Chapter 27: Last Duel.
The morning sky was covered in a soft blanket of pale gold, the light of dawn gently spilling through the clouds as the calm breeze swept through the Syctes household.
The leaves rustled faintly, and the gentle chirping of the morning birds echoed softly in the air. In the middle of the garden stood Aiden, his black eyes focused and sharp, his posture calm yet filled with silent determination.
Across from him, Elizabeth stood gracefully — her expression serene, her brown hair swaying faintly with the wind.
After composing herself once more, Elizabeth finally broke the silence. Her voice carried the firm authority of a mentor yet retained a soft tone only family could use. "Now," she said clearly, "I will tell you about Earth Mana spells — so listen carefully, Aiden."
Aiden immediately nodded seriously, his entire attention directed toward her. The moment she began to speak, he listened intently, memorizing every word.
Elizabeth continued calmly, "Earth Mana has more defensive spells than offensive ones. The first one is Earth Wall. That is the easiest to use. It has similarities to Fire Wall and Water Wall from Fire and Water Mana, but it is far stronger than both. Its strength lies in density and endurance. If you create it properly, it can block explosions, fire, water pressure, or even lightning strikes. It is the most reliable defensive spell among all basic elemental techniques."
She stopped for a moment as she raised her right hand. Her expression remained calm and steady. The ground beneath her began to tremble faintly, small ripples of mana spreading outward as the earth moved in response. In a few seconds, a wall of compact brown soil rose upward, its surface smooth, hard, and glimmering faintly with mana particles.
"This," she said, tapping the wall lightly with her knuckles, the sound echoing like knocking on metal, "is the foundation of Earth Mana. Once you understand how to shape mana into solid form, you will understand what stability truly means."
Aiden's eyes glimmered with curiosity as he stared at the wall. He could feel the strong mana emanating from it — calm, steady, and deeply rooted like the unmoving mountain itself.
Elizabeth lowered her hand, and the wall slowly sank back into the ground, leaving no trace behind. She looked at Aiden again and continued, "Then there is Earth Spikes. You can use Earth Mana to create sharp spikes from the ground and attack your opponent. It's one of the few offensive techniques Earth Mana cultivators use, and it can be extremely deadly if used strategically. The spikes can pierce armor, impale enemies, or trap them in a cage of solid stone if you master the control properly."
She paused again to make sure Aiden was paying attention. Aiden nodded once more. His concentration was unwavering.
Elizabeth's voice became a little more serious as she continued, "Then there is Earth Armor. You can create a metal or any other earth-elemental armor on your body to protect yourself. It has high defensive capabilities and can block most low-stage mana attacks completely. If you learn it properly, you can even merge with the ground to increase your defense further. You can also create swords and weapons of different materials from earth — like blades of metal, aluminum, or other minerals. Every element within the earth can be molded to your will."
Aiden listened attentively, his eyes shining faintly. His heart was filled with the urge to learn all these spells as early as possible. Every word she spoke felt like a secret being revealed — another step toward becoming stronger.
Elizabeth then looked at him and said with a calm but serious tone, "From today onwards, your training will begin and will last until you can master both elements. It can take up to two years for mana cultivators who are less familiar with mana to master these elements. So be prepared."
Aiden nodded seriously, replying in a low but determined voice, "Okay."
After that, his new training under Elizabeth began. Day after day, from sunrise until sunset, Aiden poured his full effort into learning and mastering Earth Mana. The training was intense — manipulating the raw strength of the earth required patience, focus, and control.
The first few days were difficult. The mana felt heavy and slow compared to the lightness of wind or the sharp energy of fire. The ground resisted his control, and every attempt to raise even a small wall left him exhausted.
But Aiden didn't stop. He remembered his father's teachings, his mother's patience, and the unyielding training of Rayan. Every failure only strengthened his resolve.
Slowly, he began to understand the characteristics of the earth mana— its calm heartbeat, its steady flow.
Ten days passed. On the tenth morning, Aiden stood in the middle of the garden again. He raised his right hand, his breathing steady. He closed his eyes, feeling the mana moving deep inside the soil. Then, he willed it upward.
The ground beneath his feet trembled. Dust rose in a soft wave, and suddenly — boom! — A solid wall of compact earth burst upward, towering before him. It was smooth, balanced, and firm, without any cracks or imperfections.
Elizabeth, who was standing nearby, was completely stunned. Her eyes widened, and she subconsciously took a step forward. "You… mastered Earth Wall in just ten days?" she murmured, disbelief clear in her tone.
