Elemental Cats

Toz hid in the shadows of the cave with the cats while trying to figure out how to best attack the fortress.

The first thing that popped into Toz's head was to collapse the entire cave since that would also destroy the entire base above ground. However, he wasn't sure they would be able to do that in the short amount of time they had left.

The Bunglehoppers would only be able to fight for so long, and while the pirates within the base weren't endless, they had reinforcements all over Pirate Haven. If Toz and the cats were too slow, a veritable sea of pirates would form and surround the Blue Lounge.

Toz decided that sneaking into the fortress and trying to find the councilors and the storage room was going to be the most efficient way for them to deal damage to the Blue Lounge League of Pirates. Kill their leaders and take all their valuables and money.

However, the problem came with how to pass the moat. Toz felt the powerful suction of the roiling water, even from where they were hiding. He had no idea what kind of water it was or where the pirates got it from, but that didn't matter.

Toz wasn't especially worried about the water affecting him since he could use his space element to blink across the moat. It was the same for Asilean. But neither Toz nor Asilean was confident in bringing another cat with them while blinking. If they messed up, the magic might shrink and tear at the cat and its soul since it didn't have an affinity for the space element.

Toz was wondering if maybe he and Asilean could lower the drawbridge or turn off the water after sneaking into the fortress by themselves first. However, his thoughts were interrupted by Asilean's musing.

"If only we were stronger."

At first, Toz thought it was obvious. If Toz and the cats were stronger, they could have just brute forced their way into the fortress or maybe even destroyed the cave like they first intended.

But it didn't sound like that was what Asilean meant, so Toz turned to him.

"What would happen if we were stronger?"

Asilean looked shocked since he had unintentionally spoken his thoughts out loud, but he answered Toz's question.

"We could teleport across the moat. Maybe even directly into the fortress if it doesn't have any anti-teleportation enchantments."

"Teleport? Not blink or shrink space?"

"Yeah. I only know how to do it in theory since I'm not strong enough to open a spatial tunnel."

"In what way are you lacking?"

"In everything mana-related. As soon as I break through, I'll be able to do it."

Toz looked thoughtful at Asilean's words for a few moments before opening his mouth again.

"Can you describe the process to me?"

It didn't take long for Asilean to explain to Toz how to teleport in the most basic way achievable by someone with the space element.

Toz was closer to being able to create a spatial tunnel than Asilean since he had so much high-quality mana, but he was still lacking in his spatial affinity and control of the space element.

However, it was enough.

After confirming the feasibility of his idea with Asilean, Toz explained his plan to the cats before dashing away.

Toz was practically invisible as he arrived in front of the moat and flickered through the air to the other side. He stopped right before the wall. The guards wouldn't see him, and he didn't touch the wall in case the wall had protective enchantments that would sense it.

Toz sat down so it would be easier for him to concentrate while still maintaining some degree of invisibility based on his void and shadow magic.

Asilean had explained the process, which was evidence of how familiar he was with what they were going to do. At least in theory. However, it was the first time Toz attempted anything like it.

Toz focused on his space magic and stretched his awareness, which with the help of the space magic, wasn't constrained by distance. He had discovered how to detect things further away, but he put that discovery aside since his objective was to establish two focal points where he would gather the space mana. Asilean would be in charge of one of those points, though.

The reason teleportation required a greater affinity for the space attribute was that teleportation required the magic to work at two separate locations without any magic that connected those two locations. Since space mana isn't limited by the physical aspect of space, space mages didn't have to worry about the travel time of sending mana to a location farther away.

It takes a space mage more mana to cast magic the further away it is from oneself. But it also requires an increase in control and affinity for the spatial element since the space mana won't listen to someone who's too far away unless it wants to or unless the mage is good enough at controlling the mana.

Asilean and Toz weren't able to teleport because the mana in the place they would teleport to would refuse to obey them, and their magic would just dissipate. It might've been possible if they only had to control mana at one location. But using magic complex enough to teleport a living being in two separate locations was difficult enough. It only got worse when the mana at the location furthest away would refuse to obey the mage's will.

However, Toz and the cats were fortunate in that regard. They had two beings capable of using space magic.

Creating a spatial tunnel was difficult for the mage because controlling the secondary location was so challenging. But what if the mage didn't have to control the magic at the secondary location? It would be a lot easier. At least, that was what Toz hoped.

Toz might not have to control the magic where the cats were, but he did have to coordinate and synchronize his magic with Azilean so that the two locations connected properly.