Author's Note:
So as you may have seen. I've made some adjustments to the placing of this story. It'll probably cause a sizable decrease in the possible traffic to this story. But it better fits the storyline I'm going for.
Regardless this chapter is out, and a third one will be out when its ready. So…about two to four weeks, depending on how busy I am. No promises though…
Anywho…please follow if you want more, and drop a review if you want. Enjoy and I don't own any franchise so on and so forth…
Edit. Decided to make minor change in dates…that is all.
Chapter 2: Lessons from a Sanguine Teacher
I blinked back into reality, looking around to see that I was back where I had started. Even then, out of the corner of my eye I could see…Terra floating in the distance.
Reality flickered on and off around her form, and I could see how uneasy the people around her were. Though she quickly worked to fix the problem and the distortions in spacetime shrunk to a mere trickle.
I moved around my still hot lunch, watching the crowd as the manifestation of Humanity people watched…
"So…how's your day been?" I ignored the goddess, focusing on my meal as I suddenly felt utterly famished. It hadn't been more than a few minutes, yet no one reacted abnormally. They truly had not noticed anything amiss. It would be impressive if it wasn't also frightening…
Eventually far too soon, all my food had gone down my bottomless stomach, and I only had my cup of Mountain Dew…
"Can we do this later…? When I'm at home with my mother…and not in front of a very public crowd…" I muttered quietly and incoherently, but Kishar managed to understand. Luckily no one gave me a dirty look.
She rolled her eyes, but didn't disagree.
I eyed the garbage containers, already having a basic plan on what to do next.
I rested my weary head against the furniture, being thankful that I had a few free hours since it was a Sunday. The rented house was empty, with the exception of myself and…her.
Kishar hummed a familiar tune under her breath as she poked around with the house every couple of seconds.
Move a chair slightly to the right.
Balance a dropped toy on the high quality big screen tv…or switch some drinks in the refrigerator around.
It was…strange, but also amusing how childish a literal god could be. Even if it was one possibly lacking in the usual amount of power.
"So do you want so start or should I?" I smirked at the small pout on Kishar's face, the Ultimate One clearly irritated with my amusement.
Not sure why she should be…since I'm probably part of her as a human being…
Kishar perked up, with a haughty and confident pose. I let her take the reins at the clear answer in her body language.
"I will show you the way." I gestured for her to continue, managing to fluster the goddess. She took a deep breath, and a sensation…of being left floating in an endless ocean took me aback.
"I have watched your kind…the material of my mind. Prosper and advance through ten of thousands of years of strife and change. You grew beyond anything I could have imagined in my youth…" with a snap of her finger, a large chalkboard was animated from nothingness.
"But in that…I dreamt…and within that dream, phantasmal beings were born of both man's hopes and fears."
"You're talking of the creatures and beings of legend and myth aren't you?" She muttered a positive reply, and my hands curled inwards. "And you can't control them…just like you can't control us…" she scratched her cheek with shame in her eyes and I sighed.
"The more intelligent ones certainly not…and the Nature Spirits are even more difficult. Not that I blame them…you humans can be quite stupid at times."
I have nothing to really defend against with that true accusation. We might be the smartest beings around. But that means little when most life on earth was literally brainless for billions of years.
And I doubt other life on Earth would do much better…
"Since you're awake, they'll be coming too won't they?" She looked grim and I realized just how fucked we were.
Beasts of magic like that would tear humanity apart. Nothing we have could bring them, lacking the metaphysical weight needed to do so.
Each magical entity would be like a walking nuke, they'd slaughter billions and might not even fix the issue. Since this would likely weaken Kishar without the minds and souls of countless humans.
Fuck…fuck…fuck!
"How long do we have?"
"For the more…city annihilating ones? About one to three years, but for lesser beings? A few months…" she reassured me…
…
That…was not at all reassuring by any matter of the word. Lesser beings could include Chimera, violent Demi humans and motherfucking vampires and ghosts!
At least that excludes something like True Ancestors…I hope.
Kishar winced. "Perhaps I may have brought this on too quickly?" I shook my head much to her shock, though it faded within milliseconds.
