"Start creating the spells that are apt for you by yourself."
Alephee said before taking a long breath. These were the things that she always wanted to say to Eren. Nevertheless, she recognized that telling these things to Eren, a headstrong individual on his rudimentary path, and showing him what she wanted from him were two different things.
That was not to say Alephee was not pleased with Eren's progress so far. She had seen the guy put in more effort than any other ranker of his generation.
However, more effort doesn't necessarily mean more success. To produce stellar results, the efforts needed to be directed in the right direction.
One had to say the timing at which Alephee had decided to show these things to Eren couldn't have been more perfect. That's because Eren had already seen the effects of the spell he created for himself.
The Wind-Fire Shards were more potent as a result of the elemental fusion they were built upon. They produce the most devasting effects while consuming minimal mana. They were also easier to cast for Eren.
The spell Eren had created all by himself was a suitable match for him for his current rank. Since it was created by him, he knew all the ins and outs of the spell. He could tweak it to suit his needs and situation at the time.
The most beneficial thing about the self-created spell was the fact that Eren didn't need to start looking for the spell's higher-ranked variant every time he ranked up. The spell would eventually rank up with him.
Since Eren had come to know and understand the benefits of having a self-created spell, he was able to grasp the importance of having self-created spells. Or to be precise, the spells that he was completely familiar with and knew the ins and outs of.
Alphee maintained her summoning spells and leashed her summoned beast to stay put while speaking up.
"Quality over quantity.
Eren, I need you to stop using your spells conventionally. These are just a few examples. You might be able to improve what I'm showing you right now. You might come up with something entirely different. The possibilities are truly limitless.
The most critical thing right now is for you to know that the true potential of your spells is only limited by your imagination and capabilities. Unfortunately for you, this too requires fine control over one's mana circuits to pull it off perfectly."
Alephee said and took a pause. She could see there was some kind of fire burning in Eren's eyes. He was really mesmerized by the possibilities Alephee had shown him. She felt satisfied that her talk had put him in the right state of mind.
Alephee didn't just want to critique Eren's ranking journey. She also wanted to highlight his achievements.
"You have managed to create your own spell. You have achieved the fusion of elements and aspects. You have the right components in your arsenal. Thus, only you are the right person to tread on a path that is completely yours.
Now it's time to put what you've learned so far into action.
Spell scrolls and spell books were only the borrowed tools that got you this far. They need to be left behind sooner rather than later. For you to walk firmly on your path, you need the tools you created yourself.
A path with no worthy hurdles will not have a worthy destination at its end."
Alephee dispersed all her summoned creatures except a red lightning bull with the inactive Blitz Bolt spell cast on its limbs. She then looked at Ertaur who was standing beside Eren before commenting.
"My summoned beast or your Ertaur? Eren, who do you think will win in a frontal clash?"
Alephee said while patting her summoned beast's head with her right hand. When she stroked his head, the beast acted all friendly and tamed. She then looked provocatively at Eren, wanting him to send his beast to do his bidding.
Eren looked at Ertaur and pondered a bit. It wasn't like he hadn't tried strengthening Ertaur with his own spells. He had cast his defensive spell Blitz Sheild on Ertaur while fighting with Altashia. Thanks to that, his beast had managed to tackle two of her summoned beasts.
However, Eren knew that what he had cast in the past could only be called cosmetic changes in comparison to the level of expertise Alephee had shown. He had just made his contract beast wear the Blitz Shield without integrating it into his mana body. As a result, Ertaur's defense increased but not to the level the Blitz Shield was capable of.
'How much of a difference are we talking about though?'
Eren asked himself this question as he zeroed in on Alephee's summoned beast. He wanted to know the true extent of integrating spells and comparing their effects with something he had come up with on a superficial level.
"Bud, it's going to hurt. Brace yourself and give your best shot."
Ertaur was told by Eren to prepare for a clash. The bull snorted its nose at Eren's comment. He wasn't too happy whenever Eren decided to make him come out. That's because he would get to hear the same comments whenever he did show up.
It was as if Eren would only summon him when he wanted to torture him by pitting him against a stronger opponent. For once, the bull just wanted to let loose on less powerful opponents than him. He had decided that if and when he is given easy prey to fight with, he would cherish that moment to his fullest.
Eren had made Ertaur come out as soon as Alephee had suggested him. As a result, he had seen what Alephee could do. The beast was smart even though he couldn't talk yet. He immediately figured out that Alephee was a better summoner than his master.
Ertaur could also discern to some extent that Alephee was trying to teach his master. He wondered if he would get to lead the herd of red lightning bulls and completely destroy everything in their path. The need to cause carnage and mayhem was one of the natural instincts of the bulls after all.
Clearly, Ertaur was more profound than his master in using the summoning spell for pure destruction. Ertaur would communicate his thoughts to Eren eventually if and when the latter becomes capable of casting the summoning spells on the same level as Alephee.
But for now, Ertaur stepped ahead. Beastly instincts suddenly possessed Ertaur as he turned toward his opponent, which was also the red lightning bull. This could be considered Ertaur's forte– fighting with other bulls.
