In the way of dual wielding, Callista had chosen a shield and spear as her weapons.
The sound shield boasted a formidable radius of approximately one meter, its face adorned with intricate rune engravings that marked it as a product of Amazonian craftsmanship. Her spear, equally exceptional in its design, seemed to hunger for the taste of blood with every strike.
Callista understood the dangerous nature of Eren's close combat expertise. Allowing him to approach within striking range would spell dire consequences, even with her sturdy armor. The combination of spear and shield provided her with the means to counter his specialization. The shield bolstered her defense, while the spear allowed her to strike at Eren without allowing him to get too close.
With a surge of battle presence, Callista permeated the air with a peculiar form of mana. Little time was required for her to prepare, as she was already well acquainted with her artifacts.
Eren found himself looking at Callista with a wary gaze as if she were an entirely foreign existence. Her presence felt peculiar, as though he were about to engage in a duel not with a fellow ranker, but with something altogether different.
'Is she a summoner? No... something feels off. A mage, perhaps? No... not quite. What class is she in? A druid?'
Eren's mind raced as he tried to decipher Callista's enigmatic mana signatures that blossomed on the battlefield. He found himself unable to pinpoint her class, and in fact, doubted whether she was a ranker at all or something entirely unique.
Callista, perceptive of Eren's confusion, chuckled before providing him with an explanation. "Hehe, I can see you're taken aback, Eren. It's only natural," she remarked, relishing in his surprise. "Some of us Amazonians don't adhere strictly to Anfang's ranking methods. Some of us are not merely rankers, but Evokers. I, myself, am what is known as an Elemental Shaman."
As Callista's words sank in, a metaphorical bomb exploded in Eren's mind. Alephee had already informed him of the existence of worlds that followed different paths to power, deviating from the class-based progression of rankers. Even she, despite her homunculus body being attuned to the ranker's path, claimed not to be a ranker. Eren was aware of these alternative paths, but encountering Callista in person was a shocking revelation nonetheless.
It became clear to Eren why the Amazonians held steadfast to their rejection of Anfang's customs. While some ambassadors like Marla and Almera were groomed to follow the ranker's path, integrating with the world beyond their autonomous zones, a significant portion of the Amazonian population walked a completely different path. They clung to their roots and embraced the path of the Evokers.
Valeria, sensing the need to quell Eren's swirling thoughts, took a deep breath before coming forward to address him. For the demonstration of the weapons, Eren needed to fight with a clear mind. So she had to quell his queries first.
"Eren, the ranker's path is inherently restrictive," Valeria began, capturing Eren's attention with her teacher-like tone. "It molds its most devoted followers into rigid molds we call classes. While having a class bestows certain advantages, such as amplifying specific spells related to your class and elemental affinity, it also comes with a significant drawback—a limitation you should already be aware of."
The duel between Callista and Eren momentarily paused as Valeria endeavored to dispel Eren's mounting queries, which threatened to overwhelm him. Eren was about to voice his questions when Valeria anticipated his need and continued her explanation.
"Anfang's traditional path to power renders rankers highly inefficient when it comes to casting spells outside their class or elemental affinity," she elaborated. "As you progress further along the ranker's path, you become finely tuned to cast only a select set of spells, forfeiting the ability to cast spells beyond your designated domain of expertise."
Eren nodded earnestly at Valeria and the other Matriarchs, silently urging them to continue their enlightening explanation. It was Seraphina who took up the mantle this time, her voice carrying a sense of authority and wisdom.
"This is why the Amazonian Evokers, unlike the rankers of Anfang, tap into the ambient mana present in their surroundings to cast their spells," Seraphina elucidated. "Through incantations, enchanted artifacts, and various other means, they manipulate the output of their spells to suit their specific needs."
Eren's mind harkened back to the different schools of spells within Anfang, where rankers could cast their incantations in slightly altered ways. Now, however, he realized that those variations were mere imitations of the paths to power possessed by the otherworlders.
"Evokers refrain from tampering with the natural flow of mana circuits," Seraphina continued, her voice carrying the weight of knowledge. "They do not refine their mana circuits with each rank-up to progress further along their path. Instead, they utilize the mana stored within their mana cores as the driving force behind their spells.
This approach results in significantly reduced mana consumption compared to the average ranker of Anfang. It also makes Evokers' spells more potent and groundbreaking in nature."
Thoughts of Ramy Richard and his spellcasting methods surfaced in Eren's mind. Ramy was adept at utilizing the surrounding mana through incantations. However, he had a knight class and still followed the ranker's path. Keeping his gaze fixed on Callista, Eren directed his question to the Matriarchs, seeking to deepen his understanding.
"What sets an Evoker apart from a ranker who pursues a school of spells involving incantations?" Eren's voice was filled with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.
Evelina stepped forward metaphorically, ready to provide the answer to Eren's query. Her words were delivered with serene confidence.
"Put simply, Evokers excel in modifying their incantations in specific ways over time, something that rankers, for the most part, cannot achieve," Evelina explained. "The spell execution lag that rankers experience when practicing a spell school influenced by the Evokers' path is nonexistent for true Evokers.
They possess the ability to compress their incantations to a single syllable, for instance, without the aid of additional artifacts or spells. This natural progression occurs as they advance along their unique path.
It is one of the key distinctions between Evokers and rankers who merely mimic our ways while remaining on Anfang's traditional path to power."