God I really hate this but…
"I'd rather know something was coming rather being finding it out when I get my throat ripped out by a bloodthirsty monster." She smiled unsurely at my reply, and I felt head rush to my face.
Shouldn't get distracted.
"So how do you plan to save this world from self destructing? How do you plan to keep the two halves of your being from ripping each other apart?" In that moment, she appeared much older than the twenty year old she tended to look like. More like the entity she truly was.
"The plan is to teach you and by eventual extension the rest of humanity, the usage of Magecraft. And with that gifted miracle, you will prevent disaster from destroying this world's hope for a greater future."
I snorted. "Well you're certainly not lacking for ambition Kishar…"
Her lips curled up into a shark like smile. "Well…humans are a bunch of ambitious little monkeys."
I stood patiently, as Kishar marched to the beat of an unheard drum. Her chalkboard showed several images, each showing a stylized human body. All three had numerous circuit board like lines within their bodies, and I already knew what they were.
Magic circuits…
"I know you already have the basics, due to your…meticulous need to absorb information." She waved to the images. "There are two types of magical energy, the fuel needed to actualize Magecraft. Though this world's…rule are not entirely the same." She looked eager to explain regardless. "Mana is the life force of nature itself, my life force. Od is the energy of living beings like humans and animals."
I grinned, excitement running through me at the idea of utilizing magic. Or perhaps Thaumaturgy would be a more scientific name for it?
"Now the way humans process it is through Magic Circuits…acting as a pipeline for life force energy. Which does make me ask…why not go with something more like the Age of the Gods?"
She quirked an eyebrow. "Do you really want to obtain the patronage of an ancient god?"
Oh right…I had almost forgotten…that whole biz with worship…yeah that's not happening.
I shrugged helplessly. "Fair enough…but still why like this?"
"Because it's not meant to be easy…power like this…is quite corrupting. And I am still a rather young Ultimate One, by the standards of that Gaia. And you should remember you species influence on it…" oh right…
Wonder if her lack of hostility to Magecraft decreases its detriments…?
"So magic here is a sort of in between of Era of Man and Era of God magic?"
She looks smugly superior. "Essentially yes…now are you ready to really learn? My power may not be…usable. But I can at least teach you Magecraft…"
"That's fine…" I hid the giddiness running the show within my mind, and sat with a cross legged stance. "What will you do first?"
I didn't like the smirk on her face…
A burning sensation hit me as she flicked my chest…I choked out a frown as they burning spread. From my chest, down to my stomach and lower back… My arms…legs and the back of my neck burned with heat.
Down below, underneath my skin were swirling green circuits, seemingly covering every major part of my body in some form or other. I bit my lip, a flash of mild pain like I was exercising excessively striking me…
Shit…that's a little painful. Oh…wow…okay…just keep it calm and cool. Ignore the stinging sensation of BURNING FUCKING FIRE!
"Interesting…the quality and quantity of your circuits is rather high…" I opened my shut in pain eyes, given the goddess a blank glare.
"H-How So?" She floated over to me, Kishar's round eyes rapidly flitted around my body before nodding with an assured expression.
"100 magic circuits capable of outputting 240 units of magical energy each…" I froze as what she just said really sunk in…
What the fuck…that's…that's nuts!
Even RIN TOHSAKA only outputs about 500, with a dangerous max of 1000 with her Crest in a pinch!
"W-What the hell? But that's a huge amount of magical energy!" I waved my arms around to emphasize how ridiculous this was. "That's…it's just." She…she shrugged, she just shrugged?!
She looked as unimpressed as possible, and I paused my incoming rant. It seems I was missing something of importance.
"You're not wrong, you do have above average circuits…but based on what I've seen of this world in the last hour or so? Most humans have around 4000 or so units, with variations in number and quality of their circuits…"
Most humans…?
Nevermind, I can do this…later…
"Right…so I have…circuits." I pulled on the swirling magic, slowly circulating the slow and steady liquid like force. "So I can actualize magic and what not…that's fine and dandy. Now what's next?"
