Chapter 3454 Steady Development (Part 1) "What is it? Fusion magic?" Leria asked. "That too, but it's not what I was talking about." Lith shook his head. "You both have developed your own breathing technique in order to self-Awaken but you have no idea how to use it and how it works. Sit down with me." Lith then proceeded explaining to them the difference between Accumulation and Invigoration. The children had already found their breathing rhythm and even though they had never used it after their breakthrough, it was deeply ingrained in their bodies. "Always remember the risks." Lith said while they practiced the harmless Invigoration. "The more you use Invigoration on yourself or others, the less effective it becomes. "Even if you use a nutrients potion, the strain on your body caused by the instant regeneration piles up. The same happens to your mana core. Invigoration refills it but the mana abuse makes each spell more taxing and reduces its efficiency. "It's like talking with someone who takes a step back after every sentence. At first, you can still hear him well but after a while, you can only understand what he's saying from the context and then nothing at all. "As for Accumulation, learn to fear and respect it. Never use it right after a breakthrough and always listen to your body. If they start to hurt while practicing Accumulation it means you've reached the limits of your current body refining. "Stop immediately, rest, and train your bodies for a significant amount of time before making a new attempt. Remember that the overuse of Accumulation is one of the main reasons Abominations are born." Leria and Aran swallowed hard but nodded. Ever since they had Awakened, magic had become less fun and scarier. Spirit Magic could hurt those they loved and Accumulation could hurt them. "Also, remember that no matter how hard you want it, you can't and you must not keep increasing your strength once your bodies reach their limit. I've been stuck at the deep cyan until my growth spurt started at thirteen. The same applies to you. "You can't train your mana and body indefinitely. Once you reach a bottleneck, you must wait until your natural development takes its course. During those times, forget about increasing your power and focus on its quality. "Improve your mana perception and manipulation. Work on your fighting techniques and footwork. They are all things you carry over once the breakthrough happens and will help you master your enhanced reflexes and strength as the body refining reaches the next stage." Leria raised her hand and Lith gestured for her to speak, "What fighting techniques? You always say we are too young for that." "Of course." Lith inwardly cursed. "I mean, in a few years. Just practice your footwork until then." 'Nice save.' Solus chuckled via their mind link. 'Not everyone needs to fight the moment they learn to stand up.' "True, but they can use some light training and discipline. Without them, the stronger the kids' bodies become, the harder it will be for them to control their strength. They might hurt someone if we don't teach them.' 'I remember that, for a time, Aran and Leria learned basic swordsmanship and footwork. Why did they stop?' Kamila asked. 'Because I wasn't the one teaching them but Phloria.' The name soured Lith's thoughts with sadness. After she died, I felt sick just at the thought of taking her place. As if it meant erasing her.' 'We can always ask the instructors in the Blood Desert to do it in your stead.' Solus suggested. 'No, I want to do it.' Lith replied. 'I won't turn Phloria into a vengeful ghost just because of my guilt. It's time to move on.' Leria and Aran were happy to take a break from their lessons and the opportunity to spend time together. They had seen each other rarely for a month now and had many things to share. As for the tower, it kept growing until dinnertime. "I guess we can wait until tomorrow for the tour!" Lith said while dining. "Going now would be useless." Solus shrugged. "The changes are done but the mana reserves are at an all-time low. Just like me, the tower needs time to recharge." The next day, Lith and the others went to check on the tower first thing in the morning. Now it had grown past 40 meters (132') in height and its base was over 15 meters (50') across. "It's... magnificent." Raaz cleared his throat. "It's a clear improvement." Elina rushed to agree. "Mom, Dad, have you gone blind?" Aran asked in outrage. "It's ugly!" Part of the tower walls had gone from stone grey to pure white and there were several golden streaks coursing along the structure. Solus reaching the deep violet had restored part of the tower's original materials, turning them into gold-veined white marble. It was extremely precious and one of the few substances on Mogar to be incredibly sturdy and resistant to all forms of magic. A thin layer of bricks of gold-veined white marble turned a room into a vault impervious to all kinds of attacks and gave it a majestic look. Alas, the tower looked like a bad patchwork done in a rush by someone either blind or at least colorblind. The white spots looked like splashes of paint thrown in buckets, and the gold veins did not harmonize with the rest of the structure. The overall impression was that three different people had built the tower, each with their own design and no care for those of the others. "It looks like a drunken Dragon swallowed white and yellow paint instead of wine and puked it all over the tower when he realized his mistake." Aran said. "Like the builder ran out of money halfway through the job and used the cheapest materials he could find. Like-" "We got it, Aran." Elina sealed his mouth with her hand, muffling the rest. "I must say, I didn't expect you to have such a vivid imagination, dear. I'm proud of you." "You are the second Verhen man who likes to read, son." Raaz patted his back. "You'll become a great mage in the future" "Thanks for your effort in changing the topic, Mom and Dad, but Aran is right." Solus whined, her shoulders slouching in humiliation. "It's ugly" "It's more than ugly. It's horrible." Menadion nodded. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I swear it was a work of beauty and will be again once the repairs are completed. Please, believe me," She bowed to the rest of the family, taking the blame off Solus' shoulders. "You have nothing to apologize for, Mom." Solus forced her to stand straight and hugged her. "Looks are not important." "Can't you shapeshift it?" Aran removed Elina's hand. "I mean, you can, Grandma Ripha can, Big Brother can. It shouldn't be that hard." "It actually isn't." Menadion pondered. "Focus, sweetie. Think what you want the tower to look. Just like Yaga, I had programmed several forms into the tower core to travel Mogar without being noticed." Solus closed her eyes, clenched her fists, and focused as hard as she could. The tower rumbled a little as the gold streaks and the white spots disappeared under the grey of the stones.