Rael: The Journey of Creation

"I can really see the resemblance between you and Kyle, Selene. And Kyoko, you look just like I imagined." I broke the silence before any awkwardness could take hold. The three of them seemed deep in thought, so I took the lead to keep the conversation moving.

"I already had an idea of what you looked like since my eyes are adjusted for the dark," Kyoko revealed casually, "but honestly, I never really paid attention until now." Her admission wasn't all that surprising.

"Anyway," I said, shifting the focus, "now that we've seen what everyone looks like, how about we talk about our plan?" I deactivated my mana, allowing the lighting to return to its previous dimness.

"Ahem! I agree!" Selene chimed in, her usual energetic self back on display.

"True," Kyoko and Kyle said at the same time. After spending this little amount of time with them, I could kind of feel that those two liked each other, but I could be wrong. Either way, now wasn't the time to think about stuff like that!

"So, tell me, girls, how well do you think our chances are?" I immediately got to the meat. I needed to know how well their mental state was before planning anything!

Kyoko remained deep in thought, while Selene, as usual, jumped right to the point.

"Realistically, our chances aren't great if we all work solo. But, of course, we're not doing that," she said confidently. "I think it's best if one person plays support while the other two act as the vanguard." Her reasoning was solid, and hearing it helped me make an immediate decision.

"I'll play support," I said. "My abilities are more flexible, so I'll stay back. You two know each other better, so you'll do better leading the charge."

"Yeah, I was about to suggest the same thing," Kyoko said with a small nod, before adding, "Fortunately, you're not a hot-blooded idiot. No offense, of course."

"None taken," I replied with a light chuckle. "I know most guys my age tend to act that way, but you'd be surprised. There are plenty who actually use their brains." I kept my tone measured and fair. Her remark wasn't entirely uncalled for, even if she didn't explicitly say it. Still, her tone and gaze made it clear how she felt.

"Speaking of abilities, Selene, how exactly does strengthening work?" I asked about one of her specialties because it was so broad. Unlike her other specialty, which was space, I couldn't quite pinpoint its limits or strengths.

"I can strengthen myself and my magic, but nothing else. If it's not connected to me, it won't work." She let out an audible sigh of realization and explained her abilities briefly.

"I see, and I'm to assume that 'directly connected' means its source or origin is you, yourself?"

"Yeah, that's a good way to put it." She clearly didn't want to go into too much detail, which was understandable, so I switched topics.

"I think I have a general understanding of how things can play out. Give me some time to create and think of some magic that will best help!" I spoke confidently as my mind was filled with various attacks and moves from various works of fiction, my understanding of general laws, and just my own creativity.

Selene couldn't help but add, "That's so unfair!"

"Hah~, if only our magic was that easy," Kyoko sighed and just accepted it.

'If only they knew I had to die to gain this talent.' I let out a soft chuckle at the thought before leaning back against my spear. Closing my eyes, I slipped into my own mental space, organizing my priorities.

Right off the bat, I need something that can reflect or deflect and maybe even attract things. It's simple but versatile, perfect for support and even useful in an offensive pinch. But realistically, I'm not in a position to pull that off just yet. Right now, I need to focus on escape, not fighting, so I should shift my priorities to healing and survival instead.

I mentally weighed my options, thinking through what was achievable. Buffs or strengthening magic would be ideal, but I doubt I can manage those at my current level. Healing might be my highest achievable direct support magic. But I'll also have to keep an eye on energy consumption. Whatever I use has to be efficient and easy to control. Precision and adaptability will win out over raw power here.

'Elements fit that category—what can I work with?' The basics came to mind immediately. Water, Earth, Fire, and Wind. Those should be manageable, especially since my earlier flashlight idea came together so easily. It felt natural, but that was a simple concept. Complex ideas might not come as easily, even with basic elements, so I'll need to practice before attempting anything too advanced.

I hesitated for a moment before considering other possibilities. 'Sound... That's something I generate naturally. It could be powerful, but also risky if I'm not careful. Blood magic could work too, but that's probably beyond me right now, too tricky to control effectively.'