Kishar clapped her hands together. "Normally, things like Foundations would be rather important, and they still are to some extent. But the Root is…rather more generous in this world." Her expression wavered before shaking herself out of the mood. "We still start with the beginning…you need a trigger for your circuits. Otherwise they'll be useless…"
A trigger huh…? That does seem important, just moving my magic around isn't doing shit. And their movement is slowing down over time.
Likely a result of how Kishar activated them. But what kind of strong trigger could I use to summon up magical energy?
Think man, man!
What image would stick with me…? What would bring my power out into the open?
Something I did a lot…something that as important to me…
Think…memorize, imagine…
Distantly in my mind's(soul) eye, a noise buzzed in the back…almost…like a clicking sound…
What sound did I know…what was mine, what embodied…
In my mind, all I could hear was the sound of typing, whether on a keyboard or a touchscreen. The familiar act felt…like a part of me…something that was mine. And it was enough.
Life force was soon converted into magical energy, and the strain on myself was now entirely my own…
I grinned.
"So the next lesson will be in two days!"
I lost my grin in shock, staring at Kishar as she packed up the chalkboard, the projected object vanishing from existence.
"W-What? But we just started…why are you leaving now?" Kishar gave me a sad smile.
"Well…you need to practice activating your circuits…there's not much point if you are unable to control your circuits. And…there are other issues as well…I still have a role to play…and continuous exposure to me could prove harmful." She looked as apologetic as could be…
I cursed my poor luck. "Goddammit!"
"But we are in luck! I have a teacher for you, so simply practice your Od control and some structural analysis. If you really need to use magic…"
Hahh…fucking fine…it's better than nothing.
Over the next few days, I went through my usual routine of working just under eight hours a day for my dad's…lovely transport business in sunny SoCal.
Not that having to transport old sick or weak people from place to place in a big van was a bad thing.
It was a Tuesday…the 2nd of April when I was practicing opening and closing my circuits, as well as trying…a single…simple spell. I had bought several sets of pencils so I could…err analyze them. It was what I had been doing since Kashar had left in a hurry.
Analyzing them…trying to absorb as much detail as possible…
It was the simplest and safest spell you could make… Even then…there was the potential for danger…to my body if not my life. It didn't matter though, it would be completely worth it. And I was making gains with the technique…
I pointed the sharp end of the pencil away from myself as well as anyone else in the potential vicinity. I had the room to myself since I had to share it with two other people…and I was sitting on the main bed.
Prana flowed out from a circuit in my palm, and flowed slowly and lazily into the number 2 pencil. The pencil trembled and I flinched but relaxed when I realized it was merely my hand shaking.
Ahh…okay, that's better than before…
Slowly an incredibly small amount of Prana suffused the graphite/wooden rod of writing utensil.
I closed my eyes, ignoring my other senses and trying to feel out the shape of the object in my hand. Slowly in the darkness, a shape made itself known to me. A blurry…but useful image had been downloaded into my mind. Much better than my previous results.
I opened my eyes and had a heart attack.
"WHAT THE FU–bmhjm?!" An impossibly strong grip muffled my scream, and I was promptly lifted into the air.
I waved my hands in the air with terror and confusion mixing in an unholy combination. With that action I was pushed back onto the bed with a pathetic yelp…
W-Who?
SMACK!
My cheeks stung as I slapped myself out of my stupor, blinking dumbly at the one other person in the room. I instantly tilted my head in befuddlement, my eyes barely able to comprehend what I was seeing…
It was a woman, maybe about eight or nine years older than I was…though having met the incarnation of the planet, I doubt I was accurate in any manner of the word.
She was tall…easily 5'10 against my diminutive 5'2 and…well…she was gorgeous.
Err…anywho…
The intruder had the classic look of a Nordic woman.
Pale skin, wavy blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and her light blue eyes had amusement dancing within them… Her curvy(and fit…) body covered by a white flowing turtleneck shirt, and a long black skirt ending just below the knees.
I couldn't tell what she had for shoes, but I didn't really care right now…
Because when she smiled, I could see the visible fangs in her mouth…
Oh god I'm going to die! I thought she said…no I need to focus…! Have to live…
Prana flowed excessively, haphazardly destabilizing the poor thing…the pencil trembled and cracked and I threw it.
…!
