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Not only had he failed to even land one hit against the vampire, one that counted at least, he even lost an arm and leg and was one or two successful hits from death. However, everyone countered that he had faced an opponent better equipped and a Tier higher.

Letting Eldrian stew in his embarrassment for a few seconds, Sofiera stepped forward and put an end to it. "Seems you at least learned something from the duel."

"Yeah..." Eldrian had gotten a feel for relying on his hidden powers, and things hadn\'t gone terribly wrong for once. Sure, he had frozen the stage -and it was still frozen- but that was quite acceptable compared to previous accidents.

He had also learned again that he should not be prideful. While he had managed in the duel, it was clear that he had been the one who had actually lost. Even if the firebird hadn\'t interrupted it near the end, Eldrian doubted Incinerate would have done enough damage. Not through all the armor and charms that Levana had.

"But I have no idea what\'s up with this bird."

"Naturally." Sofiera smiled, "We should be discussing how to handle the draw, but I have a feeling you won\'t be able to focus until you at know what you did to my spell."

"Uhh? Yeah..." Her tone, as if talking to a child, and Eldrian\'s reply made the others snicker.

"I doubt you\'ve had much contact with summoning magic. Not that it is real summoning, but that is a debate for another time..." Taking a moment, Sofiera summoned another firebird. This one was far smaller and its flames clearly far weaker.

"Summoning magic is the process of animating a spell according to an animal\'s behavior and features. I\'ve heard that there is true summoning where the creature summoned is an actual monster, but I\'ve never encountered it. Apparently, it required a special bloodline—similar perhaps to how our royals can transform into human forms. Something like that."

Observing the bird that Sofiera had summoned, Eldrian noticed that it was massively different from the one on his shoulder. Who was now even smaller, likely shrinking itself so it could sit more comfortably on his shoulder. The process of size control of the firebird seemed to be a simple process of mana compression. \'There is likely a limit...it\'s as big as a hawk now.\'

\'Also, seems that the smaller it is, the less mana it loses. Its temperature has also lowered... Right, why am I not being burnt by the flames?\' Finally noticing the peculiarity, Eldrian however had to drop it as Sofiera continued explaining.

"This process of trying to mimic an animal or monster allows us to perhaps tap into the type of magic you most often use." Sofiera continued.

\'Does she mean dynamic casting? Right, Jade is nearby, so we can\'t be too direct in what we talk. Still not sure we can trust her.\' Jade was standing at an appropriate distance to not have her aura interrupt the talk, but she was close enough to hear. "Does that mean it has a sort of will?"

"Precisely so. Perhaps not a true will of a living creature, but either through the design of the spell, or because we imagine the animal in the process of casting, it can act independently..." Sofiera wasn\'t sure which gave the spell \'life\'.

\'Was it perhaps like an AI? Something not complete but capable of acting according to its coding? Mimicking life?\' Eldrian felt this was perhaps an apt explanation.

"Normally, this would never happen, since the act of keeping the spell active is extremely draining." Letting go of her control, the second firebird took flight. However, Sofiera dismissed the spell before it could disappear from sight.

"When you took control of the spell, I assume you did something extra."

"Oh, yeah..." Slightly embarrassed, Eldrian explained how he had pushed a bit of anger into the spell. In a manner similar to how he would form spirit magic, only in far less quantity, since he was only slightly pissed by Levana\'s acts of trying to encircle him and faking naivety.

"A combination of summoning and spirit magic..." Sofiera pondered for a second, gazing intently at the bird on Eldrian\'s shoulder as she did. "It seems this made the spell more substantial and less reliant on the caster\'s mana."

"Yeah, I also noticed that." Eldrian noted how the mana upkeep had lessened after.

"And then it fed on Incinerate. A spell you cast by mixing in all the anger you had at the moment... Yet, the bird does not appear to be wrathful..." Sofiera paused for a moment, trying to recall the stories and theories she had read.

"Somehow the natural will that the spell imbeds the formed creatures with has somehow been solidified, feeding on this anger element... But why—"

"Spirit magic requires a lot of infused will. The will of a person might be in the form of an emotion, but perhaps it simply cleansed the emotion and consumed the will. Transforming it into its own." Vivian offered.

The others stared blankly between her and the bird. Asking repeatedly "is that even possible?" but failing to come to a conclusion.

Eldrian too, was uncertain. A person\'s will was their will. To take it and—\'Wait, didn\'t I do just that when absorbing the lich\'s soul?\'

\'I was perhaps a little tunnel visioned in how it can be done, or now, the terminology we were using trapped us. Two, do you think this will be dangerous?\'

\'The will you infuse into spells to control the mana is not much. Spirit magic is an exception, and that is why the emotion itself is consumed.\'

\'Right. Since it was already consumed by the spell, I guess it isn\'t important. Is there any difference in the mental world?\'

\'Like something like a single spell would change such a vast space.\'

\'True...\'

"I think Vivian is right." Eldrian offered, bringing the debate to a standstill as everyone turned to him for clarification. "We don\'t even really know what a person\'s will is. We can say it is us thinking and envisioning, wishing, for something. And we know it can shape, guide, and control mana. But, who says that like a person\'s mana, it can\'t be stolen?"

"In fact, isn\'t this the principle behind devils?" Hearing the familiar example, everyone suddenly nodded in agreement.

"Right, I guess we were a bit naïve in constructing our debate solely to spells." Sofiera mumbled, deep in thought. "Considering that, then what the firebird actually sprang to eat wasn\'t the emotions or even will. Bur rather lifeforce, isn\'t it?"

"Lifeforce?" Eldrian repeated, now completely lost. Figuring out how to use it was a massive goal of his, so naturally, he was not super invested.

"Of course. What is our will but us using our lifeforce to control mana?"

\'Oh, that\'s what she meant... I guess...\' Eldrian nodded, his mood dropping to zero as he realized this talk would not be a massive breakthrough for using lifeforce.

However, it was still a massive breakthrough for Sofiera in summoning magic.