We stood in the middle of the dense forest where the tall green trees rose high into the bright sky, creating a thick canopy of leaves overhead. The ground beneath our boots was covered in soft dirt, fallen leaves, and dry twigs that snapped under the slightest shift of weight. The air was fresh and filled with the gentle rustling of the wind passing through the branches. Chlaire stood a few paces away from my position in the small clearing, her posture completely steady as she adjusted to our new surroundings. She looked at me with a serious expression, observing my physical frame after our sudden teleportation from the mansion hallway. Suddenly, she raised her right arm into the open space between us and pointed her finger directly at my chest. She kept her arm extended and her gaze fixed entirely on my face as she prepared to ask a question about my current capabilities. She suddenly pointed to me and said, "Do you have any experience on how to use magic? Probably not since you did not have mana before." Her voice was clear and steady, cutting through the natural sounds of the quiet wilderness.
I looked at her extended finger and took a moment to reflect on my previous experiences before answering her direct question. My mind went back to the moments when my physical state was completely different, and I wanted to explain the exact nature of my past familiarity with internal energy. I stood firmly on the rough ground, keeping my arms by my sides as I formulated my words to be as accurate as possible. I instantly said, "I did have experience with mana, but that is because... I am merged, and I was only able to use it properly because my merged body seemed to know what to do before. But now I am not merged, and I have no idea how to use mana or magic." My voice carried a tone of honest confusion as I delivered the sentences across the small clearing. I wanted her to know that my previous success with energy was entirely due to that unique combined state, and that my current independent frame lacked any natural understanding of how to guide or control the forces within my system. I stood completely still after speaking, waiting to see how she would guide my next action in the woods.
Chlaire lowered her right arm slowly, returning her hand to her side while she processed the detailed information I had just shared about my past merged condition. She remained stationary on the dirt ground, her face showing a deep level of focus as she considered the best way to help me access the vast energy pool provided by our new servant mark. She did not express any discouragement or doubt regarding my lack of independent knowledge. Instead, she offered a direct and simple suggestion that would allow me to test my hidden capabilities without needing a complex understanding of internal control. She suddenly said, "Just try it. Try holding your sword and using it as a catalyst for your magic." Her command was delivered with a calm and reassuring confidence that encouraged me to take action right away in the middle of the clearing. She just stood perfectly still, watching my movements closely as I prepared to follow her advice.
I moved my right hand down toward the hilt of my sword, which was resting securely by my side. I wrapped my fingers firmly around the cold handle, feeling the familiar weight of the weapon return to my control as I prepared to use it according to her instructions. I took a deep breath, drawing the cool forest air deep into my lungs to steady my mind and focus my thoughts entirely on the task ahead. I held the breath for a brief moment, letting all external distractions disappear from my awareness until my entire attention was directed solely toward the steel blade in my hand. I focused on my sword, visualizing the connection between my physical frame and the weird tattoo of the sun, stars, and moons that was marked permanently onto the back of my hand. As I concentrated all my willpower onto the metal weapon, a sudden and dramatic transformation occurred right before our eyes. My sword was suddenly engulfed in black fire that burst forth from the steel hilt and spread rapidly across the entire length of the blade. The dark flames flickered and danced wildly along the sharp edges, casting unusual shadows across the surrounding dirt ground. But weirdly enough, it is not hot at all to the touch. I could feel the intense visual power of the dark flames, yet my hand holding the handle did not experience any burning sensation or heat from the fire. The black flames wrapped completely around the metal weapon, burning silently without consuming the steel or causing any discomfort to my physical body as I held it out in front of my chest.
I looked at the unusual dark flames dancing along my blade, feeling a deep sense of curiosity about the true power of this unique manifestation. I decided to test the effect of the magic on a physical object within the clearing. I took a slow step forward, moving my boots across the rough dirt until I was standing right next to a large, ancient tree that rose high into the forest canopy. I lifted my arm slightly, guiding the flaming weapon toward the solid wooden trunk in front of my face. When I rapped it against a tree, making a very light and gentle contact between the dark fire and the rough bark, an immediate and catastrophic reaction took place. The tree just exploded so huge that a massive shockwave of energy blasted outward from the point of contact, shattering the silence of the wilderness with a deafening roar. The force of the explosion was incredibly vast and destructive, releasing an immense wave of dark energy that expanded in a perfect circle across the land. Within a fraction of a single second, most of the trees in the forest were engulfed in black fire as the dark flames rushed wildly through the dense woods, spreading from branch to branch with impossible speed. The intense fire consumed everything it touched instantly, leaving no wood, no leaves, and no ash behind in its path. Most of the trees in the forest were engulfed in black fire and they disappeared instantly, vanishing completely from existence as if they had never been part of the landscape. The entire area was turned into a wide, empty clearing of bare dirt under the open sky. But the massive destruction did not last for long on the surface of the land. In the next moment, a powerful wave of natural energy surged through the ground, and the planet regenerated its trees all at once. New trunks, branches, and green leaves burst forth from the soil with incredible speed, completely restoring the dense forest to its original state within a single second. Chlaire looked at the restored woods and suddenly said, "Try meditating."
I listened to her short, direct command as the vast forest became perfectly quiet once again all around our current positions in the center of the woods. I realized that I needed to calm my internal state completely after witnessing such an immense and terrifying display of destructive magical power on the landscape. I carefully moved my right arm and placed my metal sword back down by my side, ensuring that the unusual black flames had fully receded from the steel blade before I let go of the cold handle. I looked around the newly regenerated clearing, finding a relatively flat and open area of smooth dirt near the center of the path. I shifted my physical weight downward, bending my knees slowly to lower my frame onto the ground without causing any extra sound in the stillness. I crossed my legs in a comfortable position, balancing my posture evenly upon the earth to keep my body perfectly steady during the process. Chlaire remained completely motionless a few feet away, keeping her focus fixed entirely on my form as I prepared to connect with the hidden energy pool. I drew a slow, deep breath through my nose, letting the cool air fill my chest and remove all remaining distractions from my thoughts completely so that I could begin the exercise properly. I allowed the natural sounds of the wind in the branches to fade away from my awareness, focusing solely on the internal calm of my system. With my heart beating at a steady, regular pace, I concentrated fully on the presence of the servant mark on my hand, ready to explore the full depth of my rare magical affinity under the open sky without any further delay on the ground while she watched my quiet posture from her own place. I sat down and just meditated and closed my eyes.