Knowledge



Cyrus had hardly a wink of sleep that night. His mind was too preoccupied with how to use the best of his abilities. Fortunately, he came up with a name for his new ability: Tension—akin to holding onto the quiver of a bow before letting go.

The name itself rewarded Cyrus with an idea of application, yet he was too... limited in his flame mastery. But Cyrus was positive nonetheless, for it was only a matter of time. Once morning came, he wasted no time practicing his new ability.

Thus, an annoyed Latriaen and Bird were forced to hear explosions during their travels.

Boom

Cyrus tossed back onto the floor again.

"Ow," he groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "I still can't handle it at full strength."

The lower the mana he used, the less force he was used against him. But like its namesake, the damage it generated depended on how much he channeled with his mana. However, a light application of tension could tear through the bark of a tree. So, what would it do on... a face or neck?

Shaking his head, Cyrus stood up and dusted himself. "This way of insight application has opened a new world for me."

No one responded as Bird and Latriaen left him behind. Unfazed, Cyrus shrugged and moved to catch up, but it wasn't too long until he launched himself onto the floor again.

All right... applying it to my unstable shaping is NOT a good idea...

Cyrus stood up to find Latriaen and Bird standing and hovering over him, respectively.

"Sorry. I was trying to figure out the limits of" —Cyrus sheepishly smiled, rubbing the back of his head— "sorry."

"Keep making explosions all you want." Latriaen snorted and turned to move forward without a glance back. "But you have to battle whatever comes our way because of it."

Cyrus grimaced. Once up, he decided to work on tension theory for a few hours instead. Just to save a bit of mana, surely. In any case, besides his little plan for the future, there was nothing else he could think of.

Chirp!

Bird floated before him. It stared at him with those beady eyes, with a look that Cyrus had somehow learned the meaning of.

"Here, little guy."

He used his palm as a bow for seeds and watched silently as Bird enjoyed its meal. Once the little canary had its fill, it flew high into the skies.

At the sight of it, Cyrus slightly frowned, a hint of jealousy crossing his gaze. Why couldn't he, too, fly?

Flying... like an arrow?

His jealousy melted in the spark of an idea.

"No... that's a silly idea," he mumbled, gazing back at the flying bird. "Isn't it?"

But that spark began to grow and grow until a raging tempest swirled within the depths of his mind. And Cyrus could not resist the allure. Still, there could be some issues.

In the end, Cyrus sighed. "Teacher, I have a question."

He spent the next minute explaining how he wished to apply tension in a technique. Yeah, that's what it was, a technique. Surely.

"Interesting." Latriaen stared at Cyrus with a hint of surprise, his fiery gaze scanning over him. "I don't see an issue other than one: Are your shoes fire proof and durable?"

That was a rhetorical question. All the fights between the two proved the enchantments on the Wayfayer gear even without asking. But it did raise a good point. Cyrus must always wear flame-retardant apparel or risk transforming into a walking matchstick. Should he speak to Lord Dílis about a wardrobe?

Questions for later.

"So... I should try it, then?" Cyrus wrung his hands. "And my feet won't blow up?"

"You should be fine," Latriaen said.

Should be?

In any case, Cyrus got over his nerves and spoke of precautions and safeguards. Then, the trio moved to a clearing and emptied the area of flammables. Once that was done, the testing began.

In the middle of a large, barren land, Cyrus stood. Closing his gaze, he willed his fire runes to line down his legs to the soles of his feet. His origin rune hummed with viridian hues, and his mana slowly trailed downwards.

Tension. That's what Cyrus felt every time he used to push and pull together. And like a bow, tension happens when a quiver is stretched tight. And once let loose, it releases an arrow. So, why couldn't Cyrus?

Mana channeled into his feet. Cyrus felt two small and tenuous embers appear under his shoes.

"Oh..." Cyrus grimaced. "It feels... weird trying to add multiple insights in multiple limbs."

But having practiced manipulating two embers occasionally did help with this. Thank goodness.

Cyrus then closed his eyes and removed all distractions until there were only he and the flames. The tension within them grew and grew until they started to destabilize. That's when Cyrus jumped. At the very peak of it, he let go of his tension.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"HOLY SHIT!"

Cyrus yelled at the top of his lungs as he was propelled into the air. The wind rushed along his hair, and he witnessed himself instantly clear over his teacher's height and even some of the smaller pines.

And it was incredible. Although it guzzled through his mana reserves, Cyrus had almost grasped one of his childhood dreams. Little did he know that this fiery leap would mark his first step toward true flight.

But that euphoria soon dissipated as Cyrus met equilibrium in the air. With his heart shooting up his throat, he quickly diverted his fire runes to an arm and leg. Once gravity began to pull, he activated tension and used it in small bursts against the drop. He repeated it over and over again until he stumbled onto the ground.

"That was amazing!" Quickly, Cyrus stood up and scanned for injuries.

"Is anything broken?" Latriaen barely had time to ask before his temporary student immediately launched into the air again. And again. And again. With a smile, even.