I nodded inwardly, settling on a plan. Water, Earth, Fire, and Wind to start with. Keep the concepts straightforward and build from there. Once I'm confident in the basics, I can move on to something more challenging, like Sound or attraction-based spells.

"Simplicity is always the best option if you aren't confident in anything." I released a slight chuckle as déjà vu hit me. While it may not have been yesterday exactly, to me, who had been knocked out, it felt like I'd had this same exact thought quite recently.

Keeping my eyes closed and staying in my own zone, blocking any outside disturbance, I broke down possible ideas for each element.

For Fire, I could stick with the classic fireball, but wait—couldn't I recreate bullets? Fire is literally the essence of firepower, and shaping it into bullets seems entirely possible. With my understanding from my past life, I could even control the power of each shot, adjusting it to fit the situation. It should be easy to handle; all I'd need to do is point and release.

The only concern might be energy consumption, but it feels worth exploring. Honestly, the idea of bullets and guns came instinctively when I thought of fire magic—not surprising, considering where I came from. Growing up in the biggest democracy probably influenced that line of thinking.

For Water, I could try utilizing highly condensed water at high speeds, similar to how it's used to cut through hard materials. That could be incredibly effective. Alternatively, I could create a ripple effect to disorient opponents, though that comes with a risk—it might affect Kyoko and Selene as well. I'd have to be careful and deliberate in how I used it.

For Earth, while it offers strong offensive capabilities, I think counter-moves might be its greatest strength. Techniques like entrapment or manipulating the ground to destabilize enemies seem especially practical. Defensive options like shields or barriers would also work well, offering solid protection when needed.

For Wind, this element deserves special focus. Wind is incredibly versatile, and when combined with water—the most adaptable element—the results could be deadly. Its potential for both offense and support is massive, so mastering wind could significantly boost our chances.

I spent a few more minutes contemplating other avenues, but none of them were viable for the current situation. I'd definitely revisit some of the ideas in the future. Settling with wind, I immediately got to work with the creation of concepts and optimal magic.

'Wind blades, wind bullets, I could also do the push and pull ideas I had, but they wouldn't be as effective; however, it should be fine! Speed boosts and even semi-flight could be achieved. Or even creating air footholds in the air.'

Immediately, I envisioned a few concepts while practicing conjuring them. I practiced with Wind bullets first by imagining different caliber bullets, and like before, for some reason, the mana optimized itself without me having to do much. In two seconds, a 9mm wind bullet formed over my finger, and with my will, I shot it!

Fwoosh~ BANG!

'Not bad.' I couldn't see the impact, but the sound confirmed the firepower was just as I'd intended. This spell was designed for quick shooting and rapid casting, and the casting speed was incredibly fast. With more practice, I could probably make it even faster.

Another thing I realized was how mana seemed to naturally fill in gaps in my vision for the spell. It made sense! If mana could compensate for errors I made, it stood to reason it would adjust to enhance the overall execution as well. All in all, the bullet required only a small amount of mana. By my estimation, I could fire around 1,000 of these before running out of energy.

That number might sound impressive, but it's important to note that these bullets weren't focused on raw power. At best, they could crack a wall or weak ground, with most of their force coming from sheer speed. It wasn't overwhelming, but for quick, precise attacks, it was perfectly suited to the task.

I could feel the gazes of the other three while I continued practicing with different calibers and some other concepts. As soon as I was about to practice my wind blades, Kyle interrupted, taking away my focus!

"Did you guys hear that?" he said in a strained voice. I immediately focused up and tried my hardest to listen. Kyoko and Selene didn't say anything, so I assumed they followed suit.

"Grrrr." A growl, which sounded like it was from hell, echoed. Clearly, it wasn't our captors, and I assume they met a gruesome fate.

'Hopefully, it's just a few of whatever that growl is coming from. However, knowing the circumstances, if only a few were able to take down our captors, who have a base, then that would mean they are strong. So, I guess I'll take numbers before I take quality in this situation!'