"You need to consider the variables as the amount and type of mana you are using," Bonnie explained.

"I got that part, but how can I use that type and amount of mana?"

"You think about the values and the spell works," Bonnie said.

"That doesn't make any sense. Thinking about an equation is not going to make me use magic," Blue cried.

"I have to agree if I think '5 mana' nothing happens. I can't feel the mana moving or doing anything at all," Hera said.

"Because you need the whole spell. Like the Air Fist, it actually looks like this."

Bonnie pulled up the spell equation on her tablet. It was a long and complicated mix of letters, numbers and symbols.

"This first part is the type of mana. Then you add the second equation that tells the spell how to behave. Multiply that by this last part that shows the expected result to finish it. Don't forget to divide the first part by the amount of mana you wan to use. Otherwise, it would be the most basic version of it or spend all your mana at once."

Hera kept staring at the equation, trying to understand how to make that work. Blue started to listen to the explanation but gave up halfway through.

"Does that really make sense to you?" Blue asked.

"Yeah, I know this looks weird. The first time I saw this one, I almost gave up, but the more I tried, the more I got it. Still, I can just activate the skill instead of making the whole spell now, but then I can't control its strength. I also read in more than a few places that relying on the skill to use a spell makes it harder to increase your mastery. High-level mages can trigger spells faster by themselves than if they were relying on skills," Bonnie said.

"Girls, sorry to interrupt, but we found a group," Leo said.

They were walking through the forest, looking for frogs to hunt. Leo's skill lets him track them with more ease, because of that, he and Alex were the scouts while the other 3 stayed back.

They had found five giant blue frogs sitting close to each other. Trying to make as little noise as possible, the group approached their targets while Leo gave everyone the instructions.

"Bonnie, wait for my signal and sent out your spell. Blue and I will be in front of you. Alex and Hera will circle around to stop them from behind. If someone gets in the way of your spell and you can't stop, just toss it in the air, and we'll deal with that later."

With a silent nod, the group got in position. Hera got used to the hunt in the last few days. Although she didn't enjoy it as much as Alex and Blue, she could understand the rush the two of them felt.

Hera moved, flanking the frogs with Alex on the other side. This way, they would be sure that none of them would try to run and call for backup. They made that mistake on the second day, and it was horrible.

What Hera was most excited to see was how the spell would affect the frogs. Being cold-blooded creatures, could it simply lower their body temperature enough to kill them?

Bonnie started to cast the Cold Bomb. Seeing it from a different angle, Hera got worried the spell attracted too much attention. She could see the leaves around her rustling, and there was a soft light coming out of her hands.

One of the frogs rose its head, turning towards the researcher. Hera's heart started to beat faster. It was the first time Bonnie saw one of those creatures. What if she freaked out like Alex?

The frog stared at the light for a moment, but before it could start to croak. Bonnie's spell triggered. A small ball of pale blue light moved towards the frog. As it got closer, the frog stepped back, and before the Cold Bomb reached it, the frog lashed out with its tongue.

The spell was. .h.i.t and activated, covering the frog's tongue and part of its mouth with a thin layer of ice. One of the frogs closer to the center of the spell had part of its left front leg covered in the same ice layer.

Not leaving a chance for the frog to move, Bonnie followed it up with an Air Fist. The wind attack hit the creature in the ice covering its chin. The monster fell to the ground, s.h.i.+vering. It was still moving, but it seemed stunned by the attack.

Hera and the rest jumped into the fight, following the same patter they perfected during the last week. Hera and Alex focused on the ones in the back, taking them out quickly before they could fight back.

Leo and Blue rushed in, attacking the two frogs in front. Bonnie stayed back, sending spells towards the monster on the ground. A frog lashed out towards Blue and hit her in the chest with its tongue. Taking a step back, the controller lessened the impact, but it wasn't enough to allow her to rebuke.

Sidestepping, she flanked the frog and got ready to strike. However, after losing its target, the frog saw Bonnie in front of him and rushed towards the researcher.

"s.h.i.+t," Blue exclaimed while running towards the frog. Bonnie sent an air fist toward the incoming creature, but it did little to frazzle it.

Hera rushed to the frog, managing to slash the monster's back. It recoiled, but the creature didn't stop its charge. Bonnie jumped to the side, trying to avoid the beast.

The frog was faster than the researcher and managed to hit her legs, making the woman fall to the ground. The frog opened its mouth, but before it was able to do anything, Blue jumped on top of trying to hold its throat.

Hera arrived right before her, slas.h.i.+ng at the creature once more. With their combined efforts, the frog finally fell.

Blue went to help Bonnie get up while Hera turned around to face the other creatures, only to find that Leo and Alex had finished them off.

"How many did you get?" Hera asked.

"Two, the one on the ground couldn't move very well, so Alex didn't have to step in," Leo explained.

"Yeah, having a mage really changes the dynamic of it all. We basically got a freebie," Alex said.