The sight was absurd. However, an odd sensation stirred within Latriaen as he watched Cyrus eagerly push the boundaries of his abilities. Was it nostalgia? It brought him back to a time when he, too, would rise to practice a new glamour or insight. Or it could have been a new weapon he crafted that he wished to test over and over again until perfection.

Those were the good times.

Thus, Latriaen maintained his patience, offering some tips to balance the landing better while Cyrus explored the strengths and weaknesses of his new skill. Even Bird matched Cyrus' climbs and falls.

The training went on. Cyrus didn't stop until late evening. And by no means was he proficient, let alone a master. But. Cyrus could consider an option without the cost of his life should a situation call for it... he hopes.

Gasping, he genuinely smiled at his efforts. "I'm exhausted. Can we camp here for the night?"

Latriaen remained expressionless, his gaze glowing in the dark. "No. We'll travel through the forest until dawn and won't stop until evening tomorrow."

Cyrus felt his heart nearly shatter at that moment.

Time passed. Soon, their traveling bore fruit, and on a clear day, Cyrus could see Avalorn's walls far above the treeline.

"It's been a month," he muttered, flickering off the tracing ember in his palm.

As he watched the walls hide behind the canopy again, Cyrus' heart began racing. Soon. Soon, he would climb the plateau and return to that special place.

Lord Dílis claimed he found nothing, and I have no reason to doubt him. Cyrus frowned, his steel-blues transfixed on Latriaen. But why do I feel the need to verify it myself?

They drew ever closer to the walled city. Enough for Cyrus to feel like an ant beside it.

"Should we head inside?" Cyrus asked, scanning the rough surface before settling on the glowing metal pylon.

"Not unless you forgot something," Latriaen responded.

"No... I'd rather avoid wasting time at checkpoints."

The two then fell into a familiar silence. By now, Cyrus had learned that the man wasn't much of a talker. It suited him fine, but it made the traveling rather dull. Well, at least he could focus his attention on other things.

Speaking of which... Cyrus then sifted through his pouch. And out came one of the water crystals he procured from the underground pool.

A single thought appeared: What will happen if I absorb this?

Cyrus closed his eyes. His mana sense moved toward the crystal, touching it, tasting it, and absorbing it. The motes that danced within moved through his mana sense and into his body. And then... nothing. There was a fleeting trace of something, but it quickly vanished as if it were a dream.

Well, at least now I know for myself, Cyrus reflected. And I still get mana from it.

All this time, save for a few instances, everything he had learned had been told to him. And in the beginning, Cyrus soaked it all up as truth. Why would he think otherwise? But after the... incident, a certain feeling appeared within his heart.

Doubt about the truth given to him.

Soon, the group reached the side of the east gate. Cyrus then became the group's guide as he retraced his way back to the break in the plateau. With the cougars eliminated and a bona fide master mage dubbed "Meteor," Cyrus felt pretty peaceful about the trip, at least in safety.

But the idea of finding an empty field scratched the back of his mind. Was it as Lord Dílis had really said? The thought stuck with him throughout their travels. So much so that he barely noticed that evening came so quickly.

Soon, they found the break. But the two agreed to rest for the night before ascending. So, they set up camp, and the fire was soon struck.

Time passed. Cyrus sat by the fire, his mind in a trance. He had no inclination to practice his fine manipulations or delve into any books; his thoughts and expectations threatened to overwhelm him so much so that he barely touched his meal.

Blinking out of his stupor, he scanned over his teacher, who rested against a tree. Would he carry any insights into what had happened to the hamlet if it had disappeared?

Chirp!

Bird swooped down onto his lap. Its beady gaze fixed on him in anticipation.

Cyrus blinked, a smile spreading across his lips. "Would you like to hear another myth?"

The bird fluttered its wings quietly in confirmation. Once again, Cyrus scanned the surroundings for sources of inspiration. Unfortunately, there were none, so he drew upon his knowledge of countries from his home world.

"Oh, I got one," Cyrus said, returning his attention to Bird. "It's about a creature called the catoblepas." He then went into detail, explaining what a bovine looked like. "Legends said its head was so heavy and large that it forever hung low. It had black scales for armor and a gaze that could turn a man into living stone."

"The catoblepas isn't merely a myth," Latriaen interjected, his gaze opening onto Cyrus. "There's an ex-Wayfarer who brags about slaying one. The man even shows it off all the time." His gaze turned upward in contemplation. "I recall him mentioning that the beast would cover its enemies in a stony film." He then huffed, amused. "Right before shattering them into bits by smashing into them.

Cyrus' heart clenched. Even with the constant confirmation of links from his homeworld to this, he was still bothered by it.

"Oh, really?" He asked, feigning surprise and casual interest. "He must be a famous Wayfarer. What's his name? Maybe I know him."

"O'Kane Naoise," Latriaen said, closing his eyes again.

O'Kane Naoise. The name flooded memories into Cyrus' thoughts, reminding him of... of the incident. On that day, he met an old ex-Wayfarer turned librarian, who grumbled about while stacking books.

Cyrus sighed. Looks like I'll have to pay the library a visit.

Perhaps O'Kane knew more creatures that could connect Cyrus to his homeworld, offering a pattern to explore. With that in mind, he prepares tonight, for the hamlet comes tomorrow.


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.