Supreme Magus

Chapter 3845: Dimensional Crystals (Part 2)

Nalrond remembered Quylla’s wedding all too well. Especially how empty and sad the groom’s side of the aisle had been. Nalrond wasn’t a decorated Ranger like Morok, had no noble title of his own, and no family but the Fastarrows.

To make matters worse, Nalrond had none of the Tyrant’s aloof attitude.

Morok didn’t care if the entire Royal Court whispered behind his back, calling him a gold digger, and had no regard for his social standing, whereas the Agni was terrified of becoming a source of embarrassment for Friya.

"Agreed." She nodded. "How is your training with Dawn going?"

Nalrond met the Horseman almost every day, and the conversations between them had become almost civil, yet just hearing her name was enough to twist his expression in a disgusted grimace.

"It’s going well. She’s a great teacher." He admitted. "The hardest part isn’t learning her true Light Mastery techniques but forgetting everything I studied so far. Old habits die hard, but in my case, I shield them with my own body.

"No matter how small, every time I make changes to the Rezar legacy I feel like I’m betraying my people. That by letting go of our traditions, no matter how flawed they are, I’m condemning them all to oblivion.

"Dawn may have killed my tribe, but I’m destroying their memory."

"I’m so sorry, dear." She crawled close to him and wrapped him in a hug. "You are no traitor. Your people were... misguided, and you are adjusting the course. You are not relinquishing the Rezar bloodline legacy.

"You are improving it. Turning it into what it was always supposed to be."

"Yeah, too bad I’m also turning it into something that nothing has in common with the original." He sighed. "I’m afraid that by not using my old techniques, sooner or later I will forget their details until I remember nothing at all.

"Let’s be honest. The Rezar bloodline legacy wasn’t flawed. It was wrong and the deadly wrong kind at that. There’s nothing worth saving in it except as a cautionary tale about not biting the hand that feeds you."

"True, but it’s still your family tradition. Something the Rezars studied and treasured for centuries." Friya replied. "Wrong or not, it’s something worth remembering. So, don’t be a Lich. Write it down, make a recording of it, anything you want.

"Put all the time and effort you need to ensure that even if Dawn’s teaching replaces everything you learned as a Rezar, the memory of your people will live on. You will only need to open a book or listen to your own voice to remember the feats of your ancestors."

"That’s a great idea, Friya." He returned the embrace and gave her a sweet kiss. "I don’t want the Rezar traditions to die. I want our children to know about their origins."

"Gods, you’re going to be a great father." Friya caressed his cheek and then grabbed the leather bag for her life, quickly imitated by Nalrond. "Gods, you’re going to be a father and I a mother. Of two!"

Once the panic attack passed, Nalrond asked:

"What about you? How close are you to crafting a dimensional crystal?"

"I’m still at square one." She replied. "I have no idea what I’m doing wrong. Here, take a look and tell me if you notice what I’m doing wrong. I’m open to suggestions."

She picked up the white crystal, which soon shone with a yellow light.

"The basic elements for dimensional magic are air, earth, and water, so I thought to start with them. Yet look at this." Orange spots appeared amid the yellow, but instead of mixing into amber, they clashed for dominance upon contact.

The two conflicting energies required Friya to constantly release her mana just to keep the crystal from exploding. Color drained from her face as blue pinpricks also appeared, and the world energy surged from the crystal.

"See?" She said as she stopped amplifying the elemental aspects of the world energy, and the crystal turned white and stable again. "It doesn’t matter what element I bring out first, the little bastards don’t like company.

"I tried starting with all the possible elemental combinations, but the result is always the same. Darkness rejects light no less strongly than it does the other elements."

"Darkness?" Nalrond echoed in confusion. "Why did you use the darkness element?"

"Because advanced spells like Blink or Switch use six elements at the same time." She replied. "I’ve watched Tezka’s Endless Night in action, and Lith saw what the Arthan Blade can do. Both weapons are bonded to dimensional crystals and can conjure all kinds of dimensional spells.

"I have no idea how a dimensional crystal is made, but I know that it contains all elements but Spirit."

"Then why did I see you turn the crystal emerald green?" Nalrond asked.

"For a theory I’m working on." Friya massaged her aching head. "Spirit Magic is comprised of the six elements plus life force. If I can make a Spirit Crystal and then use Dominance to take my life force away, I can get a dimensional crystal!"

"That’s brilliant!" Nalrond’s eyes widened in amazement. "It’s also cheating, and I don’t think it can work."

"And why not?" Friya grunted. "Lith always cheats his way to success. Why can’t I do the same for once?"

"It’s different." Nalrond shook his head. "Lith cheats by making his path easier with his powers, but the path already exists. He doesn’t make up new rules, he just bends those he’s aware of to his favor.

"In your case, you are walking a new path that I doubt exists. If making a dimensional crystal were that easy, why did no Hydra make them that way? Their elders all have seven heads, just like you have seven streaks, and their bloodline legacy originates from Leegaain.

"I don’t know what Domination exactly is or what it can do, but I’m pretty sure that if what you are proposing were possible, some genius Hydra would have done it centuries ago and shared their knowledge with the rest of the clan.

"Yet, as far as I know, Faluel has no means of producing dimensional crystals and hopes to rely on your talent as a dimensional mage to add them to her creations."

Friya opened her mouth to reply, but said nothing for a while.

"Point taken." She nodded. "I’m sorry if I can’t explain Domination to you, but know that you are right. It’s a rare discipline for most species but common in Hydras. I still think I can succeed, though.

"Just because no one did it until now, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. I’m a dimensional mage, and that’s a universally rare talent. Maybe, I can use it to cheat like no Hydra ever did before because none of them was a genius dimensional mage."

"Sure." Nalrond said with a laugh. "That said, didn’t Tezka tell you something about the secret of making dimensional crystals? Something that only a dimensional mage as taleneted as you could understand?"

"Yes, he did." Friya took her notes out of her dimensional amulet. "I read it over and over again, but it still makes sense like the first time I heard it. Tezka said: There’s a reason only dimensional mages can craft violet crystals.