Hera nodded and turned around. Blue was looking at Bonnie's legs. There was a slight bruise on them. Luckily, it was mostly on her legs. The ankles seemed fine.

"Can you move?" Blue asked.

"Yeah, it hurts, but I can walk," Bonnie said while holding out her hand, "help me up."

Blue took the researcher's hand and raised her, "Sorry about that," she said without letting go.

"About what? I was the one who didn't step aside. But I wanted to see if the spell was enough to stop it."

"No, it was my fault. Leo and I were supposed to cover you, and I left my position," Blue said.

"Blue..." Hera started but was cut off by Bonnie.

"Yeah, you're right. I could have died. I think you owe me big time now, right? Let's see... how about you pay my debt? Nah, you can never make that much money. What about paying for a new set of equipment?"

"Bonnie, that's too much," Alex said.

"No, no, she's the one who said it was her fault. Oh, I know! Carry me around. I don't want to tire my feet. And try not to drop me with those noodle arms."

"What the h.e.l.l?! I'm trying to apologize here, Why do you have to be so irritating?" Blue yelled.

"Why do you have to be so ridiculous, you muscle head? We all know what we signed up for, we need to fight, and we might get hit. I'm the one who needs to take care of me, not you!" Bonnie shouted back.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, you two," Hera said, stepping between them.

"I'm calm, and I know she's right. It is just not a very hero like thing to put your friends in danger," Blue said.

The group stared at the controller for a moment, before Bonnie bursting into laughter.

"How can you be so dumb? Do you think the Heroes started of already amazing?"

"No... I mean, I don't know. None of the books I read said anything about that," Blue mumbled.

"Try reading a history book instead of one with mostly pictures. They will tell you about how they failed at first. Kahn was a low-level porter for quite a while. Undine took years to learn magic, and Cyrus ran away with his group from the first raid they ever partic.i.p.ated in. No one is born a hero," Bonnie said.

"I know.. I just felt bad, ok?"

"If you really felt bad, I wouldn't be standing right now," Bonnie teased.

Blue stepped towards the girl, pus.h.i.+ng Hera aside, and picked the researcher up in a princess carry.

"What the h.e.l.l are you doing?" Bonnie yelled.

"Carrying you,"

"Get off!"

Bonnie started to flail around, hitting her elbow in Blue's head. The two almost fell and started fighting once again.

"You know, we could just stay here and wait for another group to find us because of the noise," Alex suggested.

"That is an interesting plan, but today is the last day I have to finish the quest. We can try this after the recruitment," Leo said.

"Am I the only one worried?" Hera asked.

"Yes," Leo and Alex replied.

Letting out a sigh, Hera started harvesting the frogs. It didn't take long for Bonnie to notice that and start helping. In just a bit over twenty minutes, the group sent back the first batch of materials through the drone. Having a fourth butcher helped a lot with their speed.

After finis.h.i.+ng the delivery, the group started looking for more frogs. Leo and Alex were in the front, scouting the area. This time, however, Blue and Bonnie weren't talking, the mood was still sour. Hera wanted to talk and make sure the two could still work together without problems, but it was risky to do so right now. If they start fighting again, it could be a problem for the hunt.

Hera took that opportunity to circle the mana inside of her. It was an extension of the training she had learned. She would pull the energy from her heart and make it flow as if it was following her bloodstream. Quickly checking her stats, Hera saw that her mana was already at 148. Doing the training while walking or moving was much more effective. This time, however, it was different. She could somewhat sense Bonnie at her side. Even without looking, she could more or less feel where the researcher was. Taking a few steps away from her friend, Hera tried to gauge the maximum distance. At most, she could feel the researcher if she was three meters away or so.

It was an interesting effect, but if she could only sense something that close, it was better to trust Yarnball since its range was five meters. Hera tried to move farther away and attempt to feel Bonnie's mana. She tried to expand her own mana to reach her friend, but to no avail. Thinking back to the spells the researcher was using, Hera attempted to create a similar effect with her own mana. She gathered the energy in front of her while trying to figure out the result she wanted.

Hera wasn't good with formulas. Her best bet was to use the subjective way to make spells. She needed something that allowed her to see what was around her. Like a minimap or an area she could feel. Hera's mind went back to the first time she ever saw an explorer's relic. Omar's relic was essentially a radar. That would be a great way to cover her ground.

She let go of the mana, thinking about the effect, the mana spread out from her. However, it wasn't a continuous stream as Hera expected. It was a single streak, like a ripple in a pond. But everything that the ripple touched, Hera could feel. She could understand how many trees were around them, where Blue and Bonnie were, and the mana kept going. It only stopped after reaching Leo, who was in front of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spell acquired

Pulse

Rank: Beginner

Send a mana pulse that gives the user information about everything in its area of effect. The more mana used on the spell, the wider the radius is. The increase in mana cost is not linear.

This spell can not detect everything.

Base radius: 10 meters

Base mana cost: 10 mana

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I... I just got a spell!" Hera exclaimed.