A tiny explosion that would be outmatched by sparklers, the small flames licking against her face without even a hint of an effect.
The smile she had was still there, and I couldn't tell if there was any anger or not within her. I gave her a wobbly grin, hoping she wouldn't kill me…
"So you're the human she wants me to teach? You're quicker than I thought you'd be. Good, that'll make things easier later on…"
I turned to her in unconcealed shock. "Huh?" Her knuckles knocked against my forehead with her incredible speed, and I felt heat rush into my face at the gesture. She laughed with a boom, and I listened to the Nordic accent she had…
I think? I'm not exactly going to be the best judge for authenticity.
"Oh don't be afraid! I…the one known as Freya Draugr will be your teacher!" Within a split second, her arms were around me and I saw my life flash within my mind.
Ouhh…she's…crushing me. FOR THE LOVE O—
"You're…killing me. Please s-stop!" I wheezed out a cry for help, and was rewarded with sweet, sweet life giving air. My feet still dangled in the air, but I could breathe.
Her…Freya's initial enthusiasm had faded, and she bit her lip with an anxious look. Her form wavered from side to side, and the silence had turned awkward.
"I'm…sorry…I was just excited…" Freya twirled her hair, and I felt…a little bad.
She didn't want to hurt me…and what did she just say…?
"Teacher? Are you the one Kashar sent?" She nodded with a rumble in her throat, and my enthusiasm beat the shit of my fear with a stick.
I grinned, my body trembling with a burst of both chemical and magical energy. The blonde turned a light shade of red, and she promptly put me down.
"No relation to that Freya am I right?" She replied in the negative. "No it's simply a common name. As I believe you can already tell, I am a vampire…and will be the one teaching you Magecraft." Something about calling herself a vampire didn't sit right with me…like…
There was something more…something…greater…
Her eyes flashed red for a brief moment, before picking up the remains of the pencil I had exploded. She looked from it and then to me with a knowing look.
"I've been practicing…not a lot…but a bit…I started simple. I learned how to control my circuits, and have been using structural analysis on some pencils…"
She bounced from foot to foot, taking the information in with great ease. "That's excellent…for a human anyway…" I shrugged, unsure whether or I was supposed to accept her praise.
"Um…thanks?" Freya giggled and I wondered how she was going to teach me…
"Yes…excellent indeed…this will be fun. Though in this case, there is not much I can do." I gave her a baffled look and she turned a cuff shade of pink. She ruffled her long skirt with embarrassment. "W-Well…you're so much of a novice that…well…"
I understood.
She couldn't teach me until I had greater control of the most basic of spells. Mainly…SA and reinforcement, and I honestly didn't mind the idea. Both spells were scoffed at as basic and weak by "traditional" Magus. But these are the same people taken out by shitty Magus like Emiya Kiritsugu and his adopted dumbass son.
So I could easily ignore their beliefs on what can and can't be done…
"Wait…there is one thing you can learn." My head snapped over to the vampire. She looked more confident, cocking a hip with a smirk.
"What is it?"
"What do you know of Runecraft?"
Oh…fuck yeah.
Over the next hour, Freya taught me the general basics of Runecraft. Mainly starting with the actual alphabet…which was tedious as hell. But I'll be frank and say I don't give a shit. It's a magical alphabet! I'm not giving that up just because learning some damn letters is hard!
And the internet makes this kind of stuff a lot easier…now if only Freya didn't lean so close!
She poked at my phone with fascination, and my neck burned as I felt the softness from her…her chest… Freya didn't really understand personnel space and it was getting to me.
"This 'internet' of yours is very convenient. All the collective knowledge of mankind in one place…lovely." I meekly nodded, shrinking as she leaned closer.
Okay focus…what have I learned.
Alright so Runecraft is a form of Nordic magic, ancient symbols used to create different effects. A Thaumaturgical system with massive variety in effect and power… With Runes I can make all sorts of spells by combining them in certain ways and orders.
Freya has divided them into four different sections for the Magic school. Runes, Rune Chains, Rune Words, and Rune Names.
