Chapter 136 - Magical Rune

After having decided on what she would do, Sheila spread her awareness from inside the private room to the whole second floor, even the first floor was not spare by her as she wants to make sure that no one else was around so that there will be no mistake. The two visibly twitched in reaction to her yet they couldn't find anything amiss and could only tilt their head in confusion. When she was sure that no presence was close to their room, Sheila nodded her head before exaggeratedly snapping her finger.

Snap!

A small ball of blazing fire suddenly materializes itself in front of the two girls who were surprised by her sudden action as they silently observe the ball of flame floating around mid-air. Although Angelica had seen the same thing back then, she was still shocked by the fact that Sheila had only snapped her finger and a small flame suddenly appeared out of thin air. 

As for Mia, her expression basically explains everything she feels about the scene that was conveyed in front of her. It was the face filled with shock, disbelief, and awe, all the three in one make up her expression into that of a strange one, but the girl herself didn't care about it as she was too mesmerize about the situation happening in her view.

Mia had seen her teacher conjuring a fire out of thin air before in the class but it wasn't without any chanting and staff like what Sheila had shown to her. Mia secretly finds it embarrassing when an a.d.u.l.t like her teacher does chanting with a stoic expression on their face, she almost lost it every time the teacher showcase the spell in person. What was even more ridiculous to her was that the other didn't share the same feeling as her and instead, they think it was kind of cool. 

I mean, yes, the thing about how a small ghost flame suddenly appeared out of thin air does seem cool but the chanting ruined it. Some eight-grader might find it cool but to me, it is an embarrassing moment. Mia thought while she was staring at the ball of flame drifting midair around them. It was only when Sheila had snapped once again that caused the fireball to disappeared into thin air that the two were brought back to their sense.

"With this, you should understand what my identity is. Do you mind showing me what's inside the guitar case on your left side?"

Even though she can't see through what's inside the case, her mana eyes skill still managed to detect the mana in the air rushing straight into the case as if there were suck by a black hole in slow motion. Sheila couldn't help but wonder what was inside the case caused it seemed almost like when APW turned into a magic handgun where her mana was used as a bullet. It seemed the same thing happens as when (APW)the magic handgun sucks her mana into the handgun to be used as a bullet. So it must have been an artifact or something, Sheila looked up at Mia, her gaze contained an interested in whatever was inside the case.

Mia doesn't seem to want to share what's inside the case at first but then, remembering that Sheila could easily conjure a fireball seemed to suggest the latter as more knowledgable than herself. This means if Mia decided not to share about it, she might get attack by the latter and if that happens, even the Mage Association might not get here in time to protect her before she falls into her hand. Seeing as there was no choice, Mia reluctantly gets the guitar case on her side before putting it on top of the table to slowly opening it.

What was unveiled within the case was a single wooden staff with a crystal clear gem at the size of a palm seated on top of it, giving the impression that the staff is no ordinary by any means. When the staff was revealed, Sheila's pupils turned deep bluish and she could see that the gem seemed to be the one slowly siphoning the mana from the air toward it, and as she looked closer, she could see some kind of runes that were carved around the gem. 

'Analyze, please do your work.' Sheila whispers in her mind before using her Analyze skill onto the wooden staff, hoping to gain something from it. When she active the skill, all the general information about the staff was conveyed into her brain. Heh, as expected. It seemed the gem was carved with a rune that has the effect of siphoning the mana from the surrounding and stored within it.

But unlike the rune on the handle of her handgun, the wooden staff mana siphoning effect was much weaker than hers, plus they couldn't suck too much mana or the crystal would break apart to pieces, rendered it useless. Although the two use a magical rune with the same effect of mana siphoning, both were not entirely the same thing. 

If Sheila were to put grading system for the two, the wooden staff would be a lower-tier rare artifact while APW would be a higher-tier rare artifact with its power alone, and with its capabilities of changing to a whole new weapon make it possible for it to reach Epic. Even though its actual grade is D from the system evaluation.

"Heh~ Is this the so-called staff that the Western Mage used in most fiction stories?"

Sheila exclaimed when her gaze falls onto the wooden staff. Although the staff appeared to be made of a normal wood from its appearance, it was actually made from a rare kind of wood, that would cost pretty much a lot as it has special properties of being able to control a fair amount of mana due to its characteristic of living in a place where mana was much thicker than normal.

Sheila didn't know that such magical wood actually exists, it must have been the result of the world being affected by mana. It wasn't only mankind that undergoes a change, nature does too. This caused a few worrisome thoughts to appear in her mind, what would happen to the animal that was living in such a place? Would they turn into a savage monster if they somehow managed to survive against it? 

Just imagine such a world brought her yet another headache, why do I keep on having to be worried about this? As long as I become stronger than them, nothing could trouble me. Though I have determined this whole situation over and over, becoming stronger is the only path. And if I bring these two with me, I would just leave the problem to them, isn't that the wise thing to do? Yes, that's right. I should do just that. With that thought in mind, Sheila smiled at the two while pondering on what kind of things would be appetizing enough for the two to switch sides. 

Perhaps, leveling up and becoming stronger might be enough, who doesn't want to become stronger if they were given a choice to do so, after all? Especially in a world that might turn into a dog-eat-dog in the future. People would only feel safe and secure if they have the strength to protect their 'ordinary' life, after all.