Air Coral

First of all, producing air was out of the question.

That was the exclusive domain of plants. Even an all-powerful mage would probably have to subject it to some horrific modifications to achieve that.

But that was clearly the domain of high-ranking mages.

As a second-tier mage, Kroya... well, he could dream.

So,

"What spell should I use?"

As he wrestled with the question, his fingers rubbed the Air Coral. Then he suddenly remembered the hint-this magical beast was called Air Coral. Could it be...

As the name implied, could they produce air? Wouldn't that make his inscription pointless?

Or did "air" refer to its form?

Honestly, its name alone told him little about what Air Coral was actually like.

That clearly wouldn't do.

If he didn't even understand a magic plant's structure and form, how could he inscribe it? How could he successfully modify it?

These concerns led him to decide to put the coral in water first. Once it revived, he could observe it before attempting anything.

"Let's try putting it in water first. I need to see what it does."

With that thought, he immediately picked up the Air Coral, then carefully inspected the other pieces of rubble. Only after confirming that there was nothing else there did he get up and leave.

As for where the Air Coral had come from, he guessed that the rock might have been transported from elsewhere, with a piece of Air Coral caught inside it.

He had simply been lucky enough to blast it out.

It was also possible that this place had been submerged in seawater long ago, and the Air Coral had happened to become trapped here. Magical beasts were remarkably tenacious creatures.

He would have Rob question Batos thoroughly, then carefully check whether there was any more Air Coral nearby.

For his test site, he chose the lake behind the mountain, the cozy little home where the Kaba Beasts lived in comfort.

He planned to try freshwater first. If the coral couldn't adapt, he would try again by the sea.

Honestly, he was a little wary of the ocean now, afraid that a few Merfolk might suddenly pop out of it.

Being pestered certainly wouldn't feel good.

"Chirp, chirp!"

The Kaba Beasts welcomed Kroya's arrival. They eagerly gathered around him, nudging him with their delicate noses and making happy noises.

"Looks like you're living pretty well." Kroya petted each of them, then activated the Astral Body Inscription Technique. He soon heard their thoughts-

"Tasty! Iron is tasty!"

"Not quite enough..."

"Don't want to sleep. Just want to eat iron."

Wow, these fellows really were dedicated.

Kroya had been worried that eating iron every day might harm their bodies somehow. Yet apparently, they hadn't had enough?

That had been thousands of jin, several years' worth of Reef Island's stockpile. They had eaten it all, and it still wasn't enough.

Obtaining that much ore again in a short time was unlikely. But... he could work with that merchant named Sai Liu.

By helping him refine raw ore, he could strengthen the Kaba Beasts' bodies and earn some money without having to put in much effort himself.

Three benefits in one stroke.

"I'm not the one trying to exploit you. You're the ones who want to keep eating, so don't blame me!"

In a cheerful mood, he petted all eleven Kaba Beasts, then went to the lakeshore and placed the Air Coral in the shallows.

The instant the Air Coral touched the clear lake water, it began swelling like a sponge. A dense swarm of strange, translucent creatures left the coral and dove into the water.

They looked like melted, crystal-clear light swimming through the water.

"Oh?"

This fluctuation of magic... could it be a third-tier magic plant or higher?

Kroya narrowed his eyes. In that brief instant, he had distinctly felt an almost surging wave of vitality and magic.

Its vitality and magic were both stronger than those of the thirsty sea glow algae.

Clearly, this was no ordinary magic plant.

What happened next confirmed his guess-from the shallows to the deeper water, those crystal-clear little creatures plunged straight down.

Then they began taking in and releasing the magic and air within the water.

They spread at an incredible speed, soon carpeting the mud at the bottom of the lake before quietly beginning to grow.

Coral branches rose out of nowhere, one after another, as though someone had pressed a fast-forward button. Soon they covered the entire lakebed, their crystal-clear, dragon-horn-like branches swaying gently.

The already exceptionally clear lake water seemed to have been purified by them, becoming even clearer. Even from the shore, he could easily see the scenery below.

Refracted sunlight shone upon the coral grove. It looked just like the crystal dragon palaces of legend, extraordinarily beautiful.

They clearly weren't as hard as the branch Kroya held yet. But as they continued absorbing magic and certain elements he didn't understand, they would surely become just like it.

"Is it because of the magic it accumulated? It was gathering magic even inside the rock, so the moment it had a chance, it grew rapidly?"

Kroya pondered this.

So, what did Air Coral mean?

He stepped into the lake and bent down, taking hold of a still-soft, jellylike piece of coral between his fingers and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Bubbles immediately came gurgling out of it.

The bubbles burst as they left the water's surface, sending wisps of cool mist into his face and brushing away the seaside heat.

"Oh, so that's why you're called Air Coral. You can store air inside yourselves... now I know what to do."

Once he understood, an idea immediately came to him-there was a spell called the Bubble Spell. The bubbles it formed were extremely durable thanks to a layer of magic.

Most importantly, they could actively release gas.

It was one of the methods mages commonly used when going underwater. As long as they enclosed their heads in the bubbles, they could breathe freely for a while.

I know the Bubble Spell, but with this much coral, I'll probably have to do it in batches, won't I?

With that thought, he activated the Astral Body Inscription Technique. More than half his mental energy was instantly drained, along with over half his magic.

What appeared before his eyes was Air Coral densely covering the entire lake.

He had thought the number of individual Air Corals would increase too. To his surprise, however, there was only a single shining point within all the Air Coral on the lakebed.

In terms of numbers, it was no different from the single intact specimen before.

Thanks to his previous experience with the thirsty sea glow algae, the inscription went fairly smoothly this time, though he had to replenish his magic several times along the way.

He worked from noon until the afternoon before finally completing the inscription.

[Inscription successful: Air Coral (Bubble Spell)]

[As the Air Coral grows, it will release the air inside it, forming individual bubbles.]

[Since the Air Coral shares a single inscription, its magical resonance will remain synchronized. The bubbles can connect and merge with one another.]

[The Air Coral will continue expanding and increasing the size and strength of its bubbles over time.]

[Your magic resonates with the Air Coral's bubbles, allowing you to enter them freely.]

The instant the inscription was completed, the coral on the lakebed immediately began to stir.