"I’ve been teaching Garrik for much longer than you guys, and he is a natural talent." Ryla smiled with motherly pride as the young Fomor puffed his chest with pride. "As for Tista, she’s just that bad."

"Hey!"

"I’m sorry, but it’s the truth." The Fomor replied. "Zoreth may be slower than you, but her pain proves that it’s only due to her special nature. Her skill to draw in the elements is already superior to yours."

"For now." Tista retorted.

"For now." Ryla conceded with a nod.

"Is Swirling Wind the technique that Balors and Fomors use to disrupt the flow of world energy and keep their enemies from using magic?"

"You are correct." Urhen nodded. "All Balors can fly, but we don’t have bloodline abilities that can offset the magical beasts’ superior mass or the insane regeneration of plant folks.

"On top of that, my species normally has only two eyes. Rarely is a Balor born with three or more eyes, while those like me who have six eyes are as rare as the humans who possess all elemental affinities."

She tucked her hair behind her ears to emphasize the fine features of her visage in a casual but flirty way.

"A Balor can only use Swirling Wind on the elements corresponding to their eyes, which is usually great against magical beasts, but not so much against plant folk who can use all elements.

"It works even less on Emperor Beasts and Fae, but it still blocks or at least hinders their bloodline abilities."

"Does it have other effects?" Lith asked.

"Yes, but only Fomors can use them." Ryla replied. "It can also do this."

A gentle flap of her wings swept away most of the surrounding world energy, concentrating it around Zoreth.

"This is amazing!" She said, feeling not only stronger, but also her arms’ absorption speed spiking. "I can almost feel the world energy around me. It’s so thick that it’s making my skin tingle."

"Can you do it for me next, please?" Tista said.

"Sure." Ryla nodded. "Zoreth, stop whatever you are doing."

The pleasant sensation the Shadow Dragon experienced suddenly disappeared, and she felt as though she had to gasp for air.

"It’s incredible!" Tista said, six of her seven eyes bursting with power. "I can absorb world energy much faster. There is so much around me that it feels like my wings can breathe."

The exhilaration lasted only a few seconds before it was replaced by confusion.

"Why didn’t you do this earlier? It would have made it easier for me to perceive the world energy and master my wings."

"Because of this." Ryla stopped flapping her wings, and Tista choked, drawing deep breaths yet feeling her lungs burning for oxygen. "Consider that we are already above a mana geyser. The density of world energy is dozens of times higher than normal.

"Leave the mana geyser and see what happens."

The burning sensation lasted only a couple of seconds, while the dizziness endured. Tista opened a Warp Steps leading away from the Mansion and fell to her knees the moment she stepped through.

"Big Sis? What’s wrong?" The Steps would have shattered if Lith hadn’t taken control of it with Domination.

"I can’t feel my wings." Tista replied. "The air is as thick as soup, and I’m heavy."

"Give it a few seconds." Ryla said.

Tista’s condition quickly improved, and soon she was able to stand again.

"There’s still something wrong with me." She said. "I can’t sense the world energy anymore, and my wings draw no power."

"There’s nothing wrong with you." Ryla replied. "We always trained above a mana geyser, so you got used to a high density of world energy, but that’s rarely the case.

"I never had you move to a different location, not only because once I revert to a fallen Balor, I could teach you nothing, but also to help you take your first steps as evolved humans.

"If I used Swirling Wind from the start, only one person at a time would have been able to practice with their wings, and what they learned would have been impossible to apply under any other circumstance.

"Think about it. You feel that bad after going from a geyser to the outside world. Imagine if you went from Swirling Wind to the outside world."

"I would be blind to the world energy, and my wings and eyes would have been reduced to a decoration." Tista replied.

"Correct." Ryla nodded. "This is the easy part of your training. Once we are done, you’ll have to practice these exercises all over again, but away from a mana geyser and without my help."

"Why don’t you- Never mind." Morok bit his tongue.

’Of course she can’t teach us outside a mana geyser, you moron. Ryla has no idea how to use her abilities away from one as well.’ He inwardly scolded himself for his lack of tact. ’Her cage is nice and comfortable, but Ryla is still a prisoner.’

"Isn’t Swirling Wind a technique that can also be used to help someone Awaken?" Lith asked. "Ekidna used it on Friya to force her breakthrough and neutralize her."

"I assume it’s possible." Urhen pondered. "But that’s something only a six-eyed Balor like me or a Fomor like Ryla can do. Moreover, as long as Quylla doesn’t find a cure for our fallen state, even if we Awakened, we’d die the moment we leave the mana geyser."

"The reason Swirling Wind is an excellent teaching tool is that it allows you to focus on a single element without the need to produce a visible effect." Ryla said. "On top of that, once you gather enough elemental energy, you can channel it into your corresponding eye and see what it can do."

The Fomor had her students take positions far enough apart not to interfere with their respective exercises.

"I suggest you start with your natural affinities. It should make things easier and help you get the hang of Swirling Wind." She said. "Remember that you don’t have to absorb the element of your choice, only feel it and focus it around you. Begin."

’This is so annoying.’ Solus said via a mind link.

’I know.’ Kamila snarled. ’Ever since Lith discovered his Indech form, Ryla and Urhen look at him like you look at an oven-fresh cake.’

’That too, but that’s not my point.’ Solus snorted, sharing her same annoyance. ’I’m spectating at the lesson because in the future I should also gain the abilities of an Awakened human. Even now, my scalp tingles every time Ryla uses Swirling Wind.’

’Yours too?’ Kamila asked in surprise.

’Yeah, which means my human aspect is close to evolving. Very close.’ Solus turned inward, looking at her life force and feeling it bubble from within. ’But not close enough. It’s like watching someone else take the last chocolate puff.

’You can see and smell it, but you know you won’t taste it, and the thought haunts you.’

’I never felt so fondly about food, but I get the picture. Chocolate puff?’ Due to her cravings, Kamila always carried with her a dimensional ring filled with sweet snacks, another with salty snacks, and a third one filled with weird combinations of foods that only a pregnant woman at her second rodeo would prepare.