Elemental Cats

While nothing extraordinary happened when the void mana interacted with the natural mana in the atmosphere, Toz realized how the void magic broke down magic. Since magic relied on the mana it was composed of, the magic would destabilize and collapse if that mana mixed with mana of other attributes that the mage didn't have control over.

Even if the void magic mixed the mage's magic with another attribute that the mage had, it would still collapse. The mage wouldn't be prepared for the abrupt change in the structure of mana. The mage also wouldn't be able to control the mixed mana since they won't have any experience with blending two different elements so intricately.

Before he got his hands on the void attribute, Toz had thought it was impossible to fuse several elements perfectly. Using two or more elements at once wasn't impossible, but trying to create one instance of magic with two different elements wasn't something doable. It only resulted in two separate magics, even if it looked like one.

However, Toz would need to gain some proficiency with the void element before he tried mixing elements.

After trying out and confirming what the baseline of void magic was, or at least what he could find, Toz began training. If he wanted to create a prosthetic leg for Scrael using his newly acquired void attribute, Toz suspected he would need it to be a similar level to his metal attribute if he wanted it to go as smoothly as possible.

Since he had refined his body four times already, Toz's affinity for mana was outstanding, and it wouldn't take too long for him to refine his body a fifth time. But it also wasn't fast enough for the others to sit around and wait for him to finish.

After each new level he reached with his void element, Toz would take a break and experiment with mixing void and metal magic. After his void mana reached the third level, he managed to create a half-decent combination and shaped it into a prosthetic leg according to the most developed prototype.

By the time he reached the fourth level several weeks later, the first leg made by combining metal and void had finished growing.

Toz wanted to see how well it worked before he tried creating another.

Scrael put on the prosthetic with anticipation. Each new leg she had tried had shown more promise than the last, but she still couldn't help but hope Toz had finally managed to make a fully functional replacement leg.

The leg itself had a softer and more accepting feel to it as Scrael's stump rested against the surface. Scrael couldn't put her finger on it, but it also felt like the leg moved smoother through the air than the other prototypes.

After confirming that the leg fit just as well as the others, Scrael began pushing her mana into it. And unlike with the other prototypes she had tested, her lightning wasn't rejected and repulsed as soon as it came into contact with the leg. Her lightning mana entered the mix of metal and the inherent wood mana of the leg.

However, she gradually lost control over her mana as it got drawn into the leg itself.

If Scrael used enough mana at once, she could properly use the leg, but it seemed like the void mana dispelled and made the tree eat her mana. Disregarding the ludicrous amount of mana needed to use magic with the leg, it was a success!

But Scrael wasn't sure if she should celebrate since the leg devoured so much mana it was mostly impossible to use for an extended fight.

Toz, on the other hand, was amazed at the effect that void mana had on the void trees. Maybe it was because it was combined with metal. Maybe it was because it was a higher concentration of void mana than the trees were used to, but the wood's ability to absorb mana improved after it digested a lump of void mana.

Toz wasn't concerned with the fact that the leg devoured Scrael's mana as much as it did. It only made him happy. The more mana that the leg ate, the greater its affinity for lightning would be. It would also grow strong enough to match the amount of mana it devoured.

After hearing Toz's theory that the leg had only undergone a primary transformation after the wood grew to replace it, Scrael's only hope was that it would have a limit. While Toz began playing around with void magic, Scrael went to work, trying to fill the leg up with her mana.

In case his theory wasn't accurate, Toz also started preparing another wooden leg, but this time he would squeeze in as much mana as possible before letting the trees grow and replace it.

Toz's mana pool had grown even further after his fifth refinement, so it didn't take too long until he felt all his mana bounce off the leg.

Scrael also felt her leg begin slowing down in the absorption of mana. The previously bluish-grey wood had turned into a shining dark purple. And it seemed like Toz's theory was somewhat accurate. The more the mana devouring slowed down, the easier it became for Scrael to use magic with the leg.

Although it wasn't quite as good as her original leg, Scrael could fill the leg with mana and run around with it, similarly to how she had fought before she lost her leg. Though, she hadn't gotten the opportunity to try it out in actual combat yet.

But just in case her leg wouldn't work well when fighting or if something similar happened again, Scrael had also continued training her delicacy when controlling her magic. She was still far from summoning divine lightning bolts thick as trees, but she could at least attack from a distance.

Although Scrael said she was satisfied with her leg after it stopped taking all her mana, Toz was curious about what would happen with a leg made from as much mana he could stuff into it. But it would probably take a while until it was finished. Both because the trees had to consume all the mana and grow in place of the leg and because Scrael would have to fill the wooden leg with her mana after that. And it would probably take more mana to satisfy that leg than her current one.