Each one of Faluel's four heads experimented on its respective lightbulb and all of them looked very focused. Every time one of the heads made a discovery, the others would apply it as well and search for a way to further improve their technique.
"Good gods, that's cheating if I've ever seen it." Nalrond said. Just a few minutes had passed, but Faluel's hologram improved with each passing second.
"She works four times faster than a normal person and her heads can share any breakthrough and brainstorm any issue they encounter. How the heck is a Hydra 'just a lesser dragon'?"
"Yeah, and yet she forbids me to discuss any subject with Lith!" Solus said.
"You are two different individuals, whereas all my heads belong to the same person and follow my thinking pattern." Faluel had just completed her task and after creating a hologram of Lith, she did the same for each one of her students.
"Let me put it this way. Hydras rule." She chuckled.
"They sure do. To add colors to a hologram, you need to use the other elements. Do not mix them to the light, just add a few wisps so that they balance each other while they paint your creations the way you want them." Lith said.
It took Faluel just a few tries to understand how to succeed. Adding colors was akin to giving shape to elements and making them overlap with the hologram. For someone with centuries of experience, it was a simple task.
"Perfect. Now that you've grasped the easy part of Light Mastery, let's move to the real challenge." Nalrond said, resuming his explanation while one of the snake heads took notes and the other three gave him their full attention.
"The technique you've just learned is fairly demanding in both mana and focus, yet it can only produce ethereal constructs. Lith, what did you do in the attempt to turn holograms into constructs?"
"At first, I tried using more focus, thinking that the issue lay in my inability to properly visualize what I attempted to replicate, yet it only made my holograms more detailed and lifelike.
"Then, I tried to use more mana, thinking that the problem might be lack of density, but it only made them brighter. Doing both at the same time just stacked their effects. I even tried adding more elements, but it only messed things up." Lith said.
"That's because Light Mastery only requires the light element. To take it to the next level, you need to use light magic on light magic itself." Nalrond created a hologram of a small knife that suddenly turned real, cutting into Lith's desk.
The construct then replicated itself and moved to Faluel's and Solus's desks, to let them examine it as well.
"Wait, what?" The three said in unison.
Even when using their respective breathing techniques, the golden knife appeared solely as a mass of mana, with no particular features or characteristics.
"As I told you earlier, light is the element of order. To obtain a solid construct, you need to instruct your spell so that part of the light element gives the hologram shape while the rest gives it substance.
"It requires at least double-casting and the amount of mana necessary for making a construct solid varies with the mastery of the caster. For a beginner, even a small construct requires lots of mana while an expert can use the bare minimum according to circumstances.
"Even though we're starting with first magic, your first construct might require the same mana of a tier five spell. Keep things small and simple or you'll never succeed." He said.
After finishing his explanation, Nalrond let them tinker with their respective holograms for a few minutes while enjoying the sight of the golems beating the crap out of the girls.
Lith and Solus had much more experience with Light Mastery whereas Faluel had fourfold their brainpower, but none of them managed to give substance to their creations.
"Please, stop what you're doing. I'll now explain to you how to make a hologram and then we'll move to tier one spells. The trick to hard-light-"
"Please, stop." Faluel cut him short. "You've already told us more than enough for my tastes and I'd like to work out the rest on my own. I'll ask for tips or for more explanations only when I get to my wit's end.
"This way, even if I fail to create a construct on my own, all the time and effort spent will allow me to look at Light Mastery through my perspective instead of being limited by your teachings.
"Not only it will help me to give to Light Mastery my own personal spin, but it might even allow me to discover something new. This is how my ancestors taught my bloodline everything and how I'm going to teach you guys.
"Lith, Solus, feel free to proceed as you want. I'm not going to force you to follow my footsteps since for this subject we are peers."
Lith and Solus pondered her words for a while, before coming to the Hydra's same conclusion.
'She's right. We failed to understand Forgemastery's true meaning because we let ourselves get blinded by Wanemyre's teachings. A fake mage will see things as a fake mage, just as Nalrond can't think outside the box his ancestors set up for him.' Lith thought.
"I have a question." Solus said. "Who's the ancestor you're talking about?"
"Leegaain learned this teaching method from Tyris and passed it down to all of his firstborns, Hydras included." Faluel said.
"Okay, that settles it." Lith said. "If two Guardians worked on a method that allowed the Hydra's bloodline to rise to such heights, who am I to disagree? Sorry, Nalrond, but your services are no longer required for this afternoon." Lith said.
"Seriously? I can't leave and go home in the case you hit a wall so what I'm going to do the rest of the time?" The Rezar didn't like the sudden turn of events.
"You can join the rest of the class in their physical training." Faluel's fourth head stopped to work on its constructs and summoned another training golem.
"I noticed you had quite some fun watching at the girls' hardships for someone whose human body is weaker than Quylla's. Your Rezar form is a tough cookie, but your other half it's not even worth mentioning."
Nalrond looked at his thin arms first and then at the combat training. Everyone but Quylla moved so fast that his eyes could barely perceive Friya as a blur.
"Fine. Just go easy on me." He said.
"Looks like we're almost even now. Speed versus experience, one of the oldest battles in the book." Faluel could now only use two heads to make holograms.
She needed four to control one golem each and the fifth to use Invigoration. Even though the seven heads could perform seven different tasks, they belonged to a single body with only one mana core.
Doing so many things at the same time put a great strain on her, forcing the Hydra to eat and use Invigoration to keep her strength up.
While Nalrond taught Faluel the basics of holograms, the girls had already started their lesson after a brief introduction.
"The golems have the same physical abilities of a regular bright cyan-cored human Awakened." The Hydra said.
