Arin sat in a lotus position in the center of his room, closing his eyes and taking a deep, steadying breath. He was close to completing the new spell, but first, he had to address the issue that had been nagging at him.
"This certainly has something to do with my Chaos Element," he muttered, glancing at the window. The fogginess in his mind had been persistent, but it finally made sense. When the wave of Chaos Element Mana had left his body earlier, he had felt an odd sense of relief, as if something heavy had been lifted from his shoulders.
Although his mind still felt cloudy, the sensation of lightness was undeniable. Arin furrowed his brows, a thought swirling in his head. 'But what would make the Chaos Element cause this?'
He didn't have an answer, not yet at least. If the Chaos Element was indeed causing this mental fog, then what was the trigger? He let out a slow sigh, his chest rising and falling as he mentally prepared himself for the next step.
"System," he called out, his voice calm but firm.
The system screen appeared before him, displaying the usual list of quests. He stared at it for a moment, then said, "Show me my elements."
The words shifted on the screen, revealing a new set of information:
[Elemental Affinity: Water Element]
[Hidden Elements: Chaos Element]
Arin studied the screen, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The same as usual." He was about to dismiss the display when something caught his eye—a small red dot blinking at the bottom of the screen.
"Huh?" He leaned closer, his eyes fixed on the dot. "I'm pretty sure that wasn't there before."
He didn't waste any time. With a swift tap, the information on the screen changed.
Seconds passed as he read through the new message. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "I see... So that's what's happening."
The new information confirmed his suspicion:
[The Chaos Element is still in its Initial Stage and was used.]
[Due to that, the Side Effects will now be applied.]
"Just as I thought," Arin muttered under his breath. "The Chaos Element caused this."
Still, one thing bothered him. "Why didn't I see this message earlier?" he wondered aloud, scratching the back of his head.
Surprisingly, the system responded:
[You were fast asleep then.]
"I see..." Arin murmured. "So it was an unread message. It must have been the night I decided to sleep after the battle with Seraphine." He crossed his arms and tilted his head back slightly, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
The memory of Seraphine brought another thought to mind. "Speaking of which... that Blood Core is still with me," he muttered. "But it's not time for that yet."
He shook his head, returning his focus to the present. The Chaos Element issue was more pressing. Perhaps the system had more answers. He had to try. "System," he began cautiously, "what does this message about the Chaos Element actually mean?"
Again, the system replied:
[It's just as it states. The Chaos Element is still in its initial stage which means anytime you use it, your mind will become foggy just like you're already feeling now.]
"Okay..." Arin sighed, rubbing his temples. "I get that, but what can I do to remove it from its initial stage?" This was the crux of the matter. He needed to find a way to prevent these side effects.
[Strengthen your mental fortitude, that's all.]
The answer was short, but it was enough. Arin nodded slowly, absorbing the information. 'Strengthen my mental fortitude...' He knew exactly how to do that. It had been mentioned in the novel before. A smile spread across his face. "So, how do I make my mind normal again, for now?" He wasn't expecting an answer, but he had to ask.
Silence. The system did not reply this time.
"No answer, huh?" Arin muttered, exhaling through his nose. He glanced around the room. He had one last question, though. "Are there any other side effects apart from this foggy mind?"
Arin chuckled dryly. "Well, I'll just have to find that out myself," he whispered to the empty room. As for his current foggy mind, he had an idea. He would complete his spell. He was confident it could mitigate the side effect, especially since creating the spell was part of strengthening one's mental fortitude.
He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath, and settled back into his meditation. The room around him faded as he focused inward, honing in on the swirling Mana within him. The fogginess in his mind, strangely enough, seemed to enhance his concentration, allowing him to drown out the ambient sounds more effectively.
Seconds turned into minutes as he reached deeper into his consciousness. He could feel the Mana flowing through him, responding to his will. Now was the time for the next step. He began moving his Mana through his body, starting from his head and slowly directing it down to his toes. He increased the speed gradually, maintaining control as the energy coursed through him.
As the process continued, he felt his consciousness begin to slip. He was drifting, further and further away with each passing second. It was working.
This was a crucial part of spell creation—a dangerous part. It was why Mages were advised to do this in the safety of their homes, with doors locked, after all, vulnerability was inevitable in this state.
Finally, his last shred of consciousness slipped away.
The good thing was the fact that Mages were still able to extend their consciousness to the real world. That was their only safeguard against ambushes during this vulnerable time.
Talking about the real world, Arin's eyes snapped open, a rush of energy washing over him. He remained still for a moment, feeling the lingering effects. Then, a smile formed on his lips. "It feels good to do it in reality, not just read about it," he whispered to himself. "The feeling is... incredible, just like the author described."
Suddenly, his eyes widened, with his mouth wide open in surprise as he took in his surrounding.
"Woah.... Now, what do we have here?"