<h4>Chapter 180: Hidden ss and conflict</h4>


    To Eldrian it felt like he was back in the dungeon of the magic tower. When he had only started learning magic, more precisely his first time casting a spell near a Magic Crystal.


    His mana raged, tearing at him. His heart ached, yet it pounded more and more as the aching increased. Eldrian felt like he was going mad as everything seemed to just be escting in an endless cycle.


    Itireae did not just stand and observe, she could see that Eldrian was actually being hurt. Blood seeping through his pores. Casting healing and rejuvenation spell on him, she hoped to help as she looked on in curiosity.


    While the process certainly looked unpleasant, she could feel that there was something more to it. That this was a really strong reaction and maybe even a better step for bing stronger. Yet seeing the pain Eldrian was going through, she quickly discarded this as a viable option for others. Most people would simply fail in staying conscious.


    What the hell is going on!Eldrian thought as he grit his teeth with all his might. Afraid that if he let up he would bite off his tongue.


    Luckily, or unluckily, this onlysted 5 minutes. After which Eldrian was almost lying in a pool of blood. Standing up shakily, he turned to Itireae with questions.


    "I have no idea what just happened, it is as new to me as it is to you."She quickly answered, causing Eldrian to sigh.


    "It is actually not the first time I have experienced this," Eldrian said as he cast Nidia to clean the blood from him. As he extended his hand from habit, a massive ball of water formed over it. This was nearly as big as a basketball, instead of the fist-sized ball, it used to be.


    The strangest thing was that Eldrian did not even use a spell module to cast the spell, nor did he use much mana. In fact, he used less than he had before. The spell hade to him on thought.


    "Is this normal?" Eldrian asked Itireae in surprise as he sshed himself with the ball of water.


    Shaking her head she replied,"Normally there is an increase in power. But it would only be in the magnitude of five to fifteen percent. This is a couple of hundred times increase."


    Eldrian nodded upon hearing her words, turning his attention towards the system interface. Hoping that there would be some answers.


    This time Eldrian directly looked at the notifications, shocked by all of them.


    [yer has created a spell. Please cast the spell two more times to confirm creation and gain ownership over this spell.]


    [Spell Type: Lightning]


    [Spell Tier: 6]


    This was shocking enough. Eldrian was disappointed that he needed to cast the spell twice more to actually learn it. He highly doubted he would be able to do that anytime soon. The following notifications were no less shocking.


    [yer has created a skill. Please use the skill two more times to confirm creation and gain ownership over this skill.]


    [Skill Type: Energy conversion-HP]


    [Skill Tier: 1]


    [yer has created a skill. Please use the skill two more times to confirm creation and gain ownership over this skill.]


    [Skill Type: Energy conversion-SP]


    [Skill Tier: 1]


    [yer has created an ability. Please use the ability two more times to confirm creation and gain ownership over this ability.]


    [Ability Type: Energy conversion-XP]


    [Abilities are generally a racial trait gained from a bloodline. Other than this, magical items also often have abilities. Unlike skills and magic, which are confined within the knownws of magic, abilities can do things seemingly impossible. None need to know how it works, rather just that it does and that it will do something amazing.]


    A short exnation was given on what abilities were since this was Eldrian''s first time gaining one. This was not the end yet, thest notification being on Eldrian''s Tier gain.


    [Through hard effort and surviving through many tragedies, the yer has gained a hidden ss and Tier.]


    [Hidden ss: Protector]


    [Hidden ss Grade: Heroic]


    [Tier reached: 1]


    [The Protector ss is a hidden ss obtained through sheer willpower. Given to one who wished to protect. Willing to die, repeatedly even, just to protect what they hold dear. Be this their family, friends, lover, or kingdom. Reportedly, Protectors can ovee death through sheer willpower. Returning to their ruined body, forcing their soul to stay, enduring endless pain. Just for a chance to protect.]


    [May this hidden ss help you achieve your ideal]


    [Hidden ss grades; Fabled, Heroic, Mythic]


    [This information will not be visible to others, even those at the highest level and Tiers. Only others with hidden sses will be able to see this information, and only if their hidden ss is of the same grade, or higher.]


    [Hidden sses are a myth in this world, it is advised that the yer not share this fact with NPCs. Even the punishment of gods will not keep NPCs from coveting such a ss.]


