"You can't form a rune mentally. It has been tried countless times but it has never been done. A rune has to be engraved, it has to be physical to work." Solvi said, yet she didn't think Eldrian was pulling her leg.

  "How did you do it?" Her curiosity seeped through the question like a child asking how there was a quarter behind their ear.

  "Well, it is quite simple." Eldrian knelt down to draw the rune he had envisioned, "This I assumed was the rune responsible for my breastplates shield ability."

  Drawn it looked like a shield with visible wind covering it, surrounding it. It was far more complicated, but that was the gist of what it looked like.

  "So, I formed a bit of my mana in this form and solidified it in my consciousness-"

  "Solidified? Formed mana?" Solvi immediately felt it was something unique to Eldrian's way of casting. Still, she had never heard of this being possible, not even for the elves.

  Looking up Eldrian frowned, wondering what he had said was so confusing. 'It's quite normal to form your mana, isn't it?'

  'Are you really that blind or just forgetful, it's something that only dynamic users would be able to accomplish. And I'm pretty sure it isn't something that is known by all dynamic users.' Two sighed in frustration that Eldrian could think it was normal.

  Forming mana, solidifying it, it was something new that they had learned recently. It was how they had managed to enter ANW.

  'No, that can't be right. It shouldn't be that hard, it's like drawing a spell module, but with mana instead of just mageia.'

  "Solvi, you know how you envision a spell module, it is similar. Only, instead of just forming the image in your mind you form it with your mana in your mind."

  The dwarf looked at Eldrian, trying to comprehend what he was saying. "You're saying you reflected the physical by actually forming your mana, not just envisioning it?"

  Eldrian nodded but frowned when he saw her confusion growing. Not because she couldn't follow, but rather she was trying to see if she could emulate it.

  "It's quite simple. You must have controlled your mana in some manner to succeed in casting Tier 5 spells."

  "No, we don't control our mana. I can feel my mana, nudge it to move. And I can change an active spell's module variant. But that does not require me to take control of my mana. Just letting it flow to the module."

  "What if you let your mana flow to a rune?" Eldrian suggested, but he didn't think it would give the same results as actually forming the rune through mana. Solvi, however, wanted to give it a try.

  "Why don't we see?" Closing her eyes, she focused on forming the rune as clear as day. It was a simple rune, one she was able to envision without effort.

  Having solidified the image, she then started nudging her mana towards it as she would with a spell module. Unlike a spell module, it felt like her mana was wary of this strange entity in her mind. It moved slowly, almost carefully.

  She lost control thanks to the absurdness of this.

  "That…… I don't know what to say about that……" Eldrian frowned and wondered if it might be part of the change. 'I know I had asked mana to act a few times, and…… Well, it did work. But surely it can't be able to think……'

  'What if it isn't, but it is able to react to thoughts and emotions. I mean, isn't that kind of the entire premise of spirit magic?' Two questioned.

  'No- that isn't……' Eldrian faltered as he doubted his own understanding. 'You really think it isn't just that it feeds on the emotions.'

  'Spirit magic, maybe that is all that there is to it. Sure. But you can't tell me that auras are the same.'

  "I actually prefer it the other way around. An aura is more extreme and extremes can influence the outside-" Eldrian stopped and turned to Solvi with a crude smile, "Sorry, just debating with myself."

  'Idiot! I told you not to talk aloud.' Eldrian cursed himself, and Solvi surely wasn't going to let those interesting tidbits go so easily.

  "How does this connect to an aura?"

  'Ah, shit……' Eldrian racked his brain to try and come up with an explanation. "It's like this. I know spirit magic relies on emotions, feeds on them to be cast. It can even influence your mood. An aura is more extreme in that it tries to spread."

  "You're thinking mana might be capable of being or having emotions?"

  "No, that's insane." Eldrian replied outright, "I'm more thinking that it can react to them in a more subtle manner than I thought. That your own doubts on if it could work influenced your mana to doubt the rune. To be wary, to be afraid."

  "So you're saying it does have emotions?" Solvi pressed, causing Eldrian to frown as he wasn't much used to having an in-depth talk with someone who wasn't Two, who was on a similar wavelength as him. Normally he didn't need to explain concepts.

  "No. I am saying that it is influenced by emotions……" Eldrian sighed, "Think of this tree. Currently, its leaves are still and enjoying the morning sun. Now, I cause a little wind to blow. The leaves are now swaying back and forth."

  "The leaves aren't doing so because I wanted them to, but because the wind is moving them. Now, consider the leaves mana and the wind emotions. The leaves don't have wind, just as mana doesn't have emotions. But that doesn't mean that the one can't influence the other."

  Solvi didn't like how basic Eldrian went, but it did indeed help her to follow along. "What are you thinking then?"

  "I'm thinking that mana is more sensitive than I-" Eldrian paused as it clicked, 'Of course! That's it! It's more sensitive, not more active!'

  "Eldrian, what is it?" Solvi asked as Two sprung to life with Eldrian.

  'That makes so much sense. I guess my guess was right!'

  'Yes, but…… This isn't good news. It being easier to manipulate is one thing, it being more sensitive is another altogether.'

  'For sure, it means it isn't just on the lowest level as I suggested. Rather, it will be throughout. You just won't be able to realize it within areas where you are capable and comfortable.'

  "Eldrian?" Solvi repeated.

  "Sorry, I just managed to figure out something that had been bugging me for months. Right, I think a good idea would be to draw the rune on your arm and envision it there. It was actually going to be my next attempt."

  "What do you mean?" Solvi questioned, understanding that it might help her link the rune and magic. But not sure what he thought would happen.

  "Well, one thing I was thinking……" Eldrian looked to the front and recalled from his library of runes a simple rune for fire and another for wind.

  Stretching out his hand, he quickly traced the fire rune. Filling it with around a hundred mana. He then did the same with wind but reduced the amount of mana to twenty.

  Pushing his hand forward, he finally let go of his control over the mana he had drawn the runes with. As soon as he did, fire sprang to life and the winds carried it forth.

  [New magic branch discovered!]

  AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.