Runes are single single rune spell arrays and nothing more. Runes Chains are a combination of runes that string together to form a specific effect. But are f actual words or sentences…
Rune Words are well…words in the the old Norse language…an actual meaning gives additional power to the array. Then there are Rune Names. They are formed from names with history, such as a famous place, object, person or being.
My nose scrunched up as I felt a light tickling touch on its tip. I reacted slowly, returning to the real world.
"Please don't get distracted…now take this." An object was dropped into my hand, and I examined the thing…
It was a small stone…what was I supposed to do with this?
Freya rolled her eyes with a huff. "Just analyze it…I want you to do so. To as as my many items as possible. I've taught you runes, but it'll take more than learning some can h letters to make use of them." I saluted half heartedly and slid small amounts of prana into the pebble.
A small tiny fuzzy blueprint of the stone's structure was absorbed into my mind and I grinned. It was exchanged for a small stick…and I looked up, feeling bewildered at the sheer speed that Freya had exhibited.
I turned pale, staring at the hundreds of objects littering the floor.
Freya gave me a toothy grin, and I realized this was going to be a long training session.
I groaned awake, feeling a pulsing headache come as I woke up with around five hours of sleep. Last night, Freya had forced me to analyze as many objects as possible. Everything from a simple stick of stone to an old desktop computer. One of those old(and thankfully simpler) 90s era computers.
Fortunately, SA does not drain a whole lot of energy due to its sheer simplicity. And with the immense size of my prana reserves, I could keep going for easily hundreds(if not thousands) of uses…
But the information inflow…was rather overwhelming. Especially for someone with a lack of good memory like myself. At the least, flexing my brain a bit should be a natural benefit of using magecraft.
Freya complimented me, saying I had an unusual knack for the use of structural analysis. More so than the average magus…not sure how she would know that, since I'm the only one around.
Ignoring the possible hundreds of others that Kishar has contacted and set up with teachers.
As for that…knack for the most basic spell? I've always had a rather…potent imagination. It didn't take much effort for me to conjure up an imaginary image of such high complexity that I could practically see it.
Basically imagine an entire movie scene in my mind…the sky, the background music. The shape of one's face, the dialogue and sounds, or even the internals of a piece of technology if I wanted to.
It was…distracting at times, but very useful for helping picture a story scene or scanning an object.
As I scanned more objects, I started to refine the simple little spell. Mainly by listing and looking up the various ways modern society 3D scans objects.
There are a number of different methods in fact…
CT scanning using X Rays. LIDAR and ultrasound using lasers and high frequency sounds respectively. Also magnetic resonance imaging as well…
Shaping prana wasn't exactly too difficult, but I had to picture what each method of scanning was like.
Laser based scanning, I would have to focus prana in a coherent beam. Shooting out from my palms, and then reflecting the data back again.
Eventually I might be able to use it at range for imaging the environment. Same for some of the other techniques…
For Ultrasound, I had to picture prana vibrating like a collective group of air or water molecules. A rather different prospect…more like listening for a sound than anything else.
CT analysis is similar but in this case is absorbed into the object, scanning slides that will be recombined before it enters my brain…or circuits? I don't have much of an idea on how things are calculated with spells.
Do circuits act like secondary brains…or some form of magical computer? If they are like that, then I'd have to say I'm impressed with Solomon's work. Creating such a thing thousands of years ago in an age of gods and monsters.
GRRKKHH!
I patted my stomach, realizing I hadn't yet eaten breakfast…and with my mom out I doubt there'd be any leftovers.
I pretty much had the house to myself until about…11:30ish? Either of my parents or a worker would bring me to my shift.
Honestly it's rather convenient…no need to drive or go on a bus or some such thing…definitely luckier than other people.
I glanced at my bundled up uniform as I open the dual door to the room. A low pitched yawn escaping me as I sauntered across the very small carpeted passage.
The house(condominium?) we were renting wasn't too big, but it was very expensive. So we had to share the pay with my older cousin and my uncle who paid for the internet…which I never used since it was slow as shit.
Addicted gamer bastard…
Probably for the best since my phone had some cellular plan so it would work with Telcel whenever we crossed the border…and using it too much would make you lose that number…
My steps slowed as I heard the sizzling and my nose prickled with the scent of someone cooking.
