"I don't know how to bind anything," Gabriel just stood, staring at his red Sword.
He hadn't learned about this binding yet. However, he understood the importance of it. If he managed to bind these Numens to himself, then no one could use them without his permission. For others, they were going to be no more than wasted artifacts.
If there was anyone who looked like who could teach him, it was the two people ahead of him. Even though they were his challenges, they didn't shy away from imparting their knowledge, maybe because they didn't feel threatened by him.
Whatever being the case, he wanted to learn from them as to how he could bind these artifacts to himself.
"Oh, we know that," Cylix chuckled. "We know that you are like a blank canvas without much information about the things that every mage should know. However, we don't mind helping you."
He glanced at Novius. "Do you want to teach him, or should I?"
Both of them wanted to help Gabriel. There was no doubt about that in their heads.
Novius agreed as he stood up. He walked down the golden steps to come closer to Gabriel.
"The most important thing when you bind a treasure to yourself is your blood as it is your blood which contains the essence of your Element and your soul, both." Novius raised his hand, making a small white crystal appear before him, which was semi-transparent as if it didn't really exist in reality.
The small crystal floated in the air before Novius, who made a small scratch on his finger to make it bleed. He let a blood droplet call on the crystal and then used that blood droplet to make a symbol on the crystal.
After he was fine, he stepped back a bit. "That is it. That's the basic formation that one can use to bind a Numen to them. Observe from closer and learn it, so you never forget."
Gabriel stepped closer and looked at the blood formation from closer, which was white simple. The formation seemed like two stars were made, connecting with each other inside a blood circle that protected the stars.
Even the Infernal King also stepped forward, observing the formation carefully.
"You said this is the basic formation? Is there anything more than it?" he asked Novius.
"Of course there is, but that's not important. You can make your personal signature, or any Symbol, on top of the present basic formation, as a form of a unique formation that only you make. That often acts as a sign of who the owner really is, to keep the others away. However, that's not really needed. You'll be fine even if you don't do it.
"There are many who make unique formations with the basic, personal to them to be more attached to their Numens," Novius explained. "However, there are also ones who go with the basics, not caring about having a personal binding formation."
"Novius was the one who never chose to make any unique marks on his binding formations," Cylix chimed in. "On the contrary, I made sure to make my own binding formation with my signature. Why would I hide that I own a Numen? It's my Numen, and I wanted it to have my own unique taste."
He further stated, "There's one more advantage to it. Even though we don't have any evidence for it, I believe that personalizing your bidding formations with a sign or anything that's close to your heart, it makes the binding force even stronger. I think it even strengthens the Numen a little, as it helps the Numens understand us."
"Unfortunately, Novius refused to believe me. I can't prove it either, as it's just a feeling. Who knows, I might be wrong, but I prefer that you personalize your Numen and you be the judge."
"It's your choice if you want to make the basic formation or add more to it. Unlike my friend above, I won't try to influence you. Select what your heart desires," Novius made the small illusory crystal disappear before walking back.
He didn't quite believe Cylix's theory as he had also once tried to personalize his binding formation, but he didn't feel any difference from his usual binding formations. Everything was the same. The only difference was that it took more time than it would've taken with a basic formation. That's why he never tried again.
Novius walked back to the throne and sat on it.
"Go ahead. Give it a try," Cylix suggested. For some reason, neither he nor Novius was in any hurry to bring Gabriel to the next battle yet. Instead, they seemed like Teachers who were trying to reach a student.
It wasn't rare for them either, as they always had a mindset that it was good to spread knowledge. They believed that was the only way a world could grow. That's also why they established the Academy.
However, even though they were compassionate, they were especially kind to Gabriel, as they believed that Gabriel could be their last student. He could very well be the last person who wasn't affected by the lies spread in the outside world that were ever going to come here.
They still didn't know if he was going to win against them or not, but they really wanted him to. That's why they were also trying to increase his strength. In essence, they were trying to make their opponent stronger so that he could have a much better time in defeating them.
Gabriel had managed to memorize the binding formation that Novius created, and he really wanted to try it without delay.
Gabriel turned his sword to the other side to make its hilt face him. At the same time, he also observed everything to make sure that there were indeed no binding formations on the sword before it.
As expected, the sword had no blood mark. The last mark it had was gone with the death of its last owner.
He was still somewhat surprised though. Why didn't anyone at the academy bound the Numens to themselves, possibly the Dean! Why were the treasures kept in the museum without the additional protection of the Binding Formations?
Then again, he also guessed that the Academy didn't truly own the Numens, and not even the Dean was allowed to own the Numens. Moreover, it wasn't as if they were expecting someone to steal all the Numens from right under their noses.
Gabriel made a small cut on his finger with the blade of the Sword of Ulien and made the blood droplet fall on the blade of the Sword, right under the hilt.
He made the two connected stars, just as Novius had shown him, before circling the two stars. As soon as he finished the small formation, he actually felt somewhat connected to the sword. The Sword didn't resist the binding either, as it had been submissive to him in all the battles they went to.
After finishing the formation, Gabriel sat for a few seconds, wondering what he could customize it with. Just what could be his mark... The mark of Gabriel that was unique and personal only to himself.
As he was thinking about what to make, he remembered something. Amongst all his ups and downs, there was one thing that had always been constant. The moon had always been watching over him.
Whenever he missed his mother in his childhood and cried on the roof all alone, it was the beauty of the moon in which he found his true solace.
Whenever he was feeling down, he came to the roof at night, sleeping under the moonlight. If there was anyone, he told all his hopes and dreams; it was the moon in the sky.
Even on the day which was supposed to be his last day in the village, he went to the roof with Maya, just gazing at it with her. No matter what, the moon's presence in his life had always been a constant.
The moon watched him lose his mother... It watched him cry all alone in the darkness... It watched him fall in love… It watched him be killed... The moon also watched him coming back to life, and now it was watching him satisfy his hunger of revenge.
If the two stars signified him and his Numen, then the moon signified all his past and his present struggles.
He cut his finger a bit more, using another droplet of his blood to make the moon. However, he didn't make a full moon this time.
Right on top of the Formation Circle, he made a waxing crescent moon, signifying the darkness that was slowly swallowing the light of the moon.
Under the blood moon, he pressed his finger hard, making two blood dots, as if the dots were the tears of the moon that were falling over the two stars.
If there was anything personal to him, it was the bleeding moon and the stars. This was his personal sign!
As Gabriel made this sign, he didn't realize the significance of it. He didn't know how one day his sign was going to become a symbol of fear and terror…
