A goat with three horns was visible, similar to Elvar's horns. Only the shape of the other two horns, which were curled, differentiated Elvar's horns from the goat's.
The goat leaped nimbly, crossing the molten lava river unaffected by its heat, and entered the forest towards the mountain peak, disappearing among the black rocks.
I pointed towards the goat.
"Can that animal be eaten?" I asked Valeria.
"Of course it can, Lord. That is a Lava Goat Monster," Valeria answered. "It has thick skin and doesn't rely heavily on drinking a lot of water. That goat often eats leaves and grass."
I frowned slightly behind my mask.
"Isn't there no grass on the mountain top?" I asked again, without diminishing my dignity.
"That's correct, Lord. The mountain peak is just a playground for those goats, and their habitat is on the border of the Human Continent," Valeria further explained. "They also often attack humans, so we don't hunt them very often in order to preserve them."
So it's the same as those wolves. Could it be that those goats are also the daily prey of the wolves from yesterday?
It's possible. What Valeria said is right. I didn't expect demonkind to care about preserving the forest creatures to maintain balance.
I will think about raising goats as well. Maybe that can stabilize the food supply for the kingdom's citizens, without having to disrupt the forest ecosystem.
Okay, I'm done giving out the construction tasks now. I will return to my room to practice magic. And practice my muscles. Before leaving the palace for the Fulakmi Kingdom.
After all the citizens and Terrax began their activities following Elvar's orders, Elvar returned to his palace. Valeria escorted him to the bridge gate, and Terrax remained below, roaring commands to his earth magic troops to begin the excavation.
Elvar returned to his room. The large, dark room felt like his only safe place. When he arrived in the room, he locked the door and immediately opened the books he had obtained. He picked up the "Basic Magic" book to learn and understand the mana system in the body.
Yesterday I tried the Aura of Destruction Skill. My chest felt hot, which means I wasn't using my mana and was only using soul energy, which resulted in my chest feeling extremely hot.
Inside this book, it explains that to feel mana, one must focus the mind on the bloodstream. The flow of mana is similar to the flow of blood, the difference being it has a warmer flow sensation in the body.
I'll try it.
Elvar sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, taking off his boots. He closed his eyes behind his mask and focused his mind on feeling the flow of mana. He tried to ignore his heartbeat and search for another sensation.
After a few minutes of silence, he found it. A faint current separate from his blood, pulsing slowly with a comfortable warmth.
I can feel the mana flow now. Maybe... Actually, I don't know if it's really mana flow or not, what's clear is that it's like blood flowing in the body but feels warmer if you feel it carefully.
Now that I can feel mana, how large is my mana pool? And how do I use it for the Aura of Destruction skill?
I will imagine the mana flow centering in my chest. Because what I felt yesterday was only my chest area feeling hot.
Elvar began to try to focus the mana in his chest.
Yes, I can really feel this now. This mana flow is swirling in my chest.
After that, should I activate it now? What should I visualize?
And I only want to release a little bit of the aura, not all of it, as a precaution so I don't overheat again. Now I'm imagining the aura in my body coming out, but not completely. I'm imagining only about 10% of the aura coming out.
Elvar closed his eyes, focusing on the warm pool of mana in his chest, then spoke the skill's name.
"Aura of Destruction," his voice was low as he spoke the magic's name.
I'm starting to feel like a warm current is being forced out of my chest. However, I don't feel hot. I remain calm...
At the same time Elvar spoke the skill's name, a black, red, and blackish-blue aura slowly emerged from his body. Not like before when it instantly exploded; this time the aura looked controlled, enveloping him like a thin mist.
...and I feel like I can detect my surroundings with this Aura of Destruction skill.
The Aura of Destruction skill is an aura of ruin to intimidate opponents around Elvar. And with every bit of aura that spreads, Elvar can feel the body heat of creatures touched by the aura. The skill could be called a mix with a detection skill.
I can feel several people in this palace environment. I feel the body heat of many people. Crazy, this is great!
This skill is not only for intimidation, but I can also detect opponents. This can become a trump card.
Ohh, so this is how it's done. Now I understand.
After a few minutes of Elvar using this skill at only 10 percent of its power, he remained conscious and could control the skill easily.
But, I can only activate it for the aura, not the other parts. That time, when I hit Grakthos, it was a whole set with the Aura of Destruction skill.
According to Valeria, this skill can increase my speed, physical strength, and the endurance of my real body while wearing the mask.
I can use the aura well now. So what about teleportation? It was called Shadow Step, if I'm not mistaken. The ability to move lightning-fast.
That time I used Shadow Step over a distance of 10 meters, which made my entire insides feel like they were crushed.
So right now I will try to move two meters, with the Shadow Step skill.
Elvar did the same thing. He focused his mana again, but this time he would focus his mana in his feet.
Because the Shadow Step I'm thinking of is a rapid movement using my feet.
After Elvar activated the skill by saying its name...
"Shadow Step!"
He truly did move at lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the middle of the room and reappeared at the far end near the large window.
Aaa... Damn it! My insides hurt, like being punched hard.
But this pain isn't as bad as when I moved 10 meters. But the effect is still felt in my insides. It really hurts.
But I can't just stay still. I have to find a way so it doesn't hurt.
I will activate 10 percent of Aura of Destruction and focus the body's endurance on my internal organs, then use the Shadow Step skill.
Before I activate the Aura of Destruction skill, I will try with a distance of 1 meter. Will there be a painful effect again?
The experiment was conducted again. He shifted one meter.
Aww... This still hurts. It feels like I was running, then suddenly my body hit a wall. That's what it feels like.
So there's no other way. I have to activate the Aura of Destruction skill first, then focus my body's endurance on my internal organs, and then activate the Shadow Step skill.
Elvar began to activate Aura of Destruction. The small, controlled aura reappeared from his body. Then he focused his mind, gathering mana in the center of his internal organs, and imagined the endurance of that part being strengthened.
Okay, let's try again.
Elvar tried Shadow Step combined with Aura of Destruction over a distance of one meter first.
Elvar moved quickly over a distance of one meter after saying the skill's name and imagining where he would move.
This experiment was no ordinary experiment. Every experiment Elvar conducted risked injuring himself with the pain from the skill's backlash. With strong determination and bravery to face the pain he would receive, he began to successfully master the basics of using his skills in his own way.
First try, using this technique... I really don't feel any pain at all!
And now let's try with a longer distance.
Elvar was seen moving quickly within a one-meter range from his previous spot, and he performed the experiment again with the same method over a distance of two meters.
The second experiment with the same method, over a longer distance, two meters from where he was. It was successful, with no painful effects.
Next experiment: Four meters. Successful.
Six meters. Also successful and no pain received at all.
Eight meters. Successful, but he felt like he had hit a wall while running.
Ten meters. He still succeeded, but it was accompanied by a pain like being punched hard in the stomach.
Now I'm starting to understand.
This Aura of Destruction skill can increase the body's endurance according to where we focus the mana. And with each movement, the pain is significantly reduced.
Shadow Step with increased body endurance, at a distance of 8 meters, is equivalent to one meter without body endurance. And a distance of ten meters is equivalent to a 2-meter move without body endurance.
In conclusion, I have to strengthen my body somehow so I don't need to rely on the Aura of Destruction skill.
Next question. From the many times I've conducted experiments, why hasn't my mana run out?...