A…high..roar filled my ear before being suppressed into a low growl. Like a lion contained within a cage of steel. I tilted my head picking up other echoes… A sound of raging fire…but so…squeaky…
A familiar voice hummed some song, and I groaned. Looking downward from my place on the stairs, I could see Freya cooking on the table in the combined living room kitchen. She held on of our cooking pan's on a large rock with several runes carved into them.
For lack of better words…I could hear the rune working their magic. What I was guessing was three eggs and two slices of turkey ham sizzled cleanly and safely.
Despite the obvious…unorthodoxy of Freya's cooking method, it looked nice enough. But I palmed my face regardless of the effectiveness of her magic.
She smiled brightly. "Hello again!" The blonde woman waved with a friendly aura, gesturing down to the now cooling pan of breakfast. "I made you breakfast. You can't learn on an empty stomach."
Sure…why not?
I jumped down about four feet with relative ease, my stomach grumbling at the prospect of actual food.
"So…you're cooking with Runes now?" I asked while pulling out a chair to sit on. She hummed affirmatively, her eyes shining in delight.
"Yep! It's nice to be out and about in the human world. It's so very different from my homeland…" I straightened up at her words, realizing I knew fairly little about her besides what she had mentioned to me. So I quietly moved the sizzling egg and ham onto a plate while Freya daydreamed. Once I took a bite of the food I decided to ask her…
"So…Uhh…what is your homeland like? I don't know much about my Moonlit World." Her excited fidgeting and movements slowed to a crawl and I flinched at the expression on her face.
…
I really hope I didn't piss her off.
"The Moonlit World is certainly different…from this one." I cringed openly, and I suspected that Freya did not much like her home. "There are a great deal of unique beings that call it home. Some good…others…not so much."
I suppose I understood…my world isn't much different in that regard. Though her…neighbors were certainly more exotic.
"Sorry…if you don't want to talk about it. I just want to get to know you better." She seemed like a nice enough person, if she was willing to teach a novice like me.
Freya beamed. "No it's alright my pupil. Others in your situation would be just as curious. It's not every day a lovely vampire such as myself comes to teach a simple human." She openly preened herself with a haughty cock of the hips, and I chuckled.
"So…?" I gestured with a friendly grin and she smiled back.
Brushing her back with a fancy flourish she answered. "I am part of the Draugr family, an ancient line of vampires from Scandinavian Europe." I stopped her there with what I hoped was good natured curiosity. She looked a little ticked off but it softened when I gave her a sheepish look.
"From…Europe? I would think someone would notice real life vampires at some point…" she leaned back and nodded much to my surprise.
"You're not wrong. So let me tell you about the Moonlit World." With a snap of her fingers a Gradation Air based hologram formed a multi walled bubble. "It's a simple matter for people like myself." She pointed eagerly to the innermost wall. "This layer here…is your reality where your physical plane resides."
I nodded, easily following along. "Yeah…I get it…so the Moonlit World is all the outer layers above my own?"
"Correct…" she winked and I felt the urge to pinch her cheeks. Freya was almost like a kid in her mannerisms…or a very excitable adult. My eyebrows furrowed as I noticed a very small bubble acting as the core.
…hmm…?
"What's that one at the center?" She blinked at my query and her hands idled as she examined the projection.
"That's…the Root of all things…" she was oddly quiet…though perhaps what old Nasu called Akasha was a sore subject for the vampire.
"We can talk about something else if you want?" Her eyes shifted between ruby and her usual baby blue as she bounced happily at my change of subject.
"Thank you! Now where was I…? Oh yes the Draugrs…my family are an old family. We've been around since 2nd century…" I pondered the rough date in my head.
2nd century…okay Scandinavia…so a few centuries short of two thousand years…that's a very long family line?
"So you're family is almost 2000 years old?"
She laughed. "Hahaha! Yes impressive is it not! Even if I'm not as old…" Freya muttered the last part and I jokingly leaned in with a wide smirk.
I cupped my ears with my hands. "I'm sorry? What was that?" Her pale skin turned a cute shade of red and I chuckled.
