Chương 13: Learning About The Elements

While his coworkers struggled through the tutorial, believing him dead and even obeying strange alien entities just to survive, Alex was thriving. Having accidentally turned himself into a skeleton, he had grown stronger with every day since his death. Now, after finally awakening his own Nether Core, he felt brimming with energy. Specifically, he overflowed with Nether. This mysterious energy animated his body, fueled his strength and speed, and powered his many abilities as an Undead.

Gryg sensed his surging presence and stood frozen in shock. She nearly opened her mouth in disbelief again but clenched her teeth instead. A cold fear crawled across her skin, threatening to overwhelm her. Just what had she witnessed moments ago? It was a bizarre sight. That little skeleton had not only formed a core but had also gained a strange new ability. It expanded his senses far beyond normal limits and warped his Nether Aura into something entirely different.

"What was that just now?" Gryg asked.

"I saw skulls appear. Was that part of our new power?"

"Yeah," Alex nodded.

"It is something called a Cultivation Ability or Method. It seems to have developed and awakened the moment I obtained the Nether Core. I would even say it feels like an added nature to my existence, as strange as that might sound."

"I see…" Gryg was not entirely ignorant on the subject.

"Normal living monsters usually get a Monster Core. But Undead get something different? A Nether Core, you said?"

"Affirmative," Alex replied, glancing at the glowing notifications once more. [Congratulations, you have successfully refined your Nether Core.] [Your Current Nether Core Realm is: Nether Core – Rank 1: Initial Stage] [You gained +30 Nether, +20 HP, +20 MP, +20 Spirit, +10 Wisdom, +5 Perception.] [Refine Nether while absorbing compatible resources and materials to cultivate your Nether Core and ascend into higher realms.] [You have Awakened the Nether Core Ability: Nether Aura Nature: Laughing Skull Ghost Purgatory – Rank 1]"It is called Nether Aura Nature," Alex explained.

"So yes, it is exactly as I imagined. An added nature to my existence and to my Nether Aura. Let me see it again." Alex activated the ability. His aura flickered and twisted into laughing skulls formed of ghostly energy. They spat black fog and curses that spread everywhere around him.

"Fascinating!" he said.

"Stop saying that word!" Gryg snapped, clearly fed up with him for one day.

"So it spits curses? I guess they can weaken enemies."

"Indeed. Maybe more than that once I discover its full potential," Alex replied.

"Okay, okay. For now, I will go to sleep. I am exhausted," Gryg sighed, yawning widely.

"Just keep an eye out for me, will you?"

"I will spend the night practicing magic. I do not really need much sleep thanks to my Meditation," Alex answered. Gryg turned off the magical lights and lay down on the floor, covering herself with a large piece of leather. She was not a quiet sleeper and snored loudly, but Alex simply ignored the noise. He focused on his task, holding the Five-Elemental Crystal he had obtained earlier and inspecting it once again.

[Five Elements Crystal Ball (D Grade)] A small crystal ball infused with the Five Primary Elements: Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Wood. Holding it greatly enhances Elemental Power and grants a minor Elemental Affinity with all five elements. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Any Magician-type Class can benefit from it. Effect: +50% Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Wood Elemental Affinity. +20% Mana Recovery Speed.

"Just by holding it, my Mana Recovery has already increased," he thought.

"What is more, all Five Primary Elements are now flowing through me. Let us practice them." Alex began his magic training with great diligence and spent the next several hours working hard. He created small cutting winds that sliced through rocks he tossed into the air, then gathered them into a large tornado and sent it crashing down, blowing away several trees in the process. He tested the water attribute next, conjuring large bubbles of warm, flowing water.

They felt rather useless at first until he spun them rapidly and built up pressure, firing them as high-speed bullets. The results were impressive. These water bullets could easily pierce through the hardest surfaces. Earth proved simpler since he had already seen Gryg use it many times. He manipulated the dirt and stone around him, slowly grasping its principles. He moved boulders with ease, though larger ones drained his Mana continuously. Wood Element turned out to be the hardest to grasp.

