Chapter 33: Six Days Late, Still on Time
Corvin sat cross legged in the center of his warded lab, completely still. The humming crystals lining the circular chamber pulsed faintly, reacting to the recent injection of the MAG1.0 strain. Unlike the physical strain before it, this one brought no pain, no surges, and no visible transformation. Just a pervasive quiet, like the calm before a storm.
He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath, and began to descend inward. His breathing slowed, heart rate dropped, and the walls of physical sensation melted away. What remained was a growing pressure, not uncomfortable, but undeniable.
Breath by breath his mind slipped deeper.
He was standing before a massive, glowing lake made of shimmering blue crystal light. The water like surface didn’t ripple, didn’t reflect anything. It simply existed, infinite and full of radiant energy. The light moved beneath the surface like swirling galaxies caught in glass.
This was his mana pool, the central wellspring of his magical existence. But it was different now. Larger than before. Much larger. It was deeper, brighter, and far more stable. The air around it was heavy with arcane density, he could see the mana particles flowing throug the lake below with every pulse and every inhalation buzzed through his mental form like a tuning fork struck hard.
As he stepped closer to the edge, he could see streams of energy flowing outward like tributaries from a mighty source. Each stream had a color, a frequency, and a sensation attached to it. These were his elemental affinities, and now, for the first time, he saw how they truly functioned.
A vivid red stream drew his attention. As he approached, the air began to shimmer with heat. Sparks danced along his arms.
Fire.
The stream radiated control through passion. It was fierce, but obedient to his will. He extended his awareness toward it, and it pulsed in answer, wrapping his thoughts in warmth without pain.
A brown stream moved to intersect the red. Their convergence birthed a new flow. A molten orange stream that crackled with intensity. It moved slower but carried enormous weight.
Magma. A blend of Fire and Earth.