She gripped her blouse with a wobbly smile, muttering under her nervous breath. "Ahh…I am the youngest in the family…chronologically and biologically…" I tilted my head at the specificity of her reply.
"Did you sleep a lot or something…?" Freya didn't meet my eye but I had a guess on the accuracy of my answer.
"Yes…it is a way to increase our magical potential within my family…we reduce what few biological functions we have for about a hundred or so years. Absorbing ambient mana from our surroundings and growing our already immense innate power."
Which made me wonder how strong her family was? Only a few times stronger? Millions of times stronger…are they like freakin Saiyans to us? God I hope not…that would probably be the end of the human race…
"So why the anxiety about your age?" I shivered as magical energy effortlessly flowed around her fidgeting hands and fingers.
Her expression has turned dark and weary. "I…was…more experimental than my other siblings. When I was a few years older than your current age I began my family's burial ritual as per usual." Her tongue clicked against her teeth with a bitter sound. "But without telling me…they let me sleep for and extra four hundred years." I winced as she entered a tirade.
Okay…shouldn't have hit that button…wow I'm really bad at this.
"Uhh…" I decided to remain quiet as an enraged aura pressed down on me.
"And while I slept, artificially increased the flow of mana! Without testing or regard for my safety!" She roared at the indignation and I politely nodded.
In the meantime I walked away with my empty plate, idly analyzing it and anything in the living room and kitchen as Freya righteously ranted about the injustices against her.
Hmm…
I found my Jurassic Park book haphazardly lying about the place. It gave me an idea I had seen somewhere before. But I didn't remember when or where…but it didn't matter.
I injected some prana into the book but instead of trying to analyze it, I tried to read the pages. It was slow going and I only managed to get a page and a half through…but it was progress.
"Are you even listening?" I turned pale at the look Freya was giving me, like death was watching me!
"I understand the g-gist of it…I'm just…trying to focus on improving my Magecraft that's all." The blonde leaned forward with a scowl and my soul practically left my body.
I…I!
She smiled and I relaxed as she affectionately patted my head. "Fair enough…this must all be so confusing still." I smiled back nervously, unsure of why Freya was acting this way. "Which is why I am here in the first place…to train you."
"That's good…?" I shivered at her expression.
"So after you finish with your human job and the residents of this household fall asleep…we'll be training." She smirked…
Ohh…oh crap…
I groaned openly as Saturday closely came to a close, taking care to not wake up my mother and younger brother. Since I had met the vampire Freya as my teacher, my skills had rapidly improved…
My structural analysis was refined to a science and I had analyzed every object in this damn house(and even the surroundings houses…)
I had even begun on Reinforcement, in a relatively simple and crude manner. Searching for imperfections and then flooding them with prana…I had broken a dozen pencils in the last four days.
Normally it would be much harder to advance this way…if it wasn't for Freya. She had engraved a powerful learning rune on my shoulder.
She called it Self Improvement.
Using Berkano, Ansuz, Tiwaz, Nauthiz, Ansuz, Sowilo, Isa, and Kenaz to form a short rune sentences. It improved the speed of learning, my motivation for it and working for three physical body as well.
My mind was sharper, my movements more efficient, and I had an easier time with physical exertion. Even a minor amount of exercise was enough for my body to adapt and grow more powerful.
It wasn't much…but gods…the sheer potential of such a Rune. It could…no would revolutionize the world.
If you could automate it…school's wouldn't have the same trouble teaching students. People could lose weight and maintain their health, reducing the strain on the healthcare system.
The only issue was the Prana consumption, it wasn't too high but my inexperienced with runes and Magecraft in general could prove troublesome…
So for now Freya was feeding it, saying it would take a million million years for her magic to drain…which is pretty incomprehensible. That's at the point where most red dwarfs in the universe die.
Right now, it was just past midnight…meaning that Sunday had begun and I was on break until Tuesday…so I was lying on the living room couch, lying my head against its grey cushions. Sparks flew from my fingers as I unleashed tiny spikes of prana.
I had been shaping my prana in my mind, largely out of curiosity…a bit of a waste right now. But it might come in handy at some point…might be able to make Projections someday.
"It's…been a strange couple of days…" the words were uttered out into the air and I stiffened as I heard the rustling of blankets above me.
