One With The Abyss

With the bear dead and a new soul I decided to head up the mountain. The entire way I was seeing how mana reacted to different stimuli.

Magic formed on similar principles to Earth's physical understanding of particles, the similarities were unsettling really.

The earth element magic was formed by allowing the mana to create a regular structure of particles, where each particle touches another and none could move freely.

Water element magic formed when mana particles were gathered, but not forced into a rigid structure, but more of a free-flowing gathering of mana. With that I could shape it freely to become whatever I wanted it to be, in a way it was highly similar to earth magic; allowing me insights into how to create deviated elements in both Earth and water.

Wind element magic was the direct opposite: The mana floated freely, only confined by a barrier that formed around it in the shape I wished for. Water was free to be shaped, but wind was truly formless.

Finally the fire element was one I had already observed earlier, fire magic was the most simple of the 4 and came into existence as the amount of energy I infused into the mana particles became too much for it and the mana combusted.

All of these happened in less than I could possibly perceive, forcing me to slow down the process. Even then I couldn't get it slower than 1/40 th of a second. 

Thanks to [Abyssal Soul] I could see mana even more clearly and I found myself wondering why seeing other kinds of mana gave insights into how to deviate another element; even with wind, understanding fire allowed me to better understand how to possibly form sound magic. By using an instant burst of energy, then allowing this to spread, I should be able to make the wind mana vibrate and cause sound.

"It's almost like..." I began thinking out loud as I walked, "Like all things are connected, we are not supposed to comprehend one without the other..."

I had walked for a while and no monsters had appeared, it was the perfect opportunity to study the intricacies of mana and magic, unfortunately this peace was interrupted fairly quickly:

[Yeti]

[Beast of the snowy mountain. Dare not trespass on their lands lest you wish to be buried in an icy tomb]

I got ready to fight, choosing physical ability as my main weapon for now after Abby told me that, like [Soul Weapon], [Abyssal Soul]'s leveling was locked until I lit up my life spark and awakened my aura.

I ran forward with my blade arm coated in fire and slashed at the monster.

It was around 8 ft tall and covered in snowy white fur from head to toe. We began clashing, it was harder than I had expected; the yeti was extremely powerful with incredibly physical defences. The greatest damage came from the burns gradually burning along its body.

I wanted to light up my life spark so a thought came to mind. Using [Abyssal Soul] I attempted to sense the abyssal energy, not in the exterior, but within me. Searching through my body I reached my heart and as expected there was something there that I couldn't properly perceive.

I see. I knew what I needed to make use of this power.

Just like when I allowed energy to flow along the abyssal veins I cycled my energy through them again, seeping into my being and allowing my body to be strengthened; I slashed into the yeti, this time managing serious damage.

I was decently up the mountain and had wondered why no enemies had appeared until now, but discovered the reason as the yeti let out an echoing rawr and 4 more yeti moved to surround me; the stage had been set.

I slashed and moved, intensifying the energy within me. My reserves drained faster as through my body the power flowed, until finally something happened. A full circulation. The abyssal energy had moved from where it started back t0 its origin. I didn't even know I had not been doing this the entire time, but now, as the circulation was complete, even more power washed over me and energy drained faster than before.

If I stopped moving for even a second my blood vessels would have popped, killing me. I was using the process of awakening my aura, but I was forcing it. Knowing that my circulation was now complete allowed me to understand that the distance energy moved within my body was gradually increasing, normally the circulation would complete itself as I continued to strengthen my body and weapon arts ,then feed the aura spark slowly but I had forced the process into action. 

My limits were pushed and I had no choice but to move, my strength increased just as fast as that tiny spark consumed my energy and yeti's fell one after the other as I blasted up the mountain like a streak of black lightning, My body heat was growing and black fumes radiated out of my skin, I really shouldn't have been doing this; settlements of yeti were blasted, I managed to copy talents subconsciously, but had no time to see what they did.

That tiny spark was growing with every slash of my sword, devouring energy at a dangerous rate, I was beginning my desire to push myself as I saw no end in sight to this.

I was beginning to lose the ability to see my own movements, I was moving at such a speed, relying only on my instincts as I passed entire towns of yeti. Blurring past, seeing only the crimson blood that pooled in my wake the spark began to glow brightly, burning like a star within me.

Then the next phase occurs right as my body begins to give out, the spark changed, warped and shrunk. No. It didn't shrink but condensed, that fire within me grew to the size of a marble and began to swirl like a whirlpool.

My body slowed, blood no longer pumping through me and my senses truly returning to me. Around me was the blood and guts of the yeti I had killed.

I moved, with shaky legs, over to the edge of the cliff they had built upon and saw how far my rampage had taken me. 

I was halfway up the mountain now, no longer caring for the cold as the spark of life had kept me warm. Looking within me again the spark simply spun, slowly changing colour from that of a flame to something else, I would not be able to tell for a while now but the process had begun and the energy drain had ended, right as I was nearing the pits of my reserves.

The first course of action was obviously recovering this. I found the energy gathered around me quicker, and entered my body at a much faster pace than before; I soon found the cause of this:

[Abyssal Soul (1/9)]

The aura had been awakened, now it was only a matter of time.

