This was similar to what he had done back then. It was an easy start, but Ellegaard would soon begin saying things that were much harder to understand.

"Take the teachings of Elemental Arcane Magic as a reference: for fire, you had to stir the particles; for water, make them flow calmly; earth had to become a fortress, while wind had to swirl around you. Light was particles charged with mana, and darkness was particles dimming while still retaining their power. That is the foundation of Elemental Magic and the foundation for ’seeing’ the essence of your soul."

Ellegaard waved her staff and gently touched Mitsuki’s head. She closed her eyes and continued.

"Look at yourself within the darkness. You are there; your body is matter: flesh, bones, fluids. You are a complex structure of nerves extending through every nanocentimeter of your flesh. Every corner of you contains mana, and prana flows around your composition."

Mitsuki visualized all of that, but it turned out to be harder than he expected. First of all, seeing himself was already a difficult task, because the only thing there were purple prana particles floating around him.

He frowned while trying.

It had to be like seeing himself in "third person," as if he were controlling a camera drone to look at himself through a screen.

Once again, he failed. He couldn’t do it. It seemed impossible.

He tried even harder, without success. Ellegaard noticed it from the brief grunt of effort Mitsuki let out for an instant.

"It’s difficult, isn’t it? It’s always difficult at the beginning. To see yourself, you must feel your surroundings. Remember that everything is filled with prana, and prana flows through every corner of your body. If you can feel prana, you can feel everything around you, including yourself."

"My perception isn’t as good as yours. It’s hard to explain in words, but it’s like I’m trapped inside a box that won’t let me get out to ’see’ what’s around me."

Ellegaard sighed.

"You’re still a novice, of course you have limitations. If that ’box’ you speak of is there, it will stop you from seeing your own composition, and if you can’t see yourself, you won’t be able to see your soul. The only thing you can do is try to break that box and get out on your own."

’That’s exactly what I’m trying to do...’

He tried a few more times, but that damn "box" wouldn’t break. It felt like it was made of iron. He imagined himself pushing against the walls with his hands, trying to make one of them give way, but once again, he failed.

A gentle breeze rose around him, proof that he was controlling the prana around him in order to see and understand the essence of his spirit.

Ellegaard shook her head.

"You’re doing it wrong. You’re forcing the prana to break your limitations when you should be letting it flow through the surrounding space. Magic isn’t like a physical muscle; you have to find a way to open yourself up."

"A way... a way..." Mitsuki whispered.

If hitting or pushing the walls of the box didn’t work, then what could he do? Up until now, he had solved everything through brute force and devastating power alone. What could possibly work to make prana flow the way Ellegaard described?

"Calmness..." she said. "That’s all you need."

"Calmness..." he whispered.

He placed his imaginary hands against the box. He calmed his heart and mind, imagining a completely still ocean. However, in the blink of an eye, that ocean turned turbulent and dark. Two white spheres opened like eyes in the dark sky, and hundreds of hands rose from the liquid to grab his limbs.

Finally, seated upon the somber throne where he had been crowned the King of the Void and Herald of the Unnameable, reflected in the black mud beneath his feet, he saw himself; his soul.

A dark figure with dozens of glowing purple cracks stretching across its ethereal body, like a floating shadow surrounded by dark mist. It looked lonely as it stared into the mud with those pure eyes, which were nothing more than two white dots on a face without a mouth or nose.

’This... is me...?’

A detailed view of what the people of this world called the soul.

At that moment, the system trembled, displaying a screen with several notifications that caught Mitsuki’s attention.

[ Your training has borne fruit. ]

[ The seal on the Active/Passive skill "Soul Perception" has been broken. ]

[ You have obtained the Active/Passive skill "Soul Perception". ]

[ Description: Your senses have improved. You can now sense and "see" the souls of beings that possess one, especially your own. However, the clarity of your perception will depend entirely on the difference in power between you and the target. ]

’Oh... nice,’ Mitsuki thought. He opened his eyes and looked at Ellegaard.

She noticed his gaze instantly, lowered her staff, and said:

"Did you succeed?"

Mitsuki nodded.

"I was able to see my soul."

Ellegaard placed a hand on her head.

"...It irritates me how impressive your learning speed is. Any mage would kill for your level of comprehension and adaptability."

"I don’t think it’s that impressive. Anyway, what else do I have to do?"

"Once you can visualize and perceive your soul, you must fill it with mana and prana so the cracks slowly begin to seal. It’s an exhausting and time-consuming process that I strongly advise against doing all at once, since you could end up breaking your soul even further instead of repairing it."

She rested the staff against the ground.

"For that, you must know how to direct mana particles toward your soul, which is something you already know how to do. So for the next few days, your task will be to fill your soul with a small amount of prana and mana; roughly the size of your fist. Once you no longer see any cracks in your soul, the most difficult part of all will begin, and the reason why healing a soul is said to be nearly impossible."

Still, considering everything Mitsuki had accomplished so far, he seemed fortunate enough to be on the right path.

"So, that’s all for today?"

"Yes, that’s all. Now get lost, your presence gives me the creeps," she said, making the staff disappear.

She crossed her arms and looked at Mitsuki as though he were nothing more than a nuisance.

’Well... that was faster than I expected.’

He stood up, ready to leave, but Ellegaard said one last thing.

"When we return to Luxar, I’ll make a new arm for you. That way I won’t have to keep looking at this pathetic version of you anymore."

"I see. Thank you," Mitsuki replied.

Once the boy left, Ellegaard remained staring at the door.