33 Arcane 101 II

"That's intriguing," Jack mused, flipping through the book. He vividly recalled reading about classifications and, after a moment, found the relevant section.

"So, we have Lesser, Greater, Epic, Mythic, and Primordial?" he read aloud.

Lupus leaned in close, her sun-kissed hair brushing against his shoulder. "Yep, sounds about right. Although no one has obtained a Primordial essence in a thousand years. Not even Empress Aurora herself."

"Wow," Jack murmured, a new appreciation for the arcane system's depth dawning on him. "You can obtain essences?"

Lupus nodded. "Mages have also found ways to overcome their limited slots. That's why Arc weapons and Arc armour were invented."

"Oh! Your golden arc boots! Do they have an extra slot?" Jack asked, his eyes lighting up as the pieces clicked together.

"Fufufu! Correct!" She chuckled, cupping her lips. Their eyes locked for a moment longer than necessary. "You're a quick thinker, Jackie!" she praised, giving him a quick pat on the lower back.

"Now, let's see yours! Most non-mages are born with only one innate slot, but they can't use it since their mana is inadequate to cast spells." She motioned for him to perform another Epopteia ritual.

They chanted once more. Another image flashed in their minds.

"What is that?" they gasped in unison.

The runic circle before them was far more intricate than Lupus's, a grand design adorned with twelve slots.

"J~Jackie… You have twelve slots?!" Lupus exclaimed, utterly bewildered. She had never seen such a number before, not even among the Stellius or Lunarius mages she knew.

"Maybe there's a mistake?" Jack offered sheepishly.

Lupus shook her head firmly. "Impossible." Her expression grew serious.

When Jack examined his circle more thoroughly, he noticed all but one of the slots were empty.

"Lupus, look! I think this is my essence," Jack pointed out. A small orb flickered to life in their shared vision.

"It has a strange design, like a box of sorts," she remarked. "I've never seen anything like it." The orb contained a glowing purple cube composed of several smaller boxes, resembling a peculiar, shifting puzzle.

"Hmm… You're definitely an anomaly. If we weren't busy with wars, I'd request one of the administrators to look into this," she mused, tapping her cheek thoughtfully.

"Oh… Thanks..." Jack murmured, massaging his temples.

The ordeal had taken a strange toll on him, leaving a numbing headache in its wake.

He closed the book and slumped deeper into the couch, head tilted back, eyes fixed on the ceiling as he processed everything.

A few beats passed.

"If you don't mind me asking… how are you overall?" Lupus asked suddenly, her tone shifting.

"Hmm?"

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"About your family…"

"Oh… about them, I… I don't feel anything," Jack replied, his voice turning cold. His chest tightened, and his jaw clenched. "And to be honest, Lupy… I hate myself for that."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Lupus spoke gently. "This isn't your fault. Your amnesia, your loss. None of it was your own doing. You did your best, Jackie."

Her warmth was soothing, but Jack didn't feel he deserved it. He exhaled heavily. "I can't even cry..."

A heavy silence settled between them. Jack had built all this wall around himself, sealing his hollowness into the deepest pits under the smiling face. And Lupus would be lying if she said she wasn't trying to break it down.

Realising the mood had soured, she suggested, "It's okay, let's talk about something else?"

"Mm." Jack clipped, his eyes fell onto the ground.

"Jackie. Do you mind if I show you something magical?"

"Yes, I'd love to."

"Trusty trust?" Lupus popped her pinky.

And his pinky laced hers. "Trusty trust."

"Epopteia," she whispered. A ball of white light, the size of an adult's head, glowed in her palms.

Forcing a smile, she handed it to him. "Here!"

Jack's brows lifted in puzzlement.

"Take it!" she urged him again. He slowly took it.

"This is the essence of Lagoskinesis, right?" he asked. Lupus nodded, her face tinged with an inexplicable blush.

The orb was warm and fluffy, emitting a faint purring sound. It felt like holding a small, living creature. Jack found himself absentmindedly stroking the plush sphere, its texture oddly satisfying, akin to a stress ball.

When he turned to Lupus, however, she was shifting uncomfortably, her fingers covering her lips as if suppressing a sound. Her face was deeply flushed, her ears twitching.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, perplexed.

Then it hit him. A current of understanding, sharp as lightning. Her flushed skin, the twitch of her ears, the suppressed sounds. Was she… aroused?

"Stop fondling that! Ah! It's not a toy!" she snapped, her entire body trembling.

"Okay..." Jack relented, though a familiar scent wafted from the orb. Lupus's scent. His curiosity surged. "Is it okay if I smell it?"

"No! It's not okay!" she blurted, but it was too late.

He had already inhaled deeply, letting the scent wash over him. Something primal stirred within.

"It smells… really nice," Jack remarked, a euphoric gleam in his eyes.

In an instant, Lupus recalled the essence into her body. She grabbed Jack's collar and yanked him closer.

"You've done it now!" she muttered through gritted teeth, sweat trickling down her crimson cheeks.

Without warning, her lips pressed against his.

He caught the faint sweetness of wine on her breath. Then, a soft tendril slithered into his mouth, entwining with his tongue in a passionate dance.

It wasn't human, yet it was divine. Her tongue was far more agile, softer than anything he had ever known.

He had no memory of kissing any woman, but this sudden intimacy left no room for doubt. A euphoric heat flooded his system, shutting down all logic.

The smoothness and moisture of the tendril were intoxicating, its nectar carrying a sweetness that awakened something long forgotten within him.

Overcome, Jack's mind focused solely on the woman before him.

His hands found the back of her neck, pulling her closer. As Lupus settled onto his lap, brushing her chest against his, his fingers traced the outline of her body, exploring every curve with an enticing curiosity.

Their kiss never parted.

Her sun-kissed scent, her goddess-like hair, the sweet nectar of her tongue, her intoxicating moans — every sensation sent him spiralling into a bottomless abyss of indulgence.

"Lupus!" He cried out, but she resealed it with her lips.

Lupus's arms wrapped around him, her plump chest pressing against his body. He could feel her heart racing, a tingling sensation spreading through him. He couldn't escape, nor did he want to.

The truth was: he desperately wanted Lupus, and judging by her response, she wanted him just as much.

In the quiet aftermath, as the world settled back into place around them, Jack learned another valuable lesson from his de facto teacher. It was a truth not written in any arcane tome, but one he now understood with absolute certainty. There was a very clear, very potent reason why her bunny Wildren parents had managed to have twenty children.

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