"Elemental Magic…?" Lionel frowned.
[You can choose anything you wish to activate your mana core.]
Lionel immediately thought of the four elemental powers like fire, water, earth, and air.
He has read books about it. They said that fire was for destruction and power. Water was for healing and flow. Earth was for defense and stability. And, Air, for speed and agility.
They were the same elements that every person learned about in their studies.
While thinking of that, a sudden memory popped into his mind.
"Oh, right!"
He remembered a few years after he became a duke in his last life. There was a rumor about a person who could wield magic in their empire.
At first, no one believed it. The people called it nonsense and just a mere illusion. After all, no one can wield magic.
However, during a sudden monster outbreak near the western border, a man appeared right before everyone's eyes. He killed the monsters covered in darkness and gave hope to the soldiers who were losing hope.
That day, the world saw something that no one thought was real.
A person who could wield magic. And not just any magic. A person who could wield light.
The people called it a miracle. The empire's high priest explained that it was divine energy. They all said that it was a blessing from the gods. But one thing was for sure.
That man became a hero overnight.
Especially when their world has been affected by darkness.
For as long as anyone could remember, an unknown dark force had plagued Aetherion. It crept into forests, mountains, and forgotten lands. It mostly corrupted animals, turning them into bloodthirsty beasts.
Once corrupted, the animals would attack villages and anyone it sees.
No one knew where the darkness came from and how it spread. People simply learned to live with it after centuries of witnessing it.
Monster outbreaks became normal. It was also the reason the Four Great Empires remained at peace with each other. They couldn't afford wars as they needed each other's strength.
"Light, huh," Lionel whispered to himself.
[Please select your Elemental Magic, Host.]
Lionel stared at the translucent screen in front of him.
If that magic has a big impact in the future, then it was only right for him to get it first.
"Right… I'll take it first before anyone else does," he whispered before a playful smile appeared on his face.
"I choose Light."
[Ding!]
[Light has been chosen by the Host.]
[Element successfully awakened.]
A warm feeling bloomed in Lionel's chest right after those words appeared in front of him. It started with just a small feeling, until he slowly felt it spreading through his body.
Lionel took a deep breath as his hand instinctively rested over his heart.
"This feeling…" he muttered. "So this is… magic?"
He immediately raised his right hand. A small excitement was bubbling up within him. In there, he tried to draw that magic towards his palm. And to his surprise, a small ball of light really appeared right on it.
"It worked!" Lionel's eyes widened.
The ball of light floated gently above his palm. It wasn't strong enough, but he was more than happy.
"I actually did it…" he whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "I really used magic." Lionel couldn't help but smile. His heart raced in excitement like a child.
But before he could even feel proud of himself, the light suddenly blinked.
"W-wait!"
All of a sudden, the small ball of light began to tremble violently. Then, without warning, it exploded into a burst of radiant energy.
"What the—" He quickly stumbled backward. The light shot out from his hand, scattering into countless smaller orbs the size of a pea. The balls of light quickly whirled around the air.
"Stop!! Calm down!" Lionel quickly shouted out loud. He tried to wave it away, but that seemed to make it worse.
The light only flew faster and even higher than before.
"Stop! Just stop!" Lionel waved both of his hands frantically, but the lights only scattered more.
One of them flew right past his ear, and another hit the tip of his hair, making it stand slightly from static.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Lionel quickly ducked down. He covered his head as the glowing orbs surrounded him. He could feel the heat radiating from them. It was not enough to burn, but enough to make him break into a sweat.
"This isn't what I meant when I said I wanted to use magic!" he muttered in panic.
The small orbs of light seemed to have a mind of their own, bouncing off branches and leaves. Some hovered close to the ground, looking like fireflies.
Lionel's mind went blank for a moment. His heartbeat pounded so loudly in his ears that it drowned out everything else.
What do I do? What do I do?!
His thoughts raced as the light spun wildly around him, scattering reflections all over the garden.
This… this wasn't like swordsmanship at all.
With swords, he could control his strength, his grip, his movement. He knew where every strike would land. But this? Using magic is so unpredictable and completely out of his hands.
Lionel clenched his teeth.
The lights kept flying around him, refusing to obey.
No, calm down. I can control this. I have to.
Lionel squeezed his eyes shut.
He took a deep breath and pressed a hand against his chest, where he could still feel the warmth pulsing inside him. He tried to focus on that warmth instead of the chaos outside.
Slowly, he reached for it again.
"Alright… come back," he muttered calmly under his breath.
At first, nothing happened. But then, one by one, the lights began to slow down on their movement. Their wild dance stopped and the orbs started to fly toward him as if they were returning home.
"That's it…" he whispered, opening his eyes slowly.
He guided them back with his hand and the light obeyed this time. Each on slowly sank into his skin until only one remained floating above his palm.
Lionel exhaled deeply.
"Finally…" he panted, feeling the sweat drip down his forehead.
"I did it… I actually controlled it." A smile tugged at his lips.
But just as he said that, a faint sound of footsteps approaching the garden sounded. His heart skipped a beat.
Someone's coming!
In a rush, Lionel looked around and quickly grabbed the ring he'd taken off earlier. He slipped it back onto his finger. The moment the cool ring touched his skin, the light vanished completely.
He straightened up, wiping the sweat from his forehead just as the footsteps grew closer.
"My Lord?" a distant voice called out.