She couldn't comprehend it. Most cultivators took at least three months to achieve stable formation, and Aiden had done it effortlessly in ten days.
What she didn't know was that Aiden had already mastered both Fire Wall and Water Wall, so all he needed was a small adjustment — a shift in mana density and structure — to master this one as well.
A faint smile spread on Aiden's face as he lowered his hand, his breathing calm. He bowed slightly toward his aunt and said humbly, "Thank you for teaching me, Aunt Elizabeth."
Elizabeth blinked and then sighed deeply. "This boy…" she muttered under her breath, shaking her head in disbelief.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Aiden's progress never slowed down. With each passing day, his understanding of Earth Mana deepened.
He could summon spikes from the ground with ease, form walls of solid stone in an instant, and shape his mana into armor around his body as naturally as breathing.
Now, four months had passed. Aiden stood once again in the garden, surrounded by fragments of broken stone and shattered training dummies. He had fully mastered the Earth element.
Elizabeth watched silently, her arms crossed, a soft smile forming on her lips. She wasn't even shocked anymore — Aiden's learning speed had already gone far beyond normal logic. Still, she couldn't help but feel proud. "You've done it," she said softly. "You've mastered an element faster than anyone I've ever known."
Aiden bowed slightly and replied calmly, "Thank you."
After that, his training for Light Mana began. Once again, his speed was astonishing. He fully mastered Purify in just twelve days. The spell came to him naturally, because its process was mostly similar to Healing, which he had already mastered before. The bright, gentle energy of Light Mana responded to him easily.
Then, he learned Self Purify in twenty days — another familiar process due to its similarity to Self Heal. His control was steady, his mana flow perfect.
After that came Flash, or as Elizabeth called it, Stun; it took him fifteen days to learn it. The first few attempts blinded him instead of his target, but after refining his control, he managed to direct the flash outward.
Finally, came Light Ray. This one tested his limits. Compressing mana to the point of pure light was difficult — far more complex than manipulating the dense and stable Earth Mana. He failed many times; the mana either dispersed too early or exploded before reaching the proper form. But he kept trying, over and over again.
After seventy-three long days of effort, Aiden finally did it. The bright beam of light shot forward from his palm, cutting cleanly through the air and piercing the stone dummy with explosive power.
The beam was pure, brilliant, and deadly — the true manifestation of Light Mana's offensive potential.
By the end of those months, Aiden had once again done the impossible. In just eight months, he had completely mastered both Light and Earth Mana.
Now, he stood once again in the center of the garden. His black hair swayed gently in the morning breeze, and his dark eyes shone faintly with confidence. Across from him stood Elizabeth, her expression filled with pride and astonishment.
She finally spoke, her voice soft yet filled with emotion. "You mastered both elements in just eight months. It feels like I'm having an unbelievable dream, but I can't deny it — you really are a once-in-a-lifetime genius."
Her words lingered in the air, echoing softly. Even she, a seasoned cultivator, couldn't believe what she was seeing.
After a moment, she composed herself again, her expression turning serious as she said, "Okay, let's have a final duel to check how much you have improved. You can use all three of your elements."
Aiden nodded, his tone firm as he replied simply, "Okay."
Sara and Jonathan were standing once again at the side of the garden, their eyes fixed on their son. Pride filled their hearts as they watched him prepare.
They had witnessed every moment of his growth, every struggle, and every success. They had seen his pain, his blood, and his endless perseverance.
And now, he stood only two steps away from becoming a Stage Two all-elemental mana cultivator — something the world had never seen before.
Jonathan felt his chest tighten with emotion. He looked at Sara beside him, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. They simply shared the same feeling — overwhelming pride for their son.
Jonathan then raised his hand and spoke loudly, his voice echoing across the garden.
"Begin!"
The wind blew softly as both Aiden and Elizabeth took their stances. The faint glow of mana began to gather around Aiden's hands — one glowing with the golden hue of light, the other flickering with brownish earth energy. His heart beat steadily, his breathing calm. The air around him grew heavy with pressure.
Elizabeth smiled faintly, raising her own mana aura. "Show me everything you've got, my nephew," she said softly.
Author's Note:The light of genius does not come without shadows. Each step of Aiden's growth brings him closer to greatness — but also closer to something darker, something hidden deep and mysterious in this world of magic.
— The Hymn of Evil