    What the actual hell? Eldrian was amazed upon reading through this. It felt to him like he had been praised too highly, he did not feel like he deserved this.Still he was extremely curious about what this ss meant and wanted to look at his stats, but remembering where he was and with who, he stopped himself. Heading the warning the system had given him, he looked wearily at Itireae who had observed him breaking through.


    "Thanks for healing me. How is my mana now?" Eldrian asked Itireae, hoping to circle back to her teaching him some things. Eldrian already knew how his mana was, he could feel it moving vigorously inside of him. He only asked to pull her attention from his moment of lost attention and the stronger spell.


    Naturally, this would not work, nor was the direction he pulled any better. Itireae though did not really care what was going on with Eldrian. She was curious, but not enough to pry. She could tell that it was not something anyone could gain ess to, even if she knew what was going on. Not to mention people making it through that ordeal withoutplications.


    She was more curious about his motivation to be with humans and how he could be a Chosen. The increase in power might seem really big to Eldrian, but to Itireae it was only moderate at best. Amon magic essory in the empire could do the same. Especially since that was only a Tier 0 spell. She would certainly be more invested if it did the same for Tier 5 and above spells.


    "You have certainly reached Tier 1 now. What do you want my help with then?"


    "Can you help me in understanding how to continue to train? You are the first High Elf I have met and as such, I have no idea how to meditate."


    "I can try to help you, but I must warn you that what I do might not work for you. In fact, I believe it will definitely not work for you."


    "That''s fine, I just want to know what to aim for when I am trying to meditate. Especially for the next Tiers"


    "Alright."Itireae agreed and started exining to Eldrian the basics which most High Elves had inmon. How you had to channel your mana, and then withter Tiers focus on purifying it as well as increasing both the amount of mana and the pathways they take in your body.


    She was not very good at exining and only spoke in general. Most of the information was not new to Eldrian. Causing him to be greatly disappointed. Yet as an hour went by she finally mentioned something of use to him, something he had found when experimenting in the magic tower''s dungeon.


    "Due to how our mana circtes our body, we can keep spells active with far less mana. The depleted mana from a spelling back to us to be invigorated again. While this ismon for all dynamic magic casters and happens passively once you reach Tier 1, we can manipte this."


    "Instead of taking the mana back in, you can force it to fully expend itself while also pumping more mana to empower the spell. This will cause a massive increase in your spell''s power, since exhausted mana actually still has a veryrge amount of energy inside of it. Naturally this will drain you far more than normal too, but it is very useful for a burst of strength."


    Other than this she did not have much more to offer. Unwilling to share skills and spells with Eldrian without getting to know him better. Though Tier 1 spells and skills did not mean much, or rather anything to her, she did not wish to give it without payment. And she had no interest in coins.


    Reaching the end of his lessons, Eldrian nned to start training. When he suddenly realized that this elf was who had saved them. Naturally, it was not that he just realized this now, but he realized that she did not save everyone.


    "Itireae, why did you only save the three of us? What about the others?"Eldrian asked, anger growing in him as he believed she could certainly have saved Sabrea too.


    "Only you three were still alive. Or rather the two humans were alive, you were dead and I did not think my resurrection spell would be able to bring you back."


    "Then why did you not save Sabrea!"


    "I do not know who that is."Itireae tone indicated that she really did not care for this. Causing Eldrian to be even angrier.


    "She must have died muchter than me. Why did you not save her too!"


    "Oh, you must mean that one. The one the redhead clung to."


    Hearing her talk about them like they were lesser, not worth her time, caused Eldrian to be furious. He was about to explode, the only thing keeping him back was knowing that he had absolutely no chance.


    "She was too far gone," Itireae added with the same unbothered tone.


    "Yet you save me! I must have died far before her!"Spit flew as Eldrian shouted, the nearby soldiers retreating in fright as they thought Itireae might burst into rage. Instead, she looked at Eldrian with curiosity.


    "Why do you care so much for her?" She asked, her tone filled with an ignorant curiosity which only irritated Eldrian more. She did not mean to irritate him, this was simply the thing she was most curious of. Having never left the empire before, most of her life having been spent in Epipleon. Six thousand years in one ce, a utopia if there ever was one.


    No loss, no theft, no hunger. A ce where only the really, really elderly would die. Hundreds of years given to prepare for their departure as they slowly lost grip over their souls. In terms of High Elves, Itireae was actually still young; a teen. Yet she was also one of the strongest in the empire.


    With never having experienced any hardships, her emotional growth level could be described as quite low.