Alex used the same disciplined method he had applied to the other elements. He forced himself through Self-Binding and issued mental commands that his body reproduced automatically. Even so, the Wood Element remained surprisingly difficult to recreate. At best, he managed to make a few small seeds sprout into tiny stalks and leaves. Anything more ambitious still lay beyond his current limits.

"Perhaps it is because I am inside stone and there are no plants here to experiment with," he thought.

"Maybe it will work better once we reach the forest. I will wait and see." After reflecting on his progress, Alex continued practicing all Five Elemental Spells. He swung his sword relentlessly and channeled his Nether Aura, training how to move the laughing skulls, spread the cursed black fog, and control the curses themselves. Then morning came.

"Ugh…" Gryg woke up slowly, her body aching slightly from sleeping on the hard floor. She had grown used to comfortable beds. She sat up and saw the little skeleton still working hard as always.

"What are you doing now— Wait, did you spend the whole damn night practicing skills?" Alex remained silent. He appeared to be in some sort of deep trance. While constantly practicing his skills, his mind stayed in constant meditation. This allowed faster energy regeneration but left him completely unaware of the outside world.

"Is he… even alive right now?" She reached out and touched his head, breaking his balance. Alex "woke up" instantly. His sword glowed with silver light as he pointed it at her, nearly slicing her finger before he realized what was happening.

"Woah! You almost cut me down for no reason. Be careful!" she shouted angrily.

"My apologies. I was practicing," Alex said.

"I have grown slightly stronger."

"Slightly?" Gryg raised an eyebrow.

"Did you get any new skills?"

"Not yet. The process of learning a skill from an affinity I do not possess is incredibly difficult," Alex explained.

"Even a full day of practice is not enough. I will need several days."

"Several days? We do not have that much time, you know?" Gryg sighed.

"I know," Alex nodded.

"I will continue practicing on the way to our next destination."

"So anyway, where are we going?" Gryg asked, scratching her head.

"I was hoping you could tell me the best spots, but you seem clueless," Alex sighed.

"W-What?! I am not clueless!" she protested proudly.

"But… uh, well, I am not entirely sure where to go either. I was thrown into this tutorial with little information, and I had almost no time to expand my authority or territory."

"Hm…" Alex nodded.

"Our priority should be gathering resources, hunting monsters, and growing stronger. Along the way, if we find any intelligent creatures, we might try to recruit them."

"Okay, sure. So where do we go then?" Gryg asked.

"Any ideas?"

"Lately I have detected a large quantity of Mana and Life Force coming from inside the mountain," Alex said.

"Can you dig through it, Gryg?"

"I think I can," she replied with a nod.

"But what exactly do you need me to do? Wait, you think there is a dungeon here? I thought we were heading to the forest."

"That would be ideal, but there is a dungeon, yes. Or at least I believe so," Alex answered.

"If we can reach it before anyone else, we can monopolize the rewards, slay all the monsters, and maybe even recruit a boss like you did. What do you think?"

"Sounds… well," Gryg muttered, then broke into a grin.

"Sounds exciting! Let us do it! This is the first time I am doing these kinds of things, haha."

"I can tell," Alex nodded.

"Let us move. I will help you."

"Huh? Oh right, that crystal orb… Well, aren't you useful?" Gryg and Alex dug through the mountain walls, following Alex's senses. After three hours of nonstop digging, they shattered the final barrier with their Earth Magic. BOOOM! An explosion of boulders and stones flew everywhere. The duo quickly dodged the debris and stepped back, revealing a hidden entrance to the dungeon. The interior was not the rocky cave they had imagined.

They stepped into what appeared to be an ancient underground temple, filled with large pillars and scattered treasure chests. The ground was paved stone, cracked and overgrown with grass. Gryg looked around and noticed distant statues beginning to move slowly.

"We have got company already… Alex, get ready."

"Understood."

A/N: Btw this is how Gryg sees Alex most of the time: