The Monster King's Legacy - Chapter 128

Chapter 128: Learning about Magic
The next day, Lance was out again, seeking to really start doing something with himself. Though there was a lot for him to see, not only did he not want to do so alone without proper guidance, he didn’t want to be caught up in all the good things his eyes.

Of course, he quickly went to the same place he had met the elder dragon the day before. He planned to ask for a little direction.

Though that was the decision, Lance was facing a rather strange dilemma, as he couldn’t quite tell if what he was looking at was the dragon or simply the rock formation around that area, as the dragon wasn’t in the same place as it was before apparently.

Suddenly, voice broke his thoughts, startling him a bit. “What are your searching for?”

Lance turned around, and to his surprise, it was the same dragon from the day before. As it would seem, he wasn’t even resting around the rocky mountains.

“Ah, elder, you startled me.” Lance said.

“I didn’t mean to. I presume you were looking for me. Aelyndra must have left for her training them.” The dragon said.

“You are correct.”

“And what of you?”

Lance looked at the dragon, its eyes keen, as though seeing through Lance’s every thought.

“You stand in the land of dragons, surrounded by power and knowledge beyond mortal comprehension. Yet, you remain… ordinary. Are you content to stay that way?”

Lance hesitated, the question striking a chord. He had always known his limits, his lack of raw strength compared to the beings around him, and surprisingly worse in magic as well.

“I’m not content,” he admitted. “But I also don’t know where to start.”

The bronze dragon let out a low rumble of approval. “Straight forward and sincere, I like that. Acknowledging your limitations is the first step. Seek knowledge, learn from everything around you, and perhaps you may find a path to strength you have yet to imagine.”

Though Lance wasn’t sure how exactly he would go about that, he was determined. He did ask the dragon for some pointers as to where to go to and the likes, but the dragon told him to let his heart lead him… not much of a direction as he was expecting, so he chose to turn to the next competent dragon he knew, Aelyndra.

Lance sat cross-legged on a smooth stone surface, his arms resting on his knees as he listened to Aelyndra’s deep, resonant voice. Her massive form loomed over him, her golden eyes glowing faintly in the twilight. Lance’s mind was entirely focused on the lesson at hand.

After returning from his stroll around, he found that Aelyndra had returned earlier than usual, so he decided to ask her about where he could go to learn more things about magic and things that could potentially increase his strength. That was when he was questioned about magic, and it was quickly revealed that he didn’t know much.

Since dragons innately had the knowledge of a couple of things, there was no way Lance would find any information on basic fundamentals such as how magic worked and the likes, so Aelyndra opted to teach him instead.

Aelyndra’s voice carried an undeniable authority as she began her explanation, speaking out loud instead of telepathically as she normally would.

“Magic,” she said, “is the very essence of this world. It exists within all living things, flowing like a river through the body. For most beings, it originates from the core, an ethereal organ situated between the solar plexus and the abdomen.”

Lance placed a hand on his stomach, trying to feel something… anything that might indicate this so-called core… but there was nothing, just the steady rise and fall of his breath.

Aelyndra noticed his confusion and continued, “The core acts as a wellspring, constantly generating magical energy, which is commonly called mana. But raw mana alone is not enough. To use it, the body must circulate it properly, you see. From the core, the energy travels to the heart, where it is refined and distributed through the body in a different circulatory system similar to the blood vessels. This is why experienced warriors and mages often have strong hearts, not only does it sustain their bodies, but it also enhances their ability to channel mana effectively.”

Lance frowned, still trying to wrap his head around the concept. “So, the core generates mana, and the heart spreads it through the body? Isn’t the core supposed to purify the mana and not the heart? Anyway, that makes some sense, I guess… but how do you actually cast spells?”

Aelyndra’s wings twitched slightly before she answered. “Well, I know what you are thinking, but unlike how it is mostly misunderstood, the heart does not directly refine the magic energy as a biological process, so it doesn’t interfere with its biological activities. Each creature that has awakened develops an imprinted law upon their hearts, which allows for this to be possible. Anyway, that is something for a later time.

As for spells, the most natural way is through imagination and intent, will. If you want to create fire, you must first form the idea of fire in your mind. Then, you mold the mana within you to match that idea. If your control is strong enough, the fire manifests.”

Lance raised an eyebrow. “So, if I imagine a fireball, I can just throw one?”

Aelyndra let out a short, rumbling chuckle. “In theory, yes. But in reality, it requires a high level of affinity and control. Most intelligent beings do not instinctively know how to shape their mana, so they rely on techniques passed down from others.”

She continued, her tone growing more instructive. “For example, if a mage, let’s call him Master A, discovered that imagining stones being hurled at birds helped him form fireballs, then he could teach that same visualization method to his students. If the method aligns with their understanding, they will also be able to cast fireballs using that same technique, at least, initially.”

Lance nodded. “So that’s why people follow specific training methods instead of figuring it out on their own? Makes perfect sense. No need to reinvent the wheel.” He said.

“No need to reinvent the wheel… I like that.” Aelyndra said before moving on. “While some mages develop unique techniques, most simply follow what works, as you just said, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. However, there is a more efficient way to cast magic… using magic circles.”