Sanctuary: Safe Haven

Despite his initial apprehension, the battle proved less challenging than anticipated. After trading a few blows with the goblin warlord, he came to a realization: he couldn't overpower him. Canna deduced that the warcry the goblin unleashed was a spell meant to augment its physical strength, a temporary boost as Mortem had taught him.

Armed with this insight, he decided on a different approach: fleeing as fast as he could.

With the limited space available, he found himself constrained in his ability to flee. However, leveraging his power to enhance himself and casting a few spells, he managed to run just enough until the augmentation wore off. As the effect faded, the goblin warlord visibly weakened, its muscles shrinking and its gaze losing clarity.

Without hesitation, Canna sprang into action, summoning his daggers and imbuing them with water and wind. Despite taking a couple of minutes, he swiftly dispatched the goblin warlord, achieving the same outcome in the end.

After finishing off the goblin, he approached its lifeless body. Ensuring his dagger was infused with razor-sharp winds, he plunged it into the creature's remains as if searching for something. Upon hearing the clink of metal against metal, he swiftly withdrew the dagger and reached in with his hand.

When he opened his palm, he found a mana core roughly half the size of his hand. A smile spread across Canna's face at the sight of his first intermediate mana core. Though he knew there was still a long journey ahead, he felt reassured; as long as it could aid him in achieving his ultimate goal, everything would be fine.

Following his encounter, he resumed his daily training routine with a new addition. Previously, his regimen consisted of studying mana application, lunch, intense combat sessions, rest, further spell study, and sleep.

Now, he adjusted his schedule to include studying mana application, lunch, engaging in combat, resting, additional spell study, and practicing spellcasting by obliterating medium-rating skeletons with one or two spells.

In the subsequent lesson, Mortem emphasized a critical aspect of spellcasting: "Spell Selection." According to Mortem's guidance, this element was among the most crucial factors to contemplate when preparing to cast a spell. It basically means choosing the right spell for the task at hand.

It's like picking the perfect tool for a job; the right spell can make all the difference between success and failure. So, carefully considering which spell to use is essential for achieving the desired outcome when casting a spell.

In the realm of common sense, it's widely understood that fire is vulnerable to water, just as nature spells can be vulnerable to fire. However, the effectiveness of spells depends significantly on the situation and surroundings. For instance, challenging a water mage near a substantial water source would be unwise. It's these primary considerations that often slip people's minds.

There's a significant distinction between summoning water and utilizing the water readily available. Summoning water requires expending more mana while using existing water, which allows for more straightforward manipulation and less mana consumption.

The rationale behind destroying the skeletons lies in Canna's elemental affinities, which are aligned with wind and water. Mortem summoned medium-rated skeletons crafted from the earth, as earth symbolizes solidity and stability, contrasting with wind and water's fluid and ethereal nature. Some of these skeletons are imbued with earth essence, while others are not.

Canna's task is to discern which skeletons possess earth imbued within them and eliminate those before they can threaten him.

With that, his grueling schedule persisted for another four months until something within Canna began to shift.

Canna lay on the ground, contorting in agony. Mortem swiftly cast a diagnostic spell to ascertain the source of his master's distress, but to his dismay, the spell yielded no results. Concerned for Canna's well-being, Mortem hurriedly sought out Tonitrum for additional information.

Tonitrum chuckled; of course, a low-tier diagnostic spell wouldn't fix the issue.

After all, the problem is with his soul; there's a famous quote on earth that goes, "Too much of anything is bad," and right now, Canna's soul is suffering from using too much of his mana, in retrospect, Canna is like a small engine that always produces energy, so much so that his soul or in this case the gears that make the engine works can't keep up.

The only solution is to rest, and the pain would go away; Mortem hadn't identified the problem simply because he hadn't encountered anyone yet with a regimen as demanding as Canna's, which led to excessive mana consumption, so in a way, this is a first for him.

On Canna's first day off, he was tempted to explore the dungeon, as Tonitrum had suggested. However, he had other plans in mind. Directing Mortem to create a flame resembling a lamp, Canna retrieved the Codex with a grin that bordered on madness. With careful strokes, he caressed the Codex, his excitement palpable.

Together with Mortem, he retreated to a dim corner of the dungeon to immerse himself in reading. Using a low-calamity monster as a makeshift lamp would surely disgust anyone who discovered it. Many considered employing such a creature for such a mundane purpose to be wasteful.

For three days straight, Canna didn't sleep. On the first two days, he was utterly engrossed in reading, neglecting both food and rest. It took Mortem's persuasion on the third day to convince his master to take a nap, albeit reluctantly. Upon awakening, Canna decided to change his reading spot and approached Tonitrum.

Requesting permission to sit beside him and even touch his scales, Canna's thoughts revealed he had been immersed in the Codex's tales of wyverns. Thus, the third day turned into a storytelling session, with Canna listening intently.

After that essential break, during which Canna refrained from using any magic, he felt relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Glancing to the side, he saw the pile of mana cores steadily growing. Mortem mentioned that the current supply of mana cores was sufficient for him to advance another rank but advised him to wait until he had thoroughly mastered the basics.

For now, it was back to his daily training regimen.

Canna faced off against the "Cythus Thorn," a three-legged abomination bristling with spikes. He kept a safe distance, acutely aware that a single needle prick could paralyze him for five seconds — a lethal window for his opponent to strike.

Mortem observes as Canna deftly maneuvers against his opponent, summoning water arrows to strike the monster's vital areas and employing wind spells to maintain distance between them.

After the monster fell, Canna saw his master lying on the ground, chest heaving with each breath.

He sent a telepathic message to Tonitrum, prompting the dragon to snort in response.

_________________

Mortem ensured that Canna was asleep before proceeding towards Tonitrum. Using telepathy, he initiated their conversation.

"You mentioned his training is intended to make him stronger, but I sense a different purpose. Even heroes of great empires or kingdoms do not undergo such rigorous training. "Are you, by any chance, making my master a Harbinger?"