I…hadn't mentioned anything of what I had been doing to my parents. There were a myriad of reasons for it even if Freya said there was no need for secrecy. Energy for Magecraft wasn't restrained in this reality…there was apparently an infinite supply of it. Though actual output would be limited by the universe…so…no Big Bang attacks.
Usually…probably…
I gripped a pen, and decided to reinforce it slowly and casually…a circuit on my palm lighting up with the action. I decided to test the writing utensil…and with a wince jabbed it against the carpeting.
It managed to penetrate, and a comparison with a normal pen showed me the difference. It was probably as good as a small pocket knife in…uh stabbing potential.
There was more even more rustling…and I cut off my circuits, wincing at the waste heat. My circuits were incredibly efficient so I could output much more than someone from the Nasuverse without damage but…
That didn't mean I shouldn't be careful, especially since being warm could alert my parents.
…
I hadn't told them anything of what was occurring. While it would be easy to prove with a spell or two. The myriad of reasons I had previously mentioned…were too important. Telling them the world might end as literal monsters destroy humanity, that I'm learning from a vampire.
That I basically met GOD!
Would be too much…and my younger brother would not be able to keep a secret at all.
I'll tell them eventually…but now was not the time or place for that.
FWSSHH!
My hearing picked up a strange cry, and my body lurched. Something…someone was near…then it wasn't…then it was…?
The sound…was a strange humming, reminding me of silver for some reason. It was strong…powerful, a ban against corruption and darkness.
In my mind's eye I saw two silver orbs laughing with bright blue ones…tinged with golden light.
This second sound…was far dimmer, and I heard the roar of a dragon, or a golden lion…backed by plasmic waves.
…!
The final sound was weak…like the cry of a small child. I turned around to find it…
But then it was gone…
I darted my vision across the darkness of the living room. Finding nothing out of the ordinary.
"W-What…? What was that?" I replied breathlessly into the air hoping for answer.
But nobody answered.
"Kishar…?" A voice spoke in question, distorting through a medium beyond space and beyond time.
"What is it Draugr…? Having second thoughts on teaching the boy?" The second voice was even greater, a motherly majesty in each spoken word.
"N-No…not at all! I'm just wondering…?" The lessee voice wondered, concern in their tone.
"What?" There was a nervous rustling in the wind.
"Why haven't we told him about the…crossways? Even now, he had felt it. They are beginning to open…so why leave them in the dark?" There was an awkward pause after the question.
…
…
"Because they are already afraid…putting too much pressure on them is dangerous princess." The Draugr hummed, like a mother amused with her child's lies.
"P-Perhaps But…no…no. You…are using the convergence as a training ground aren't you?" The first sounded affronted.
"I am…these…worlds…show potential. A proving ground for the boy and the others to grow."
"The Wizard Marshal may react…to this possible transgression…"
"He will not care, as long as we do not interfere with his work. In fact he may enjoy this, if the events set in motion prove entertaining."
The primary sighed. "You're not wrong…so…which one is it?" The ultimate one laughed, and shuddering resounded through the air.
"For now…? Only one…a world largely lacking in the higher scales of magic. A broken world, a…Remnant of a time long forgotten."
There was an amused snort. "Surely there are more…? Could we you give me a hint?"
"Of course child. One is much like this…a Fated world if you would." There was laughter between the two speakers. "The second, a place dominated by an ancient race…beings of light and crystal. Their destruction of humanity stopped by one of their own…who as her last act. Created something fundamentally…new."
"Is…is that it?" A skeptical question shifted molecules across space. There was a guttural clearing of the throat, nearly eight billion voices speaking in tandem.
"The last is a galaxy on the brink…an ancient cycle of extinction approaching it.
"You're skipping around a bit aren't you…? Only…four?"
"That would be spoilers my dear."
"But there's no one else here?"
"If that's what you believe…"
The voices grew quiet, humming running through the fabric of reality. The world was changing, routes never before possible becoming open to the cosmos. Humanity would have to adapt to the changing world…
Or they would perish in fire and brimstone, falling as ash into the end of days.
Only time would tell what humanities fate would be.