"Although you did it by force, you've refined your body to perfectly accept abyssal energy." Abby told me.

"You're not going to yell at me for being reckless?" I asked, laying down in the frozen blood, my energy had recovered but I was still tired.

"Nah. What you did is not common but often done by others with similar talents." She said, though she then poured water over my thoughts that I am somewhat normal, "Though all but one of them died from it. Well, two now with you."

I chuckled and reflected on what I had achieved.

"This was a day for discovery huh?" I joked, Abby agreed. 

I had begun the process of awakening my aura, I learnt more about mana and how to deviate it. It was only a matter of time before I became a master of all energy within this world. My power will be limitless and my potential will be boundless.

"Just like the abyss." Abby joked. The 2 of us laughed; a surreal image really. A one-armed girl lying in frozen blood and guts laughing together with a voice growing from the back of her only hand. It felt like an abstract art piece really.

I thought over exactly how I thought the elements would deviate.

For sand magic the theory was easy: Form earth mana, but before it can properly materialise, transform the mana so it becomes more akin to water mana. Earth mana with the traits of water; that is sand magic.

Do the opposite and I can likely make metal magic. Increase the overall density by increasing the number of affected mana particles without increasing the space at all, depending on the density and properties different metals may be formed; who knows I could perhaps make some kind of impossible magic metal.

Ice magic was easy enough, just do the process of making sand magic, but in reverse with water. Give rigid order to water mana and ice will be formed. Halfway could form snow or perhaps something similar.

Wind was a little more complicated: Sound magic should be formed by replicating some principles of fire mana, causing the wind mana to vibrate and pass along a noise, hence sound magic. That would be tricky to control, and a pain in the ass to do right.

To form lightning I had less idea than the others. But my working theory right now was to copy how real lightning is formed on Earth: Bring a positive and negative charge together by forcing friction between highly energised mana particles (A/N: This is an example of not being based in real science. Some stuff is loosely based, but it's mostly made up)

To truly become a master I would have to be able to produce these effects at incredible speeds.

"Don't worry you will. So long as you learn to produce the effects, the process will soon become a matter of wanting it to occur." Abby said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, sitting up and stretching after 20 minutes of going over my mana theories in my head.

"With talents abilities will bend to your will, over time mana will as well." Her answer was slightly blunt but appreciated, it was nice to know if I could produce the effects then I would be able to continue producing it.

"Honestly, this may allow you to become even better, purely due to lacking skills." Abby told me, of course I wanted further explanation and she willingly obliged.

"Skills and talents are highly different, even if they work upon the same foundations. Talents are like water, changing shape to the user's will; freely forming as the host desires. Skills on the other hand are closer to ice. It takes more effort to form them and once they are formed they can never change."

"Where talents are free and formless, talents are rigid and hard. In return skills grant more immediate power, but cannot do anything outside of their designated purpose. Talents on the other hand take more time to become powerful but can soon fit many purposes, just as your talents do for you now."

"Unlike others, you cannot learn skills; as a result you have to rely on the formless talents to create power. But in return for taking the longer path you are much more free in your expression of power. Others will order skills to do what they are designed for, but you will never be constricted by such limitations: Your only limits are what the talent can form, and your own imagination."

It was nice knowing the curse that [One With The Abyss] left me with may sculpt me into the greatest fighter I could be.

I stood up fully and stretched, looking over the talent I got from the yeti:

[Chilling Strength (1/5)]

I was surprised to see I had copied so many talents I had levelled up the talent, but pushed on to see the description.

[Massively increase your strength. Every hit makes the target feel slightly colder, slowing down reaction time]

"Ah." I said, quickly fusing the talent to where it should be, "A strength increases with a little something extra."

It had no compatibility with magic but hopefully it will empower my aura slightly.

I now had free reign of the settlement I had destroyed; so, I made my way through every single one of the yeti's huts. There was very little of value, mostly amounting to a group of non-magic items, or as Abby called them: Mundane Items.

However, I did get my hands on some items that were worth stealing.

[Yeti War Axe]

[Axe used by Yeti to fight intruders. Extremely heavy, rely on this weight]

[Yeti Cutters Axe]

[Axe used by Yeti to cut trees. Item has absorbed the will of its user and become a magic item. Despite not being a weapon, its size and weight make it highly dangerous]

[Yeti Short Sword]

[A short sword used by a Yeti. In the hands of another this is a greatsword]

[Niflheim Chain Whip]

[A whip formed from a long and sturdy piece of chain. It has absorbed the ambient ice in the air and allowed itself to evolve]

These items were weapons used by the yeti, they were incredibly large and almost impossible for me to use but I still put them into my bag; they could have a use later, who knows?

There were one other item as well though:

[Glacial Necklace]

[Necklace formed from ancient ice. Imbue with energy to use [Ice Burst]]

[Ice Burst] was a skill that shot out condensed ice energy all around me; and just seeing it allowed me to realise my current theories about mana were correct.

Ice formed exactly as I expected it to, now I just had to achieve it. Things are looking up for me.

"Now, up the mountain before I freeze to death"